J421

I've never owned a park flyer, but am planning on purchasing one. I'm debating between the:

BLT: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXVU20&P=7
Fundango: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXVU18&P=7

A friend of mine has an r/c program on his computer, "G2" and I was able to fly both the BLT and the Fundango. I'm not sure how accurate the computer program is, but the Fundango seemed offered much more control. It seems to me that the rudder offered with the BLT makes it harder to fly than the airlerons offered by the fundango.
Does anyone know the immediate differences between the two? (Do they generally fly at the same speed?)

Thanks much,

Joe

PS: What do you think about the Combo packages offered from Tower Hobbies? It's around $250, and seems to include everything needed. (I currently don't own anything needed for such a small airplane)

J421

Here's the link for the combo: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...1p?&I=LZ1445**

Only thing I don't need from this package is the radio.

Time Pilot

I have flown my BLT for over a year now. I have over 30 hours on it in.

I don't know how crash worthy the Fundango is, but the BLT does not fair well in a crash. The nose or the wing pylon will likely break. If you do some mods to these areas, you'll fair much better. Still, I don't see it as a great, Learn on your own, first time flyer, even if you have sim time.

I put quite a bit of time on a sim during winter and started flying the Slow Stick (needs very calm wind conditions). After I had flown that for a while, I took the BLT out. I am quite positive I would have crashed that plane many times and likely given up because of the time it takes me to rebuild. It is fairly fast and quite responsive on elevator. I don't know if others have this characteristic with their BLTs, but in a very tight turn with the wings steeply banked, the BLT does not always want to easily unbank itself. Not an issue if you're up high, but a bit hair raising if you're down low.

Other than that, for what it is, I quite like the way it flys. I get just under 15 minutes of flying from a 7C 650mah nimh pack and a 300 GWS motor with 5.3:1 gearing and a 9x7 prop.

Sorry, can't comment on the Fundango.

J421

After gathering advice and doing some research, I think i should change the title to BLT vs. SLOW STICK. I have a few more questions, though. Are the wings on the slow stick made of foam? Also, which would cost less to complete - I noticed that the slow stick seems to come with a motor, but the BLT doesn't. The space I'd be flying is about 2 soccer fields in size. Which would be more easily contained. Is one Quieter/slower than the other?

Thanks again,
Joe

PS: How does the "Yard Stick" compare with these park flyers?

Time Pilot

Slow Stick wings are made of foam. They are not solid, but about 4 mm thick. The shape of the wing might make it look like the foam is thicker.

The Slow Stick is cheaper to set up. Add covering and a motor/gearbox & prop to the cost of the BLT kit and compare. I think the BLT comes out to just under twice the price.

2 soccer fields is fine for both. BLT quieter.

I just decided today that I really liked my BLT as it is ideally suited for the spaces that I fly in. Fate must have been listening in as I had my very first glitch and she did a quick spiral into a bank. If you want me to take a picture of what the nose will look like after your first BLT crash, just let me know!

The good news is that my pylon mods held up great. Not too much damage to the rest of the plane. I think I may have even gotten away without even bending the prop shaft!

thenamshow

i like the slow stick, i think that it is a great first electric plane, easy to set up, and just fun to fly.
I dont know much about the BLT but i know that my slow stick is very durable hit a fence a tree and my friends plane. these are my only three crashes ever, i just out some tape over some parts and was flying again.


J421 where in new jersey are you?
if your close you can come down and see my plane

Rat1

I do have a question though. How can the BLT be quieter then a Slow Stick since they both use the same power system??????

Rat1

What do you currently have for radio gear??????

You will need a micro receiver of some sort, a speed control and a few servos. GWS naro servos work well for these smaller models. A Hitec 555 receiver also works real well as well as a Castle Creations Pixie 20 speed control. You will need a battery pack of some sort. Maybe a Kan 650 pack and a battery charger capable of charging 4 to 8 cell Nimh battery packs.

If you need a transmitter then either a Hitec Lazer 4 or Hitec flash 4 X (would have to find a used one) or a Hitec Flash 5 X (this is now replacing the Flash 4 X)

Time Pilot

Rat1,

I don't know if it is just my Slow Stick, but I assume all of them are the same: it sounds rather like a flying electric drill. The only mod I have to the fuse is a 10" or so piece of balsa down the front of the aluminum tube. It must have something to do with the materials it is made from. All I hear from the BLT (balsa fuse) is the sound of the prop and gearbox.

J421

Just out of curiousity, does anyone have any pics of their slow stick/blt?

Time Pilot

I have some pictures. What are you looking for in them? Mine look rather like the ones you see in the advertisments.

J421

Perhaps if anyone has any photos of the blt and ths slow stick together (for comparison)?

Time Pilot

J421,

As I think I've mentioned, I am rebuilding my BLT after a crash. I'm getting close to done. If no one posts in the meantime, I'll have them up. If there are any angles you want, let me know.

My wing was intact, so I've included two shots so you have an idea of size. The SS wing is undercambered, the BLT wing a flat bottomed airfoil. Forgive the quality of the shots....

Time Pilot

J421,

I am such an idiot. I'm thinking to myself, when I get the BLT all fixed up, I'll take it outside take a picture of it beside the SS.

Well, I finish the BLT and think to myself, "Hmmm, what should I work on next? Let's replace the tail on my SS, that corroplast it too heavy." Off comes the SS tail....[sm=rolleyes.gif]

The BLT mod went okay. If I should crash again, as long as it's not major, only the front of the nose will break and it should be simpler to make a new one and just slide the new nose into the pylon.

A mod you will likely want to consider when (if) you build the tail: on further thought, I was thinking it is entirely possible my BLT crash, which I thought was caused by a glitch, was caused because the tail came unglued from the fuse. You are gluing Balsa to plastic and, as we all know, plastic doesn't glue well. I'd consider getting a small piece of contest 1/8" sheet Balsa, and cut a triangle the shape of the balsa sticks in the center of the horizontal stab. Then, when the bottom of the tail is covered, you can cut some of the covering away on this triangle with a hot soldering iron so you'll be able to glue balsa to balsa--a much stronger connection, I'd think.

I'll get to that next crash.

edessa

My Feedback: (1)

Just to add to the confusion I added ailerons to my BLT and a lipoly. The plane now makes sharp turns and back to level flight much easier.

Time Pilot

J421,

I have my Slow Stick together again. Fixed the tail with styrofoam from large meat trays. Wanted to re-maiden before I posted.

Do you still want the pics of the BLT and the SS together? I can do that now.

Fly-n-3D

I hope it works and you don't crash again.

Time Pilot

I don't crash much anymore. The tail was sagging, causing some binding last year so I decided to replace it. I decided to do a balsa build-up, covered in tissue and painted with a reflective paint for use a night flying platform (LED's). That was a bit heavy, and I broke the fin when a wind gust blew it upside down on a low steep turn. I rebuilt out of 2mm coroplast, but that was even heavier so I replaced it with the meat tray foam. Really, the simplest solution to replacing the tail pieces.

Not as pretty as the originals, but effective and cheap.