Predator
 

I have sent e-mails, made phone calls etc. and NitroPlanes never responds. It seemed for awhile they were improving but I think they are going bad again.

Thier web site shows a Predator UAV that I am interested in purchasing and playing around with. They list two ARF's, one part number 212308 at $74.95 and another with no part number at $89.95. I cannot tell any difference between them other than the price. I have tried contacting NitroPlanes thru the normal methods as above. No response.

Maybe they will read this. I sure wish they would clear this up and I will order one.

RE: Predator
 

Hmmm, that is weird, I have the 63" camo version, one thing I did notice, neither of the two you mention, at least from the photos, has the upside down vertical stabilizer that mine has.
Must of changed the design. I like mine with the 3rd tail as I put a metal skid on it to keep the prop from hitting the ground on take offs. The way they are in the picture, you'll be grinding up a lot of props if your take off angle of attack is too steep.

Well if you ever get one you'll like it. Flies very well. I equipt mine with a hacked CVS vid camera.

RE: Predator
 

The cheaper unit does not have ailerons. The cheaper plane is controlled completely by V-Tail mixing.

The slightly more expensive unit was the one that was recently (and favorably) reviewed in the magazines.

RE: Predator
 

opjose

Thanks very much for the help. I will order the $89.95 one. I would have never figured that one out, thanks again

RE: Predator
 

Glacier Girl

Thanks for the info. If one reads the description you get the idea that the stab would be down but I thought they were actually referring to the REAL Predator. Hopefully it will have the correct stab. Thanks again.

RE: Predator
 

one part number 212308 at $74.95 and another with no part number at $89.95

they are the same item in fact. 212308 can only be ordered if we accepted your offer thru RCU we do not have offer for now so please order $89.95.

Thanks
John
Nitro Planes

RE: Predator
 

Hi John;

The pictures and statistics for both planes are entirely different.

One is listed as a 4 channel model and the other as a 3 channel version.

The three channel version has no visible ailerons.

Please clarify.

Thanks.

RE: Predator
 

http://www.nitroplanes.com/4eluavrqprra.html

and

http://www.nitroplanes.com/4eluavrqprra1.html Item (212308)

are same item.

http://www.nitroplanes.com/uav3arfbrelr.html
is the 3 channel one. longer wing span. Yes no alieron.

Thanks for pointing this out.

PS: opjose I should have your ultimte 120 cowl (if I remember correctly) send out this thurday or friday. Need any other parts?

RE: Predator
 

Thanks for remembering!

Just the cowl and canopy.

Beautiful plane btw. I posted my "pink" build on the other thread.

Can't wait to fly it.

I'm building my backlog of planes that I've purchased from you guys last year.

I still have five more to go!

RE: Predator
 

opjose

Can you tell me which magazine the review of the Predator appeared in. I am sure I saw it in the past but I can't find it to save my life.

Thanks

John

RE: Predator
 

Page 84 of this month's "Backyard Flyer".

RE: Predator
 

I started building mine last night. I was suprised at a few things on it. The wings are intended to be glued on and not removeable. If one did that it would be pretty tough to change an Aileron servo if it was required. I am going to try to figure out something to get around that problem such as cutting an access hatch in the bottom or top of the fuselage.

Also I see that no access holes are cut in the fuselage to route the servo wires into the fuselage although they are cut in the wing root. I am using HS-65 servos for the Ailerons they bottom out in the wing and I had to make small mounting blocks and glue them to the wing to avoid that problem.

I also see that holes are not drilled in the Elevator stabs for the steel pins that go into the fuselage even though they are present in the fuselage.

Seems like the manufacturer left out some details on this plane. Not a big deal for the price but kinda strange.

What flight configuration did you guys use, Elevons?, conventional Aileron/Elevators?

I fly off of a dirt runway and the lack of steering is of a little concern to me.

Any input would be appreciated on configuring the flight condition, building etc. Also the throws used would be valuable.

The article about the predator in Backyard Flyer is an absolute joke with no details of any kind and no mention of problems (such as the lack of holes for the Aileron servo wires) among many others. As per usual in the magazine reviews they say the plane is perfect so that manufactures will still advertise in thier magazine.

RE: Predator
 

I ordered the balsa model of the predator 2 month ago, I received it with the a rudder fin missing (it's a v-tail), I wrote emails for 2 months, made 5 phonecalls, 3 from italy and 2 from California, 2 times I left a message in the answer machine but nobody have ever helped me.
The only time they wrote me something longer tha 3 words has been: " please send us a picture of the missing part" ahaha, picture of the missing part.
Today I sold for half price the model to a modeler and he'll probably build the missing part ( I have no skills to do that), so the Predator for me has been just a waste of money. Adios Nitroplane.

RE: Predator
 

I am ready to maiden mine tomorrow morning. I am curious about the lack of steering. Anyone got info on how it handles on the ground? Does it track straight on takeoff and landing or should I be ready for some pulling one way or the other? Any comments on flying it would be helpful also.


Thanks

John

RE: Predator
 

Even with a post in Nitro Support Forum, after almost a week ( and 2 months of emails and phonecalls) I don't have any news.
Improved customer service? This is not even legal I think. Think about it before u buy from them, as u can see also in this forum, sometimes customer support is unexisting, even when your product is useless. What's so difficult in answering a customer in your forum Nitro guys???????

RE: Predator
 

I wouldn't expect a response in a forum to get something resolved. There are other avenues.

I though you already stated "adios"?

RE: Predator
 

They sent an email with written "IMPROVED CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH OUR NEW DEDICATED RCU FORUMS SERVING YOU!!!", so what's wrong in asking support here?
Yes adios, Should I buy other products from them?

RE: Predator
 

Did you read what I've done before writing here? Read above if you haven't read it yet..

RE: Predator
 

Yes, I read what you wrote, but your post indicates that you already got rid of the plane, hence the "adios".

Do you still have it?

RE: Predator
 

Hey I paid for it, I expect few words from the company or an offer for another one with better price, is it too strange? Same case in Italy they would have gave me a new one for free in few days or the missing part with exuses, we are not in Uganda. That's not the way to work with customers, at least for my Italian way of thinking. Do americans sell broken products at full price normally? i don't think so, so why they do? Am I the only one in this forum complaining for this "customer support"? I don't understand what do u want from me.

RE: Predator
 

I don't want anything from you.

I was considering trying to offer you a way to resolve your problem if that is what you still wanted.

But you also said you got rid of the plane which makes this pointless.

If you've gotten rid of it I can't be of any help.

RE: Predator
 

An offer? are you from Nitroplanes?
What do you offer or suggest?

RE: Predator
 

Well back to the steering question, not sure how it would work out with out steering. I just used a Hitec 81MG servo to steer mine, works fine. Very simple to set up.
One thing on your maiden, don't horse it off the ground, it will tip stall easily if the speed isn't up. On mine it's a long run out before she goes up. Oh and even though it will loop, I wouldn't recommend it. Those long wings put a lot of strain at the fuselage, can't tell you how many times I've had to reglue the wing to fuselage joint on mine.

RE: Predator
 

No I'm not from Nitroplanes.

Forget it.

RE: Predator
 

OKthanx anyway for your time.

RE: Predator
 

Hey guys check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5FR46AgrRs

RE: Predator
 

I found out last night that if you carefully cut the covering away from the mating edge of the elevators to the fuselage the two pin holes are visible in the elevator.
My question is since the pins are small and my holes into the fuselage are 3 times the size of the pins do you just fill these large holes with epoxy? Does the epoxy just run thruout the fuselage? Are the pins more for locating and not for strength?

RE: Predator
 

Yes, I thought the holes were not drilled in the Horizontal stabs also. Like you I sanded the root down and sure enough there they were and I did use them. Yes, I put epoxy down the tubes to grip the steel pins. I did not note any epoxy flowing into the fuselage but I did not use all that much expoxy in them. I sanded the pins a bit to make them rough so the epoxy would hold a little better. I would say the pins are for location AND strength. I also exposed the balsa between the holes on the fuselage so that it would get a little better bond to the sanded root of the stabs.

The steering turned out to be a non-issue in that the plane tracked straight down the runway on takeoff and landing. Apparently some have added nose steering to the plane. I use a DX7/AR6100 on mine and just used the V-Tail function which required the use of the rudder channel so I just went with the fixed nosewheel.

I was uncomfortable in gluing the wings to the fuselage in the event I ever had to change a aileron servo so I cut small rectangles in the fuselage, reinforced it behind the cutouts then covered it and used tiny aluminum brackets to attach the wings to the fuselage. The wings do not fit the fuselage all that well at the root so I made very thin plywood shims to fill the gap between the wing root and the fuselage being very careful to maintain the dihedral.

I don't think the plane flies all THAT good. I expected it to glide well with the power cut, not the case. You gotta keep speed on it all the time. It does take off and land well. I noted that you really have to keep the speed up in turns.

RE: Predator
 

I read about your Rq-1 predator and your experience with it. I read about this predator in the Backyard issue and decided to purchased the $89 ARF. I got it and my flying buddy and myself put it together. Found that its a one piece ARF, you can't disassembly the wing, fun to transport. Found no steerable gear, but with a axi 2814/12 40 amp esc, it jumps in the air.

We taxied it and it was hard to keep it straight. We decided to takeoff and it was airborne within seconds. I continued to fly and trim and was in the air for 6-7 min. I was 100 ft and flying slow, then banked to the left and then it flew like a rock. Its easy to transport now, it in 3 pcs.

You said that you have glued the wings on many times. Does the predator have a bad stall problem? Did you use the cg in the manual ?

RE: Predator
 

How did you set up your "V" tail? Did you just hook them up as if they were elevators or did you use a"V" tail set up from your radios program?
Thanks.

RE: Predator
 

I think it does have a bit of a stall problem, I would just land it with some speed. I had expected it to glide a lot better in the air but it has a tendency to stall at a medium slow speed which I really thought it would glide very well. I did use the CG as specified in the manual. I found that you really have to keep the speed up in turns as it will slide to the side very rapidly.

I am using the Spekturm DX7 radio with a AR6100 receiver in it. I used the V-Tail function in the DX-7 which works very well. It uses one elevator on the elevator channel and the other on the rudder channel ( I think, don't have the radio in front of me). It would work just as well with straight elevators freeing the rudder channel up for steering. I found nose wheel steering un-necessary since the plane tracks very well in a straight line on take off and landing.

By the way for those using the SPEKTRUM AR6100 receiver there is a programming update for the receiver. See this link:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=SPM6100

RE: Predator
 

i keep wondering, isnt the upward pointing v tail and the little 'nozzle' at the back supposed to mean that its a [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-9_Reaper]general atomics reaper[/link] instead? but it was called the 'predator b' so meh.... what % might the nitroplanes model be compared to the real one?