erashby
Aug 21, 2004, 05:30 PM
I just thought that I would pass on what I have found out and my experience with regard to these blimps (the tri-fan ones). {I didn't consider the two fan models.} I checked out and telephoned both Dragonfly and Plantraco, the major two players.
At altitude>4000ft:
If you are at or over 4000 feet then the saucer is not an option with either company. The Plantraco blimp holds 6.5 cu ft of helium. With the Dragonfly you will have to ask for the high lift envelope which is blimp shaped and only comes in silver. It holds 4.5 cu ft of helium. With the Plantraco I had to add 1.7 oz of balast weight. Wow, that was alot more lift than I expected. The Plantraco site says that each cubic foot of helium provides about an ounce of lift.
1) Envelope/ballon:
Dragonfly has cool red, white and blu (stars and stripes) or yellow, green silver, and black blimps. [Advantage Dragonfly (if you are <4000ft and don't want silver of white)]
2) Gondola:
The Dragonfly gondola that holds the motors and electronics does not seem as robust or like it protects the propellers as well as the Plantraco, but it does appear more blimp like. [Advantage Plantraco]
3) Transmitter/control:
I couldn't quite figure out the transmitter control for the Dragonfly. It has just two one axis sticks., so I couldn't figure out how you would activate the up/down fan alone. Maybe the transmitter they show is the old one for the two fan unit? It runs on AA batteries.
The Plantraco Tx looks less transmitter like but it has straight forward control. It has three one axis mini sticks. Pushing the stick forward runs the fan forward. Pushing back runs the fan in reverse. The middle fan is for up and down, left stick controls the left fan, right controls right. The transmitter that plantraco uses for the desk rover is the one supplied with the blimp, not the old triangle one that is on the website. It runs on 9volt battery. [Advantage Plantraco]
the Dragonfly has a new model coming out that looks really cool called the Mach III Pro that will have proportional control of the motor speed instead of just on/off. Until flying the blimp I thought that propotional control might be needed. But the blimp flies so slowly that you mostly do bursts or full throttle. Also, because the blimp is buffetted around by very minor air currents (heater or A/C ducts, people walking by, blowing, etc), you have to constantly make adjustments anyway. And they said that the Pro version would be over $100 more-not worth it IMO.
Conclusion:
I'm very happy, err that is my 13 year old daughter is very happy, with the Plantraco blimp. It flies well, better and faster than I expected. And it is fun! No chargers are involved since the blimp runs on a lithium camera battery (size 123)
I'm thinking that another blimp for Christmas and setting up our own "blimpic" games might be fun. :D
At less than $70 these blimps are great indoor flying fun!!!
Oh, they'll get you on the shipping-Plantraco shipps 1-2 days for $25, but it is coming from Canada, so I guess that is not too bad. Regular shipping is $13.
At altitude>4000ft:
If you are at or over 4000 feet then the saucer is not an option with either company. The Plantraco blimp holds 6.5 cu ft of helium. With the Dragonfly you will have to ask for the high lift envelope which is blimp shaped and only comes in silver. It holds 4.5 cu ft of helium. With the Plantraco I had to add 1.7 oz of balast weight. Wow, that was alot more lift than I expected. The Plantraco site says that each cubic foot of helium provides about an ounce of lift.
1) Envelope/ballon:
Dragonfly has cool red, white and blu (stars and stripes) or yellow, green silver, and black blimps. [Advantage Dragonfly (if you are <4000ft and don't want silver of white)]
2) Gondola:
The Dragonfly gondola that holds the motors and electronics does not seem as robust or like it protects the propellers as well as the Plantraco, but it does appear more blimp like. [Advantage Plantraco]
3) Transmitter/control:
I couldn't quite figure out the transmitter control for the Dragonfly. It has just two one axis sticks., so I couldn't figure out how you would activate the up/down fan alone. Maybe the transmitter they show is the old one for the two fan unit? It runs on AA batteries.
The Plantraco Tx looks less transmitter like but it has straight forward control. It has three one axis mini sticks. Pushing the stick forward runs the fan forward. Pushing back runs the fan in reverse. The middle fan is for up and down, left stick controls the left fan, right controls right. The transmitter that plantraco uses for the desk rover is the one supplied with the blimp, not the old triangle one that is on the website. It runs on 9volt battery. [Advantage Plantraco]
the Dragonfly has a new model coming out that looks really cool called the Mach III Pro that will have proportional control of the motor speed instead of just on/off. Until flying the blimp I thought that propotional control might be needed. But the blimp flies so slowly that you mostly do bursts or full throttle. Also, because the blimp is buffetted around by very minor air currents (heater or A/C ducts, people walking by, blowing, etc), you have to constantly make adjustments anyway. And they said that the Pro version would be over $100 more-not worth it IMO.
Conclusion:
I'm very happy, err that is my 13 year old daughter is very happy, with the Plantraco blimp. It flies well, better and faster than I expected. And it is fun! No chargers are involved since the blimp runs on a lithium camera battery (size 123)
I'm thinking that another blimp for Christmas and setting up our own "blimpic" games might be fun. :D
At less than $70 these blimps are great indoor flying fun!!!
Oh, they'll get you on the shipping-Plantraco shipps 1-2 days for $25, but it is coming from Canada, so I guess that is not too bad. Regular shipping is $13.