Cox EP-380 trainer thoughts/experience

[clenaghen]

The Cox EP-380 has caught my eye and I was wondering if anyone has this plane and what their thoughts are. I need a plane that can handle moderate wind, and am really interested in how it flies in windy/gusty conditions. Thanks for the feedback!

[Matt Kirsch]

Do you have a link? That must be a new one nobody's ever heard of.

[clenaghen]

Here's the Cox link to the plane. http://www.coxmodels.com/prodinfo.asp?number=006104

There was also a review of the plane, but I was hoping to get more user opinions on it before I give it a shot. Sounds like its a decent little trainer. Doesnt sound like it's wildly popular.
http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4704

[Jeremy Z]

Most people these days who are starting in electrics and who might crash, are leaning towards foam, as it is easier to repair.

However, if you do have some RC experience, this might be a very good option. I saw the review, and the plane looks interesting. I like how the ventilation intake in the cowl is "smiling" at me. :)

Anything that size & weight is probably not going to handle more than 7 mph winds very well.

For a trainer that will handle a bit of wind, consider the T-Hawk (without radio system) from www.readytoflyfun.com (http://www.readytoflyfun.com). In it, the speed 400 motor is plenty, as it is so light. It comes with a spare wing, spare tail, two spare props, a decent peak charger and two battery packs.

The EasyStar is also a good choice. It is more aerodynamic, but since it is bigger & heavier, it doesn't handle the wind quite as well as the T-Hawk. It is a much better glider though.

But if you want balsa, I wouldn't hesitate to go with the Cox.

[clenaghen]

The cox caught my eye because in that review, the reviewer was flying it in 15-20 mph winds. From the video it seemed to handle the wind quite well. I have several foam planes right now, and have been flying them for a couple months now. Started out on a Slo-V, then moved to a Parkflyers Cessna 182 3-channel. Built the foamie STC I saw on RCgroups, and am now finishing up a Tiger Moth 400. I am interested in a plane that can handle the wind a bit better. Oh, and I just got the Parkflyers Begin-air 4-channel that I picked up for a bargain (pretty much like the T-hawk you mentioned).

I am not looking to fly a balsa plane, like the Cox 380 immediately, but it WOULD be something I would like to move to in the near future. I have also been considering the Telemaster Electric, and have heard reports it flys in wind pretty well. Its a big plane for sure, maybe even too big. But, on the other end, the Cox seems to be almost too small for a trainer, but would make it easier to transport. The Telemaster would be a bit more of a project in that the cost to get it flying would be quite a bit more than the Cox. Again, these 2 planes arent something I am looking at flying today, but would be a good project between now and when summer comes around (and my skills increase).

In the mean time, I have plenty of foam planes to crash and repair! :p For now I am just trying to decide what plane I want to save my money up for.