I just looked at the new DX 8 manual and it doesn't show any sailplane menus.

Can this be right no sailplanes in the new DX 8

Yep.

Must be afraid to challenge Airtronics for the glider guider market.

JR 9503 is their primary sailplane radio.

bummer
Well, I'll have to "stick to" my x9503 (and proud of it)

Just breezed through the manual:

Applications
Full range up to 8-channel aircraft including:
• All types and sizes of glow, gas and electric powered airplanes
• All types and sizes of no-powered gliders• All types and sizes of glow, gas and electric powered helicopters

Preset Failsafe
If the signal is lost, all channels are driven to their failsafe position set during binding.
Preset Failsafe is ideal for sailplanes, as spoliers can be deployed during loss of signal, preventing a flyaway.

Those are the only two references to glider or sailplane in the manual.

I find nothing about airbrake, crow, camber or thermal mentioned in the manual.



Doesn't mean you could not set up a glider on this radio. Certainly plenty of people use the DX7 for gliders. But yes, there seem to be no special provisions made for gliders or sailplanes so I probably would not consider it a glider/sailplane radio. But it could work.

Since the 8 is the first telemtry radio, it is set up more for machines with things that go around and around on some part of their frame. Like Sherman said, you can fly a sailplane with it, but others are maybe better suited for all out sailplanes.

Marc

AFAIK the sailplane programming will be released as a firmware uppgrade for the DX8 when the DX10t is ready for shipping. This is due to the fact that the DX8 and DX10t share the same software platform and Spektrum want to complete the sailplane program before releasing it.
That is the info we got from Horizon in Germany when we asked about this.

It is unlikely that the 8 will have dedicated sailplane software any time soon in the US. Look for a future Spektrum system to have full competition sailplane software. And if you have been living in a cave lately you might want to check out an 11X that will match up favorably with any Airtronics offering. LJ

Originally Posted by Leif

AFAIK the sailplane programming will be released as a firmware uppgrade for the DX8 when the DX10t is ready for shipping.

Originally Posted by Larry Jolly

It is unlikely that the 8 will have dedicated sailplane software any time soon in the US.

So far, that makes two flat statements about this issue with zero evidence. I hope we'll start seeing some information that's backed up with authoritative links because this an important issue to me.

Leif may be commenting on the European versions. I'm sure Larry know about what we'll see in the good ole' USA.. Brian

Until I actually sailplane SW for the DX8, it is not a sailpalne radio and I would not recommend it to someone who wants a serious sailplane radio.

So we have the 11x radio which was a step forward in programming ease but a step backward in ergonomics. Then they release the DX8 which lacks a critical sailplane programming mode as well as sliders. So we await the DX10 that supposedly adds in sailplane mode but is likely to fall short in some other area. To top it off, the 9505 is not available with modules in the US. All in all, I see no reason to upgrade from the 9303 with modules. I hope these radio designers will take a deep breath and offer 1 or 2 really good radios instead of bunch of half-baked choices that entail major compromises. Not griping, just pointing out the obvious here. I think if you take the cost of the DX7, the ergonomics and flexibility of the 9303, the programming of the 11x and roll that into a single unit you would have a winner. Why can't there be a 6ch/9ch/12ch radio family based on proven ergonomics and centered around a common programming interface, where each level of radio has maxed out software and just varies in channels and price?

That said, you can get rudimentary sailplane programming with the DX8 but you have to limit what functions you employ and go without modes. Maybe if the e-crowd starting using modes then all radios would have them? It seems the electric crowd drives the market now.

Spektrum has not, to date, gone after the sailplane market, so the fact that the DX8 has no sailplane features is not really a surprise.

JR has long been in the sailplane market with some of the most popular sailplane radios.

Originally Posted by aeajr

Just breezed through the manual:

Applications
Full range up to 8-channel aircraft including:
• All types and sizes of glow, gas and electric powered airplanes
• All types and sizes of no-powered gliders• All types and sizes of glow, gas and electric powered helicopters

Preset Failsafe
If the signal is lost, all channels are driven to their failsafe position set during binding.
Preset Failsafe is ideal for sailplanes, as spoliers can be deployed during loss of signal, preventing a flyaway.

Those are the only two references to glider or sailplane in the manual.

I find nothing about airbrake, crow, camber or thermal mentioned in the manual.


Doesn't mean you could not set up a glider on this radio. Certainly plenty of people use the DX7 for gliders. But yes, there seem to be no special provisions made for gliders or sailplanes so I probably would not consider it a glider/sailplane radio. But it could work.

According to the Horizon guy (Andy I believe) on the DX8 thread, it will NOT have sailplane programming, however the DX10 will.

I just ordered a new Airtronics radio because I am tired of figuring out how to get my new full house sailplane programmed on my dx7se.