I don't know how many of you know the Aerobird from HobbyZone. Great starter planes.

I keep hearing that you can't use the guts from an Aerobird for any other plane. I don't think that is true. It is just that the people who say this have so little imagination.

OK guys, here is the challenge!

Now, I am not a builder, so I am the wrong guy to try this, but there are lots of smart people out there designing or adapting planes. Some of you may also have Aerobirds. Let's see if you can design, build or adapt a plane using the control board and motor from an Aerobird.

For those who don't know the configuration, I will post a photo here.

Since V-tail mixing is built in and the board is fairly flat, this might go well in a delta wing where you use elevons for control. Maybe something you make from that blue or pink building foam. Perhaps something like a Zagi Fixx type design.

If I ever wreck my Aerobird to the point where I can't fix it and the electronics are still good, I might try this myself.

How about all you smart building types. Could be big money in a plane that can use the guts out of an Aerobird. Heaven knows they are selling enough of them. You could even buy a fuselage for $42, take out the speed 380 motor and the electronics package and throw the body away if you can't find a damaged one to salvage. Still pretty cheap for a receiver, motor, ESC, BEC, low voltage cutoff, two servos and a mixer. Fairly light too.

Let's see who can build one first. Not me, I am no builder. I haven't even started my first ARF, an Electrajet. No time.

Anyone out there have a bashed up Aerobird with a working electronics set who will donate it to this design project?

The challenge is placed. Who has some ideas????

Who, knows, we could produce a whole new plane this way. Call it the Phoenix, the heart of the Aerobird rising from the crashes.

Almost, "ALMOST!!" any modern electronics can be adapted to another use if the builder has a little electronic knowledge and a bit of imagination. It is common practice for those of us who have several types of radios to use them over and over again if the original model has been reconverted to kit form. I am not too familiar with the radios included in the RTF airplanes but I do note that a warning is usually given that one should check with the nearest RC club before using the radio as there might be interference. I don't really know if this is because they use other than 72mHZ or because the AMA recommends at least a 3 mile separation between flying sites. An aircraft that uses elevons sounds like a good exercise for your imagination. Go for it.

Ballgunner, the Aerobird is on the 27 mHz band, with a range of about 1000 feet. My XL radio,esc,servo, arming switch combination has a complicated servo on it, with many gears, a rheostat on one of the gears. The thin fishing line was attached to one of the gears in "marked" positions. That part of the system alone is more complicated than I want to get into[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] so I would not use it for anything. The shell seems to be the most indestructable part of a Firebird; at least the easiest to repair.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Part of the 27mHz band is for surface and airborne use. Obviously yours is for airborne. The Xmitter and RX should be adaptable for some other use even if the servos are not. If you only want, or need, 3 channels Hitec makes a Focus 3 in Am and FM. It is a single stick radio with throttle control on a slide switch. The FM, which I use, also has servo mixing for V-tail operation. A brand new Focus 3FM is only $84.99 from most on line sites. It comes complete with Xmitter nicads and charger, feather RX and 2 hs 55 mini servos. Personally I only use it for park flyers and such. If you are in the position of needing a new radio think about at least a four channel FM that will take a buddy box. A 6 channel would be even better as it will be usable for whatever airplane you decide to build or assemble, even park flyers if you go for ultra lite RX's and mini servos that are available as flite paks from several suppliers such as GWS, Hitec and others. The Hitec flight pak for the Focus 3 is about 62 bucks from most online sites.