I need an airplane to practice aerobatics from a grass strip behind my house. I have plenty of airspace but need something that can be easily landed on a short grass runway.


I am currently using a E-flite mini pulse for that runway. It flies well with a 4s 1800 LiPo but I want something about that size that has a little more power and does not float so much on landings. A 4s 2200 LiPo would be my preference. ARF will get me flying sooner but if I have to I will build one over the winter.


I was thinking about the E-flite Leader 480 but I don’t think that the trike gear setup is going to work well on grass. Does that come with a taildragger option?


Any ideas?

How about a profile 3D plane without landing gear? Hand launch. To land, just slow it down with high alpha and plop it down on the grass. No sweat.

I have a Leader which I land/takeoff on grass. I only had one incidence on takeoff when my prop hit a small bump and it broke. Apart from that time, I can always takeoff without any problem. Landings are ok too, as long as you're smooth. Once I came in too rough and the plane just flipped over after touchdown. The plane wasn't damaged at all. The plane is very gentle at landing though, so it usually just rolls a little bit on the grass and stops quickly.

if you want a nice well built airplane look at 3dhs edges, buck huck is $109 and buck and half is $149. Great aerobatic airplanes

My vote is for the Leader, but I'm admittedly biased.

What about a small Extra? If I remove the wheel covers and install larger wheels. With that high drag fuselage it should slow down quickly for landing. Any opinions on that choice?
http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/De...rodID=EFL2475#





Or maybe this one:
http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/De...ProdID=EFL2425


.

The Leader will probably slow down more because it has a larger wing and is roughly the same weight. The smaller 3D 480-sized airplanes you mentioned fly well, but will not land as slow.

Originally Posted by ryansmith

The Leader will probably slow down more because it has a larger wing and is roughly the same weight. The smaller 3D 480-sized airplanes you mentioned fly well, but will not land as slow.

Thanks I’ll give the Leader a try. I have always like E-flight kits.

Are there any plans to make a larger size in the future?

Originally Posted by ryansmith

The Leader will probably slow down more because it has a larger wing and is roughly the same weight. The smaller 3D 480-sized airplanes you mentioned fly well, but will not land as slow.

In matters of wing loading, the Leader 480 is nothing to write home about, it's spec'd at 13.6 oz/sq in. That's huge compared to any comparably-sized EPP foamie. (Eg. my Hyperion Sniper X-II, 48" wingspan and about half the wing loading of a Leader 480.)

Another way to get low wing loading is to build it yourself from a Mountain Models or Stevens Aero kit. Or try an ARF from Precision Aerobatics.

Leader 480 is very good. Smaller and very good is a MUS (MIni Ultra Stick).

Originally Posted by dkrhardy

Leader 480 is very good. Smaller and very good is a MUS (MIni Ultra Stick).

I have a MUS but it just doesn’t do very well at precision aerobatic practice. Maybe I just don’t have it set up correctly. I have the 2-flap option. Maybe splitting the flaps so I have smaller ailerons will give me more precise control – any suggestions?

I would recommend you take a look at the 47" Osiris from 3D Hobby Shop. It flys well on a 4s 2200 size battery.

You want a plane that can land in a SHORT runway YET you don't want it to 'float' on landing?

How does that work?

You plan on using an aircraft carrier landing wire to catch it?
Or a sharp nose and a lawn dart type landing?

He means he wants a plane that settles quickly. Sometimes it's hard to land a plane that keeps on flying on ground effect, especially when landing space is limited.

Originally Posted by Mr. Wiz

He means he wants a plane that settles quickly. Sometimes it's hard to land a plane that keeps on flying on ground effect, especially when landing space is limited.

That’s exactly it. I have about 250’ of grass to work with so it’s not that bad.

Maybe I am going about it the wrong way. I need a good precision aerobatic airplane (not a 3D airplane) that’s in the 480 size, 400-450 sq” of wing area. If it flies the way I like I will just have to figure out how to land it.

I was out flying my MUS this morning and was trying to figure out why it does not fly the way I like. 1. The wing is a bit stubby – needs a slightly higher aspect ratio or a tapered wing. 2. The ailerons are too large. 3. It would probably track better with a slightly longer tail moment (longer fuselage). It does land very well.