Originally Posted by Kevin Greene

The maiden isn't going to happen today.......Just too freakin' windy!!!...I flew my 800mm T-28 in the back yard a few minutes ago and it got bounced around quite a bit...Winds are @15mph and gusty...I'm not going to rush it like I did with my GP F-86...Sometimes you get complacent---Even a little bit cocky thinking that you can fly anything @ anytime---Then, reality bites you in the butt!!!......I'm gonna wait 'til the winds die down....

Kevin

This is where the advantage of EPO foam comes in. Given the light weight of this jet, I think you can dork it into the grass and experience no damage...

Originally Posted by Azn_Ace

This is where the advantage of EPO foam comes in. Given the light weight of this jet, I think you can dork it into the grass and experience no damage...

I hear ya!!!---I'm not going to be goaded into flying this Sabre in nothing but CALM winds!!!.......I ran my GP Sabre into the side of my SUV in windy conditions....So much for soft grass and EPO!!!......(Is this ArtTech Sabre SUV proof???) The final weight is an ounce more than my SA MiG and twice the weight of the GP Sabre...Hopefully, we won't have to test the strength of the EPO foam!!!......

Kevin

Originally Posted by kevin greene

i hear ya!!!---i'm not going to be goaded into flying this sabre in nothing but calm winds!!!...:d....i ran my gp sabre into the side of my suv in windy conditions....so much for soft grass and epo!!!...... (is this arttech sabre suv proof???) the final weight is an ounce more than my sa mig and twice the weight of the gp sabre...hopefully, we won't have to test the strength of the epo foam!!!......

Kevin

lol

MAIDENED IT TODAY!!!......I got the maiden in this afternoon!!!......The vid is from a hatcam and not that great but gets the job done......You can hear my comments as I fly...I've gotta go for now---Gotta call all of my new soccer players...I'll post more comments/answer questions later...d...Here is a better unedited video...Again, from a hatcam....It's hard to tell where the cam is mounted with a hatcam---I guess that I need to move the hat further back on my head to get the camera in the correct position....

ArtTech Sabre WMV (8 min 11 sec)

Kevin

OK---I Have the CG @ 170-175mm from the recommended CG of 195mm...It was nose heavy...The next flight I will move the CG back to 185mm...Due to being nose heavy the elevator wasn't very responsive---I had full up on low rates for the landing flare...Ailerons are VERY responsive on low rates!!!...On high rates the roll rate will be a blur!!!...

A 30mm fan is really borderline on this model for me...It may be fast enough for some but I'm expecting more speed...I'm thinking that a 40mm fan would be ideal/BALLISTIC!!!...I'll fly it as is until the 30mm fan gives up the ghost....With only one flight under my belt with this plane it's hard to judge...Maybe after I get the CG right, a 30mm fan could prove to be ideal...After all, I did have to keep quite a bit of up elevator and speed to keep the nose up due to being nose heavy...

MORE TO COME!!!

Kevin

good info man ! the thing sounded pretty sweet i've never flown an edf or a micro that was that fast...so i'm looking forward to it !!

hate you trashed a servo on the first flight

I got my maiden flight in tonight - Initial impressions are way better than expected!

I opted to run the recommended 3S 250mah battery, but got two of them so that I could qualify for free shipping. I secured the battery underneath the aileron extensions as a sort of strapping device so that no extra velcro weight would be added. Also put on a coat of water-based polycrylic to protect the jet from hangar rash and to add the shine I love on jets like this. Applied a little epoxy to all control horns per the advice Kevin provided - Don't want any of those coming loose in flight. Finally, I taped up the wingtips, underside of the nose, and the underside of the exhaust.

The included landing gear looks awesome, BUT.... When I began my takeoff roll, one wheel just flew off at high speed! I found the wheel easily enough, but there are two little white plastic retainers that are impossible to find on anything but the blackest of surfaces. We looked for them for around 10 minutes before just giving up.

I was nervous about attempting a hand launch for the maiden since I had no idea how much trim would be required, or if it would launch nose or tail heavy for some reason... I would have preferred to have the first flight a ROG event, but it wasn't in the cards.

With the winds @ 8mph, I instructed my wife on the proper toss (I don't think she likes my little lessons; she's proven more than capable with the hand launch!) and she threw me a beauty! It was a full-throttle launch @ about a 15 degree AOA, and it just flew away as smoothly as I could have imagined. It was actually the easiest maiden voyage of any hand launched plane I've ever owned.

I used absolutely zero trim or expo and was in complete control. The "Sabre Dance" is there if you call to it - Don't do anything risky at low altitude because stall recovery will cost you some sky. Power-off glide was very respectable, and belly landing was a non-event. I am considering adding the drop tanks now, but I'm afraid they may do more harm than good if they happen to catch on something.

Top speed is not blistering, but its no slouch. The elevator could use a tad more response and the loops weren't the best I've seen, however I used the top hole on the elevator and I could squeeze a little more agility out of the jet if I adjust that. I'm afraid of over-taxing the little servos, so I will likely leave well-enough alone. Roll rate was very impressive.

I'll sum all of this up into one line:

For the price, this jet is unbeatable - Don't screw around trying to make it into something that it isn't meant to be, and you will not be let down!

Originally Posted by Roswalt

I got my maiden flight in tonight - Initial impressions are way better than expected!

I opted to run the recommended 3S 250mah battery, but got two of them so that I could qualify for free shipping. I secured the battery underneath the aileron extensions as a sort of strapping device so that no extra velcro weight would be added. Also put on a coat of water-based polycrylic to protect the jet from hangar rash and to add the shine I love on jets like this. Applied a little epoxy to all control horns per the advice Kevin provided - Don't want any of those coming loose in flight. Finally, I taped up the wingtips, underside of the nose, and the underside of the exhaust.

The included landing gear looks awesome, BUT.... When I began my takeoff roll, one wheel just flew off at high speed! I found the wheel easily enough, but there are two little white plastic retainers that are impossible to find on anything but the blackest of surfaces. We looked for them for around 10 minutes before just giving up.

I was nervous about attempting a hand launch for the maiden since I had no idea how much trim would be required, or if it would launch nose or tail heavy for some reason... I would have preferred to have the first flight a ROG event, but it wasn't in the cards.

With the winds @ 8mph, I instructed my wife on the proper toss (I don't think she likes my little lessons; she's proven more than capable with the hand launch!) and she threw me a beauty! It was a full-throttle launch @ about a 15 degree AOA, and it just flew away as smoothly as I could have imagined. It was actually the easiest maiden voyage of any hand launched plane I've ever owned.

I used absolutely zero trim or expo and was in complete control. The "Sabre Dance" is there if you call to it - Don't do anything risky at low altitude because stall recovery will cost you some sky. Power-off glide was very respectable, and belly landing was a non-event. I am considering adding the drop tanks now, but I'm afraid they may do more harm than good if they happen to catch on something.

Top speed is not blistering, but its no slouch. The elevator could use a tad more response and the loops weren't the best I've seen, however I used the top hole on the elevator and I could squeeze a little more agility out of the jet if I adjust that. I'm afraid of over-taxing the little servos, so I will likely leave well-enough alone. Roll rate was very impressive.

I'll sum all of this up into one line:

For the price, this jet is unbeatable - Don't screw around trying to make it into something that it isn't meant to be, and you will not be let down!

GREAT review!!!...I agree---Not a barn burner but no slouch either...As far as speed is concerned with me being used to flying turbine jets I sometimes forget that sub-200 mph runs are just fine.......The roll rate is very good...I believe that I had plenty of elevator throw (I increased the throw to 150% to increase servo resolution) but was too nose heavy for good elevator response...I, too, wanted an ROG maiden but finding a suitable runway proved futile...(No asphalt runways close by)...I noticed a little Sabre dance as well (Dutch roll) but it wasn't so bad I would like a gyro...

Can you post some pics of your P/U covered bird???...I, for one, would like to see it!!!...Also, feel free to post any vids/comments/pics---The more info, the better I believe......

Again, THANKS for posting!!!

Kevin

Another thing---The drop tanks...Since I stripped a servo landing in some rough dirt, I was thinking about adding the drop tanks so that they would protect the aileron servos...Since you mentioned in your review that you were concerned they would catch and harm the wing/plane, I'm concerned as well...Now, I'm thinking about the servo covers for the UM Stryker being installed on this plane to protect the aileron servos...Another thing---The servo arms on this plane are long and the plane has a blistering roll rate on low rate---I'm thinking that I can move the control rods to the inner holes on the servo arms and cutting off the extra length of the arms to keep them from a ground strike...By increasing the throw to 150% (I'm using a JR 9503 TX) you can increase the throw and resolution of the servo...

I'm wanting this plane to eventually fly from my back yard and am needing this plane to be able to handle grass belly landings with ease....

Kevin

Does this plane have enough power to loop on stock 3S?

Yes, it does - They do require sufficient entry airspeed though, so you've got to give it a couple of seconds of full throttle acceleration before pulling back.

more good info guys, mine is suppose to be here Wed..

KG....got any vids of those Turbine Jets ?

OK---If you've read all of the posts in this thread you know that I stripped a servo landing in some rough dirt...I bought two 3.7 gram replacement Solar servos from HobbyPartz...I got one in and replaced the one stripped ArtTech servo---Only to discover that the Solar servos are REVERSED as compared to the industry standard...REALLY pissed me off!!!..So---I had to replace both servos to run them on the "Y" connector supplied with the plane to get them to turn in the correct direction...Since I'm running a 6 channel RX I could have just plugged the Solar servo into an auxillary channel and mixed it to the aileron channel...The would have entailed re-working the wiring and I wanted to get the model in the air ASAP...

I got the servos installed and headed out to the field....I launched the plane and went to turn right but the plane rolled a complete roll to the left..I neutralized the controls and went to ditch the plane in tall grass....The plane rolled over on its back to the left and nosed in....I thought that I had a radio glitch--The first ever for 2.4gHz...In 40 years of flying I've NEVER took off with the ailerons reversed but you guessed it--I did this time!!!......Even though the plane dorked in nose first the damage was purely cosmetic...This EPO foam is TOUGH!!!...A little touch-up paint and it will look as good as new...I'm going flying tomorrow with everything quadruple checked!!!......

Kevin

Doh! ...oh the humanity Kev!!

Originally Posted by NitroCharged

Doh! ...oh the humanity Kev!!

Yep!!!...If ya can't criticize/critique yourself then I don't think that you are a well rounded individual!!!...We all make mistakes and I'll be the first to admit it---But my wife doesn't think so!!!...

Rushing this model to get it in the air was my downfall...The old adages of "measure twice---cut once", "check, check, and DOUBLE check", etc, all come to mind...All a part of life!!!...At least it wasn't a $10K turbine model I made this mistake with!!!

Look for the hatcam flight tomorrow---Hopefully, I'll have the hatcam in the right place to get a good video...

Kevin