Wow.
A review of an EPO 2m Chinese RTF/BNF electric sailplane with no comparison to the defacto standard of the EPO 2m Chinese RTF/BNF electric sailplane (read: RADIAN).
Kind of like reviewing the newest Android phone and not mentioning that Apple device...
Not saying one is better or worse, but to not even mention the relative strengths/weakness is a glaring omission.

Headead (Android fan...)

Nice review.

Originally Posted by headdead

Wow.
A review of an EPO 2m Chinese RTF/BNF electric sailplane with no comparison to the defacto standard of the EPO 2m Chinese RTF/BNF electric sailplane (read: RADIAN)

The Radian is a reasonably good flyer. Still not like a balsa plane of the same size of course. The thing with the Radian is that it does not have ailerons which makes it a bit dull.

Originally Posted by headdead

Wow.
A review of an EPO 2m Chinese RTF/BNF electric sailplane with no comparison to the defacto standard of the EPO 2m Chinese RTF/BNF electric sailplane (read: RADIAN).
Kind of like reviewing the newest Android phone and not mentioning that Apple device...
Not saying one is better or worse, but to not even mention the relative strengths/weakness is a glaring omission.

Headead (Android fan...)

Thanks for your input, but it isn't a glaring omission. For a start I don't have a Radian to compare it to, and there was a recent review of the Radian Pro done right here:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1366200

This was a review of the Phoenix II as it stands by itself, not a comparison thread.

Originally Posted by miche

Nice review.

Thanks!

Well I just bought one this evening. The kit though. After everything said and done... we'll see...

Originally Posted by Bombay

Point taken. As someone interested in adding a glider to my fleet, I appreciate the brief comparison between a foam and balsa glider.

Foam is all wobbly This is especially noticeable when you fly a glider made of foam. Push it a bit and you will see. A wing made of foam struggles to keep the same angle of attack. And then, the surface is never as smooth as that on a model made of wood and covered with film.

Originally Posted by molenjin

No, I am telling you that a $200 range RTF foam glider from China isn't going to have the same performance as a $200 range RTF balsa glider from China.

The foam glider can take multiple crashes and the balsa, not even one.

These almost glaring comparisons of foam to balsa are fairly unfounded.. they're almost 'racist'!

Originally Posted by molenjin

Well, based on what is shown in the video, I do not think this model is a great flyer. It loses height rapidly. Foam is foam, adequate for cheap mass-production but it will never be as good as balsa and other "smooth" materials.

Well if that is all it is good for, 'cheap mass production', why would they make it at all? and why would they make 'cheap' flimsy balsa with easy-stripping film?

Foam is used because it is not only suitable for beginners at the learning 'opssidaisies' stages but because it provides an easy format for modification, e.g. aerial photography, fpv, etc. It is easy, basically, and that is the point. Anyone can point out that a more likely (maybe, depends really) balsa ship being lighter and more streamlined would have better 'performance' but that would never kill the concept of a durable foamie that you don't have to fear crashing.

Originally Posted by molenjin

...I know this may sound like a "heresy" to some people, but the model that started all this "foamy" revolution, Multiplex EasyStar, is actually a lousy flyer. I flew three different EasyStars and and in all cases experienced poor handling and stability. I even crashed one of them - that, after years and years of flying balsa planes, much faster and nastier than EasyStar..

If you did crash an easystar that doesn't bode too well for your flying skills perhaps you should fly more foamies. Easystar's are incredibly stable, there is no way you could experience "poor handling" unless you stuck an oversized inrunner on it, and even then I remember someone put on an edf of immense power and it still ran stable!

Originally Posted by molenjin

Foam is all wobbly This is especially noticeable when you fly a glider made of foam. Push it a bit and you will see. A wing made of foam struggles to keep the same angle of attack. And then, the surface is never as smooth as that on a model made of wood and covered with film.

This is... well just untrue.. Perhaps if you "push it a bit", but... I don't see why balsa and plastic film would perform any better under unsuitably high speeds. And if we're talking about the 'smoothness' of a models wing, it barely applies to the deliberately draggy airframe of this glider to make it suitable for slow and light thermaling. That only comes into account with very high performance and competition level thermal gliders, pylon racers and hotliners; which your average rc enthusiast looking for a 'rtf' kit, is not so concerned with.

I just can't picture foamies like a funjet or the st models blaze warmliner just wobbling in the air whilst speeding across.. "struggling to keep the same angle of attack", this generalization is disturbing! report back to the legion of doom that we're not so convinced!

looks like you did the flight review out at County Line...good place to fly, with interesting lift when you get it.

I am looking forward to hearing more about what you think of it after you get some time on it Chris...I am in the market for something different from a Radian!

Tim
AG4RZ

Edwong, good Point.

Originally Posted by IFLYOS

looks like you did the flight review out at County Line...good place to fly, with interesting lift when you get it.

I am looking forward to hearing more about what you think of it after you get some time on it Chris...I am in the market for something different from a Radian!

Tim
AG4RZ

Hey Tim,

Yup, that was out at County Line. You'll have to come out some time and give it a whirl, or just try it out when we're out at King one weekend...

You gonna be at Nall?

Chris.

CSpaced, if anyone wants more performance out of this glider, can the motor be switched out easily?
Thanks!

Originally Posted by G-LO

CSpaced, if anyone wants more performance out of this glider, can the motor be switched out easily?
Thanks!

I don't see why you couldn't physically switch out the motor, not sure that I would though.

About how much wind can it penetrate? I'll need the power in those tight gusty spots..

Thanks for the review.

For all the "captain obvious" balsa flyers out there...if one were looking for balsa performance, then one would probably not even read this review. Why even compare?