maiden-crash

Hiya inflex, just been to your site and saw you have some crazy (good) prices. You have six 11x4.7 props for 12 bux and a gws motor mount which I will need to mount my motor to the Hawk. Im finally getting my parents (slightly) better with online stuff (thanks to the guys on this thread) So can I ask you a couple of questions? How much would postage cost for something like the props or mounts? And also (not that I dont trust you) what is the safest way of paying you online? These are just a couple of questions as I am warming up to buying online, I may end up getting bits and pieces like that off you (a bit off convincing to the mother should do it)

inflex

Maiden,

Postage depends on where you are but typically it's ~$3.85 for a small order like that. All orders have a $1.50packaging fee (ie the cost of wrapping/packaging/invoice paper/slips/tape/bubble-wrap etc).

Payment is really one of 3 options... 1) secure credit card (Commonwealth Bank's servers take the info, not mine), 2) direct-deposit via your bank's online facilities, 3) direct-deposit by going into a CBA branch and depositing into the business account.

I don't do paypal for multiple reasons which I won't really expand on here


Paul.

maiden-crash

Thanks Inflex. I may end up purchasing a set of propellers from you once I get the Hawk and complete it. I know it may not seem like much, but this is a big investment for me

goopy

I saw that little bugger there this morning, looks great! Brian said that one was spoken for.... and I suspected

Another +1 for at least a mention of the XF, Oz. I've found it an excellent aileron trainer - tough as nails, and once it's dialled in, a lot of fun. Approached witha little caution, I can't see why most wouldn't have success with it immediately - I did. And like clovus says, it looks the biz, a big deciding factor for a fair few, I'd reckon.

inflex

Maiden,

I'm sure most of us have been there before ( I know I have ). I remember I'd spent 3~4 months _planning_ what I'd buy in terms of electronics parts with a $50 lump of cash I'd get once a year. These days I still have to be careful with my cash even when I'm ordering stock from GWS, Elegance or MountainModels. It pays to be careful.

Paul.

Pijuvwy

Paul, do you have Depron, EPP, and other hard-to-get stuff on hand? If you did, people would probably put in a batch order, with their electronics and also building materials all in one package, so only one postage bill.

Crawf_

Oz,

That's a tough one... what to choose for a second plane... the problem is everyone is different.

In my case I started with the EF - good cheap repairable plane... once I understood how to fly it though I quickly got bored with it.

Next came the B Stryker .... I never understood how to fly that and after a couple of bad flights and much time repairing and reinforcing, I discovered my next plane..

The Easystar - similar to the EF... in fact in hindsight, I reckon it would make a wonderful first plane... very smooth, stable and forgiving... but again, I liked it a lot but I was starting to get the need..... the need fer speed...

So I upgraded the EZ* to brushless and it transformed it completely.... I could still fly it the same way as before - sedately around the park but I also had the capability to fly it much faster and it would take on the wind without a worry...

I was now on the speed trail and next came the Ultrafly Slinger.... what a buzz! aerobatic and fast... love it and it is still in my hangar..

Next on the chase for speed came my current favourite, the FunJet.... I absolutely love it and am addicted to the adrenaline - speed !!! It is fast, super-fast, agile, sleek, beautiful... This one will stay in the hangar too....

So I guess what I'm saying is that in my case, I chose the speed route rather than the technical challenges of "full house" controls.. at least initially.... but others may want to develop or be naturally inclined towards say 3D flight... so there are really a number of paths the beginner may take....

Where to next for me? I think either something scale looking, or 3D ..... the Mini Pulse XT does look appealing I must say.... I may also look to build something from scratch like DI - or at least take his alley cat fuselage and get it airworthy.... so many choices .. .what a great time to be alive!

Sorry about my rambling.... oh, one last comment, I know a couple of our thread buddies have an XF, but I would probably not recommend that to someone as a second plane only because of the front mounted prop and all that it entails... I've seen 2 instances in the past week, where a newcomer has been recommended a front mounted prop job as a first plane and in both cases, it has ended in tears .....

Great job with the website Oz... good luck!

inflex

Pij,

I don't do Depron/EPP etc, anything that's lightweight but volumous generally won't be in my store as it becomes quite simply impractical to sell it due to very high 2-way postage costs (because I'm in the North-QLD inland area). eg, consider to ship 1m cubic of foam (it's a lot, yes) would be ~$250 AUD to _me_, then another $250 overall again to the customer. It's like these Formosa-II kits I have here, I can't even give them away at cost price because it's just too expensive to ship

Paul.

ozrcboy

Hmm - XF as an aileron trainer.

Well, I guess it is hideously underpowered in stock trim - that's can be a good thing for a trainer.

It glides a bit like a brick - that's not so hot.

It's tough - that is a strength.

It seems to barely stay in the air at full throttle - that saves the beginner having to learn throttle management at the same time.

Okay - so you can probably guess I'm not so hot on the idea of putting the XF in my list - but I haven't dismissed it yet either despite how glib I am being. A question for those advocating it:

- Is yours on stock power. If upgraded, how much did the upgrade cost.
- How many serious crashes and repairs did you have before you felt you had mastered her.
- How many flights before you felt you mastered her.

Pij - not sure why machette hasn't given you an answer mate - he is normally pretty chatty - migth be away.

digitalimages

HI Pij

Desert Aircraft in Mansfield do Depron - 3mm, 6mm and, interestingly, 7mm.

As always, teh problem is shipping - I'm lucky I live reasonably close to the source.

Unlike the US, you can't go to Bunnings and buy similar stuff.

Cheers

digitalimages

Speaking of my Alleycat, I'm now at the point (thanks to the lipo I got from Paul) to run it. I could have left it spinning on the ceiling had I let go of it ! Hopefully, Crawf (roped in as test pilot because it's well beyond my experience !) will be able to fly it . It's certainly got enough go !


Maybe Crawf, when you see how fast mine is, you'll put some gear on the one I gave you and fly that too !

I've had a lot of pleasure just from making it and so seeing it fly will be the icing on the cake. (I know exactly what you mean now Clovus !)

BTW That plane you just got is really nice looking - I'd like one I think, in the futire

Cheers

inflex

Digitalimages,

She's looking sweet there! Remember, any troubles with that pack - let me know. I've got more coming soon too.

Paul.

bleary

Oz for a good 2nd plane,how about one of those parkzone supercub things,or one of the SDM yellow cubs,or even an electric assist glider like a hawk 1400 or even a badius type plane.Depends if you have or are willing to buy decent electrics I spose,also if you are confident to not crash the hell out of something with the prop and motor at the vulnerable end...
Deltas can be good for aeliron training perhaps,but are a bit one dimensional in the way they fly....good thing is they can take a hammering for sure.
Maybe a Easystar with a hot brushless and larger rudder and maxed out control throws....bit like mine actually,still no aelirons,which I think are important really.
Something with good power though I think is important.Power can get you out of trouble if you stuff up,so you will be flying still,rather than picking up pieces!
Bleary.

digitalimages

Hi Paul

The pack is fine. I'll be getting more stuff off you in the future for sure !! Thanks for the comment re the plane

Thanks again.

PS I think we sould all support local business and the kind of service you give

goopy

Oz,

I had no real issues flying the XF stock. The reason I went to BL was in order to get longer flight times. However, I believe that the BL motor and ESC caused the RF glitches that grounded it (until a nice chap named clovus threw his old TX my way).

I don't know about 'mastered', but I felt comfortable - even cocky - after seven or so flights. Now I can throw her around without too many probs.

I've had 2 or 3 serious crashes, none of which required any major repairs. A high-speed cartwheel that would have retired many a plane was shrugged off with the aid of some glue and a matchstick. A heavy nosedive needed a new $20 canned motor. Dings in the fuse just get pushed out.

Mine's nicely dialled, now. It's pretty well indestructable, flies really well, and gives me enough thrills for the time being. I got exactly what I wanted - a solid and fun little sports flyer that I could chuck around the park for 15 minutes at a time on a windy day.

All that said, I feel I got lucky. It seems that there are issues with QC, and that there are variations in dynamics from plane to plane. Also, I made sure to read a lot of the [limited] feedback & info (on these very forums), and took preventative steps. I dunno... it was the right plane for me.

Pros:
* semi-indestructable
* flyable out of the box
* repairs easy
* upgrades easy
* spares readily available
* flies in strong winds
Cons:
* $180 for foam/plastic park-flyer
* radio is rubbish, motor is inefficient and underpowered
* electronics redundant after upgrades
* one upgrade tends to lead to another (i.e. new motor, better get some decent servos to protect investment)

Would I recommend it as a second plane? For the right person, yes. Generally, though? Probably not.

maiden-crash

Been skimming through RcGroups and came across electric giant scale planes. They have some mildly powered planes there, electric has slightly improved from the 70's, now with motors capable of 15,000 watts, or 15 kilowatts to simplify. Pretty average stuff....[X(]

inflex

That's very gracious of you. Of course, I also like to make sure I am providing competitive pricing too. There's not a lot of difference between profiteering and surviving. For the last 2 years NQRC has been a bit below the 'surviving' line and mostly pumped up with income generated from the software side of my business. I -want- NQRC to keep on existing because it tends to keep a lot of the other retailers fairly honest. There's a couple of sites that I know of who are constantly scouring my site and adjusting their prices to be 5c below my own. It's an enjoyable game to play in some ways [&:] . I remember when GWS 6ch R6NII RX's were ~$70 ... absolutely crazy.

Paul.

goopy

a new XF video Either I've left the gas on again, or I need a new camera [:'(]

Crawf_

Anyone have any views on the Multiplex Acromaster?

I'm on my second Multiplex plane and they really impress me for quality and value... I'm thinking seriously about an Acromaster for my next challenge....

digitalimages

Hi Crawf

I had never heard of it, but then, that's not unusual !

I did find this video, which you may have seen already - http://www.multiplex-rc.de/cms/vorsc...aster_kurz.mpg

Other than that, I would be light years away from being able to control / fly something like that ! Looks like a nice plane though, and I'd have to agree, Multiplex do seem to have a very good name.

Cheers

ozrcboy

Flys a bit like a Typhoon doesn't it, although does seem a bit crisper - that might be the pilot's skill of course. 30km/hr for the wind seems a bit of an exaggeration - I might have guessed 15km/hr.

Cheers,
Oz.

inflex

Hey there Ozrcboy,

Your valuable package will be going out today... registered post of course (anything over $100 gets RP'd now).

Paul.

machette

Been real busy with my wifes fathers brothers wife visiting from the States .......guess that's an Aunty.

Sorry Pij, I haven't even been flying this week .....that's how busy I've been
I wasn't so sure anyone really wanted to hear about my aileron lunacy on the ElectraFun .......I just wanted to experience some aileron feel before I moved on from the 3 channel......I was dreaming as the EF didn't have enough grunt and would stall and fall out if I yanked on the ailerons too hard.
I put the wing away until I have some more power to put in the plane...then I'll have a go at removing some dihedral (with the iron I think).
To be honest the ailerons I cut into the wing are more like air brakes or flaps .....and I will change the design when I have a go at it again.

I'll post a pic as soon as I find the camera and you can all see my folly with the size and position......learnt a bit since then (especially learnt heaps trying to land the thing with this stupid wing on)

inflex

Hey everyone,

What's everyone doing for the weekend?

I've got 3 projects related to planes... 1) Remote/wireless lipo alarm, 2) Plane tracker/locator (wireless), 3) Finish building this GWS beaver (for my wife).

I've also got to do more work on the kitchen pantry (shelving, lights... etc... might do white LED lighting for the underside of the shelves).

Paul.

goopy

Flying I've got nothing on (that I know of). I'd like to work out a quick release dealie for the u/c on the XF........ but I don't have any "chores" as such (be wery wery quiet). I guess I might do some gardening so I don't get in trouble......

Flew over the ocean today. I love flying in new areas, working out different approaches and just generally zig zagging about.

It's kinda funny - when I was perhaps 12ish, I remember watching a bloke with his (glow?) plane, zooming about over the beach. It's an enduring memory, and perhaps why I'm into them now. Anyhow, I was absolutely dying to ask him for a go! Today, I was that bloke Had a couple of kids watching me zipping about over the pacific...... so of course the show-off came out to play. Quite honestly lucky not to ditch it They came over afterwards and I had a chat to the boy - I recommended the EF for him.

Kind of a sentimental moment, for me, anyhow. Good flying, all