Air Hogs Storm Launcher Hydro Foam.

[UAVPilot]

Finally!
Have a web site here > Storm launcher (http://www.stormlauncher.com/) < with a new video :D. There is a link to pre order it from Target :)

[UAVPilot]

This was scanned by someone else from the latest Backyard Flyer magazine.
Says that there will be a small release of less than 1000 till later this year. So if you really want one now, I would pre order one while you can, I'm sure they will go quick. :)

[barnyardflyer]

I preordered two days ago, but the wait is starting to get to me! :cool:

[jludwick]

It's hard to read the Lipo requirements from that scan...

Do you see 7.4V and 740mAh???

[MichaelConnally]

Yep ... good eyes

[barnyardflyer]

It's hard to read the Lipo requirements from that scan...

Do you see 7.4V and 740mAh???
And available for preorder here: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1152746321/ref=sr_1_1/601-3407187-5692943?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000FE7EP0

[UAVPilot]

Some pics of mine before and after I put on my own decals :D

Decals made out of monocoat trim sheets.

Walmart still has plenty on there pre order because they posted the wrong date There site says 10/15 and it should say 8/15. Every body is still ordering from Target and E toys even though they are sold out of the pre release already. So Walmart has had them all the time, and $10 cheaper. I was told that supposedly , they had some to ship right away :) >Click Here (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5075214)<

[Chet Spartan]

Just placed my pre-order with Sprawlmart, man I can't wait. Thanks for the pics UAVPilot.

[Magnolene]

So you guys finally got your Hydro out and on the market. way cool. I just pre ordered one. nice vid by the way, who is the pilot?

[UAVPilot]

So you guys finally got your Hydro out and on the market. way cool. I just pre ordered one. nice vid by the way, who is the pilot?For the most part, that would be yours truly :)

[UAVPilot]

Walmart has now sold out of there supply.

Target sold out long ago.

T'R'U still has a few left.

E Toys still has a few left.

[MichaelConnally]

It should be said that UAV is talking about the first batch. They are getting more. Don't forget about KB toys http://www.kbtoys.com/Results.html?_ts=A001&formFirstTime_hdrsearchKBhead=Y&textSearch=1&FirstSearch=YES&previous_keywords=&D=storm+launcher&place=ajnv&formState=&formInfo=T%7CD%7C0%7C255&formMap=&_ts=A001&_e=44cf4&_v=44CF4160SvgRa574D9592E92&_ts=A001

Mike

[dewayne9972]

UAVPilot, how much would you charge for a set of decals like yours or something simalar? I have no means of making my own.

I guess I got in on walmart just in time, said I should expect mine between 9th and 15th.

[MichaelConnally]

Here you go

[barnyardflyer]

Nice boxes, but I cannot see the box pics very well. Could you send me the object blocking the view, then take new pictures?

[UAVPilot]

UAVPilot, how much would you charge for a set of decals like yours or something simalar? I have no means of making my own.

I guess I got in on walmart just in time, said I should expect mine between 9th and 15th.Its kind of allot of work and really wouldn't be very cost effective to make and sell them with my current equipment (knife, hands and eyesballs) ;)

They are just cut out of monocoat trim sheets. I can scan the templates of the patterns, and post them so others can cut there own if anyone wants.

[MonkeySee]

Its kind of allot of work and really wouldn't be very cost effective to make and sell them with my current equipment (knife, hands and eyesballs) ;)

They are just cut out of monocoat trim sheets. I can scan the templates of the patterns, and post them so others can cut there own if anyone wants.
So how 'bout those templates? But my monocoat cutting skills don't match my bow hunting skills or my numbchuck skills.

Maybe you could just cut some extra sheets for your local amigos?

[UAVPilot]

So how 'bout those templates? But my monocoat cutting skills don't match my bow hunting skills or my numbchuck skills.

Maybe you could just cut some extra sheets for your local amigos?
Ok, I will go ahead and scan them.

[Artemetra]

So how 'bout those templates? But my monocoat cutting skills don't match my bow hunting skills or my numbchuck skills.

Maybe you could just cut some extra sheets for your local amigos?

Do you call them numbchucks when you klonk yourself in the back of the head or right in the nards!? :eek: (Sorry. I had to laugh. :rolleyes: ) :D Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunchaku

Sorry about the off-topic post. I love the Storm Launcher and plan to get one (some, perhaps) and I've had good luck with the Aero Ace. It must have been a long, strange trip getting it onto the market, so congrats! Can you share any details about your deal, or is that verboten? How about this; would you guys say you are a.) Thrilled b.) Happy c.) Satisfied d.) Less than satisfied e.) Time will tell! about your deal with Spin Master?

[UAVPilot]

Do you call them numbchucks when you klonk yourself in the back of the head or right in the nards!? :eek: (Sorry. I had to laugh. :rolleyes: ) :D Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunchaku

Sorry about the off-topic post. I love the Storm Launcher and plan to get one (some, perhaps) and I've had good luck with the Aero Ace. It must have been a long, strange trip getting it onto the market, so congrats! Can you share any details about your deal, or is that verboten? How about this; would you guys say you are a.) Thrilled b.) Happy c.) Satisfied d.) Less than satisfied e.) Time will tell! about your deal with Spin Master? Thats a hard one to answer. Mixed bag really. We had to get involved with the project more than just about any other inventor they have worked with.
There are some inventors that just show them a rough picture of a idea, never have to worry about it again, then the royalty checks just start showing up when they get to market

I think the Hydro was a far reach for them , but they actually pulled it off better than I expected. It does have better performance then the original dual prop Hydro we presented to them. With better power to weight ratio.

Spinmaster is a rapidly growing company that is really moving forward into the RC market, Some of the stuff they are working on is really great stuff that i wish I had thought of.

Thats not to say that they don't have there problems. I guess the biggest and most frustrating problem was communication, or lack of it. Actuality, the fact is, that there is so much communication (emails), that nobody pays attention to it and passes the buck down the line to the point of no return.

This was the similar problem the company i worked for in the UAV business came to. As we grew, more and more office personal were hired to the point that every job was somebody else's, so nothing got done. Or made it take a lot longer to get it done.

Spinmasters had to go all out to get this done in such a short time frame though, so they really did a great job considering.

So i guess I'm b.) happy :)

[UAVPilot]

Tribal decal scan.

[Kittie]

So is there anywhere left to preorder one of these? My husband wants one, and I wanted to surprise him for our anniversary.

[MichaelConnally]

I beleive e-toys still has some in stock. http://www.etoys.com/Results.html?_e=44dc0&_v=44DC038DOkILa14052363752&formFirstTime_hdrsearchEThead=Y&textSearch=1&FirstSearch=YES&place=ajnv&previous_keywords=&D=storm+launcher&formState=&formInfo=T%7CD%7C0%7C255&formMap=

Mike

[Kittie]

How can you tell who is and who isn't sold out. Wal mart still has preorder, but says it won't ship til October.

[MichaelConnally]

They will get more by October, but I'm speaking of who has them in stock. I talked to the Air Hogs brand manager.

Mike

[Kittie]

Oh I see. So if I want it soon I order it from Etoys, but If I want to wait til October, I can order it from Wal Mart. Right?

[MichaelConnally]

That's the info that I have

[toddmun]

I saw a video of the STORM LAUNCHER and had to buy one. The problem is i've never owned a rc boat/plane before and was wondering just how hard is it to learn and how long it will take. Maybe a few hints and some advice would help too. Thanks in advance.

[MichaelConnally]

READ THE DIRECTIONS! Spend a couple of packs runing it on the ground at lower throttle settings to break in the motors and get used to the controls. Pick a large field on a calm day and go at it. Just have fun.

mike

[Akura2]

I've been away from these Hydro treads for a while as I'm more of a car/heli/RC motorcycle (World's fastest according to RC Car Action magazine :D ) kind of guy... when i first saw the Hydro I was jazzed by it... but then everyone started making copies and then it just became too much for me... everyone and their mother was trying to make one and I gave up being interested ("hydro this and hydro that")... but i must say I'm very proud of you guys for landing the Spinmaster contract and sticking to your guns... I remember a while back you guys were like "we're in talks with a company so we can't give any more info..." and we all were like "at least give us the plans or sell us planes" (not me necessarily but that's what I was reading)... until the plans started surfacing from various sources.... For you guys to still stick with it and not give up, land a decent sized contract, and get into many of the "mainstream" non-hobby superstores (Walmart, Target..etc.) is amazing and I take my hat off to you.... when everyone started stealing the idea and making their own versions to sell on ebay and on here I may have given up... I would have thought "no one will buy ours, there are too many of them out there now"... but I guess that's why I'm not in your position right now (besides the fact that inventing isn't my forte)

It makes me proud to see a little guy with an idea catch a break even when there are hundreds creating odds against succeeding by stealing/copying that good idea...

could you imagine how it would have taken off for you if you didn't show that video at all before the spinmaster deal... you would have had exclusivity in the market!....

three cheers...

[toddmun]

I ordered my s/l from etoys and my battery from toys r us. Toys r us sent me a s/l instead of a battery. And etoys is sending the other s/l on the 25th.I've been looking everywhere for a battery but etoys was sold out,wlamart says 10/15,toys r us says not available, and target says they will arrive in 2-6 weeks.So now I'll have 2 s/l's and no batteries. ARE THERE ANY OTHER BATTERIES THAT I CAN USE? IF SO , CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH CHARGER TO USE WITH THEM?

I've been staring at this STORM LAUNCHER for 2 days now and it's killing me!

[UAVPilot]

I ordered my s/l from etoys and my battery from toys r us. Toys r us sent me a s/l instead of a battery. And etoys is sending the other s/l on the 25th.I've been looking everywhere for a battery but etoys was sold out,wlamart says 10/15,toys r us says not available, and target says they will arrive in 2-6 weeks.So now I'll have 2 s/l's and no batteries. ARE THERE ANY OTHER BATTERIES THAT I CAN USE? IF SO , CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH CHARGER TO USE WITH THEM?

I've been staring at this STORM LAUNCHER for 2 days now and it's killing me!
There are many batteries that will work on it , But Regular hobby Lipo chargers are expensive, and I would hate to see you spend the money on that until you know that this hobby is something that are sure you want to get into.

I will find out were for sure there are some available besides Pittsburgh. Unless you want to call a Target / Walmart there, they are suppose to be on the shelf there.

If not, then I think Mike or I may have an extra one we can spare, I don't have any on me right know , my stuff is still boxed up from shipping it to the commercial shoot.

I should know more in a couple days.

Thanks and sorry for the confusion..

[toddmun]

Thanks for the reply. Well I went back to the toys r us website and it now says they have them in stock so I ordered one. I should get it next week sometime and I may even just go there and see if they are in the store or not,along with walmart and target.
I appreciate the gesture but wouldnt ask you to do give up a battery. Ill find one soon enough(hopefully!)just a little antsy!
Thanks again,
Todd

[UAVPilot]

I should get it next week sometime and I may even just go there and see if they are in the store or not,along with walmart and target. I hope they get one to you :)

You should only be able to find them on the shelves in Pittsburgh somewhere. Other than that it's online only until October sometime.
Thats it as far as I know anyway, things have been pretty screwy so who knows :confused:

[dxkj21]

Are there differences between the yellow and the orange models? One has guards around the props and the other one doesnt. do they both have similar response times (Im thinking of how the aero Ace A B C channels respond differently)

I asked my wife for one for my birthday so I just need to figure out where to order it (and hopefully get it shipped quickly :) and which one is best.

Where in pittsburgh are they available btw, i have a friend there who wanted to pick one up.

[UAVPilot]

Are there differences between the yellow and the orange models? One has guards around the props and the other one doesnt. do they both have similar response times (Im thinking of how the aero Ace A B C channels respond differently)

I asked my wife for one for my birthday so I just need to figure out where to order it (and hopefully get it shipped quickly :) and which one is best.

Where in pittsburgh are they available btw, i have a friend there who wanted to pick one up.It comes in two different color decal set's. Each is a different channel . There are only two channels available. Should be the same thing other than that.

The prop guards come on both , there only shown on one though. Flight time and performance will greatly increase if the prop guards are removed. Easy to do and it shows how in the instructions.

I don't know exactly were in Pittsburgh, I was just told Pittsburgh and thats all.

[toddmun]

Well I got an email today saying my order for my battery was cancelled. Looks like i'm waiting til October! :censored:

[UAVPilot]

Well I got an email today saying my order for my battery was cancelled. Looks like i'm waiting til October! :censored:
That really sucks! It says on the TRU website (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2327605) that they have the battery in stock and ready to ship. Have you tried to order by phone and make sure that they send you the right thing. That is , if you can actually get to talk to a person.........

If they can't get you straightened out, then send me a PM.

[dxkj21]

does anyone know if TRU are shipping the storm launcher and batteries?

[Neoh]

Anyone know of anywhere that is shipping EITHER? I need one of these with a battery by next week!! :(

[toddmun]

does anyone know if TRU are shipping the storm launcher and batteries?
I've tried several times to get a battery from toysrus. The website says they are in stock. My order goes through but then the next day I get an e mail saying the order was cancelled. It's happened three times to me. I called them up and they gave me some bull***t excuse about how they try to keep up with the website and availability of products. But yes the battery is out of stock.

[Kittie]

Well I ordered from Etoys and we got both the plane and the battery. But we are already having problems. The elevator control keeps coming unhooked. So the Elevator doesn't work at all. Lucky for my husband he is a bit savy and opened it up and hooked it back up, only for it to come undone again.

So He is a bit dissapointed right now. :(

[jeffffd]

There are many batteries that will work on it , But Regular hobby Lipo chargers are expensive, and I would hate to see you spend the money on that until you know that this hobby is something that are sure you want to get into.I stupidly ordered a StormLauncher w/o realizing it required a separate battery. :censored: After waiting for weeks, we finally got the SL last night and my poor son, who had been waiting patiently, just about freaked out when we realized we would have to wait even longer for the battery which appears to be back-ordered everywhere too. I am not an avid RCer so can someone who is familiar with this stuff point me to a specific battery that would be compatible with the SL? My son and I would greatly appreciate your help! :)

-Jeff

[MichaelConnally]

Jeff,
Where are you located? Are you comfortable with soldering?

Mike

[Chet Spartan]

Jeff KBtoys has them in stock - http://www.kbtoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/4719932/ctid/17/INstock/Y/D/

[jeffffd]

Jeff,
Where are you located? Are you comfortable with soldering?
MikeI'm in Massachusetts. I am capable of soldering but not very good at it. If it required any kind of detail work I would not be too comfortable but if it's simply soldering wires together or new connectors I could handle that.
Jeff KBtoys has them in stockThanks, I went ahead and ordered one, we'll see if they really have any.

In the mean time, if there is a quicker option I'd do that and return this or sell it to somebody else who didn't realize the battery was a separate item.

-Jeff

[MichaelConnally]

OK. Get this charger http://2dogrc.com/ecommerce/os/catalog/simple-cell-lipoly-battery-charger-p-1902.html or any other low cost 2 cell lipo charger. It will hook up to a 12V battery or he has a pug in power supply as well. Get two pair of these connectors. You will have one extra. http://2dogrc.com/ecommerce/os/catalog/micro-dean-type-electric-motor-battery-connectors-p-1903.html
Get this pack http://2dogrc.com/ecommerce/os/catalog/dualsky-lipoly-battery-p-1967.html

Read this post to see how to make the change to the SL http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5980764&postcount=1256

Cut the connector off your charger. Solder the new connector on paying attention to polarity you already established when you put the connector on the SL.

Cut your old battery connector off (if it comes with one) ONE LEAD AT A TIME. Do not at any time let the battery leads touch! Solder the new connector on paying attention to polarity you already established when you put the connector on the SL. Triple check polarity before you plug the battery in for the first time.

Charge your battery after reading the instructions that come with your charger. While it is charging read the SL instructions and remove the prop guards. Run out one full pack in the SL at 1/3 to 1/2 throttle to finish breaking in the motors. Recharge and go fly.

mike

[Kittie]

Broke it again. Driving it on flat land, hit a bump and it floated and flipped over. Broke the tail fin styrafoam right off when it landed upside down.

I don't know, I am pretty dissapointed. That tail fin should of been made out of plastic maybe. It is quite flimsy foam, and not sure if we can fix this break or not. . .

[Kittie]

Some pics of mine before and after I put on my own decals :D

Decals made out of monocoat trim sheets.

Walmart still has plenty on there pre order because they posted the wrong date There site says 10/15 and it should say 8/15. Every body is still ordering from Target and E toys even though they are sold out of the pre release already. So Walmart has had them all the time, and $10 cheaper. I was told that supposedly , they had some to ship right away :) >Click Here (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5075214)<

I just noticed, the plane we bought on the back, the fins. . ours has the fins but they are connected. Why is that?

[UAVPilot]

I just noticed, the plane we bought on the back, the fins. . ours has the fins but they are connected. Why is that?They actually fly a little better with out the upper horizontal on them. Most guys just cut them off and leave the verticals on there. This also makes the plane much more maneuverable in the air. The upper part was designed on there to help make the verticals a little stronger , and for looks, but.......

Anyway, you can cut it off with little fear, it will fly better , and if it flips over and the foam verticals crack they are real easy to fix with clear tape.

They can't be made of plastic as the Storm launcher is real sensitive to weight gain. If they get broke beyond repair, new ones can be cut from the same type of foam tray that meat is packaged in, or like egg carton foam. Something really light.

There is a really long thread about it here >Air Hogs Hydro Foam (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=535884) < But most of the important information, is listed in the first post.

[NCLewis]

Lipo meters at about 3.5V - what I would expect for a new pack. Charger however refuses to charge it. Indicator LED just blinks red. Soooo, have to figure out how to return / replace the charger and/or battery.

[UAVPilot]

Lipo meters at about 3.5V - what I would expect for a new pack. Charger however refuses to charge it. Indicator LED just blinks red. Soooo, have to figure out how to return / replace the charger and/or battery.
Should be around 7.0 to 8.0 volts. Are you measuring from the two holes or from one hole and the side terminal. From one hole and the side terminal it will read 3.5-4.0 volts.

[Artemetra]

Broke it again. Driving it on flat land, hit a bump and it floated and flipped over. Broke the tail fin styrafoam right off when it landed upside down.

I don't know, I am pretty dissapointed. That tail fin should of been made out of plastic maybe. It is quite flimsy foam, and not sure if we can fix this break or not. . .

Well, it's not exactly a beginner plane...

Try that with this plane and you have a bag of crushed wood:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHMY7&P=ML

[UAVPilot]

Well, it's not exactly a beginner plane...

Try that with this plane and you have a bag of crushed wood:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHMY7&P=MLAhh...........The good old Super Sportster! I still have half of one of those mounted to my wall,... the memorys............ ;)

[Snow Bird PA-FL]

Someone was looking for a SL in Pittsburgh....say two at Target off Camp Horn road.. :rolleyes:

[Kittie]

Well, it's not exactly a beginner plane...

Try that with this plane and you have a bag of crushed wood:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHMY7&P=ML

True, but I wouldn't want to imagine what a child would do to this thing. . .

[bafranksbro]

Hey there, I've been following various threads here about the Storm Launcher. I was supposed to be getting one from Target.com for my birthday but a week and two days after it was ordered target decided they didn't have them any more and canceled the order, I'm quite p-o'd about that as you can imagine but mostly because it took them so long to tell me they didn't have them. The funny thing was that we were having a hard time finding a place to order the battery from thinking we were getting the plane it's self and eventually ordered the battery from Toys R Us which arrived yesterday. So now I have a bat for the thing and now where to get the plane from.

I'm noticing that all the online stores don't have them in stock currently, althought BestBuy of all places is supposed to get them next week but they are charging about $100 for it. I'm just wondering if any one knows of any other place to get one online or will I have to pay $100 for one or wait till about 3 weeks after my birthday to get one?

Thanks :)

[NCLewis]

Should be around 7.0 to 8.0 volts. Are you measuring from the two holes or from one hole and the side terminal. From one hole and the side terminal it will read 3.5-4.0 volts.
Although I am an electrical engineer by trade, it actually took this post to kick my intelligence on for the day. Duh - at 7.4 this is a two-cell pack with the cells in series and the side terminal is there to facilitate the carger balancing the cells. OK and yes it was 3.5V to the side terminal (one of the cells). Debating between returning the thing (and waiting 2 months to get another one) or taking it apart, I did what any intelligent man would do - I took it apart.

That's when I discovered that the cell lead to the negative pack terminal was not actually attached to the terminal. That of course was the problem and now that the thing has been taken apart, there's no returning it. So no problem I'll just fix the lead and glue it back together. After all I was careful with my dissection. Oh wait, let's check both cells stand-alone...

Well one is good 3.7V. Other one reads 0. Gee, and there's greasy stuff all over the inside of the pack. Looks like what happens when a LiIon cell is shorted. Don't know when it happened - but had to be before I got ahold of it since it never worked for me. Fortunate for some shipping or trucking or warehouse company that it was likely only partially charged instead of catching fire when it was shorted (greasy stuff is most likely the inside of the once-shorted cell). Oh well, looks like I'm waiting two months. Unless anyone has a spare pack? Anyone? Bueller?

[Artemetra]

Although I am an electrical engineer (snip) I did what any intelligent man would do - I took it apart.
Oh well, looks like I'm waiting two months. Unless anyone has a spare pack? Anyone? Bueller?

Yeah, man, take it apart! Personally, I can never resist. :rolleyes:

There ought to be some kind of 2-cell that would go in there? How about this?

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/thunderpower.htm

[NCLewis]

Yep, that was my first thought but a) I've heard that the SpinMaster LIPO isn't actually too bad of a pack and b) assuming the included charger/balancer is decent, it's cheaper to just buy another battery - just the delivery that is the hassle. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[flea]

Lipo meters at about 3.5V - what I would expect for a new pack. Charger however refuses to charge it. Indicator LED just blinks red. Soooo, have to figure out how to return / replace the charger and/or battery.

When I got my battery pack, I got the blinking red light too. After a few minutes of :censored: I brainstormed. Batteries work better when cool and I live in Tampa which is :censored: hot and the package was sitting in a hot truck for a few hours. I tossed the battery in the fridge for a few minutes and tossed it in the charge. Viola! it started charging! So happy :D. I had some other issues with it, but that's mostly resolved.

This is my first real RC. I've had some cheapo RC cars and boats. The SL is very cool and I've had fun playing with it. I've been driving it around on a pond that's about 300ftx300ft and occassionally, it won't turn or stop or start. What's the distance this thing can operate? And what's the expected run time? I've been getting around 8 minutes of use. I was really hoping for a little longer usage. Waiting 3 hours for the battery to charge is fustrating. Will they be selling just the battery any time this year?
And how much power does each motor use? Is there a nice FAQ for the SL yet? Spinmaster's site doesn't help at all.

BTW, Hi All!

[UAVPilot]

Yeah, man, take it apart! Personally, I can never resist. :rolleyes:

There ought to be some kind of 2-cell that would go in there? How about this?

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/thunderpower.htm
Thats only a 10c battery and would not be recommended. A 730 mah size battery would need to be at least 15c continuous .

[barnyardflyer]

Yeah, man, take it apart! Personally, I can never resist. :rolleyes:

There ought to be some kind of 2-cell that would go in there? How about this?

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/thunderpower.htm
This would be a better option.
http://www.lightflightrc.com/HTML/products/730-2S-TP-PL.htm

[MichaelConnally]

This would be a better option.
http://www.lightflightrc.com/HTML/products/730-2S-TP-PL.htm

... if you like thunder power ;)

[c/f]

"""I do"""" In almost every instance power to weight and size there is no equal.........
Also ThunderPower on the used market is an easy sell, KOKAMS and the rest are give aways.....

The new Hyperion LITE STORM cells from www.aircraft-world.com are reported to be Thunderpower PROLITE cell technology.

As for the SL....... I have a SL and wattmeter readings reveal that it will draw 11.2 amps @ 7.5 VDC under load using a 1320 ProLite as a source battery for testing.

The 730 ProLites are not up to the task as they will only deliver 10.1 amps @ 7.2VDC. real world data watt meter testing on same SL of mine.

So the best choice in ThunderPower ProLites is the 910 IMHO.

It actually flies well enough on the 1320 PL, and to my surprise will do a better loop than the 730 PL will do.

[jeffffd]

I waited for the LIPO battery to ship and got it on Thursday. I have to say the Storm Launcher is AWESOME. It may not be geared for beginners but I've bought two beginner RC planes for my son (Firebird Scout and some cheap Radio Shack thing) and this is much easier to fly than those. Also, because it is so much fun on the ground, we took a much more careful approach to flying it. We'd zip it around on the ground and just do short hops or jumps off the curb at first. We are still flying in Novice mode and having a blast. I think the fact that it IS fun on the ground has helped us be patient in learning to fly it and it allows us to still run it if the winds or other conditions are not optimal for flying.

-Jeff

[UAVPilot]

I waited for the LIPO battery to ship and got it on Thursday. I have to say the Storm Launcher is AWESOME. It may not be geared for beginners but I've bought two beginner RC planes for my son (Firebird Scout and some cheap Radio Shack thing) and this is much easier to fly than those. Also, because it is so much fun on the ground, we took a much more careful approach to flying it. We'd zip it around on the ground and just do short hops or jumps off the curb at first. We are still flying in Novice mode and having a blast. I think the fact that it IS fun on the ground has helped us be patient in learning to fly it and it allows us to still run it if the winds or other conditions are not optimal for flying.

-JeffThere you go! :) Exactly what it was designed for, All around fun! :D

[Neoh]

Well I finally got my SL in the mail a couple of weeks back.... but still no luck with finding a battery. I tried ordering from Toys'r'us AGAIN today. I'm crossing my fingers.

Also, how easy is it for this thing to break? I'm a bit concerned by some posts here. I've never flown an RC plane before but I have quite a bit of RC Car experience (RC10 and the old Bullet anyone?). So I'm optomistic that I won't destroy this thing immediately.

[MichaelConnally]

You should be OK. Your first flights should be over a grass field in beginner mode. Hand launching it will make it easier.

mike

[Neoh]

Ahh good idea on the hand launch. I'll do that. Oh and my battery is being delivered today! Very excited!

[Aero co]

Hi Michael

I am so proud of you, you've done a great work...
Could i ask you some questions:
1. Have you applied any IPR to protect your idea? Because i saw some R/C that look similar to your idea.... Here is the link
http://www.rc-expert.com/product.php?pid=156
http://www.aria.co.uk/productinfocomm.asp?id=22051
http://www.rcdiscounts.com/acbhpusa/showdetl.cfm?&DID=1&st_id=54&Product_ID=2370

2. Is this product easy to be copied?
3. What are your product strength points compared to the copycat ones?
4. What is your solution about the battery problem (very hard to plug it out)?
5. Do you have any idea for the future R/C?

Sorry that's a lot....

Hopefully you could answer all...

Thank's

[Artemetra]

Hi Michael

I am so proud of you, you've done a great work...
Could i ask you some questions:
1. Have you applied any IPR to protect your idea? Because i saw some R/C that look similar to your idea.... Here is the link
http://www.rc-expert.com/product.php?pid=156
http://www.aria.co.uk/productinfocomm.asp?id=22051
http://www.rcdiscounts.com/acbhpusa/showdetl.cfm?&DID=1&st_id=54&Product_ID=2370

2. Is this product easy to be copied?
3. What are your product strength points compared to the copycat ones?
4. What is your solution about the battery problem (very hard to plug it out)?
5. Do you have any idea for the future R/C?


There are copycats?!? What is the world coming to!?

Heh, Aero co sounds like he was working on one of his own... (Hmmm.) :rolleyes:

On NPR I heard that certain chinese manufacturers open factories right IN ITALY so their copies can legitimately say "Made In Italy" on them...

Like they guy said, perhaps there are some boundaries that are just too sacred to cross. It certainly gives insight into the mind of the chinese copycat.

[Aero co]

Hi Artemetra

Actually i am a student and not having a company...and i don't like copycat...
Therefore, i ask Michael about what i have found

I am doing the marketing project in my uni for Air hogs SL...That's why i did a research based on that...

Nice reply,....

Cheers

[MichaelConnally]

Hi Michael

I am so proud of you, you've done a great work...
Could i ask you some questions:
1. Have you applied any IPR to protect your idea? Because i saw some R/C that look similar to your idea.... Here is the link
http://www.rc-expert.com/product.php?pid=156
http://www.aria.co.uk/productinfocomm.asp?id=22051
http://www.rcdiscounts.com/acbhpusa/showdetl.cfm?&DID=1&st_id=54&Product_ID=2370

2. Is this product easy to be copied?
3. What are your product strength points compared to the copycat ones?
4. What is your solution about the battery problem (very hard to plug it out)?
5. Do you have any idea for the future R/C?

Sorry that's a lot....

Hopefully you could answer all...

Thanks


At this time I'm not comfortable answering these questions on these forums or to someone I don't know, but give me a shout next year.

Sorry,
Mike (paranoid boy) Connally

[Artemetra]

Hi Artemetra

Actually i am a student and not having a company...and i don't like copycat...
Therefore, i ask Michael about what i have found

I am doing the marketing project in my uni for Air hogs SL...That's why i did a research based on that...

Nice reply,....

Cheers

Okay, fair enough, but I posted that knowing what an absolute NIGHTMARE the copycats have been with this concept. It's in the realm of the utterly astonishing. You have no idea.

I should edit this and say it's a touchy subject for me and I empathize with Mike and Ernest, having had a similar experience: http://www.bixworks.com/spn.htm

[micah]

Hi guys! First poster here! I saw the Storm Launcher several months ago while browsing around and absolutely loved it! It of course wasn’t released yet, so I had forgotten about it until I saw it on a commercial last night! Sweet!
I do have a question though.
I have seen where some of you are purchasing other kinds of batteries to go with it. My question is this, do you believe that the battery that can be bought for it, from a place like Walmart is less quality to one that can be bought from somewhere else? I don't mind buying one from somewhere separate as long as the quality is better, and the "play time" is longer.
Thanks ahead of time for any responses!
Micah

[Flash41]

OK, UAVPilot and anyone else. First of all, UAV and Mike, mad props (no pun, yeah right) on this TOY! It's the most exciting RC Toy to hit the market besides the Air Hogs Helix mini heli. I still can't beleive it's a toy. Thanks to you, I've been able to fly these for hours already with LITTLE OR NO MODIFICATION, besides removing the horizontal. Cheaper, easier, and more fun than any park flyer, especially since it can handle the 30 ft. 'lawn darts' I've performed. I really can't see a reason to carve these up (modify) as they fly perfect, again without the horizontal. I have two of four in the air right now, with an arsenal of six batteries that average 4.5 minutes per hand-tossed flight.

Also, this Storm Launcher might have tanked without the sincere rescue efforts of members of these forums. Internet forums continue to be the most reliable way to resolve truths about these things! I had no idea that these SL's will perform MANY advanced maneuvers.
I've managed, rolls, double rolls, lawn dart rolls(downward death-spiral), loops, inverted flight w/ loops, hovers(in wind), and one-hand catches to name a few.

SL Noob Tips, and hobby people, too!:
1. Please don't think you get that much "bang for the buck" for $120. It is sold as a toy, but really is a hobby item, capable of eating up a $300 budget in no time flat. I suggest AT LEAST 2 Stormlaunchers and 3 batteries to get your serious hobby fix.
2. Buy 2 if you can afford it! One to keep in the shipping process for warranty. You may want to buy extra protection through the retailer, like Toys'R'Us' $8.99 replacement, but I can't confirm that yet, since I never tried it.
3. If you can find them, Buy ALL the batteries you can afford. If one is bad, you're punked! and nothing is fun if it takes 2-3hrs. for 4.5mins. of whack-worthy flying.
4. Buy some foam-safe CA glue and accelerator spray, use sparingly. Also get some clear packaging tape for minor repairs.
5. As for the battery getting stuck, I've found that a good 'lawn dart' is usually the culprit. However, gentle help from channel-locks works well.
6. You are now a pilot, pay attention to the wind conditions! YES, the SL can fly in winds at 20+ mph. If you are a novice pilot, resist the temptation to fly 'windy' at all costs! Everyone else, land going downwind if you can't keep your upwind approaches straight. Your SL will wobble when the wind gusts to 25mph, surprise, it's windy!

FIRST-USE POINTERS
1. Break-in the motors, AND the batteries! It's not just the motors that need break-in. The packs seem to have more punch after the 4th or 5th cycle, in my experience. No, I did not test with a CBA or anything else, just my opinion, so far.
2. If you want your SL to last, stay away from the street or any concrete. Long grass is PERFECT for crashing into, concrete hurts, bad. If you want to bash your RC on the street, then buy a monster truck!
3. Hand-launch it BEFORE you try takeoffs and landings, just like a parkflyer plane.
4. Trim Trim Trim your TX controls, it helps a lot.

I hope this helps you all, because now I need some help.

I'd like to know the specs for replacement DD brushed motors, please? I think that's the right term. Otherwise, are there replacement motors besides hand-wound CDROM motors that will replace stock? How about a brushless replacement that may work with the stock electronics? TIA

P.S. I wonder what it feels like to really kill someone with an RC plane? Any comments, UAVPilot? Go USA! Go Tigers!