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Introduction
Model aviation has seen a renaissance of sorts since the dawn of the new century. Advances in battery technology combined with simple, light, rugged and and easy-to-fly RTF planes have introduced thousands to the hobby who might not otherwise have the time, patience or skill to assemble and cover a traditionally built model plane... and then try to learn how to fly it. In light of this, the Academy of Model Aeronautics has begun their new Park Pilot Program with most of the benefits of AMA membership at reduced or even no cost. Among the planes leading the charge is the brand new SkyFly2 from Flyzone, an AMA-certified Park Pilot Program aircraft.
The original SkyFly was at the forefront of this quiet yet important revolution in aeromodeling; the new SkyFly2 continues the tradition with an improved three-channel FM radio system and a seven-cell nickel metal-hydride battery pack replacing the old six-cell, not to mention a change of color from yellow to red, improved pushrod attachment points and hardware and zoomy new graphics. Flyzone no longer supplies an instructional video, but a terrific demonstration video is available at their SkyFly2 website, the link for which you'll find in the specifications box on the right.
Kit Contents
The Flyzone SkyFly2 comes complete, requiring only the attachment of the control surfaces, landing gear and wing, installation of the transmitter batteries and the charging of the flight battery.
Kit contains:
You will need:
Consider having on hand:
Assembly
Tail
The threaded studs in the fin are inserted through the preinstalled tail brace support on the tail boom, sandwiching the stabilizer in place. You're warned to be careful not to pinch the receiver's antenna wire which threads to the rear of the support. For those new to the hobby, that wire hanging out the tail is normal on many planes with the exception of those operating on the 2.4GHz band. Under no circumstances are you to cut or trim this wire as you'll greatly reduce the range of the radio system. According to Flyzone, the SF2's radio range is 1000 feet, or more than 300 meters, in other words, a good, solid link between plane and transmitter during regular operation and a bit of insurance if the plane starts to get out of sight for whatever reason. The stabilizer assembly is held in place with a pair of knurled nylon nuts which require no tools for installation, just finger tighten them.
Each pushrod inserts into its own preinstalled pushrod clamp on each control surface control horn. The pushrods are flexible and easily install through the hole in each clamp. To finish the tail section, tighten the red nylon screws with your fingers and clamp each push rod in place. Final adjustment comes later during the radio setup phase. Total time start to finish: Less than five minutes!
Fuselage
All you really need to do at this point to complete the fuselage (and the model) is to install the main landing gear and nose gear, holding each of them in place with a nylon-headed screw. Voila! The SkyFly2 is complete save for the wing installation and battery charge. If you fly at a grass field, you can opt to leave the gear off.
Battery Installation
To charge the flight battery, plug the adapter into a wall socket and the charger into the adapter. A red LED on the charger will blink, and it will emit a series of beeps. Once the battery is connected, the beeping will stop, and the LED will glow steadily. The blinking and beeping start back up when the battery is charged. Flyzone claims a charge time of about an hour, but mine was done in about 45 minutes.
Completion
You're almost ready to fly! Installing the flight battery in the nose of the SkyFly2 is our next-to-last step as we raise the canopy in preparation.
Several things immediately became apparent: First of all, the hatch and fuselage are molded as s single piece, which I believe is actually a step backward from the original SkyFly with its snap-on hatch. The hatch is sort of "spring loaded" with the help of a preinstalled rubber band. The battery itself fits snugly up in the nose, in fact, so snug that once installed I didn't want to damage the pack by pulling on the leads in order to remove it. An epoxy mixing stick or a Popsicle stick is invaluable for prying the pack loose without damage. I'm going to assume that a few installation and removal cycles will help that problem. A small Phillips screwdriver is necessary to remove the battery hatch on the transmitter. Install eight AA alkaline batteries in the holder, reinstall the cover and screw on the antenna. A brilliant green LED next to the power switch will light up and believe me, you'll have no trouble seeing it. The color changes to red when it's time for fresh batteries. I noticed a charging jack inside the battery compartment, and the cover clearly has a knockout panel which would allow access, but the manual makes no mention of the jack nor does it recommend a specific charger. There's also an unidentified switch on the PC board, but again, no mention is made as to its function.
You're now instructed to switch on the full-sized three-channel transmitter (no little toy transmitters here as evidenced by the above photo), connect the receiver battery and check the trims. The trim levers for the elevator and rudder should be in the center and the control surfaces themselves nice and straight, although later experience would lead me to suggest a slight up elevator attitude at neutral trim. Double check the controls by moving the elevator/rudder lever. There are servo reversing switches mounted on the front of the transmitter, which in my case were set correctly from the factory. Don't worry about the motor starting accidentally; There's a safety feature built into the receiver/speed control which first requires you to move the sliding throttle lever to full and to hold it there for five seconds before bringing it back all the way. The throttle response was nice and linear and the thrust surprisingly strong for a brushed 380 motor. That translates into a whole lot of fun flying, as you'll see. There's also a bit of heritage from other members of the Flyzone family in that prop; it's the same as the one used on the company's Sky Pilot and Cessna 182 Skylane park flyers, only spun in reverse.
Flying
Basics
If you haven't yet done so, attach the wing with four of the eight enclosed rubber bands. Two go on fore to aft and the other two at a diagonal. The SkyFly2 is "factory balanced," but it's a good idea to check. You have a rather broad range of 33mm to 46mm back from the leading edge of the wing; mine balanced right on the 33mm mark. Turn on the transmitter, connect the receiver battery, check the control throws for proper movement and you're ready to go!
I was expecting performance along the lines of a slow stick. Instead, the SkyFly2 was an amazingly fast ride, hustling along at what looked to be better than 30 mph (45 km/h). Most other planes of this type putt along at maybe half that speed. It's faster than the company's more expensive Cessna 182 Skylane even with the same prop. But the plane flew nose heavy despite being properly balanced and elevator control was almost nonexistent..
Takeoff and Landing
You have the option of hand-launching the SkyFly2 or, if you have a sufficient hard surface to fly from, the plane can be launched from the ground, which is exactly what I did. The SF2 rolled down the runway of the Coachella Valley Radio Control Club near Palm Springs with what could actually be called authority, very much like the example on Flyzone's online demonstration video. Despite the fixed nosegear, I had some slight directional control with the rudder. I'd been holding some slight up elevator during its roll down the runway, and as soon as it had built up enough speed, the model was airborne in about 30' (10m). It's a good idea to save some power to assist in landings. They are easy and graceful with that little bit of power. The only downside is that the nose gear and the nose gear wheel retainer pops loose on even the gentlest landings. A simple, permanent fix later at home came in the guise of a slightly drilled out nylon retainer used to affix a Great Planes EZ-Connector to a servo arm. Check the attachment of the nut the moment it comes out of the box. If it pops off in your hand, you might be able to hold it in place with the smallest possible dab of CA. I thought about using a standard wheel collar, but the axle is too short to accommodate one. I also took a moment to replace the easily popped-off retainer bolt with a regular sheet metal phillips head screw. It isn't exactly factory stock, but it works well. No more loss of the nosegear on touchdown!
Special Flight Performance
Straight and level flight was nearly hands off and fast enough to be genuinely entertaining, requiring only slight trim adjustments in order to fly hands off. Once trimmed, I put a bit more distance between plane and ground and started to intentionally over-control the model to see how it would respond to the excessive control input a beginner might put it through. The SkyFly2 bounced and boogied with each slam of the control stick to its limit, but never once did it feel as if it would have "bitten" me by doing something irrecoverable. If anything, the response was a little on the mushy side, given the small size of the control surfaces and this model's intended audience. It won't loop due to a lack of power for such a maneuver nor will it roll due to lack of ailerons. It does tend to fly considerably nose heavy as indicated, evidenced by the tendency for the nose to drop quickly when attempting to either turn or glide.
When flown at half throttle, control was predictable and even a slower still, another aid for beginning pilots and one which may not allow the model to avoid a problem in flight. Pour on the throttle, and the steering becomes more positive, but you'll need to feed in a lot of up elevator. I discovered later that physically trimming the elevator in a slight up attitude with the stick and trim in neutral worked well for making the controls more neutral and for adding some climb capability. Glides were a bit disappointing. The original SkyFly had a six-cell battery and would seemingly glide forever; the SkyFly2 has a seven-cell pack, and that seventh cell is right in the nose. If you run the battery to the cutoff point, the ESC will protect your plane by cutting power to the motor if the voltage becomes dangerously low. Problem, was, I couldn't run it out that far. I still had some thrust before the cutoff kicked in, but it took all the throttle and up elevator I could muster to bring it in safely. My recommendation is to bring the SkyFly2 in the split second the performance drops off or you won't make the field. Climbs take a lot of up elevator and a lot of throttle; it absolutely will not go vertical even though the rather fast cruising speed would suggest otherwise. It cruises well at about 3/4 throttle and simply greases landings if you leave a little bit of power on.
A new flyer tries the SkyFly2
Now that I was familiar with the flight characteristics, I figured this would be the time to start putting that transmitter in the hands of folks who've never flown radio control. The manual rightly points out the necessity of obtaining experienced help if one has never operated an R/C model. The promise of a long weekend in San Diego, California with family promised to be the perfect venue to put the SkyFly2 in the hands of a raw beginner. I recruited my nephew, age 16 and an avid gamer. He and I walked across the street from his home to a gigantic vacant lot which occasionally attracts other R/C pilots. After giving him a brief lesson in how to steer I hand launched it myself into the slight but steady breeze. I then handed the transmitter to my nephew and instructed him to make a left turn, but instead he turned the plane to the right and it flew behind us. He got it back in front of us, but he was overcontrolling it causing the model to swoop and dive. Before he could hand the transmitter back to me, the SF2 made a hard left turn into a power dive and crashed. My poor nephew was shaken by the crash, but I assured him all was well. I asked if he thought that he could learn to fly based on his initial impression, and he didn't hesitate a second to answer yes and was more than willing to actually learn to fly R/C. The wing, stabilizer and prop were destroyed, but the fuselage survived with little more than a few scrapes and a split molding seam atop the nose. I honestly didn't expect the radio to work after such a hard crash into concrete, but work it did. Perfectly. What's more, the repairs would prove to be inexpensive when I ordered the parts a few weeks later near the very end of summer. The total cost of repairs was a remarkably reasonable $23.67, which would have been only slightly higher if I didn't already have a spare prop on hand. The SF2 really is the tough customer they claim it is.
Is This For a Beginner?
Absolutely, but with the caveat that someone with no R/C experience whatsoever should seek experienced help per the model's own instruction manual.
Flight Video/Photo Gallery
Conclusion
heartily recommend the Flyzone SkyFly2. The ratio of price paid per fun received with overall ease of operation make it a winner. It gets a thumbs-up for affordability, parts availability, customer service and ruggedness. It has a nose-heavy attitude and mushy controls as the battery weakens, but both are advantageous to a beginner, especially when you consider the old adage that while a tail-heavy model will fly once, a nose-heavy model will live to fly again. For those of you inspired to get a SkyFly2 of your own and to join the growing ranks of model aviation enthusiasts worldwide, please let me be the first to offer a sincere welcome on my behalf and on behalf of everyone here at RCGroups.com. Welcome to the hobby! See you at the field. Odds are, I'll have my SkyFly2 with me!
Pluses:
Minuses:
Last edited by Angela H; Dec 31, 2008 at 03:28 PM.. |
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Jan 05, 2009, 08:34 PM
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#2 |
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RCalldayLong
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: San Jose, California
Posts: 1,328
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My flying buddy started with this plane...and i gotta say it can sure take a beating. nose dive a few times...went into a wall,...wings broke in a few places...but all fixed and plane is still flying. He has since move to bigger and better planes...but this is a good beginner plane and forgiving in many ways.
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Jan 05, 2009, 08:51 PM
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#3 |
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Jack
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ellsworth,ME, USA
Posts: 3,576
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The Sky Fly got me in to RC a little over a year and a half ago. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for it.
I'm glad to see they got rid of the fishing line/rubber band push pull linkages. Those were the biggest detractor from successful flights on a Sky Fly. And I guess the Beginner/Advanced switch is gone? Good! It was a waste of time and it probably caused more crashes than it prevented. It added, after a short delay, a little up elevator after you made a rudder input (to compensate for the resulting nose drop). If you want to learn to fly you *have* *to* * learn* to compensate for the secondary effects of control inputs. But theSky Fly 2's weird control configuration (single stick with slider throttle) was a step backwards from the Sky Fly's classic two stick Mode 2 TX in my opinion. When I went from the Sky Fly's dual stick TX to a JR SX600 it was a very simple and natural transition. I'd give the Sky Fly 2 a demerit for the TX change. One of my joys with the Sky Fly was the repairing and tinkering. I was not a quick learner and easy on the hardware. My Sky Fly was a *much* repaired workhorse by the time it got me to the point where I was a bonafide RC flyer. I could fly! For those that want to move on to tinkering, modifying, and a deeper understanding of and involvement in electric RC airplanes and power systems, I am sure the Sky Fly 2 will be as rewarding as the Sky Fly was to me. The Sky Fly lends itself to modification and improvements in various areas. As last flown my Sky Fly had a LiPo battery, brushless motor and ESC, a Berg 4L receiver and micro servos, and enlarged control surfaces. And it was a *very* sporty flying RET trainer. Even experienced flyers enjoyed flying it. The Sky Fly inspired a Sky Fly Modifications & Improvements thread in the Beginner Training Area (Electric) forum here and the Sky Fly 2 has already been a topic of discussion there. Based on my experience with the Sky Fly I'd recommend the SF 2 as a good first plane choice. Especially for those who will be teaching themselves without any help from experienced flyers. Jack |
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Jan 05, 2009, 10:32 PM
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#4 |
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I reject your reality!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Palm Springs, California
Posts: 703
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You know, I may just try something like that. I have a couple of 910mAh 3S lipos which might fit. If they do, I'll take the motor and ESC out of the Formosa I reviewed a couple of weeks ago and see how it works. I don't see any reason why a small outrunner can't be mounted out back with a pusher prop.
PS: Thanks for the link back to the SkyFly forum and thanks for pointing out my rather glaring omission of the fact that the new plane uses pushrods instead of the fishing line setup. Last edited by PMDrive1061; Jan 05, 2009 at 11:22 PM. |
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Jan 06, 2009, 07:35 PM
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#5 |
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Jack
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ellsworth,ME, USA
Posts: 3,576
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You're more than welcome, that is an great and essential thread for Sky Fly owners.
I bought a pair of 2S 7.4V 750 mAh LiPos that were almost exactly the same size as the 7.2V six cell NiMH pack. I added a little sheet lead to get them too the same weight and flew them a lot. I had connectors on each pack and would fly one out and then switch to the other. Wonderful long flight times, 10-15 minutes on each pack when I was working delicate on the controls and working for duration. Sounds like the Sky Fly 2 might be a little nose heavy and not quite as light and floaty as the original was. Going to the lighter LiPos and taking a little weight off of the nose might make it a better flyer. The change to push rods was a great change, that was the single biggest need/most loved mod for all of us first generation users. That's a good review, thanks for that. And the plane *is* a good starting point for people of any age that want to learn to fly. Jack |
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Jan 06, 2009, 11:37 PM
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Wind World
Posts: 674
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Looks like a great plane as it's previous version was.
But 27mhz ouch. |
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Jan 07, 2009, 09:45 PM
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#7 |
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I reject your reality!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Palm Springs, California
Posts: 703
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I was a little surprised at the 27 MHz radio as well. My guess is that it keeps the cost down a bit as opposed to a narrow-band 72 MHz system. I haven't had any radio glitches yet, so time will tell.
PS: Thanks for the compliment, Jack. Much obliged; I had to log off earlier before I could thank you. Since the fuselage seems to be pretty much the same as the original, a lightweight li-po might be just the thing down the road. Last edited by PMDrive1061; Jan 07, 2009 at 11:09 PM. |
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Jan 08, 2009, 06:56 AM
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#8 | |
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Zzzt! Buzz! Click!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: State of Confusion
Posts: 1,594
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Quote:
Additionally, you'll note that for no explicable reason, they've reversed the plugs on the batteries, so that instead of the almost industry standard male plug on the battery, female plug on the charger, you have the female on the battery. This means you have to buy the Hobbico battery, since most aftermarket battery packs come with the male attached. So while it may fly well, it sounds like it's going to be a crap-shoot as to whether it works out of the box or not. A look at the number of these planes available in Tower's Scratch 'n Dent sale is also a good reflection on the quality issues. They had similar problems with their Staggerwing Beechcraft . Last edited by squidbait; Jan 08, 2009 at 07:02 AM. |
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Jan 08, 2009, 01:05 PM
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#9 | |
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Wakka Wakka
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 927
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Quote:
Anybody wanting a first plane that buys one of these things is heading themselves for potential grief especially if they don't know how to fix the problems they have before they fly it. And lets face facts here, a beginner generally doesn't understand at that stage what it is that makes a plane fly properly. In my humble opinion, I'm not at all sure what the AMA is doing certifying a piece of cheaply made (ships balast) junk. It's only going to rebound on them as people begin to realise that the only thing an AMA Park Flyer certification means is that it's got a sticker on the box. It's then also going to rebound on the genuine model companies, that DO produce quality models and have the same AMA certification on their boxes. In fact what are the AMA doing bringing their own name down in the mud like this, when they should be certifying planes like the Multiplex EasyStar... etc etc... as a first flyer. The JP Electrafun which is to a similar design, is a MUCH better plane and package all round... and at a very similar price. Best Regards, Julian (Fozzy The Bear) Last edited by FozzyTheBear; Jan 08, 2009 at 01:10 PM. |
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Jan 08, 2009, 05:29 PM
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#10 | |
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check my BLOG
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: beavercreek,ohio
Posts: 2,415
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Quote:
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Jan 08, 2009, 09:20 PM
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#11 |
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I reject your reality!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Palm Springs, California
Posts: 703
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That's exactly the point of a review like this. The products are presented warts and all and comments both good and bad are welcomed.
I have a marvelous relationship with Hobbico and it would be unfair to them if I glossed over any problems with the equipment. If I had a problem with inoperative equipment out of the box, I'd have reported that without a second thought. Believe me when I say that they do read these posts. When I posted the review of the Yak-54 I used for size comparison, Hobbico immediately addressed the concerns I had with updates on the model itself and via technical updates on the model's website. I'm certain they'll do the same here. Thanks for your input. I mean that. |
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Jan 08, 2009, 11:20 PM
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#12 |
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DefNoobFlyer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Atascocita, Texas
Posts: 47
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Very Nice - would you recommend this over the Super Cub?
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Jan 09, 2009, 01:47 AM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Gates NC
Posts: 10
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Man, I got one of these 3 months ago. Was going to give it to a 12 yr old, Not good.
Could not fly it nose down, the power keep cutting off asap. Never got it flying so I put it back in the box and went to my other planes. Wrote if off as junk. Going to put another motor etc, to make it fly. Was not good for the boy. |
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Jan 09, 2009, 06:16 AM
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#14 | |
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Zzzt! Buzz! Click!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: State of Confusion
Posts: 1,594
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Quote:
But you're talking apples and oranges. The Super Cub has an anti-crash system, a durable foam fuse and wing, and looks like an airplane. The Skyfly looks, well, it is what it is. It has a plastic vacuum-formed fuse, a plastic-covered foam wing that, if kinked, will have a permanent weak spot that will fold without bracing. The SC also costs almost half as much again... $159 versus $109, but you get what you pay for. If you can afford the SC, go for it. You won't regret it. |
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Jan 09, 2009, 08:02 AM
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#15 |
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DefNoobFlyer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Atascocita, Texas
Posts: 47
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Good deal! Thanks for the input!
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