cappaj1

My Feedback: (1)

Anyone have experience with this airplane - the [link=http://hangar-9.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=HAN4125]Pulse XT PNP[/link] from Hangar-9? It's $299 which seems like a pretty good deal.

It comes with an Evolution 46 size engine, which I know nothing about, and five servos, and is supposed to be ready to fly after adding a receiver, prop and glo fuel after only a few steps to assemble.
I'm wondering about the quality of the build, plus how easy is it to fly, and how aerobatic is it for a 2nd airplane?

I'm hoping someone out there that has had experience with one sees this for some first hand knowledge. Or anyone that knows someone else who has one and their experiences.

I appreciate any info as I'm planning on picking one up tomorrow afternoon. Thanks.

dragnbye

i have one it's not the pnp but same engine and what not. it is a great 2nd plane. good to get the feel of low wing and you have to take the roll back off the plane or it will stay there. i knife edges really good, i like to get way up then come full speed to the ground then pull it in the knife edge coming across the whole feild. snaps are slow but if you can get some speed there not to bad. the landing gear area is weak but thats ok wait till it breaks to fix it (very simple) start with a 11x5 then when you feel good with the plane go to a 11x7 and it's fun. i have all kinds of planes all the way up to a 42% and some times i still get the pulse out and beat it around
ps also it like just a touch of speed coming in

TideFlyer

I have one and have REALLY enjoyed it a great deal. Well made, honest plane at high and low speeds. The Evolution 46 has run great, particularly after the first gallon or so of fuel through it. Has never dead sticked even once! Will do all the basic aerobatics. Lands best with a little speed. As for the landing gear, two suggestions: 1. Put some extra epoxy inside around the landing gear block and 2. Don`t use the metal cap screws that come with it to attach the gear. Go to Lowe`s or Home Depot and get some nylon 6/32 bolts. If you have a " less than perfect " landing, the bolt heads will absorb the stress on the gear and shear off, thus saving repairs to the landing gear. All you have to do is replace the bolt. Just a fine all around "take to the field every Sunday" sport plane!

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

I have the Pulse but not the PNP version. I put an OS 46 in mine and this thing is awesome. It's my second plane and I wouldn't trade it. I've heard a lot of people say to change the gear bolts, etc. but to be honest, the only problem I've experienced on landing was with my knees shaking because my other plane is a high wing tricycle gear. If you decide to purchase it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Good luck

Paul

spiral_72

I'd agree. Good quality, good engine, excellent second plane...... and third....and fourth.

It's a good performer when you get into it. It's one of those planes you'll use for a long time no matter what your skill level.

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

Its a fun flying plane, it would be a good step up from your LT-40. I has nice size control surfaces for some aerobatics, but still floats really well like a trainer. I flew the PNP version at my field, the only thing to really watch out for is that they don't slow down much on approaches. You will have to adjust your approach angle appropriately.

cappaj1

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks, for the info, guys. Based on all the positive comments I got here and elsewhere, I went ahead and picked a Pulse XT up. I put it together in less than an hour. Would have been faster if I hadn't [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13SZH6V__dY]videotaped[/link] it.

I plan on bringing it out to the field next. I'll try and get a video of it's maiden.

I'll post my updates here.

One question is there was a wooden piece included in the kit without any mention to it in the instructions, pic below. Is this to hold the batter and receiver in place?

Thanks.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

That would be the battery tray for the eflite version. You're gonna love this thing.

Paul

opjose

Yup a great plane...

Just beef up the gear area...

bassmanh

My Feedback: (5)

cap,

does this plane have a hatch on the bottom just in front of the wheels ? just wondering if it was made for glow and/or electric.


thanks





bassman

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

bassmanh.......I know you were addressing your question to cappaj1 but at the risk........yes, it is designed to fly either nitro or electric. The ARF kit has the hardware to do either. Don't know about the PNP but since it has the wood for the battery tray as shown in cappa's pic, then I'd assume that the PNP has all the parts as well.

Paul

cappaj1

My Feedback: (1)

Yep, the plane does have a hatch held in place with a cap screw on the bottom just in front of the wheels.

At the end of my [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13SZH6V]video[/link], I show all the extra pieces that come with the PNP version. Two pieces of quality foam, that battery hatch cover, two strips of double sided velcro, two pieces of double sided tape, etc. all came in the box. The engine, fuel tank and cowl were already mounted. There were even mounts that look like they're for an electric motor included. I just had to bolt on the tail section, a prop, the gear and wheel pants, mount the receiver and battery and connect the wing halves with the supplied tube then bolt it down and it was ready to fly. I also ironed the monokote for the few wrinkles I could find. For $299 it's a great deal. Considering the ARF is only $80 cheaper, it's a better deal in my opinion since you get a really good engine and five servos with the PNP version. All the guys at the field today were really impressed with the quality of the plane and components and how it flew.

bassmanh

My Feedback: (5)

cap and pdm,


thanks for the info thats good to know, i have one of the pulse xt 25E's coming should be here early next week. now i have to decide if i will keep that or sell it and buy the .40 PNP hmmmmm i have $299.99 in the 25E since i ordered plane and floats.

wish i could afford both but alas i cant.





bassman

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

The colors on the bottom of the plane don't contrast all that great with the sky so keep your eyes on it.

cappaj1

My Feedback: (1)

I got to maiden the plane today and it flew great. I only had one flight and I pretty much just trimmed it out. Using my camcorder, a friend [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LStLi5VTCio]videotaped[/link] it but couldn't really follow the plane all that well and shot it at a fairly wide angle so I only got a couple minutes of shakey video from about a ten minute flight on video and it wasn't great but better than nothing. I appreciated him trying.

The plane rolled a lot simpler and quicker than with the trainer. Didn't have to apply any elevator when it was inverted at all, and it rolled real quick, and after trimming it out, it pretty much flew wherever it was pointed, and moved pretty quick compared to the LT-40, even at half throttle. It is a little smaller airplane though so is a little harder to see when high in the sky.

I buddy boxed it and got help trimming it but ended up taking off and landing myself. I was nervous but it still was a blast. My takeoff was fine and the landing was acceptable except it came in pretty fast as the buddy box throttle trim was all the way down and I couldn't slow it any more, so it didn't really glide in. I went around for a second pass, and it flew in fairly fast but landed smooth. I was pretty happy with it.

After landing at the end of the runway it wanted to go left on me and I was giving it full right rudder and it still was going left. I forgot with the tail dragger to give it up elevator to push the tail wheel down, right? I think that was the problem anyway.

All in all it was a pretty good flight. I got a lot of compliments on the airplane and the guys really looked it over closely and thought the design, fit and finish were top notch, and that it was a good deal for the money.

The evolution 46 sized engine needed about five to ten seconds of spinning with the starter, even after priming, before it started to run on it's own, but once it ran, it was quiet and smooth and transitioned from low to high throttle smoothly and had plenty of power. I'm told it was probably broken in at the factory. There were limiters on the hi speed and low speed adjusters and it seemed to be running fairly rich from the looks of the exhaust. I didn't touch the needles. I'm pretty impressed with the engine and the plane so far.

Thanks for the tips, Guys!

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

cap, mine likes to take a little left on landing as well. Not sure exactly why that is, but it nearly caused me to call 911 on the first landing! I just keep it in the back of my little mind now and when I land I expect it to take 'the turn' and I'm ready to react to it. Once the wheels are down, I seem to be on the right rudder a lot too.

I do give it some up elevator to hold the tail down when I land, but you also have to be a little on the cautious side because the plane will come in a little hot and it's easy to make it bounce back up after the wheels touch down. Been there done that! I'm trying to get it to slow down more on approach, but the plane seems to have that tendancy to be fast on landings anyway. Maybe that's because I'm so used to floating to the ground with my trainer. I'm getting better with it.

The other thing I did to help with the landing speed was to put a bigger prop on it. I think it helped anyway. I like the way it flys with the 12x6 anyway, but it seems to help brake the planes speed on approach some as well. Maybe it's just me.

brett65.........you're right, the colors don't contrast all that well. I took some black covering and applied it to the leading edges of the wings so that it looks like a boot on the wing. It only extends 1" back from the leading edge, but it did seem to help me see it better, especially on approach. We have some trees off the ends of the runway where I fly and I find that the black helps me to keep a good visual where I seemed to loose it before. If nothing else, I think it helps so that's good enough for me.

bass........if you take a spin with one, and then the other, I bet you find a way to keep both! lol

Have fun all. Paul

TideFlyer

Cap, I `ll bet the more you fly it, the more you`ll like it. That`s been my experience. The Pulse is a very "clean" airplane aerodynamically so it retains air speed very easily. My experience has been that it`s not the easiest airplane in the world to grease landings. Unless you hit it PERFECT as far as speed and angle of flair at landing are concerned, it`ll bounce. My best landings have been when I came in FLAT, with some speed, regulating sink rate with the throttle, not the elevator, and only applied a BREATH of up elevator right at touchdown.

As an aside, if you`re ever interested in flying warbirds, That`s how you MUST land them. Application of elevator too high in the landing process causes a loss of airspeed which will practically guarantee a tip stall. Ask me how I know this!