Dave ESPI

There has been some talk about the 747 projects and the e-flite superliner, but there really is not much spoken on this forum about this 747 superliner by ESTES. I'm interested in it, but want to know if anyone has flown it. at $ 140.00 it seems a damn good price.
There is no landing gear, but I'm sure it can be modified to have some if needed.

http://www.estesrockets.com/products.php?number=4123

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4179936



Features & Specifications


The Estes Air Force 1 Jumbo Jet Airliner is one of the largest radio-controlled model planes available, with a wingspan of over 42 inches and a length of more than 3 feet. It's powered by four electric ducted fan engines and features a control range of up to 1,000 feet. The Air Force 1 is rechargeable at home or at the flying field and includes a second flight battery so that while one's flying, the other can be charging.

Features a 42-inch wingspan and a length over 3 feet
Powered by four electric ducted fan engines
"Thrust Vectoring" changes the speeds of the engines to climb, dive and turn left or right
Control range up to 1000 feet
Flight times as long as 8 minutes
Recharge the flight battery easily at the field or at home
Comes with a simple launcher that accelerates the jet for smooth takeoffs
Painted and decorated to near-scale appearance of the real Air Force 1
747 shape is licensed from Boeing
Requires six "AAA" alkaline batteries, sold separately



Shipping Weight (in pounds): 8.0

Product in Inches (L x W x H): 39.5 x 42.0 x 9.5

Assembled in Country of Origin: Imported

Origin of Components: Imported

Wal-Mart No.: 000733633




A big beauty and 4 FOUR fans !

Junk ? I donno.

Flying 442

I have one on order and hope it's not a dog. From what I understand about the 2 fan model, it has one speed "on" or as they say in the ad world 2 speeds "on and off". I'm thinking it will fly like an air hog but need way more room to trun around to keep the wing from dropping too far. I think I will be looking to add servos, LiPo's, and ESC's right away if it can handle the wing loading. I have also ordered the 2 fan model (JCPenney.com $69.99) and will be working/hacking that one first, so I'm sure others will know how this one flies before I will. If I find any real deal breakers after opening the box I'll give you a heads up.

Dave ESPI

if it is ON/OFF powered, It would not take much to convert it to a throttle controlled system. It has to have some sort of speed control otherwise how the heck do you catch it zooming by you at like 20 mph for the "landing" .... unless you just fly it till the battery dies, and HOPE it can glide inclose enough to be caught without slamming into the ground. That is what has me concerned also.

UNLESS it flies so slow that it's top speed is like 10 mph or so, and that would be awesome ! I'd love a big slow as hell jetliner to buzz around with that flies like a "brick stick".

Flying 442

It came in today looking like the box had been opened, but the parts were still taped in place. I put it together (5 min) and I tested it after a battery charge. The left stick (throttle) is spring centered and the motors are off. I move the stick down and it is still off. I move the stick up and the motors go from off to full speed. With motors running I moved the right stick back and forth and heard the pitch change once per side. So with the one I have the power is on and off and to turn it cuts the power one step. Also Estes feels the need to put a timer on all the new plane controllers. The small ones are 2 min and it shuts off, this one shuts off after 4 min. If you are in the air when this happens you can shut the TX off then on and reset the timer for another 4 min.

Just so you know, the pictures you posted make the planes skin look smooth as silk. I have taken two pictures to show that it has a foam finish. This is ok with me as I will not be showing this plane. But the smooth pictures might lead you to think you could paint it up like your favorite Boeing and as you can see from the pic's, this would take a lot of work. I will be looking for ways to add real R/C control to this plane so I will not include a flight test. All in all I feel the airliner is priced right for what it is. It looks like it can take a few mistakes and still look good and keep flying. I will give it control surfaces, more power, and take-off/landing gear.

After I get the feel for this one, I will be stepping up to E-Flite's Super Airliner. It only has two motors and sells for $159.00. You still need to add the motors and servos bringing the total price to around $350.00.

Dave ESPI

Oh man, thats kinda crap

I really wish you would take a test flight with it.... anyway I can cooerece ya into doing one ?

PrkFlyrRic

Hey,
Any more on this one?
I've got one on order and prob should have checked here first but oh. well.
I'd like to hear how things worked out.

Flying 442

It looks like a sound flier and built about as well as I had hoped, for the price. I have mine set up to fly on my JR 9303 with a Berg RX and two ESC's, so I can get around the 'shutting it off and turning it back on' thing (has a 4 min timer you have to reset) and I also want smoother control over the motors. The planes like this that I have had in the past seem to like calm days for nice scale slow banking turns and I have not had a good test day for that yet. Maybe this one will handle better in light winds, but until I hear otherwise I'll hold off. If I have to wait too long I might throw control surfaces on it for better control in those light winds. It's a quick build (5 min?) that will be done before the batt's charged. If you get a chance to fly it soon give us a review and let us know what you think.

PrkFlyrRic

Just checked order and it's gone to the warehouse so maybe I'll have it in a week or so.
I really am execting to gut it and switch it over to three channel.
I wish the battery system was closer to LiPo voltage, I'm guessing after a control change it be better with LiPo's for the weight factor.
Knowing me though I'll take it out as is and ding it up some.

Dave ESPI

I got one off here from another member. I have yet to fly it, but it sounds very nice when full powered (atleast in my apartment ) It has enough power to pull itself around ont eh carpet and turn, so I think it will fly very well. Just need a day off when I can go out to a big grassy field and fly.

ehroof

let me know, i have on on my cieling (747) and another on its way from jc penny (69.99) 2 engine one (777). I got the 747 from marshals for $20, the rear rudder was broken and the batteries were missing, i called estes and they are sending me the batteries and rudder for free since it was missing. I liked it so much i ordered the one from jcpenney. its a nice looking plane and i cant wait to try it out, hopefully i will get the batteries soon, if not hopefully the 777 and the batteries will work in the 747. Keep me posted.

Eddie

PrkFlyrRic

I emailed Estes since their web site doesn't show spare parts.
They sent me a parts listing with prices.
If anybody wants it let me know and I'll post/email it.
Ric

ehroof

if you could, email to [email protected] thanks bro

PrkFlyrRic

Just got mine in today. Looks nice and I like the push the fans put out.
I’ve just played around some and cycled the batteries.
I hope to get to fly it next week.
Basically a glider with a bunch of push on hand.
I’ve already had bad ideas about the fans, $25 bucks a pair wired, and a $32 GWS A-10 slope glider sounds like a start. I’m not sure I trust the GWS fans.

ehroof

i got the 777 from estes friday, it uses 7.2 batteries in a different configuration. i emailed estes about my batteries and fin i ordered on the 6th and they said they are moving their warehouses and it will be 3-4 weeks before they ship, maybe sooner. Terrible service if you ask me, 5-6 weeks until they are shipped, i cant find the batteries anywhere for the 747, 9.6 volt, i am thinking about making my own, if you get a chance could you take a picture of your batteries so i can see, i think they are 8 aaa batteries.

thanks, eddie

Dave ESPI

OK, I'm a tad dissapointed.

It really is more like a Brick with Ductedfans. [] It keeps nosediving on me right back into the ground. I think perhaps I need weight inthe tail, or something is not right with it. I had 2 sucessfull long flights that went about 100 yards then crash landings. It handled the slamming to the ground quite well and the engines popped off as designed. no major damages, and the nose is in OK shape with some cracking to the plastic that shields the styrafoam in the nose from impact.

I tried a few more times, but it just does a long slow nose dive into the ground.

One posetive note, it does do a running hand launch quite well and you do not need the shock cord to launch it.

Perhaps a bit more power and it will do better.

LIPOS ?

PrkFlyrRic

Here's the battery pic.
And they are AAA, 9.6v 650mAh stick packs.
Go to [link=http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com/main.asp?sid=733526&]CheapBatteryPacks.com[/link] and have them make you up a couple.
Even with the most expensive 750mAh AAA battery a pack is only $19.50. Get the small male Tamiya plug, it's the right size and polarity,(red-hot on square side of plug).
And with 750mAh you'll get a longer flight time. I'm still cycling my batteries, and I'm not impressed with the time so far, maybe 4-6 minutes full power. Might get a little more in the air, but I'll see what happens after I get 5-6 recharges on the batteries.
Ric

PrkFlyrRic

It's been real windy here with 20-25mph winds since Friday so I'm stuck recycling batteries and the only thing I get to fly is my Havoc-Heli in the living room. [>:]

Dave,
Try putting some up elavator in the tail, lightly bend the back of the tail up and use a hair dryer to just warm the foam, while holding a 1/4inch up in each fin, don't melt it, and try to get both up the same amount, to much one side or the other and it affect flight to the right or left.
Adding weight is an idea but I hate to add wieght and would try adding a little up first. With a plane this size and lenght it'll take more than I like to use.
Either way if your able to get it to go that far before it falls out of the sky, I'd say a little up or weight is all you need.
That's one thing ARF's/RTF's have in common with home-built planes, they still have to be balanced. and like most prebuilts the maker didn't give us the CG.
More power is allways a good thing, I'm just not sure the motor control, ESC, could handle it.
Ric

PrkFlyrRic

I’ve noticed in my ground testing / recycling the batteries that as the battery gets run down the left wing fans stop a good bit of time before the right fans.
This could be disastrous in the air!
I’m getting about a full minute of run time out of the right side after the left has quit. This is on power, on turns right and left will still work.
I’m talking trying to land and entering a left death spiral since the right will still run and not being able to power both sides to pull out! [&o]
Are yours doing the same???

Dave ESPI

Argh... I'm VERY frustrated with this. It needs more power and a HUGE FIELD to fly and turn around in..... at LEAST 3 HUNDRED YARDS (like three football fields long and wide.) I played a bit with the tail and did the heat warp thing, but it really did not help all that much, and the weight did a bit in combination with it, but still it seems to not have enough power versus the weight of it, and it needs more power to the engines when it "Pulses" to turn. Adding 2 more channels and a better radio TX with linked rudder controls to the engine power would totaly rock on this beast and make it fly like the dream boat I had envisioned it was going to be. It really sounds awesome when the engines are running though... it doesn't have that "hollow foam" sound like most ducted have IMHO. I wonder if any good bashers could mod this thing and make it a worthy flyer for less than 200.00 more.

PrkFlyrRic

I may try converting it later, I won't have time in the next month or so...
Based on your reports and my own glide tests I did add a 1/6 in. shim at the rear wing mount to give the wing a little more bite.
Seams to help durning power off glides. Day time winds here are still kickin' with morning/evening winds still to high to fly anything I own.
The wing mount is held on with one screw and a little glue. I removed the screw and pulled the top half of the mount out, it wasn't glued in. The bottom half was glued in but only with a little glue and I was able to put a long thin screw driver in the hole from the top and press it out without tearing any foam. Then it was just cut and fit the balsa. I didn't glue it in so if I need to change it later I can.
Here's the pics of the shim & mount

PrkFlyrRic

This is the reason I only get to test glide in my back yard.
These were taken from the back yard today. I'm only a mile or so from an Army airfield and really don't want to turn on a radio or plane and have it go haywire.
Luckily we only get these big guys a couple times a month, but plenty of smaller stuff, with Apaches and Blackhawks daily.
You just get used to it and really don't hear them anymore.
But that means while I have a ten acre field across the street I have to drive ten miles to go fly.[:'(]

ehroof

thanks for the link to the packs bro, i will have to order some. i dont know about the 747 since i dont have the batteries but the other 777 i got seems to have plenty of power, just the batteries dont last more than 1 minute, i have only cycled them 2 times, i am uning my mrp brain charger since the stock one wouldnt even sense the batteries at first since they were so drained. a few more cycles and i am sure they will be better. sorry to hear about the bad luck dave espi, i was reading this thread and was very excited to try the 747 out when i read it.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=490035

PrkFlyrRic

My Brain 960 would start to charge the batteries on auto then go into trickle charge after about ten minutes.
I went to manual and set my amp rate at 1.5 and now it full charges the packs.
I ordered some 1000 mAh AAA's and am gonna try making my own packs to up the flight time.

Wish the wind would die and I could take this thing off the hangers.
It looks good hanging from the ceiling but I bet it looks better cruzin around under it's own power....

Ric

ehroof

i was thinking about doing the same, here is the link i found on ebay, could make 3 packs for like $20, i am just a little worries about soldering the batteries together, have you done it before and if so, maybe you could guide me a little.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ype=osi_widget

PrkFlyrRic

I was just in Wal-mart and saw these; [link=http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4291462]Wal-Mart rechargeable AAA's[/link]
They are a bit high priced but figure you only need three packs to make two packs for the AF1 and NO shipping.
I bet other places, (radio Shack or K-Mart), has them cheaper, maybe even different mAh ratings.
With connectors from a hobby shop they should come in around $17-$18 a pack.

As for soldering your own packs do a search on the forums or check the web.
I did my own back when I raced electric cars and it's not hard to do.
The biggest thing is to "tin" the link first and don't heat up the battery.
Ric