Archive for January, 2012
Airhogs F-14 Tomcat
Alright, I know. I know.
I was in Tupelo, Miss for Christmas and got introduced to a store called "Dirt Cheap". Man, it was trashed. I cannot describe this place except that it's a lot of returned stuff to Target and maybe K-mart.
Everything is "dirt cheap" 80% off when I was there. It went to 90% off a few days later.
Well, I found lots of Airhogs boxes with no heli or plane in them. Or maybe the plane was there but the remote was missing. I got lucky (lucky?) and found a couple of Airhog F-14 Tomcats still in ripped up boxes with parts missing. The store does not accept returns or exchanges so it was a gamble but these were marked down to $12 each so I got them.
I have a lot of RC tools so I was able to fix them up once I got home and tested them both out right away. Satisfied they worked, I packed one up to bring home and gave the other to my nephew.
On Sunday my son and I had a blast flying this thing. We were laughing and having a great time together. I know. I know. I have great flying planes. I've had great flying planes. And I agree with you, this is not a great flying plane. That said, it is a great $12 RTF plane!
The fun part about the Airhogs F-14 Tomcat is not flying it - the fun part is trying to fly it
The plane is very hard to control but once you learn the tricks it's a blast. But learning the tricks is where the fun begins. If there is even a slight breeze, the plane will loop unexpectedly or simply...Continue Reading
I was in Tupelo, Miss for Christmas and got introduced to a store called "Dirt Cheap". Man, it was trashed. I cannot describe this place except that it's a lot of returned stuff to Target and maybe K-mart.
Everything is "dirt cheap" 80% off when I was there. It went to 90% off a few days later.
Well, I found lots of Airhogs boxes with no heli or plane in them. Or maybe the plane was there but the remote was missing. I got lucky (lucky?) and found a couple of Airhog F-14 Tomcats still in ripped up boxes with parts missing. The store does not accept returns or exchanges so it was a gamble but these were marked down to $12 each so I got them.
I have a lot of RC tools so I was able to fix them up once I got home and tested them both out right away. Satisfied they worked, I packed one up to bring home and gave the other to my nephew.
On Sunday my son and I had a blast flying this thing. We were laughing and having a great time together. I know. I know. I have great flying planes. I've had great flying planes. And I agree with you, this is not a great flying plane. That said, it is a great $12 RTF plane!
The fun part about the Airhogs F-14 Tomcat is not flying it - the fun part is trying to fly it
The plane is very hard to control but once you learn the tricks it's a blast. But learning the tricks is where the fun begins. If there is even a slight breeze, the plane will loop unexpectedly or simply...Continue Reading
Too windy for outdoor planes so I'm goin' in
It's been too windy lately to fly outside. Even when it's not windy, it's cold so I'm taking a break from scratch building for a while.
I bought a Dynam SR trainer around Thanksgiving that I finally got to fly the other day. I've had it over a month now but no good time to maiden it. I don't like flying new planes in the wind (or testing repairs) becuase I can't tell which bahaviors are caused by wind and which ones are caused by incorrect CG, lateral balance, or trim problems. So I waited and a good day finally came. The plane flies really well, btw.
So I'm now flying my Champ a lot in a big gym several times a week. It's a good thing I like the good ole Champ so much. Since I have some free time due to not building wings and such, I bought myself a EXI 450 heli kit and started assembling it this week.
I'm glad I've got a year of RC building experience, a lot of RC hobby tools, and a lot of patience. I would have quit already if any of these were not so.
As it is, I've spent many hours now tightening screws, installing the motor and servos, watching lots of build videos and reading lots of build threads. I didn't get a good tail servo so I ordered some from Value Hobby this week. They should be here by next Wed. I think I've done the worst parts of the assembly so I don't mind the wait.
I'm at a crossroads that I don't like so the delay on the tail servos is welcome. With all my store-bought models and as many scratch-built models, my Dx6i is full...Continue Reading
I bought a Dynam SR trainer around Thanksgiving that I finally got to fly the other day. I've had it over a month now but no good time to maiden it. I don't like flying new planes in the wind (or testing repairs) becuase I can't tell which bahaviors are caused by wind and which ones are caused by incorrect CG, lateral balance, or trim problems. So I waited and a good day finally came. The plane flies really well, btw.
So I'm now flying my Champ a lot in a big gym several times a week. It's a good thing I like the good ole Champ so much. Since I have some free time due to not building wings and such, I bought myself a EXI 450 heli kit and started assembling it this week.
I'm glad I've got a year of RC building experience, a lot of RC hobby tools, and a lot of patience. I would have quit already if any of these were not so.
As it is, I've spent many hours now tightening screws, installing the motor and servos, watching lots of build videos and reading lots of build threads. I didn't get a good tail servo so I ordered some from Value Hobby this week. They should be here by next Wed. I think I've done the worst parts of the assembly so I don't mind the wait.
I'm at a crossroads that I don't like so the delay on the tail servos is welcome. With all my store-bought models and as many scratch-built models, my Dx6i is full...Continue Reading
