Okay, first off, I'll admit to being anr r/c schizophrenic. I've had cars, boats, planes, and recently added a micro heli into the mix. I'm always looking for something new to try. I've been fancying a glider or similar of late, to give me something to do on windy days (which, incidentally was what prompted me to get a nitro stadium truck--it just doesn't fly high enough for me ). Anyhow, I've had a change of heart, realizing that I don't so much want an uber-windbeater machine, but instead something I can kinda lug around behind the seat in my truck and fly at a moments notice. Also, i've got piles of kits and plans laying around already--I need another kit like fish need bicycles! So, I've recently flown a friend's parkzone J-3, and came away impressed enough to start considering th F-27 stryker. It looks like it'll fit the bill--cheap, reported to fly well, all-inclusive, and no emotional attachment. Since it has it's own transmitter, I won't have to worry about leaving my eclipse in the truck all day, and since it's EPP, there's no covering to warp--as long as I don't leave it in direct sun, it should be fine. Also, what is the level of difficulty of flying involved? Say, compared to a brushless powered gws warbird? I've been flying long enough I'm sure I can handle it, I just don't want a twitchy beast. As a point of comparison, I've been thinking about maybe an MSW or a Scrappy flying wing instead, and just use my "cheap" old jr tx. So, pros, cons, I want it all. I'd like to make an informed decision on a no-hassle anytime flyer here.

the stryker is super well behaved at 1/2 throttle with the stock setup and its rock solid at full throttle, you just need to get used to turning it.

i think the price of the stock plane is a little steep and you will probably want to buy the 8 cell batteries. for about the same price you can buy a 4 channel gws or hitec radio with pico servos (80-110 bucks) and then buy the parts from horizonhobby to make the stryker -- the parts total about 60 bucks. then you will have a nicer radio that you can resell or do whatever with later...

but i think its a great plane. flies great. durable -- but some reinforcing will go a looong way for those high speed nose dives... and you can always stick a brushless in it if you want more excitement...

you can watch a video of it flying 1/2 speed with a brushless (its moving a little slower than stock) here: Brushless Stryker Movie

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=392

this is classic....

I returned mine due to lousy customer service before I ever even flew it.


Ken-Ohki

Originally Posted by Ken-Ohki

I returned mine due to lousy customer service before I ever even flew it.


Ken-Ohki

why???

I love the Stryker!

It is fast, maneuverable, and can really take a pounding. I have crashed numerous times while learning to fly it (I came up through the Hobby/Parkzone ranks). I’ve nearly broken it in half, ripped the motor off a couple times, blown the nose up, and etc. In all cases I was able to fix it at the field (ok, my back field) with Gap filling CA plus tape and get back in the air in 15 minutes. Most times I could fix it faster than I could charge the battery.

RC-Ron, That picture really is a classic!!
My friend and I both have Strykers and I wish I could have gotten video of the mid air we had last weekend. Almost straight on with both of us climbing out at about a 30 degree angle, it was pretty impressive! Knocked both of them out of the sky but 15 minutes later.....

I have all the parts on back order (late October from what I hear) to build up a brushless version during the down time this winter. This will be my first real radio and first stab at putting a plane together from parts. I would never have gotten so far into the hobby had it not been for the all in one kits like this.

Unlike Ken I have had no quality problems with any of the RTF's from Hobby/Parkzone so I haven't had to deal with the customer service issue.

Ignoring the issue of non-standard radio gear and etc I would recommend this plane to anybody with enough 3-channel experience.

Since you ask.

When I first got it home I noticed several things I concidered to be substandart.

First, the linkages on the control horns werent even on the same hole as each other,
Secondly, All the "stickers" were applied so shotily that it looked like a 2 year old did it, and after I took pictures of it at Parkzones request, the camera showed me addition defects in the leading edge of the wing, after seeing the pix, I felt the leading edge and sure enough both leading edges were dammaged, but conceled by the stickers.
Thirdly, the hatch that covers the componets, wasnt even on the plane, it was loose in the box and refused to stay in place.. And they expect you to hang a combat module from there..Pittifull.
Fourth, The nose cone was considerably larger then the fusilage of the plane where it should connect and be nice and smooth.
Fith and most importantly, The stick on the radio was very rough and jerky in any downward movement.

So all these little things, and the radio being a big thing caused me to complain to Parkzone.

Now, I have driven 2 hours,Spent 180 bucks, plus gas and tolls.( another 15 bucks ) To have a plane that is advertized as ready to go right out of the box. ( wich it isnt, asembly is required ) I thought I was buying a plane that would go back in its box,, not sooo..

after 3 days of waiting for a responce, they responded with send it in, we will look at it and then fix or replace it.

I wrote back asking why I should have to pay more and wait longer becuse they sold me a pile of defective foam. ( they never answered that question ) They continued to insist that I pay for shipping for there mistake.

We went back and fourth for about a week and a half, and in each letter I was made to feel that I did something wrong by buying there plane. I repeatedly asked for a mailing label, and requested they send me a new plane imediatly to reduce the inconvience I hade already endured.. I work monday through saterday 6 am til 7 pm, so taking it back to the hobby shope wasnt a good option, and even getitng to the post office is pain..

Then Im told that its there policy to not do anything until they see the plane, To me, What he was saying was,, " We will not take responcibiity for screwing over our customers".. Well, That policy was not available for me to read until I opened the box at home, so its not like I volentarily agrreed to it. A bunch of other stuff was said back in forth,, me all the time trying to get a replacememtn plane and a lable,, them all but ignoring everything I said and not answereing any of my questions or commenting on any of my coments,, Just repeating,, send it to us. Not to mention it took 2 or 3 days to get a responce from them.. 2 weeks later,,, they guys says,, well, Its against company policy, but we will sent you a mailing lable... Well it just so happens I went into work 4 hours late that very day, to drive 2 hours and return this plane to the shop it was bought at.. I had had it with them. And I never even flew it.

In short,, They sold me crap, then expected me to pay to ship it, and wait even longer for it to get there, be inspected, and mailed back,,, The whole reason I bought it was I was gonna go fly it that day.

now some of you are saying,, well that sounds normal to me,, pay ,send it back, wait, wait, wait,wait some more, then finaly get your plane..

well let me tell ya something,, That is not how good bussness is run...

Airhogs,, I bought a plane that didnt fly,, picked up the phone,, A new one was mailed out that day and I recived it 3 days later, Not even a proof of purchase,,, the second plane did not fly, They sent me Another in 3 more days..

Estees,, My battery pack incinerated on the charger on the 3rd day,, They not only replaced it, they sent 2, It took a week to get here.

Hobbyzone, My charger failed first time I used the charger that came with my ABC. Picked up the phone, had a new charger, battery and mailing lable to send my defective stuff back sent to me within 4 days. ( yeah I know parkzone is related to hobbyzone)

Im not sure of the Company, But the people who make the Airider Falcons ( walmart cannard wing arf ) Sent me 2 main wings, 3 control wings and 2 batterys when I wrote them asking for a pricelist to buy those things after my new plane crashed ( my fault ) on its first flight. Said they were sorry I crashed, and hoped these parts got me back in the air and kept me there. ( Now that is some Dam good customer service,, wish I could remember the company name )

And another company I dont remember,, The ones that sell those wings that look like the B bomers ( also available at walmart ) Mine had a radio issue,, picked up the phone, a new one was at my door in 5 days,That one didnt work either, 5 days later a working one showed up. They didnt even want the defective ones back.

GWS My SS kit came with a warped Fusiilage rod, I broke it trying to straighten it, Droped a Email to them and a replacement was in the mail,, It unfortunatly arived dammaged, so another email later and another new fusilage arived..

SO after siting all these instances... I concider Parkzone to both suck and blow at the same time. And be a poore excuse for a company..

They recived pictures of my recite, and all teh dammages, There should have been no dout in there mind I had a plane of there and was not happy. They should of at the very least sent me a mailing lable right off, not wait 2 weeks to offer one, after I all but begged.., And in my opinion, they should have sent me the whole plane and the lable right off..

All they readlly did was inconveniance me greatly, and cost themselves the sales of 5 more at a minimum. I represent a private club of over 10 members ( yeah I know, its a small club ) but becuse I was first to fly, They all look to me as to what to buy, And so far have pretty much bought only planes they have seen me fly, Or planes I recomend to them..Needless to say,, Nobody in my club will be buying a stryker now.

Ken-Ohki
" I make things do what I want them to, The hell with what they are designed to do."

well, that does sound like a bad experience...
im suprised the service was so bad since i figured they were the same people answer the phone as hobbyzone.
i built mine from parts and when the body arrived it hadnt been packaged well in the box. the nose was bent sideways and one wingtip was bent 90 degrees. i just shoved bamboo rods through it to reinforce/straighten things and its still flying! i figured for 18 bucks, who cares but if i did pay the 170 for it i'd be a bit peeved.

like i said, i think its a great plane but im not sure its worth the full price...

If you have to drive that far to buy something, maybe you should open the box and scope it out before driving home. I've owned dozens and dozens of planes and only once had an issue- you seem to have an unusual amount of problems with your stuff.

I don't think faulting it for being called "ready to fly" yet requires the vertical stabs to be slipped on is a bit picky. Assembly of this bird takes 53 seconds.

Mine flies fine, the decals look like hell like you said though. I use mine to try things that I wouldn't try on any other plane for fear of damage. Like it so much that I bought a complete airframe to build one up and use my JR radio and hotter motor.

I like mine! Flies pretty good. I do think the CG is a little too far back though.
I cut out some foam in the forward part of the battery bay. Helped out a little bit. I wish the transmitter was a little better quality. It works fine but feels like its a cheapo "made in south asian pacific area" transmitter. The color scheme is okay...hard to see at dusk. I ironed on 3 pieces of orange econokote on the belly to see if the model is upside down or not doing manuevers.

dave...

I like my F-27. One of my favorite features is it's ability to land almost verticaly like a Harrier jet.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Bad or good, keep it coming. I would consider building one up from spare parts, but a quick check of the net shows that some of the parts are on backorder for eternity, apparently......and besides, I kind of like the idea of the dedicated transmitter, cheapo special or not. Like I said, this way I won't have to leave my good gear in the car for a quick flying fix--and if I do have issues with the included components, I can swap in 'real' gear from my stockpile easily enough, I imagine. Anybody know offhand what kind of cells the included battery is? And about the customer service issues, if I get one, I'll be sure to thoroughly inspect it first. I have the luxury of two hobby shops within twenty minutes now, one a hobbytown 5 minutes away, the other an independent shop where the owner is willing to bend over backwards to keep me happy, since I spend so much at his place.

Parkzone F-27 Stryker owners--Are you happy with it?

Yeah, Mine's a hoot bone stock and can take some serious punishment.A good knock-around, car plane...plus dual rates on a RTF ? Pimpin'

-g'luck~!

Hey Ken,

Sorry to hear that the "Lemmings" at your club are going to miss out on a GREAT plane that's fun to fly... I've had nothing but great service from the Hobbyzone people (same staff for Parkzone).

Jeff