Post by Burkeomatic on Aug 6, 2022 5:17:36 GMT
Fun game, what are your top 5 favorite planes you have built or flown of all time, and why. I'll go first.
1. My reptile dragon, I love the darn thing. It can cook or fly slow, has a very high roll rate if you want it to, and flies for 20 minutes at the time. Boatloads of power, fun LOS or FPV. The speed envelope is 40-140kmh or 25-85 mph. Loops, rolls, and more stuff I can't do, or just sit there and cruise. Cuts through the wind like no ones business. I initially thought this plane was a handful, but I didn't realize how slow you could actually fly it. If you park it at half throttle like most planes, you are in fact going about 60mph, but it cruises at 30 percent throttle with its eyes closed and flies at 20-25 percent if you are trying to be miserly.
2. FT P40. Pretty much the same as above. Can be gentle and relaxing, or really scoot if you want it to with the right set up. A great LOS flyer and perfect first aileron plane. It is the plane I always took out with me no matter what. Does good basic aerobatics. It is easier to fly than the dragon manually, but not by a whole lot. I wouldn't call the dragon a beginner aileron plane, but this one is.
3. FMS ranger. You could say this replaced the FT p40, it fills the same role. It is shockingly as aerobatic, just a bit on the slow side. I don't want to mod it because I don't want to mess with a good thing. What puts this below the P40 is it is slower and I constantly worry about the softening EPO, but the quality is better. I never thought of myself as one to like a high winged sport trainer plane, but here we are.
4. Night Fury. It was a good flyer, and a wonderful first FPV plane. It handled well, and was fun to fly. However I made the wingspan too big which made transport a hassle, and the body was a little short, as in not tall. It was mildly aerobatic, but more soary than anything. It took the wind well for such a light wingloading. It is the easiest plane I have ever flown aside from my daughters trainer. It was also my first successful design, and first successful FPV flight.
5. Mig 29. This isn't higher because, well you just have to be in the mood for it. You are lucky to get 5 minutes of flight time, and the fastest I have confirmed is my daughter shooting it with a radar gun out of my car at 82mph, but it had a lot more, it is easily a 100mph plane. It flies on rails, but you have to stay on top of it, and everything is happening so fast you have to be very aware of orientation, as it is easy to lose. Not good in a 2lb jet going balls out near houses. It is the only jet I have successfully flown, and looks amazing in the sky. But when the mood strikes you, and you are down to white knuckle a plane, and climb a couple hundred feet vertically in a few seconds and do a pass at interstate speeds 10 feet off the ground, this is your guy. Great plane if you are feeling the need for speed. Not so much if you want a relaxing flight.
Honorable mention - My daughters CTH albatross. Somewhat goofy looking, and only RET control I put a decently potent power set up on it. It flies forever and bounces off whatever she runs it into without a second though. I can coax it into some fun spins and do loops with ease. Nearly indestructible, and I have fun flying it. You don't have to worry when you are on the sticks, it just flies perfect. It just sucks in the wind. The best thing about it is, is her sense of accomplishment when she successfully lands it and completes a flight.
1. My reptile dragon, I love the darn thing. It can cook or fly slow, has a very high roll rate if you want it to, and flies for 20 minutes at the time. Boatloads of power, fun LOS or FPV. The speed envelope is 40-140kmh or 25-85 mph. Loops, rolls, and more stuff I can't do, or just sit there and cruise. Cuts through the wind like no ones business. I initially thought this plane was a handful, but I didn't realize how slow you could actually fly it. If you park it at half throttle like most planes, you are in fact going about 60mph, but it cruises at 30 percent throttle with its eyes closed and flies at 20-25 percent if you are trying to be miserly.
2. FT P40. Pretty much the same as above. Can be gentle and relaxing, or really scoot if you want it to with the right set up. A great LOS flyer and perfect first aileron plane. It is the plane I always took out with me no matter what. Does good basic aerobatics. It is easier to fly than the dragon manually, but not by a whole lot. I wouldn't call the dragon a beginner aileron plane, but this one is.
3. FMS ranger. You could say this replaced the FT p40, it fills the same role. It is shockingly as aerobatic, just a bit on the slow side. I don't want to mod it because I don't want to mess with a good thing. What puts this below the P40 is it is slower and I constantly worry about the softening EPO, but the quality is better. I never thought of myself as one to like a high winged sport trainer plane, but here we are.
4. Night Fury. It was a good flyer, and a wonderful first FPV plane. It handled well, and was fun to fly. However I made the wingspan too big which made transport a hassle, and the body was a little short, as in not tall. It was mildly aerobatic, but more soary than anything. It took the wind well for such a light wingloading. It is the easiest plane I have ever flown aside from my daughters trainer. It was also my first successful design, and first successful FPV flight.
5. Mig 29. This isn't higher because, well you just have to be in the mood for it. You are lucky to get 5 minutes of flight time, and the fastest I have confirmed is my daughter shooting it with a radar gun out of my car at 82mph, but it had a lot more, it is easily a 100mph plane. It flies on rails, but you have to stay on top of it, and everything is happening so fast you have to be very aware of orientation, as it is easy to lose. Not good in a 2lb jet going balls out near houses. It is the only jet I have successfully flown, and looks amazing in the sky. But when the mood strikes you, and you are down to white knuckle a plane, and climb a couple hundred feet vertically in a few seconds and do a pass at interstate speeds 10 feet off the ground, this is your guy. Great plane if you are feeling the need for speed. Not so much if you want a relaxing flight.
Honorable mention - My daughters CTH albatross. Somewhat goofy looking, and only RET control I put a decently potent power set up on it. It flies forever and bounces off whatever she runs it into without a second though. I can coax it into some fun spins and do loops with ease. Nearly indestructible, and I have fun flying it. You don't have to worry when you are on the sticks, it just flies perfect. It just sucks in the wind. The best thing about it is, is her sense of accomplishment when she successfully lands it and completes a flight.
