Most durable Foam plane

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by flydiver

Sailplanes are a +/-.
IMO the Radian is too fragile for learning unless you are one of those folks with talent. ....He flew the Radian 2x and sold it to me. He thought it was INCREDIBLY boooorrrrring. It didn't DO anything.

Well, you hit the nail right on the head. The Radian is an incredibly boring airframe with no abilities whatever but to float around in the sky like it was painted up there. Sorry I was so wrong......

YouTube Video

Bo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oring!

Still gotta give the crown of most durable to the Crashtesthobby.com Albatross or Pelican.

[flydiver]

Quotes out of context.....
My buddy thought it was boring. He sold it to ME and I was quite happy with it.
He also WANTED it back a year later.
I said it was FRAGILE as a trainer-I stand by that.
It's a fantastic buy for a thermal duration plane if you are of that inclination and want to try that kind of flying.

The stunts you are showing certainly are possible for a Radian, you have video proof of that. You can do whatever you want with most any plane. That does not mean it's a good use for it. You can plow dirt with a racehorse if you want.
The kind of stuff you were doing seems more in the Stryker category at least to me.

Got a buddy that LOVES TD planes. Puts BIG freaking motors on them and HUGE batteries to power them and roars around like a jet. Can't find a thermal to save his life and is VERY frustrated by that. Annoyed him immensely when I'd go thermal with my slow stick right next to his sinking sailplane. After a year he finally asked how I did that and I told him to lighten up the payload....a LOT, and slow down. Guess what, he started finding some thermals.

Do what you will with the Radian, but it ain't a good jet, it ain't a good stunt plane, and it ain't a great trainer for complete self-taught newbies.
It is great at thermals, if you are.
But some people think TD flying is boring, I don't. I also am personally boring I guess, I never flew the Radian as demonstrated in the video when I had it.

But, we are getting even farther OT here.....so I'll pipe down.

[AEAJR]

If you think the Radian is boring then you are CLUELESS about RC Soaring. The Radian is an excellent thermal soaring R/E sailplane.. An $800 Ava would probably bring you to tears with boredom because it is so good at what it does.

[mclarkson]

Now now, boys!

I hear a lot about the quality of the foam, but I have never crashed my Radian hard enough to break it or, in fact, to actually damage it at all. However ... I doubt that it's the most durable, which was the original question.

It's hard to beat EPP for that.

[flydiver]

Originally Posted by AEAJR

If you think the Radian is boring then you are CLUELESS about RC Soaring. .

Hey, Ed, you aren't actually reading the content going on.
I said my BUDDY thought it was boring as a trainer.
I said it's FRAGILE, and not suitable as a trainer (self-taught, no help).
RR counters by showing it's chops as a stunt plane.
And so on.

I actually SAID I think it's an excellent TD plane.

[AEAJR]

Originally Posted by flydiver

Hey, Ed, you aren't actually reading the content going on.
I said my BUDDY thought it was boring as a trainer.
I said it's FRAGILE, and not suitable as a trainer (self-taught, no help).
RR counters by showing it's chops as a stunt plane.
And so on.

I actually SAID I think it's an excellent TD plane.

I should have said, if one believes. I meant it as a general statement.

I don't understand why you feel the radian is fragile. Compared to what?

[flydiver]

Originally Posted by AEAJR

I should have said, if one believes. I meant it as a general statement.

I don't understand why you feel the radian is fragile. Compared to what?

Compared to a Super Cub, Easy Star, and the usual trainer choice. You've suggested them frequently yourself.
Would you suggest a Radian to an untested newbie that was going it alone.
Have you actually ever seen an untalented newbie try to learn on one with no help? I have.
Carnage. They bust to pieces and take out an expensive motor package.
Look, the reason I GOT the thing was for my UNTALENTED buddy that (as I have SAID) could/would/ and DID bust up every trainer he ever tried.
I WANTED it to be BIG and SLOW, deliberately.
HE thought it was boring-----NOT me, NOT, NOT, NOT me.
It is big and slow-that's what it does.

Another UNTALENTED buddy got one AFTER he already (sorta) knew how to fly. He could fly a Cub around successfully 'most' of the time. He busted the bejeezus out of it. Went through 3 of them. They break to bits if a newbie augers them in, and they DO auger them in. I've been there and seen it several times. Wing saddle breaks out, nose breaks, tail breaks off, often breaks in 3 pieces. It's a mess.

The Radian breaks worse, and is more expensive for a newbie to fix compared to the 'traditional' trainers. Sure, they break too, but generally less and are much less expensive to fix.
It ain't built for bashing, it's built for flying.
Sure if you compare it to super expensive, super light TD ships it's WAY more robust. But we are talking TRAINER here, trainer for a go-it-alone newbie. I really don't think it's a best choice. Sure, it's an option but you have to be aware of the shortcomings.

[AEAJR]

Based on the criteria you just stated, the Easy Star would be the best choice.

I recommend the Radian to new pilots all the time. But they are looking to start out on gliders, and I also coach them in person or via the internet. Results have been very good.

But the Easy Star is about as tough as you can get in an airplane format. The only thing tougher is an an EPP foam pure flying wing glider. Those you can bounce, but I find them difficult to teach with as it is so easy to lose orientation.

If you are looking for an airplane then the Super Cub and the Easy Star are the best. If you are looking for an e-glider then the Radian is the best.

All depends on what your goals are.

[flydiver]

We are absolutely in agreement.

[Rockin Robbins]

I have seen a video of an Easy Star doing aerobatics just as well as that admittedly exceptional Radian video. Here's what the most rugged planes, the Crashtesthobby.com Albatross and smaller Pelican, are capable of:

YouTube Video

Quite a roll rate on those puppies! An experience flier can have a lot of fun there.

[Davethebluessinger]

Dynam Hawk Sky (I learned with one)
Multiplex Easystar clone but MUCH cheaper.
Comes complete with EVERYTHING including 2.4ghz radio, Lipo, charger and brushless outrunner.
Slow or medium paced flight, easy to learn with but has ailerons too.
Cut the wingtips off for better aerobatics.

OR Dynam Easyhawk, as above but no ailerons.

Both tough and easily repaired with Gorilla glue or hot melt.

Perfect trainers.

Good camera platforms too!

RC Powers has loads of video uploaded extolling their virtues.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Davethebluessinger

Dynam Hawk Sky (I learned with one)
Multiplex Easystar clone but MUCH cheaper.
Comes complete with EVERYTHING including 2.4ghz radio, Lipo, charger and brushless outrunner.
Slow or medium paced flight, easy to learn with but has ailerons too.
Cut the wingtips off for better aerobatics.

OR Dynam Easyhawk, as above but no ailerons.

Both tough and easily repaired with Gorilla glue or hot melt.

Perfect trainers.

Good camera platforms too!

RC Powers has loads of video uploaded extolling their virtues.

How's the component quality (servos, control horns, hinges, ESC, etc) on the Hawk Sky? Buy one of the Hobby King planes and you better rebuild all of that or you'll have numerous uncontrolled encounters with the ground as components continually fail. I hope the Hawk Sky is better.

You are not wasting money buying the Multiplex Easy Star. You are spending what is necessary to get great quality that won't let you down. You'll have a similar amount in any of the Hobby King clones after you do the necessary fixes.

[Davethebluessinger]

The quality isn't top spec, more like decent budget. That said I never had any failures in all the time I owned and flew the Hawk Sky so for £100 all in you really won't find better value in my opinion.

[yorkiepap]

Hey Dave,
Like you, I've never had an issue with both of my Dynam HS's.. The first one I got was on a sale for $89 as an RTF & I bought it......well, it came in & it was a 72MHz, so I guess that's what the price reflected. Surprisingly, it flew absolutely superb & never a glitch. The far end of the farm next to me is a measured(laser RF) 840m. I have had it that far & it was a speck in the sky & luckily I didn't lose orientation as my neighbors' son was watching with my 10X bino's & gave me a turn heads-up to start getting it back. I've had it up to 600m altitude & could glide for almost an hour with a touch of power on occasion. The 2nd one was on a sale for $99 & I got it as it was a 2.4GHz. Like the 72, it flew just as far & hgt. & no issues with it. They are definitely a value IMO for a newbie graduating from a Champ who wants a taste of 4ch w/ailerons & have an extended flight time.

Denny

[Davethebluessinger]

Hi Denny,
yep, I've recommended the HS to quite a few folk who've all been very happy with their purchases. $99 is an absolute steal!

[Rockin Robbins]

That being said, if the Albatross were marketed as a completely ready RTF plane, even at $150 to $200, it could take over the unassisted newbie market, leaving the Champ, Super Cub and all others in its wake to fight over less than half the remaining market.

Sell an add-on flat aileron wing and that puppy could be a Dr Jeckel and Mr Hyde sports plane.

EPP planes hopefully will become a lot more popular.