Looks like the nose of the plane points downward as it sits on the runway. That might have something to with how long it takes to rotate on take-off.

Nice review and nice looking airplane.

Yea, it does have plenty of down thrust, but the headwind video shows plenty of lift. I think it is a little light on power. No big deal for a trainer, you just need to be soft on the sticks as you build some airspeed.

That Cessna sure looks REAL in flight. Pretty cool Dave! Nice in-flight photos.

I for one would be really curious to know how well this package would work when it comes to helping a newbie earn his wings. If the sim model is accurate and the learner spends ample time on the sim first, all he has to worry about are the subtle things that a simulator cannot prepare him/her for ...

All in all, a nice concept though, IMHO, and a nice review of it too.

Thanks Jon, really this is all about practice on the sim and being able to define when to go real-time. The system has trainer cord capabilities but I do understand having done so myself learning to fly the hard way. Finding a large field and a calm day will be a great start to a first flight.

Nice review Dave! I fully agree that a large field without obstructions and a calm day go far in making that first day a success after the approbriate time on the simulator. Mike

The plane has the same awful motor mount setup that the Flyzone Piper Cub has. I'm surprised it even flies because my Cub didn't. Sorry.

This model does look solid but I'm done with Flyzone and foamies in general.

I am also curious about the rubber band motor mount. My wing hold down rubber bands break down pretty quickly and I replace them all the time. I'm guessing a hot motor may speed up that break down. This is definately an area that would require weekly inspection. I would be more concerned of the motor comming loose mid flight.

Otherwise I found this to be a very informative review. Thanks

Very nice looking plane. RCGroups reviews are second to none.

I'd say this is a nice idea (bundling an RTF model with a flight sim) but extremely poorly executed. The sim is great - it's the model that's the problem. This little Cessna is cute, but it is a pig! The wing loading is 18 oz/sq foot! This high a wing loading would be fine in a big .40 size glow trainer with 700 square inches of wing. But 18 oz/sq foot on a little model with only 165 square inches of wing area is way, way too high - half that number would be better.

In a nutshell, this Cessna weighs twice what it should weigh. So what we have here is a very poor choice of a first model for a beginner - a Cessna that flies like a warbird, hot and heavy, and underpowered to make things even worse.

Earlier this year I participated on an RCG thread where a newcomer to the hobby made the mistake of buying this same Cessna. He was one of those very talented "naturals" - he actually managed to fly this underpowered pig of a Cessna, which is more than most new pilots could do without immediately stalling and crashing it. But he could not land it without it either ground looping or flipping end over end - no surprise, with the high landing speed and tiny wheels.

Nice review, though I feel you were very "kind" to a terrible product. Perhaps with your long years of experience you no longer remember how hard it is for a first-time pilot to cope with a heavy and underpowered model.

-Flieslikeabeagle

RC Groups is rife with countless polls rating the best all time beginner planes. The FlyZone Cessna 182, to the best of my knowledge has never been recommended as a beginner's first plane.

A search of RCG will also reveal that there are very few threads (if any at all) devoted to singing the praises of this plane. The last few threads I've participated in relative to the FlyZone Cessna 182 have been more a litany of why this plane should not be considered as a beginner plane, rather than owners who are happy they bought it.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize certain patterns on RC Groups. The better a plane is, the more threads are generated about the plane itself. Conversely, the worse a plane is, the less threads are started about it.

In line with the above then, the FlyZone Cessna 182 ranks amongst the absolute worst planes a beginner could ever tackle, shy of a full blown war bird. In fact, there are plenty of war birds with LESS wing loading than the Cessna 182!

For all the reasons FLiesLikeABeagle gave above, this plane is truly nothing more than a brick with wings. And with an average mean chord of 4", it's only by a stretch of the imagination that it can be referred to as a 'wing' in the traditional sense of planes suitable for beginners.

In my opinion only... recommending the FlyZone Cessna 182 to beginners amounts to a terrible disservice to anyone seeking to break into this wonderful hobby of ours.

Sorry for being so blunt, but there are many newcomers whom rely on the expertise of reviewers to carefully steer them to a plane that will give them the best chances of success.

Again, in my opinion, the reviewer really missed the mark on this one.... big time.

Chuck

Thanks Chuck and others for the comments. In many way I agree with you except that I could fly the Cessna. I do mention the need to be easy on the sticks. I also think you are missing the point that the SIM is a precursor. Can you say those that bought the Cessna were also well trained and deligent with the RealFlight 3.5? Unless you can be sure, the process is not tainted. I do agree this may not be the best choice of trainers, but it can be flown and has been flown likely by many with success. Take off rolls are long and I mention that, into the wind they are not out of the norm. Landings I thought were no problem and I never experienced any stall tendencies on approach. The power off stall is quick and the power on stall is dramatic. But with practice as I mention on the SIM these should be negated.

Hey I don't care what plane you give to a novice that does no know how to fly: They will wreck it! Big, small high or low wing loading it's not the plane it's the pilot.

Neither has a steerable nose wheel, and therefore neither can be turned on the runway for a back taxi.

Just as an aside, in calm conditions it's usually possible to turn a non-steerable trike by using full up elevator with full rudder. The up elevator lifts the nosewheel when power is applied, helping the rudder to get the nose round.

In a breeze it will just weathercock into wind though.

[QUOTE=NoFlyZone]RC Groups is rife with countless polls rating the best all time beginner planes. The FlyZone Cessna 182, to the best of my knowledge has never been recommended as a beginner's first plane.

A search of RCG will also reveal that there are very few threads (if any at all) devoted to singing the praises of this plane. The last few threads I've participated in relative to the FlyZone Cessna 182 have been more a litany of why this plane should not be considered as a beginner plane, rather than owners who are happy they bought it.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize certain patterns on RC Groups. The better a plane is, the more threads are generated about the plane itself. Conversely, the worse a plane is, the less threads are started about it.

In line with the above then, the FlyZone Cessna 182 ranks amongst the absolute worst planes a beginner could ever tackle, shy of a full blown war bird. In fact, there are plenty of war birds with LESS wing loading than the Cessna 182!

For all the reasons FLiesLikeABeagle gave above, this plane is truly nothing more than a brick with wings. And with an average mean chord of 4", it's only by a stretch of the imagination that it can be referred to as a 'wing' in the traditional sense of planes suitable for beginners.

In my opinion only... recommending the FlyZone Cessna 182 to beginners amounts to a terrible disservice to anyone seeking to break into this wonderful hobby of ours.

Sorry for being so blunt, but there are many newcomers whom rely on the expertise of reviewers to carefully steer them to a plane that will give them the best chances of success.

Again, in my opinion, the reviewer really missed the mark on this one.... big time.

Chuck[/QUOT I agree I went the route of flying with a sim for 4 months before I even got a plane I tried my hand at a FZ 182 and it failed the plane is ok just way under powered for any first time pilot because when you learn to fly slow and steady is the way to go but the 182 stalls so quick that it will fall out of the sky. If anyone wants to learn to fly I suggest an Easystar or HZ Supercub. And if you have a FZ 182 already or it's on the way shelf it and get and easystar reciever ready and put your tactic in and learn to fly that way.

Originally Posted by Jonb81

If anyone wants to learn to fly I suggest an Easystar or HZ Supercub.

I agree, both are great choices. The Easy Star is more durable, the Cub is prettier and has more power. Take your pick.

Originally Posted by Jonb81

And if you have a FZ 182 already or it's on the way shelf it

I really try not to be too critical of any product on the market, but this overweight little FZ 182 is, in my opinion, such a bad product that it's hard for me to muzzle myself. So I'll throw restraint to the winds and suggest that if you got an FZ 182 already, you either treat it as a static display model for your desk and never try to fly it, or perhaps stake it through the heart and pour holy water on the carcass...

IMHO, this Flyzone Cessna as well as the Parkzone FW 190 "Butcher Bird", are just awful models that are best avoided - far too heavy, far too underpowered, and very far from being good beginner models. There are much better alternatives out there.

Edit: Earlier I said that Horizon Hobby is responsible for this awful little Cessna. I was wrong, it's a Hobbico product, not a Horizon one. I apologize for the mistake.

-Flieslikeabeagle