I like the E-Flite products and have a bunch of them. But I think the real winner in the small pattern plane arena is the 3DHS Aspera. What a shame they seem to have discontinued it. Mine outflys any other plane I've ever owned or flown. Period. It is something like an Extra or Edge but with stable rails to fly on. It almost flies itself. I hope I never crash it because I can't get another one. I continue to keep mine as my avatar. Maybe 3DHS is listening. Can we have it back?

If this one were a little bigger - say Power 25 size - I would already have bought one.

Maidened this plane today and I must say it impressed all who saw it. Very stable in the air and on the ground. My setup is : Park 480/1020kv, Turnigy Plush 40amp ESC, 4 hs-65 servos, 3s2200 lipo, 12x6 APC thin electric. Pulls 30 amps static. If anything, the plane could use a tad more power, I caught myself bumping the throttle lever against the stop more than once trying to get just a little bit more on the verticals. I'll gauge a 12x8 for amp draw next, for my own particular style of flying I'm used to a little more energy through the maneuvers. Landing is a breeze, touch-n-goes are hypnotic and well, kind of addictive. It has a sort of unhurried grace as it goes about it's business. Can't wait for the Leader 25E.

Here is a video of the maiden flight of the Leader 480. It has the stock Eflite 480 and yes, it could use a little more power. With a 11x7 APC prop, it's pulling 24 amps. No trim was needed.

Eflite Leader 480 (3 min 36 sec)

Can't wait for the Leader 25E.[/QUOTE]

Is there going to be a Leader 25e.... that would be cool. I had an attack of 'dumb thumb" and crashed my first leader pretty hard. I've just now completed a 2nd one.... and have a third on order.

Kit quality is variable.... but I would say it's good. The thing that sells this aircraft to me is ITS FLIGHT GRACE and poise in the air. Every one is still talking about it.

Tomorow I maiden the 2nd one. This individual ARF, had a blind nut missing in an impossible place to replace it without wrecking the covering job. lets see what EFlight has to say about the manufacturing error. It was one of the wing hold down and anti rotational tabs for the wing.

It does fly beautifully

Im running an 11-8 off a dirt field (see you tube "Crasha de Aero) and have clearance even though it's pretty bumpy. Seems like it developes more thrust with a 10-10 though and I'm likely to try the ten ten tomorow.

Originally Posted by ant1

I might try this plane.It needs more than a 480, I would put a .10 size in it on 3s . I like the trike gear,but wonder what kind of prop clearance you get.Hmm

Just checked,not an issue. Prop Size: APC 11x7e - 12x6e

Props,

Was the blind nut rattling around in the fuselage like it had popped out, or was there never one there? Do you have pictures by chance?

For those flying the plane, how does it handle the wind? I am thinking of getting this or the Parkzone P-47 for my birthday, but he wind here in SW Oklahoma is always at least 10-15 knots.

Thanks!

D.W.

I flew my 480 with the ParkZone 1020kv motor, and it was just Ok. Switched out the PZ for an Eflite Power 10 motor, and it is a real performer.


There are a couple upgrades that are quite easy to perform. Here's a shot of the standard flap arrangement I made. I put one miniture servo in the center and drive bell cranks in each wing to actuate flaps. This allows one to drop onto the end of the runway with very little rollout.

The other modification that is an absolute must is to put a blind nut underneath the magnet plates on the body, and drill a hole in front of the canopy on the centerline. I can gaurentee you will lose the canopy assembly if you do not do this. If you doubt this try finding the part using Google... its out of stock everywhere.

I have one future modification in mind but for now I'm gonna fly the skin off it.


KKKKFL

Well Franco, I would 100% agree with you on the canopy. I lost mine twice in flight, the first time I was able to find it, however the second time I was unable to find it. I am pretty disappointed as there was a pilot in the canopy as well.

Guys,

Before you take off, are you ensuring that the pins in the canopy are securely latched in the rear? You have to ensure that they are, especially with a pilot installed as the extra mass of the pilot can cause it to fly off. I didn't secure it in the rear during testing (on purpose) and flew around for a bit. I did quite a few tailslides and it stayed on, but with some very aggressive pushes I did get it to pop off. Out of all the Leaders that I have had through the development process, I've had probably in excess of 300 flights on them. I've only had the canopy come off once during the aformentioned test.

I beat on one of mine very, very hard and have yet to have the canopy pop off. I don't mean to make excuses, but if the canopy does not engage in the back, it can cause your canopy to fly off.

Regarding the canopy stock situation, the reason that they are out of stock everywhere online is because they are out of stock here. A manufacturing error caused a delay in just the replacement canopies. They are in stock now, should they be necessary.

As long as you ensure that your canopy is engaged in the rear prior to takeoff, you shouldn't have any issues. To check, I actually pick the entire airplane up by the canopy off of the ground a few inches to ensure.

I really appreciate hearing everyone's feedback!

I thought it was the rear pins coming out, so after the maiden flight I pulled out both and made pegs that were nearly twice the length. I believe the flaw is in having the magnets in the front. Mine definitely came off from the front caused by some vibrations when I ticked the prop on a landing. Everything looked buttoned down, and I didn't really inspect it closely. Not satisfied with the landing (I had been greasing them consistently) I taxiied back to the runway end and went to go for another go-round. It popped off at the bottom of a loop.

Were I to build a canopy, I doubt I would use magnets, but rather a pin spring locked into the rear with pegs going into the former in front. I just think its poor design, but that's just me. I was also disappointed that a replacement was unavailable. They have been an out of stock item since before April of this year. That alone should tell you something.

Now I have a whole second plane in the workshop, sans canopy.. I'll make one up but change the position of the pegs to the front, then try to sell it. (I'm actually toying with keeping it and wickering in electric retracts.) Also note that I replaced the factory wheels with larger diameter on the Mains. The set up from the factory has the back end sitting down so that the plane has a Nose up condition of almost 22 degrees. You cannot lower the nose since the front wheel strut has the flat spot for the steering assembly set such that it dictates where the strut must be locked down. I suppose you could cut some of the strut and re-do the set screw flat spot, but this restricts prop diameter. Its hard to see in the picture, but I still don't have it parallel to the surface. As set, it comes off the ground after a 30 foot roll. I also did not like the NO dihedral in the wing. Here I took a couple of Wall Drill bits (about 1/4" but really long - over a foot) I marked where the center tube exited the fuselage on the pipe, then took some black tape and marked one of the bits so that it would just go in that deep. From the other side I inserted the other drill bit till it touched the first one. Using a vise I put a very slight bend, I would guess not more than a couple degrees. You cannot go too much and this process is very delicate. Use caution and do each side. When you do the opposite side its important that the drill bit isn't tight since it has to pass through the side that has the little bend. I actually think I used another Wall drill bit slightly smaller than the 1/4 inch (these are the long ones used to go through outside walls of your house that electricians use to pass wires from inside to out). At any rate, my Leader has some dihedral which greatly amplifies the built in stability. Notice also the addition of Tip plates. These have two functions. One aerodynamicists use them to reduce drag, but they found that a spin off was that they act like a wing that has increased dihedral without the physical bend. I made the initial maiden flight without them just because I had not finished the sanding and covering so they stayed on the bench for the first day. After adding them I could tell the difference in high G turns. I'm usually sloppy about adding rudder, (I think a lot of us are) but the addition of the tip plates makes turns like a Hockey player on clean ice.




These are all easy fixes to an already great flying plane, hope the group takes some of them up and reports their findings. If I do keep the second one I will be improving the rudder fin assembly. The fin needs to go to the end of the Fuselages, I would split the elevator, (probably increase the surface area when I replace it) but the rudder would come all the way down below the stab and I would add 3/4 " of sub fin. This should greatly enhance Knife edge, but I'm dreaming aloud here.

Anybody else tinker with improvements?

KKKKFL

the coolest part is the batt hatch has tabs tha go into slots behind the canopy with magnets in front (backwards from norm) does this allow the canopy to fly off fall to the ground and break?yup. knife edge flight blows the linkage for the nose wheel needs lots of attention and it corkscrews outta loops like a pig.Two flights on my buddies and i was done.the good news is i bought the aeroworks stingray and its awsome

Here are some pictures of the mods I made to the Leader 480.
8/32 nylon screw with a blind nut to hold the canopy on. I had it fly off once already and I was able to find it.

I installed an Exceed 10 for power. Shimmed the the motor with 1/4" ply and some wheel collars I had. Now I have all the verticle I want with nice large loops.

This plane flys as smooth as it looks with no bad habits. I've flown off blacktop and short grass with equal success.

40 Amp ESC
DS75 servos
APC 11 5.5 prop

Very Happy with this addition.

Nice mods... nice work.... nice stand also...

Well done.

This answers a question for me.. what about a power 10 in that baby.

I flew mine this morning, in still summer air at dawn..... it is a very satisfying airplane to fly. and continues to get comments on its beauty by many club members. It is exquisite.

Originally Posted by joefly

Here are some pictures of the mods I made to the Leader 480.
8/32 nylon screw with a blind nut to hold the canopy on. I had it fly off once already and I was able to find it.

I installed an Exceed 10 for power. Shimmed the the motor with 1/4" ply and some wheel collars I had. Now I have all the verticle I want with nice large loops.

This plane flys as smooth as it looks with no bad habits. I've flown off blacktop and short grass with equal success.

40 Amp ESC
DS75 servos
APC 11 5.5 prop

Very Happy with this addition.

Id love to see photo detail of how you did the flaps.... beautiful! I may want to do this also.

Originally Posted by Franco2fly

I flew my 480 with the ParkZone 1020kv motor, and it was just Ok. Switched out the PZ for an Eflite Power 10 motor, and it is a real performer.


There are a couple upgrades that are quite easy to perform. Here's a shot of the standard flap arrangement I made. I put one miniture servo in the center and drive bell cranks in each wing to actuate flaps. This allows one to drop onto the end of the runway with very little rollout.

The other modification that is an absolute must is to put a blind nut underneath the magnet plates on the body, and drill a hole in front of the canopy on the centerline. I can gaurentee you will lose the canopy assembly if you do not do this. If you doubt this try finding the part using Google... its out of stock everywhere.

I have one future modification in mind but for now I'm gonna fly the skin off it.


KKKKFL