Reader’s Opinion is back this month! And this Reader’s Opinion is…
Do you use AS3X on your UM planes?
Me? I haven’t modded anything yet, so my fleet is mostly non-AS3X because the fleet is completely stock.
Now it’s your turn! Vote in the poll, leave a comment, or both!
Thanks for reading! As always, new post next Sunday at 5:00 AM!
This is essentially a “Part 2” of the last Reader’s Opinion; last time I asked what planes, if any, you wanted to get over the holidays, and today I’m asking what planes you actually got.
What UM planes, if any, did you receive as gifts over the holidays?
I answered that question in my first post of the year, _____, so it’s your turn now. Visit the link to see what planes I received over the holidays.
Like last time, I can’t include a poll due to the many UM RC planes available, so just leave a comment.
Thanks for reading! Share, subscribe over in the sidebar to stay up to date on new posts (I won’t spam you…), and leave a comment below with the planes you got over the holidays!
I got some of what I predicted in last year’s last post for Christmas! Let me tell you about them…
1. Nano QX FPV
I thought FPV would be fun. But I was wrong. It’s VERY fun! I never even felt like I was sitting on my couch. I was 5 feet in the air chasing family members and zooming through the house.
Expect a review in a month or so. It, ah, had an ‘issue’ with the camera… The lens fell off… So, I’ll have to get that worked out before the review.
2. Hobbyzone Champ
I know. Again. Actually, I think that this is my fifth Champ, and, it still wears the crown of the best ultra micro plane I have flown so far.
Conclusion
I had a great end of 2014, and I got the top RC planes on my wanted list! Even though I got the top wanted planes, my wanted list has actually gotten longer!
Now I want ANOTHER Nano QX FPV so people can race me, and fancy, expensive video goggles. Not to mention another FPV camera to put on a faithful Champ. Rest assured that I’ll get a review of these extra wanted things out to you if I get them.
As always, there’s a Reader’s Opinion next week. Until then, thanks for reading!
Firstly, happy 2015! I chose to schedule this post for exactly 12:00 AM on January first so I could have it posted at exactly the moment that 2015 came to be! Pretty cool that this is one of the only blog posts posted right now…
umFlight is, I’m glad to say, still here and in its second year. I have had some record-breaking amounts of visitors and page views during December, and I hope that those people who visited in December enjoy umFlight.
1. Welcome to umFlight 2.0. umFlight, I have calculated, has been on the Internet for 137 days so far! I’m thinking about adding some things, which I go into detail about below.
2. Most of the near future (except the first “official” post next Sunday which will be about… well, wait and see!) will be product reviews. I was gifted several new planes on Christmas and I still have a few that I haven’t yet reviewed, so expect more reviews than usual mixed in with other posts in the coming months.
3. Reader’s Opinion is here to stay. Reader’s Opinion will continue this year, with RO4 being posted, of course, on the second week of January.
4. Multirotors. I WILL be posting about quadcopters. They will be mixed in with RC planes.
I’m also considering rolling out a huge update to umFlight soon, with a new theme, possibly a guest post form, a forum, and more things I haven’t thought about yet.
However, keep in mind that I’m only considering this at this point. If you have any questions, criticisms, ideas, compliments, or or comments in any way, about new things that may be added to umFlight, be sure to leave a comment below. Just remember that I’m still just considering this; even actually having an update is still undecided.
Thanks for reading the first umFlight post posted in 2015 (and for reading what may possibly be one of the only posts posted at the second that 2015 came into being)…
There was no RO on December 14th because of the holidays… Today I have a special Christmas edition of Reader’s Opinion. Here’s the question:
What RC planes, if any, are you hoping to receive as gifts this holiday season?
I’ll go first. I’m hoping to get the FPV Nano QX, which I WILL review on umFlight. Also, all of my planes are grounded right now (translation: beyond repair and/or lost and/or soaked with water…), so I’m hoping to build up my fleet again with a Champ, a UMX Radian, and a Sport Cub S. I’m dreaming!
I can’t really include a poll since there are so many UM aircraft out there, so go ahead and leave a comment with your wish list- no matter how much you are dreaming (like me…)!
I’ll see you next year (January 4th); I won’t be blogging over the holidays.
Thanks for reading, and happy new year, and happy holidays!
I have been thinking: why do I fly RC planes? Well, I decided to tell you!
1. It can be relaxing
2. It can be exciting
3. It is nearly always fun
4. It’s something to do
5. It gets you outside and off of the couch
Now, it’s your turn! List your top five reasons why you enjoy flying RC planes in the comments.
This is umFlight’s first Christmas season. To be honest, I had two very different visions of what umFlight would be like at this time when starting umFlight. It turns out that both were very wrong.
Vision 1: was of me having posts scheduled for months in advance, hundreds of visitors a day, and dozens of comments a week. While this happened, I would sit back, write a post or two a week, and relax.
Reality 1: Posts, at the most, are only scheduled for, maybe, a month. I have about 20-30 page views a day and barely any comments (so far!) as umFlight starts to gain more and more traction. I’m not complaining, though!
Vision 2: umFlight would just be a novelty and its novelty would be long gone by the end of October, let alone December!
Reality 2: umFlight is still going strong and is steadily growing. Yes, post can be a chore to write once in a while when I have no inspiration, but for the most part, I love it.
The Actual Post:
I have put together a list of great RC planes and a few quads to buy someone (or yourself!) this holiday season. Here they are:
Quadcopters:
Estes Proto X: The Proto X might be a quadcopter, but it’s very fun to fly. It’s also the one of the smallest quads in the world, so you can easily fly it in your house! Best of all, it is only $29. Great stocking stuffer! (no review yet)
Blade Nano QX: In my opinion, this and the Proto X are the best indoor quads. This one can fit four Protos on top of it, but it is easily flown inside the house. It includes SAFE, too. It goes for $69-$89. (No review yet)
Blade 200 QX: The best quad I’ve ever flown is… the 200 QX. It packs four brushless motors and SAFE. The price is $229 BNF. (No review yet)
Planes:
Parkzone Night Vapor: It’s an indoor plane made by Parkzone. With the included 70 mAH battery, it flies up to five minutes. Put in a 150 mAH battery, and it has flight times of 10+ minutes. (Remember that ‘your mileage may vary’). It costs $99 BNF and $129 RTF. (No review yet)
Hobbyzone Champ Everybody needs a Champ. It is my favorite UM so far. $89 RTF. (My review)
E-Flite UMX Radian: The UMX Radian is a UM glider with AS3X. I have easily flown it in 10 MPH winds. The max wind I ever flew it in was probably a 15-20 MPH wind. So, it’s perfect for winter winds. It’s $89 BNF. (My review)
Conclusion:
These are just a few great planes to get this holiday season.
Happy flying!
With cold weather rapidly approaching for those up north, it’s time to begin moving RC aircraft fun inside!
I’ve assembled a list of great indoor UM aircraft. Because there are so few indoor planes, I have included some quadcopters.
1. Parkzone Night Vapor: The Night Vapor flies very well inside. I get about 3-5 minutes of flight time on the stock 70 mAH battery, but I get 10 minutes of fun when I use one of my 150-180 mAH Li-Po batteries. (No review yet…)
2. E-Flite FPV Vapor:
I haven’t flown the FPV Vapor, but it is basically a Night Vapor with no lights and FPV. I’m thinking of buying one soon… (I haven’t flown it yet…)
3. Blade Nano QX: Even if you prefer planes, the NQX is a lot of fun to fly. I can get flight times of 4 minutes while flying in my living room. Stability mode makes flying a breeze, but Agility mode, well, let’s just say that it’s VERY challenging. (No review yet…)
4. Estes Proto X: The Proto X comes in an FPV version, a version with SLT, and the regular version. The regular is $29, comes in several colors, and is one of the smallest quads available! (No review yet…)
Conclusion:
There are several great, small aircrafts available.
Sorry for not getting this out at 5:00 AM. I completely forgot to finish and schedule the post!
Also, umFlight has gotten over 1000 views this month alone. Thank you, readers!
I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next Sunday!
If you are looking for a first RC plane, then I have a list of planes which are best suited to be your first ultra-micro RC plane.
Note that this list ONLY includes good first ULTRA MICRO planes. Planes bigger than ultra micros are not included in this list.
1. Hobbyzone Champ: In the hobby, this great plane is highly regarded as the king of easy to fly ultra micros (my review).
2. Hobbyzone Duet: This is the plane that I started with after switching from helis to planes. A great plane, but with some issues like no real rudder (differential thrust, which means that, to accomplish a turn, the motor on one side speeds up and the other slows down) and being more sensitive to wind that the Champ in my opinion. (I don’t have a review… yet)
3. Hobbyzone Sport Cub S: For newbies who want more of a challenge than the Champ/Duet. It is definitely a great second plane, but a first time flyer could fly it. (my review)
4. UMX Radian BNF: This one is a powered glider that is slightly bigger and faster compared to the others listed. However, it is a fairly forgiving plane, and several people have reported learning to fly with this one. Probably one of the more challenging on this list. You do, however, need to purchase a transmitter separately. The DX6 and DX6i will both serve you well, as will any other transmitter from Spektrum. (my review)
5. Parkzone Night Vapor: this one’s very forgiving. You can learn to fly RC planes in your living room! The one drawback is that it’s more fragile than the other planes on this list. (I don’t have a review… yet)
All of the above planes come in RTF versions (include everything you need to fly in the box). The exception is the UMX Radian, which only comes in a BNF version. If you own a Spektrum transmitter, then t saves you a few bucks. If not, you’ll need to buy one with your Radian.
Don’t worry, Spektrum transmitters are a good investment. Just don’t buy the Spektrum DX4, DX4e, or DX5. They are MUCH more basic than the DX6i and above.
Also, the Hobbyzone Duet is the only plane that doesn’t come in a BNF version.
I have flown (and own or have owned) all of these planes. I’ll have to post a review for the Duet and Night Vapor in the near future. I’ll update this post to include links to the Night Vapor and Duet reviews once they’re up.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next Sunday!
Do you have another plane to add to this list? Post its name in a comment and include a brief disruption of it!
A few days ago, I was out flying my Champ in somewhat heavy winds (somewhere between 5 and 15 mph) and I, for the first time in my life, thought that flying in these winds was… fun. Yes, fun.
It took a lot of concentration, skill, and a little luck. This was the first time that luck was not a significant factor for me in the wind. My wind flying skills finally just clicked. After two years of flying various RC aircraft (one year of hobby grade flying), I was finally able to fly in more than a very light wind on aircraft not equipped with AS3X.
Before attempting to fly on winds over 5 MPH in an ultra micro, do these steps:
1. Master the plane in calm air before moving on to “windyish” conditions.
2. Practice in light wind, then moderate wind, and then more…
3. Know that you will be spending the time keeping the plane on course. Not doing crazy flying.
4. NEVER maiden a plane in wind. I have heard this repeatedly on forums and common sense would say this, too. Leave each plane’s first flights for calmer days.
Flying in that wind improved my precision in no wind an allowed me to fly more often (the wind is usually about 10 mph around my house).
Thanks for reading. Leave a comment, share this post, and enjoy!
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