RC Archive: Opinions and Info

This is a personal post about the RC stuff I’ve bought, built, driven and flown. Whenever I think “maybe I should build an X”, I can revisit here and poke my memory in the right spot to remind myself of how that sort of vehicle drove or aircraft flew, and whether I am repeating my own history and forgetting why I loved or hated it.

Also, I will ramble and advise about my thoughts on some setups, tech and such. Some of my thoughts may be useful for those interested in the hobby or those thinking about their next project. Warning: this page has opinions.

Hot Takes

Hot take on FPV: Long range FPV can get really boring, seriously. Think about what you’ll actually be doing for the majority of the flight: sitting around waiting to get to your destination. Yes, you can spice it up with some downhill proximity flying and what not once you get there, and it’s still awesome, but don’t overlook the time lapses in those FPV videos while the aircraft makes it to the mountain top or whatever. Highly recommended: use a pan and tilt on the camera. Set the aircraft on straight-and-level autopilot, and pan and tilt the camera to look around.

rc_collage_dark DJI F330, E-Revo VXL, Crack Yak 55, FPV feed with voltage, HPI Blitz Flux, me launching a Binary 900 DLG.

Complaints about connectors: Deans connectors are bad and everyone knows it. Soldering them is a pain (not as bad as Traxxas though), they never fit consistently together, and they are particularly irritating to pull apart. The XT60s are better in that size. Lately I’ve been setting a EC5 standard in my workshop because bullets are easy, however, the casings need careful attention - but, no heat shrink is required.

A buddy of mine used the RCPROPO 6.5mm (?) bullets and those actually made a difference in a Tekno MT10. It went from barely doing standing backflips to crushing rolling backflips, all from the connectors. But, bare bullets are always a risk even when you customize a system to handle positive and negative. I prefer casings like EC5’s.

All-Time Favorites

These are not really in any order. Ease of use and setup at the flying field and flight time are important to me, so the pure gliders and e-gliders always get a lot of love. The TopSky in particular was of exceptional quality, and I worked hard to build it right. Unfortunately, it didn’t last as long as I wanted it to (tip strike).

The EFX Racer was a blast due to the sheer speed. I did fly a Multiplex Dogfighter, but the EFX really shines as my favorite foam warmliner (hotliner?). I still think I should build a pattern/racer style aircraft someday if I join a club with a nice runway. The EFX hit about 120mph I believe, and that was absurd fun.

The Mikado Logo flew like a dream - super floaty - the best helicopter I’ve flown to date. If I were to get another large heli, I would look first for one from Mikado. The Logo was a 500 size, so it only took a single battery, and that made it simpler at the field too (and for charging at home) compared to the SAB 700.

The Arrma Granite is as tough as a brick. I did upgrade the ESC and servo but left everything else stock, and it just rips through all sorts of terrain. Definitely my favorite basher by far that I owned, but if I were to recommend the most durable truck ever, it’d have to be the Tekno MT10.

In general, if right now I were to buy:

Most Proud Of

I reached something close to the pinnacle of actually using all my FPV setup skills when I built the Stratosurfer. It didn’t take long, and I was able to get huge deals on the equipment I knew how to use, because everybody had migrated to the new digital stuff. I remember getting an EzUHF for $50, to me that was a steal I couldn’t pass up.

It was wild to finally fly a 700 sized helicopter - it was massive. I even flew 3D with it. I had been flying helis off and on for about 10 years by that time, but never could (or wanted to) make the investment into a 700.

goblin

Thoughts

Skill Progression

I learned the basics on a simulator around the time I tried to fly the first jet. I was using free simulators like ClearView SE, FMS, HeliSim (which I cannot find a link for anymore) and an airplane one that I cannot remember.

With both helicopters and airplanes, I started on something way above my skill level and then dialed it back for the second time around. I used the Bonsai as a controlled chuck glider, so those flights were 10s, but I still count it as part of my learning experience.

With both types of aircraft, once I made the initial mistake, I corrected fast and climbed the ladder like anyone else could. Simulator time, buying foam stuff (planes), and micro stuff (helis) helped to keep the costs low.

Plane Progression

Pusher-prop jet (bad idea) -> hand-launched glider -> foam trainer -> 3D foamie -> 3D balsa -> flying wing -> many more

I never ended up flying any EDF’s. Maybe someday. The hand launching ease with pusher props was good for the fields I flew at. Once I had mastered the dynamics of the trainer and the foamie, I jumped into balsa without really mastering smooth landings, and that became problematic.

Heli/Quad Progression

200-250 size collective pitch (bad idea) -> micro coaxial -> micro CP -> 300 size CP -> quad -> hex -> many more

I skipped fixed-pitch. I went straight from coaxial to CP. But, they were both micro (Blade Scout to Blade mCPX).

Unlike others, I never flew many 450’s. Once I had the CP flight and 3D skills down (at least the basics of 3D), I spent many years off and then when I came back, I bought a 500. I knew the controls, and I knew that a larger heli would be better for stability, and I was no longer afraid of it. This worked well, and I quickly went up to 700 too.

FPV Progression

PopWing -> Pelican -> 2nd PopWing -> flying wing -> quad -> flying wing -> Penguin -> many more

The first time I set up a PopWing for FPV, I used 72 MHz control with a Corona receiver and 2.4 GHz video link. The Pelican was great as a slow flyer, but only in very little wind. My 2nd FPV PopWing I chose to laminate, then beyond this I cut down the Wicked Wing cores and made a custom flying wing, dabbled into quadcopter stuff, another wing, and eventually built the most expensive one: the FinWing Penguin, which was my long-range build.

Awards

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Dumbest Crashes

Recommendations

Dealers

Gear / Brands

Quality but not cheap: