kochj

I almost pulled the trigger on this one..
Have a ZDZ40f3A to go in it with a CF or alum. pipe...
Only issue: cost...
800$ wraped up in only the airframe, shipping, and 45$ cf main gear??

Tempted to get a Greatplanes ultimate, or sukhui...

340 shipped for the ultimate or the sukhui???

Even if you compare the airframes only...

EF 78" 450$
shipping 100$
CF gear 50$
shipping 20$
$620

GP sukhoi 375$
60$ discount (If spend 400$ and above)
0$ for club shipping

340$.....

280$ difference....

I could also place a Evolution 45GX gas engine in any of these as well...

T Erickson

My 2 cents....
With the 40f3a the EF plane will be under 12.5 lbs @ 1200sq.in. I doubt you can get under 14lbs with the GP Sukhoi @ 1155sq.in., but I may be wrong. Seems like in this hobby you get what you pay for. BTW, the stock Extra gear works just fine.

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

OMG EF and GP in the same poll? No comparison.

kochj

I don't believe that...

I haven't flown either of them or witnessed them personally, so I can't
say either way...
Only info I have is what others have said and what is on Videos...

Is it really 2x's better plane??
Becuase that is what the price difference is....
Guys have gotten there GP 1.60 caps, and zuuks to 12lbs with little conserverative actions...
But the issue is Single wing... not happy about that ...
And I would have to mess with the different hardware (mix$match) the two, to get it right...

I am thinking on using the Evolution 45 in the Ef 78"...
I really believe it is a superior engine... to the zdz40lightened....

I might go ahead with the EF....

I have plenty of planes but later look back and think
""why buy a plane because it was a good deal?" and end up with a plane I don't like or want to fly..?

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

I totally agree. Give yourself a treat and try an Extreme Flight just once. The owner is a top notch 3D and Precision serobatic pilot and he personally test flies all of his planes. He's a total perfectionist so what you get has been labored over for months and sometimes years. The planes come with features no other have. Such as phenolic double truss control horns. You get carbon fiber wing and stab tubes. Carbon fiber tail wheel (GP SU is music wire !!). Aluminum beams that run along the bottom of the fuse. If you have a hard landing you won't pull the gear block out. Just bend the gear back if that. You get hardware that you can actually use. The planes fly incredible. No weird coupling. They are test flown and all the bad habits are designed out. With Extreme Flight you pay more, but you still get way more than you pay for. They make you look like a much better pilot since they take much of the work out of flying the plane. That means you can fly more advanced manuevers. Buying one of these planes is sort of cheating.

PS: I just looked at pictures of the GP hard ware and control horns. It looks like 40 sized stuff. Go look at what Extreme Flight gives you....titanium push rods with ball ends. Sorry man, the GP and EF are in two totally different worlds.

Uncas

My Feedback: (1)

I own the GP Ultimate. There is a long thread on this plane with lots of satisfied flyers. I really like the plane, it is the best plane I have owned to date. It is low cost, has low wing loading and you can get cheap spare parts. The low cost thing is important to me because I crash frequently pretending that I can fly 3D. I have a DA-50 on mine and it is overpowered a bit at 14.6 lbs. However, If you are going to fly IMAC type of flying I do not recommend the Ultimate. The Extra will track better. If I were to fly IMAC - I would use my GP YAK.

I have never flown EF. It will probably fly good based on EF's reputation. Wing loading is about the same as the Ultimate.

I have never flown the Sukoi. I would not consider it due to high wing loading, like my GP YAK. Unless you do not fly 3D stuff, then wing loading is not as critical.

To me, it comes down to wing loading (for 3D), cost, and looks, and of course, good reviews.

Good Luck!

kochj

I know that Chris takes his time with these planes....
GP tests theres as well, but I believe they have a limited amount of test planes that they do...
In that they make a plane the they think will work, fly it, test it, make changes and do some revisions and repeat...
Untill then end up with a plane that is going to hold up and is still at a low price point... and not perfected in flying...

I think the EF planes are gone over untill they are right... NO mater how many prototypes are made....
This would be the difference between the EF planes and some of the GP planes..
The other thing to consider is that planes I have listed from GP have been out since 2007.
That means they have 2006 to late 2006 tecnology..(finished plane in 2006 but was able to have ready sale in 2007)
A lot of knowledge has been attained in the last 4 years.

The hardware can always be subsituted out....replaced and redone, but this takes valuable time to do...
Not to mention the time to make a tunnel for a pipe..
By the time all of this adds up, I could have assembled a EF plane and been flying.. and about paying the same in price
and time spent for doing all this "added" work...

I can alsways sell some of the still NIB planes that I purchased becuase It was a good deal on close out....
Althought great sport planes....
I think the EF 78" is a awsome Competition plane....
I was looking for thoughts on the price vrs performance value...
I think I answered Some of my own questions...

Thanks guys for some of the others....[8D]

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

My thoughts are that the EF planes are worth more than you pay for them. Price VS performance that is. But one could argue that unless you are a total 3D nut or IMAC competition flyer, you may not be getting that value out of the money you spend on EF. I know I fly the crap out of both of mine so I get my money's worth. Can't say enough good. I have the 88" Extra and 88" Yak. LOVE them.

Uncas

My Feedback: (1)

Just to clarify, I used the stock GP hardware for my YAK and Ultimate. It works fine. Some people always upgrade this and I never understand why. You should not have to spend any extra dollars on hardware or spend any extra time. There is no channel for a tuned pipe, however. As far as price vs performance goes ..... I think the Ultimate comes out on top. The EF will perform well, but you are paying for it. If you are sold on the Extra, I am sure you will get a good plane and you will not regret the purchase.

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Lots of people like the GP Ultimate. I know I do. I wish I could fly one. Always wanted a bipe.

kochj

Well, I have made my choice....Against my "better deal" judgement....
Although I could get a GP .60 reactor bipe (for flying up at the soccer field), and the GP ultimate or sooky...for the same price
as 1- EF 78" I purchased the 78" EF extra....{major run-on sentance}.....

I didn't purchase the CF gear(extra 50$) because I have a set of CF gear that I can use on this plane.....

I really want to use my Evolution 45GX gas engine (really like the tec. that has went into it)
over the ZDZ40-F3a engine), but the ZDZ is lighter and has a rear exhuast.
Also the 45cc evo puts out as much as 50cc engines, and can be used in a 50cc plane, but I had purchsed that engine to go
into a 2M pattern plane.....
I will have to post some more q's in the EF forum...

THanks all...

kochj

TIme to Police my money...from the trampoline held in the back room

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Your gonna like it! Can't wait to hear your thoughts when you receive the kit, put it together, and fly it. I have the 88" Extra and it's an incredible flyer.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Its a great little plane, I wouldn't bother with the carbon gear.

Edit: some pics of mine added

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Yeah the carbon gear actually a bad idea. I pan caked my Extra in pretty hard and just had to bend the alum gear back. If it had been carbon probably would have needed new gear and would have likely damaged the fuse. Alum is the best IMO.

kochj

oHH...i NEVER CRASH, It is always a Mechanical failure... SO i Don't have to worry about that !...

Seriously, good info though..

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Yeah me too....there was a gravity warp over our field and sucked me into the ground.

Before and after pic's. All same parts. Nothing replaced. I don't think I ever brushed the dirt off the cooling fins. [X(]

Bryant330L

My Feedback: (126)

You won't be sorry about getting the 78" Extra. I have one with a little Brison 2.4 in it and it is a ball of fun. Very nice flying airplane that is small enough for easy transporting but flys like a bigger plane. Have fun with it! It will certainly fly better than the 2 other choices you asked about.

kochj

Wow....
I did that on my GP reactor .46 size, after the glow engine decided to quit at a very in-opertune
time. I didn't judge the wind, as it was stronger than I had thought, and I wasn't calm enough to trust myself to take my
eyes off the plane and hit the switch to HIGH rates and ran out of elevator..Pancake city!
...
Folded the gear AND THE MAIN WING TUBE, AND
the whole gear mount, and ripped out the rudder...

That EF plane must be engineered very well!....As I don't think the 1.60 size GP models have
faired as well as the EF...or so I have read....

I have had MANY Great planes and Topflite planes so I am looking forward to trying something else.

I know the zdz40f3a and a cf pipe will be a fantastic combo...



I

kochj

I like the graphix you have on the extra....
I purchased the red/blk/wht version, but that blue looks very sharp as well....

I wonder how the 26cc Extra fares to the 150cc that will be comming out in the us by next year...??'
or even the 50cc version....

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Yep EF are actually designed to be pan caked and survive since many of the people that own them like to fly way too low.

DLEVETT

My Feedback: (13)

The EF Extra pics posted are awesome!
I,ve owned a number of EF planes in the past and have always been impressed with the quality and flying characteristics.
However I do think that the GP Performance series planes provide a lot of bang for the buck and are also high quality airplanes, just not in the same league as EF.
As was stated above by JoeAirport if you don,t tend to fly the wheel pants of your planes and want good quality at a reasonable price try the GP stuff.

Dave

nitro wing

My Feedback: (1)

I can get GP planes here for normal cost.
I want to advance to be a better pilot/aircraft = EF

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

That's really the dividing line. If you really push your planes in advanced aerobatics, there's no better choice. If you don't push the plane into this area, just fly it around, or sport aerobatics, the GP might be a better choice. I still think the EF has better quality, better designed, better hardware, more advanced aerobatic flight testing, go together better, take hard landings better. That goes into the equation. You might like the looks too. They are very scale and have great covering schemes.

Rush7

My Feedback: (74)

I have the 150cc EF Extra 300 with a Fox 200 on it and all I can say is WOW. The plane is an absolute monster. It is very, very stable and will do anything that you want it to. Oh and another big plus is that it flies like it is on rails.