REVIEW: Guan Li Catalina RTF

[gzsfrk]

UPDATE: I had my first flight! Flight Review is below the Build Review in this post.



Plane Model: Catalina RTF
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Click here to read the entire review

[gzsfrk]

Originally Posted by cr2k

Fun plane for the price. I see more and more long term RC pilots going to these "toy" planes for the fun of it.

Thanks for the feedback, cr2k! Glad to hear that you've had a pretty good experience with your Cat. And yes, do try it with a 3S LiPo. The difference in power makes for substantially better flight. (Although the jury is still out on how much faster it wears out the brushed motors and ESC.)

[cr2k]

Well if I blow the motors or ESC and its still fun to fly I'll just have to convert it to full brushless for awesome flying!

Thanks...

[easytiger]

Yep. I'm a "Serious" rc pilot, but I find myself really enjoying cheap thrills like this Catalina. For $99 bucks, it's a lot of fun, and an incredible deal.
As you say, how long the motors will last on 3s, the jury is out. Mine has a dozen flights. But keep in mind the motors are rarely running at full bore.
And if and when they DO burn out, they are cheap to replace, either with brushes or brushless. This would go fine on a pair of really cheap $20 brushelss motor and ESC combos.
At any rate, I am really impressed with the bunch of guanli planes I have gotten. The other one I am really enjoying is the P-47, I recommend it, for sure.

[samol]

Hi all,
Thanks gzsfrk for this very usefull review.
I just asked a few questions to Philip about the plane and he told me that a combo brushless version is available (without radio tx/rx nor batteries).
http://www.pw-rc.com/~philipworkshop/product_info.php/cPath/67/products_id/1061?osCsid=24bce79f50fbf7357223593a9462e95c

[easytiger]

That's a square deal.
I talked to the folks at Nitroplanes a few months back, about these Guanli planes...I suggested they order the next batch with brushless combos instead of the brushed...they said: "Okay, that's what we'll do!" As far as I have seen, they have not received new stock yet.
I am still flying mine with brushed motors, but I did ditch the 27mhz radio and put in Spektrum, just because it's easier than keeping track of multiple transmitters and such.

[FlyingMonkey]

call them again, and tell them to ditch the radio, and make the planes either ARFs or PNP

[cr2k]

My friend a Radentech (Nitro Models) dealer said they got in 700 of them 4 days ago and are sold out as of friday. they had 7 left of which he was told he could only have 4 but they got sold out before they got boxed up for him.

A very hot item indeed.

[samol]

Hi FlyingMonkey
You have his email, so you can ask him by yourself.
But i'm not sure if it worth it because (maybe i'm wrong) a large part of potential buyers of the brushless version don't care about a cheap 27mhz radio.

[FlyingMonkey]

That's why I say get rid of the radio, most people who prefer BL motors have their own

[samol]

Originally Posted by FlyingMonkey

That's why I say get rid of the radio, most people who prefer BL motors have their own

Sorry, i misunderstood the verb "ditch".
In that case you can look at the link on my message, but the price is a bit disappointing (68+34 $ shipping for the airframe only)

[buffyporson]

Has anyone noticed a range issue with the standard 27 mhz radio? Mine starts cutting out intermittently at about 100'.
Also a simple solution for making the wing removable is to drill 4, 1/4" holes in the plastic wing joiner over the mounting screws. You can then get to the screws with a screwdrive. Do it before you glue the joiner on.

[gzsfrk]

Originally Posted by buffyporson

Has anyone noticed a range issue with the standard 27 mhz radio? Mine starts cutting out intermittently at about 100'.
Also a simple solution for making the wing removable is to drill 4, 1/4" holes in the plastic wing joiner over the mounting screws. You can then get to the screws with a screwdrive. Do it before you glue the joiner on.

I never noticed such an issue with mine while I had it running the stock 27mhz radio. However, I have long since converted it over to 72mhz, so it may just have been that I got lucky.

As for the solution you came up with, that's very similiar to what I ended up doing with mine. See the pictures in the build review at the top of this thread.

Thanks for the comments!

[Richard Szanti]

I'm still waiting for a someone to tell us how good (or bad) this plane is off the water. Did I miss it some where ?

[DaveESPI]

I got my maiden flight today. I launched it off the water in some 3 inch chop, and it performed great! It landed nicely as well, but the water was a bit too orugh and the wing pontoon caught a wave crest and spun the plane around a bit on the landing, but was just fine and I taxied to the dock.

I really really like this PBY. I may order a second one just incase it sells out and I want a back up.

* Please see the thread in the forums.

[FlyingMonkey]

add a link dave

[DaveESPI]

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31714

and:

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31702

there is a good one RCU and also RCGROUPS site.

[FlyingMonkey]

thanks, that cuts down on days of search

[buffyporson]

Cutting off about 1.5" from the rear of the motor nacelle (top and bottom) greatly improves power on these planes. The std set-up nacelles work like big air scoops. Venting really seems to improve the airflow from the prop.

[gzsfrk]

Yeah, drag on those nacelles is an issue. But seeing as this is one of my few scale planes, I actually sort of like the way it just slowly lumbers across the sky. So I plan on leaving mine as is, both for the scale look and the slower flight dynamics. Besides, when powered by a 3S LiPo, the thing has MORE than enough power to do just about anything other than a barrel roll.

[DaveESPI]

I have been busy playing with jetskis and a new WHH 54 inch DeepV gas boat, so no second flight yet. I was up on Lake Sacandaga this weekend camping, and the inlet was like a nirror it was soooooo smooth and there was zero wind. I was sooooo jonesin' to have broght the PBY with me, but alas, a large lack of room int he truck made for only room enough to bring the boat.

SLow, lumbering and very stable, gracefull... all good terms for this bird.

I'm looking forward to my second flight hopefully this week.

[samol]

Hi all
I made the first flight of my Catalina yesterday.
The original kit was very poor and i was affraid of lauching it without reinforcements. Maybe the plane is strong enough with the 2 gentle brushed motors but with two brushless .............
I had to unglue the 2 parts of the fuselage in order to consolidate the wing attachement. I reinforced the plywood framework and i added two pieces of plywood between the nimh battery case and the piece with the 4 nuts.

I used two little turnigy brushless 2209 26 1130kv with two turnigy plush 25A.
I have two 8*4 counter rotating triblade propellers (the new ones from GWS).
Total power reaches approximatly 190W. The full equiped plane weighes about 900g.
It flies very well, next step is to take off from water.

[gzsfrk]

Nice, samol! If you can, try to take some video of your Cat flying around with the brushless setup. I'd like to hear how it sounds.

One question--are you running those little inrunners with a gearbox, or are they direct drive? I couldn't quite tell from the pictures you posted.

[DaveESPI]

The 3 blade props make that kit look sick !

I've got 5 flights on mine stock, and all them off of water except 1 on wet grass.

Nice pix

[samol]

Originally Posted by gzsfrk

Nice, samol! If you can, try to take some video of your Cat flying around with the brushless setup. I'd like to hear how it sounds.

One question--are you running those little inrunners with a gearbox, or are they direct drive? I couldn't quite tell from the pictures you posted.

The brushless are outrunners, i'm very happy with those turnigy motors.
They are silent and very powerfull for a low weigh, last but not least they are cheap !
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=5686

I'm using these motor mounts instead of the original pieces of wood.
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=4862

In the future, i will add FPV gear to the plane

[para9111]

Hello I have tried the internet to no avail. after reading this wonderful review of the Catalina is it possible that you or someone has the center of gravity point for the Guanli Catalina.??Perhaps its in the manual-I lost mine and have made it brushless-I have no CFG reference point?Do you have a spare manual lying around with this info?Any help really appreciated.Thank you.