I would NOT recomend the firebird scout. heres why:

1. Not very stabe
2. Breaks VERY easily
2 channels

If you are really serious about getting into RC, you want AT LEAST 3 channels. The scout climbs with throttle, and turns with rudder. I think that you need some ground school;



A plane does not need elevator to climb. The elevator changes the angle of attack, not the altitude. Speed makes a plane climb, because the airfoil creates lift.

The angle of attack is the angle at whickh the wing meets the AIR! So know you know how it can climb.

Real airplanes need Throtle, rudder, ailrons, and elevator. When a plane banks the wings with airons, and wings tilt, but adverse yaw is created , so the plane will not turn. The rudder will shove the nose around/

READ "STICK AND RUDDER" it will be the best thing that you will ever do with your hobby.

Again, i would not recomend the scout, but one of the aerobids. tell me how it goes!

Well, I wish I had known at the beginning what I now know about the Scout and the inherent problem of the front ent of the tail rod popping out of place in the fuselage. If I had a new one, the very fitst thing I would do is: remove the servo unit, poke a couple of holes in the body of the bottom of the body right at the indentatioins where the little cradle is formed that holds the front end of the carbon fiber rod, and with a large sewing needle, thread some heavy dental floss, or heavy thread up thru the holes and around the front end of the tail rod for about 3 or four loops and tie it securely into place.( I thought about light weight wire but I was affraid it would interfear with the radio reception of the servo unit.)That's a big part of the problem I have seen. Once it pops out of place, the very slight downward tilt of the tail boom is what causes the plane to nose dive. It is such a subtle difference you don't even notice it. But it frustrates the hell out of your flying experience.
I am sttill considering buying a new Scout. I have busted up the tail rod of mine pretty good, due to the above mention flaw in construction. When you look at the price, a whole new plane is cheaper than buying a replacement fuselage.

Hi i have just bought my second rc park flyer a firebird scout but im getting very fruastrated with the canopy. How do you close it where does the elastic attach too? i cant find a way to close it. can you please help me?

I am assuming ( and I apologize for that,) that when you say "close", you mean to get it to stay closed, because the battery is always flopping out upon impact; or perhaps yours is flying open during flight and causing a drag on the nose of the plane? Whichever. There should be a rubber ban attached to the inside of the canapy that keeps it closed. I have found that a simple solution to keep it closed is a small piece of brown packing tape, which is rather lighweight, but strong. I poked a small hole in the nose end of the canapy and tied a small rubber band there which I hook arounf the nose for extra security. hope this helps.

no i meen that where does the the other end of the elastic band attach too?

Inside the body of the plane, you should see where the rod goes through from side to side at the top. this is the same rod the rubberbands attach to at the front edge of the wing. the rubber band loops around that and then to the hook on the inside of the canopy. It is a tricky maneuver; some surgical clamps or loooooooong needle nose pliars helps.

hope this helps.

thanks it works

For the money I like the scout, flies pretty well for a little 2 channel plane, although I too had a tail boom problem with it.

As far as getting planes down from a tree, I am an amateur radio operator and one of the things we use to get wire antennas up in the trees is a fiberglass telescoping mast (about $30) that is very lightweight and extends to 33 feet in height. I forget the manufacturer of these telescoping mast, but they advertise in any amateur radio magazine. There are a few companies that make thse some are expensive $300 which are almost like a steel mast, the cheaper ones do the same thing but cannot support much weight other than wires. But I have used it many times to knock my runaway planes down from tree limbs.

After flying other planes in my life, I have one statement to make:

Don't buy the Firebird Scout. Earlier, I just thought it was great. Why? I had no other planes to compare it to. Now, I own a Challenger, Stryker (soon to be brushless), Aero Ace, and soon to be Yak 55.

After comparing the Scout to the Challenger for entry level planes, the challenger is the best. It has 3 channels, and it is much much much much more durable. If you aren't willing to invest another 50 bucks for a much better plane, pay 30 bucks for the Aero Ace. Still it's a much better plane, and can be flown in your yard (it doesn't matter how small it is, mine flies in a 2 car garage)

I bought a Scout and I find it too fast for my beginners brain. I did get it up in the air and managed to complete half circles, one or 2 complete circles and a few landings but it's too fast for me right now. I have a Slo-V that I need to fly yet but so far I've been having a BLAST with an Aero Ace!

Tom

After wasting way way too much time and money replacing and repairing the
Firebird Scout, I did move up to the Challenger which I do enjoy flying, WHEN THE WIND STOPS BLOWING, which is not very often out here in NW Arkansas. Yes the Scout is to light and unpredictable and ill designed. Even the Challenger is ill designed for my taste. You do need to do a little pre-flight shoring up of the tail boom..

Lately, I have been having a lot of fun with a little $45 job called SwifFlyer. It is a little plane same size as the Scout but sturdier construction and it is a twin rear prop job.. ther are no llines attatched to any elevators, pressing left or right on the joystick just increases power to the left or right prop for directional control. again I like it because it is sturdy, and a challenge to land............ once you get it up in the air, youcan quickly figure out the air currents and the siae of your air space to keep it flying. the fun in landing is judging where to begin your approach circle..........