Comp Arf Ultra Flash
 

Hi all,

Debating getting one of these... on the lookout now for a scheme and setup I like on a losing time bird. If you know anyone selling let me know!

Not sure what jet you currently have. But, ...for me it was a huge jump from a Sprint to a Ultraflash. At first it was just scary fast and I was flying too slow for it. Had a couple near stall losses. Then getting the flaps and landing routine figured out was a bummer cause I was getting conflicting info on flap settings and landing methods. Finally, I got with another UF owner and set mine up the same as his and followed his suggestions for landings. After several bent nose gear pins and a couple wing scratches from bounces, I finally got consistently good landings. There were several component failures that compounded my lack of confidence. Flap servo, landing gear drives, electric brake problems, constricting fuel fittings, failed kero burner. The last failure was the glue holding the baffle inside the OEM fuel tank failed and plugged the 3/16th clunk and it ran out of fuel on an upline, way out there. The plane stalled and death spiraled. I lost sight of it in the trees. Thought it was gone and started turning to walk to the truck. About 3 seconds later it came straight at me about 10' above the bushes. I hit the flaps and gear and landed it. Divine intervention! Flying a free UF these days!

That's a hell of a story!

I currently just have an XCaliber with a 100 and GPS says I cruise around at about 130-150. I spend most of my time in the verticals since I mainly fly IMAC upper classes... just used to it. Cross box humpties and the like. Kinda bored with XCsliber already, and I really look forward to getting something higher quality with better rudder authority that I can toss around more aggressively, but I respect your findings on landing the Flash!!!

Unlike the XCaliber, you have to keep the speed up on the UF. The XCal in the club here flies just about like the Sprint. Currently, I enjoy the Sprint more than the UF. Maybe with a lot more stick time on the UF, I will be more comfortable with it. All this being said, the UF is a nice looking plane and flies well when you fly it like it was designed for. UF is very slippery. Probably could have gotten away with a P-120, if they still made one. I would suggest that your ditch the OEM tank and go with a JetTec. Also, I am not convinced I like the Electric Brakes even with the Pro version of controller either.

You may want to consider setting Flaps at 3.5" full flap for a starting point. Keep the UF's nose slightly down on approaches. Once you level out for the landing, keep the nose up slightly and let the nose come down when it comes down by itself with some up elevator in. If you let the nose down early, it bounces. I suggest keeping some spare nose gear pins on hand.

If you can swing it, I would look for a used Shockwave. I picked one up second hand for about the same price as building a new flash. I was hard bent on getting an UF and then I was able to fly both and I went with the shockwave. Its much bigger and more similar to the ultra lighting, but flies even better.

The Sprint is nothing like an Xcalibur. It will teach you little more about jet flying than operating a turbine-which is fine. But people who fly Sprints think they can go on to a 'proper' jet and that's only true if they had the ability anyway. The Sprint loses energy by its self, shut the throttle and its got little energy, also if you pull hard with Sprint it will turn or mush, do that with any of the Xcalibur range and it will bite...just like a proper jet. The Xcalibur has ducting, its clean and holds energy,so you have to learn to slow it up. Its the best jet 'trainer' yet.

Only the pilot can know if he's ready for an UF. Its common here to go from an Xcalibur to an UF, the UF will fly slowly, you can pull hard if you are smooth and it won't bite, just like the Xcalibur.
Its impossible to give someone a set up that suits them, without knowing the way a pilot flies. I set up most of the UF flown here, I don't set them up the way I would fly...my friends that fly my models generally thing they are a little 'lively' for them...but since they are my aeroplanes that's fine :-)

This video was a windy day cross wind, I remember the day as a guy who was thinking about getting an UF had been told not to because of its handling. During the day I was pulling quite hard and he commented it did nothing nasty, he bought one and got on fine...You decide.

Yes, a bigger jet is always smoother and nicer :-)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuM-MAIAzwQ

one snapping SOB. its the one jet I never broke the code on...3 of them. Get an Excalibur....flies great and almost autolands.

Something must be wrong - I've got 100 flights on mine without a scratch or bent landing gear pins in just over 1 year of flying it. I felt at home with it immediately on the first flight.

I'm using Electron electric retracts and brakes - never once an issue, and still on the first set of tires after 100 landings.

Very docile and predictable and lands very slowly, but it needs discipline on landing to get it slowed down.

From mid-flap during the gear pass I select full flap on downwind and let it settle into a trimmed state, and then select idle generally about half-way around the finals turn, depending upon head-wind. It's then almost hands off until the flare. Getting it trimmed for all 3 flap settings is critical.

I've had a couple of flame-outs and to be honest, they are almost easier than a powered landing - one less thing to worry about. It glides extremely well - just don't rush it as it floats for ever if the speed gets too fast.

I do have a gyro fitted (Cortex Pro) which I think helps settle it out in places - I've never flown it without the gyro active so can't comment on a non-gyro UF.

Paul

Best advice, fly it with someone who knows how to fly a Flash and you will be fine. I’ve sold all of my jets except the Flash, it does it all.

Its a debatable subject but I would say set it up with crow with the flaps. I’ve had about 25 flights on mine and have had zero issues with bouncing (I’m going to regret that statement !!). I bounced my previous Flash on my 7 or 8th flight, scraped it all over the place and sold it on. It was a lack of experience flying such a slippery jet which caught me out (and the lack of crow on landing), if I had been a bit more patient and waited for a more experienced pilot to watch over me, I’m sure I’d still have my original Flash.

Amazing model.

Simon

Thank you all so much. I do have a couple flash/lightning/Ultra Bandit fliers here, so that's good.

Im a big believer in crow. I use it on my XCaliber too. It really made a big difference in how it slows.

I found a decent deal on a Lightning... hmmmm

I flew the Helll out of my UF for two years, had about 3/8 crow in it for landing, always smooth and predictable, very stable, and easy to land, come out of the turn line up, back off the power then cut the throttle let it come down and flair. I had dreamworks pro-link gear in mine, NEVER had any problems with the plane, or bouncing it on landing, or anything like that. Just had to replace worn out tires. The jet would do just about anything I wanted, took a lot of speed to hold a knife edge, but my lightning does too. The UF will fly fast or slow, just not in a turn,,get it slow in a turn and it will snap, and its all over. Always said it was the best flying plane I ever had, then I got my Lightning, now it holds that Title. But I will always praise the the UF, it's a fantastic jet.

If you crash a ultraflash due a flying technique it's either set up or your just not ready for it.

Still kinda torn between the Flash and something like a Viperjet or Rebel

If only Carf just enlarged the Ultraflash a little not as big as the lightning but just a little.

The UF is from the age when jets actually flew fast...before the ultralight whale designs that can knife-edge at a walking pace:) I liked mine but the undercarriage was very hard and noisy.

​​​​​​​TP.

Yes time moves on everyone can fly fast now days.

Did some searching and got a couple videos of mine from a couple years ago, showing the two extremes, from really fast to slow,,
The flash Does not have to be flown wide open, it can tame down and fly slower,
Speed


and Slow,,,,er

That's right 190sv in mine it hoots at full power but lands very well after using 4L of fuel.

Just a couple of thoughts - for all you guys talking about your planes flicking just make sure you're not nose heavy. I run mine pretty far back and it has to be heavily provoked to let go. Nose heavy also isn't going to help landings. I also run a 1" arm on the rudder servo and have made sure the slot is open enough for plenty of throw. Knife edge performance is way better than the shorter arm set up - mine will even climb in knife edge now (again aft CG doesn't hurt here as well).