Why is there so much excitement here when there are so many excellent similar 3m-ish gliders from Topmodel, Reichard, RCM Pelican, etc.? Just have a look at what Esprit have listed....

Confused Chris

Why is there so much excitement here when there are so many excellent similar 3m-ish gliders from Topmodel, Reichard, RCM Pelican, etc.? Just have a look at what Esprit have listed....

Probably the best place to start is at the beginning of this thread, to see what many people have said about this product announcement. That should give you an idea of the initial excitement.

There has been many points of view and opinions about it posted so far from a broad spectrum of contributors which has been terrific. If you still don't have an idea as to what the fuss is about, you can move on knowing you at least checked it out.

Originally Posted by Grazer

Probably the best place to start is at the beginning of this thread, to see what many people have said about this product announcement. That should give you an idea of the initial excitement.

There has been many points of view and opinions about it posted so far from a broad spectrum of contributors which has been terrific. If you still don't have an idea as to what the fuss is about, you can move on knowing you at least checked it out.

Nope, doesn't help I'm afraid. Maybe it's cheap?

Originally Posted by pda4you

From the manual - take a look...

Looks like the flaps and ailerons are factory installed however - no mention of hinges in the manual.

It has been my repeated experience with Horizon Hobby that there c/a hinges are bogger'ed up with stale c/a......with no resolution from there customer service other than to tape the hinge line!,,,,,,,,,,Just Say-in, I wish they would leave them un-glued.

Originally Posted by mike3976

It has been my repeated experience with Horizon Hobby that there c/a hinges are bogger'ed up with stale c/a......with no resolution from there customer service other than to tape the hinge line!,,,,,,,,,,Just Say-in, I wish they would leave them un-glued.

I understand. If they are CA you can easily cut those and reinstall what/how you wish.

Originally Posted by Woodstock 1

Nope, doesn't help I'm afraid. Maybe it's cheap?

I suspect that a lot of the interest is from people familiar with Horizon's Radian, which has been pretty much of a watershed product over here. That, and the prospects that this plane might become sort of a commodity in local hobby shops -- not an image on a computer screen.

There are undoubtedly many great products out there. But Horizon has done an exceptional job of getting familiar products into the hands of satisfied customers who do not necessarily hang out in places where some of the other products are readily available.

Happy Landings,

Don

Good points, Don.

Chris

I saw well over $100,000 worth of sailplanes I liked yesterday. If I got to take one home at no cost the Mystique would not be my first choice. But at her price she looked to be a nice design, well built and I would love to have her. Heck I just wished we could have stayed another hour so I could see her in the air. Mike H

The manual has a lot to be desired. There are a ton of details left out. This build hasn't been pleasant. I expected more from Horizon.

Also, the Power25 motor needs to be carefully installed. The spot where the motor wires exit the motor housing is very susceptible to rubbing on the outer bell. This is due to a void of metal under the wires. The nose of the fuselage is very small and requires the motor wires to be bent back which causes them to rub. This can easily cause a short.
The Power25 motor also requires the shaft to be pressed to the end of the outer bell. My shaft was VERY tight. I thought I was going to break my drill press trying to get it pressed down. I highly recommend a different motor for this build.

Are the three stator wires from the Power 25 "stiff" or very flexable high strand wires? If there flexable, fold over a strip of masking tape to cover all three leads, once installed, use a piece of thin wire (control rod) to hold them against the fuss/nose I.D and away from the motor bell, and zap them down with a drop of c/a

Rudder hinges are the pin style as shown in post #270. Stabilator has no hinge, ailerons and flaps are live hinged in production with UltraCote.

Originally Posted by mike3976

What type of hinges are supplied with this bird? If CA, please tell me they're not glued by the factory!

Craig, Thank You, You guy's have been do'in your homework, eh. Now that that is out of the way, no excuse now to buy one!!!

Originally Posted by Craig Greening

Rudder hinges are the pin style as shown in post #270. Stabilator has no hinge, ailerons and flaps are live hinged in production with UltraCote.

Nice....

Originally Posted by mike3976

Are the three stator wires from the Power 25 "stiff" or very flexable high strand wires? If there flexable, fold over a strip of masking tape to cover all three leads, once installed, use a piece of thin wire (control rod) to hold them against the fuss/nose I.D and away from the motor bell, and zap them down with a drop of c/a

They are very flexible. Thanks for the tip!

Originally Posted by dharban

Why is there so much excitement here when there are so many excellent similar 3m-ish gliders from Topmodel, Reichard, RCM Pelican, etc.? Just have a look at what Esprit have listed

There are undoubtedly many great products out there. But Horizon has done an exceptional job of getting familiar products into the hands of satisfied customers who do not necessarily hang out in places where some of the other products are readily available.

Happy Landings,

Don

We and our business partners were wondering same thing. This is probably the best explanation. It all comes down to marketing and customer service. We are only glad that big company brings more people to the hobby. In the hobby industry we are not real competitors more like partners. We do not have such a resources, as HH.

Zb/Esprit Model