Rage "Golden Age Series" Spirit of St. Louis - RCGroups Review
Rage "Golden Age Series" Spirit of St. Louis - RCGroups Review
Introduction
| Wingspan: | 22.75 inches |
| Wing Area: | 75.5 square inches |
| Weight: | 1.5oz. |
| Length: | 13.75 inches |
| Transmitter: | 4 channel, included |
| Receiver: | all-in-one, included |
| Battery: | 150mah 1 cell |
| Motor: | Brushed gear drive |
| Manufacturer: | Hobby Recreation Products |
| Available From: | Avliable here |
| Price: | $99.99 |
The Spirit of St. Louis is an airplane most all of us are familiar with, and it played a pivotal role in long distance flight. As a matter of fact, it was the first airplane to complete a solo, non-stop transatlantic flight! Covering roughly 3600 miles in 33.5 hours, Charles Lindbergh flew the specially built Ryan NYP from New York to Paris in May of 1927.
N-X-211 and its pilot earned a place in aviation history, and in the hearts of aviation enthusiasts for decades to come. Rage has introduced a micro Spirit of St. Louis that we can all enjoy. Follow along as I take a look at the unique airplane.
In the Box
- Ultra-micro sized scale model of the historic Spirit of St. Louis airplane
- Smooth and capable flight performance that's perfect for sport or expert pilots
- Full-airfoil wing design with rib details and fuel tank vents
- Highly detailed scale 9-cylinder Wright Whirlwind dummy engine
- Beautiful, realistic scale water slide graphics
- Detailed landing gear and struts
- Extremely light weight at just 1.4oz (41g ready-to-fly)
- Up to 7-minute flight time on single 150mAh battery
- 4-channel capable transmitter with 2.4GHz & convenient built-in LiPo battery charger
- 3-in-1 control board includes receiver, ESC, and 2 proportional servos
- Packaging functions as storage and carry case eliminates hangar rash.
Flying
| RCGroups reviews the Rage™ Spirit Of St Louis (2 min 9 sec) |
There is ample power and control response, so it takes a bit of a light touch on the sticks to get that "scale look." However, having a bit extra comes in handy when the wind picks up. My test flights were on a windy day and I had no problem getting the Spirit to go where I wanted it to.
I did discover that a blip of throttle before adding rudder made turns look and feel better and I also noted that if you were dealing with wind, you may need to add a touch of down elevator in turns. I suspect this was due to the turbulent air coming off the tree line behind me at the local park, though.
The Spirit is a lot of fun to fly and it really looks great in the air. I loved setting up for a fly-by at about head height and just "watching" this one come by. With all the added detail we don't normally see in an RTF micro, this one stands out and for me, makes this plane even more enjoyable.
Flight times were on the order of 6 1/2 minutes with mixed throttle and there was some juice left to spare when I landed.
Taking Off and Landing
I didn't have a suitable smooth surface to attempt a "rise off ground takeoff, but that wasn't a problem. The Spirit hand launches quite easily. With the throttle between 3/4 and full, a light push is all it takes to get in the air. Even with a bit of a breeze, the Spirit had no problem establishing a positive (and quick!) rate of climb.
Landings are pretty much uneventful, just mind the wind, and be ready with the throttle to make corrections as needed. It will "plop" down in soft grass with no worries at all, making it ideal for a quick flight at the park.
Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance
While the full scale was designed and built to complete a single task, this one has the ability to do a bit more than cruise around. You can loop it quite easily, thanks to an abundance of power, and if you are smooth on the sticks, you can coax a roll out of it, though it's more of a barrel roll than a true axial one. However, I think the real beauty of this plane is in simply flying it and watching it. On a calm day, when you can relax and enjoy the flight, it's very easy to get lost in the way the Spirit looks as it passes by, and it's easy to imagine yourself in the cockpit, crossing the Atlantic, with your heart set on the $25,000 prize that awaits a successful landing.
Is This For a Beginner?
In my opinion, no, not for a first ever airplane anyway. While it is a great flyer, you do have to be mindful of the amount of input you give it. For a second plane, and a first scale type aircraft, I think it would be just fine.
Conclusion
Small size, great detail and being easy to fly make this airplane a winner for me. Couple that with ample power and responsive controls, and you get a plane that can be flown in a mild breeze, instead of having to stay in its box. It looks good in the air, on the ground and it's easy to transport. I'd say Rage has a winner on their hands.
Pluses
- Great looks
- Ample power
- Scale detail
- Good flight times
Minuses
- Controls are bit more sensitive than I expected for a scale 3 channel airplane
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Last edited by RCG_Jason; Dec 19, 2022 at 10:54 AM..| Thread Tools |
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Last edited by Bell47G2; Aug 18, 2018 at 06:27 PM.
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should have a RxR version so we can use our own electronics. The stuff in there could use a upgrade.I have spare parts for it and converting it to Specktrum Rx. I have the "Crash kit" for the Staggerwing and I installed the PZ Rx in it and kept the servos that were installed. I think also Rage should make a "Crash kit" for the Spirit of Saint Louis
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The actual aircraft had anhedral, one of its most distinguishing features. This model therefore looks extremely un-scale and thus stupid in the eyes of anyone truly knowing and truly loving scale aircraft!
Further: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/1-2-...html?styleid=7 see Post #4 > Quote:
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Last edited by xlcrlee; Feb 26, 2019 at 11:20 AM.
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The "Spirit" was one of my first Lego kits, so it will always have a special place. Nice to see it being so nicely captured in UM form.
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Latest blog entry: Eachine E200 UH-60 Black Hawk - Dual...
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Quote:
There's a good description of the aircraft's handling characteristics here: http://www.charleslindbergh.com/plane/spirit.asp Quote:
It's interesting to speculate whether a different pilot than Lindbergh might have requested dihedral be added to the full scale! |
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Sounds like rocks grinding in the gear box...cheap sounding...
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I just researched this as the rx/servos/esc module is for sale a number of places for under $10 and a purchased a few to go into converted peanut models. The transmitter says 2.4ghz FHSS on it so it's futaba but I plan on using a multi-protocol module with my X-Lite transmitter.
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Sold out and possibly out of production. You could contact Hobby Recreation Products and ask. They sell the Rage brand.
I found one site named "Racing Car Store" saying they had it on sale for $65 and the page showed a PayPal logo among others. I checked their contact info and only saw an email address but no mailing address. Suspicious. So as a test I tossed a plane in the cart and went to buy it, and the only payment option they gave me was credit card. No PayPal after all. Scam site. |
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