PSA: Go buy an Aero Ace

[Baked]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

I noticed there are 3 pieces of silver stickies that come w/ the kit that's heavier than the decals. Perhaps they're meant for the mod you mentioned to add weight to the nose of the plane?

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

yeah, i tried adding a penny and all it wanted to do was nose dive as soon as i let go.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

I noticed there are 3 pieces of silver stickies that come w/ the kit that's heavier than the decals. Perhaps they're meant for the mod you mentioned to add weight to the nose of the plane?

i don't think mine came with any extra stickers or anything like that

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

I noticed there are 3 pieces of silver stickies that come w/ the kit that's heavier than the decals. Perhaps they're meant for the mod you mentioned to add weight to the nose of the plane?

Nope, those are for adjusting the tailfeathers. If your plane has a lot of porpoising (bobbing in the air when going straight), you can push the elevator (the horizontal tail piece) down where the creases are and then use the tape to make it stick in that position. One for the rudder (vertical piece) and two for the elevator (one for each side).

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

I figured it couldn't hold much, but I don't own one yet so I thought i'd ask. I am looking at my CVS camera now, and without the batteries it really isnt' too heavy. I wonder if the case was removed, and you wired it into the planes own power if it would work. I assume the plane would only fly for 2-5 mins then though 😱

Possibly. My brother's uses a 9V battery, so I could probably splice it in. Might have to try it sometime. I'm going out to fly it right now, so I'll tape it on and see how it does (without power).

 

[tfinch2]

I'm going to stop at Target on the way home.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

I figured it couldn't hold much, but I don't own one yet so I thought i'd ask. I am looking at my CVS camera now, and without the batteries it really isnt' too heavy. I wonder if the case was removed, and you wired it into the planes own power if it would work. I assume the plane would only fly for 2-5 mins then though 😱

Possibly. My brother's uses a 9V battery, so I could probably splice it in. Might have to try it sometime. I'm going out to fly it right now, so I'll tape it on and see how it does (without power).

Definately a no-go. Sunk right to the ground. My bro's camera is the one they had at Geeks.com awhile back for really cheap.

Wow dogfights are nuts. We had two up today and it was way fun. Trying not to hit the ground while trying to hit the other person's plane takes some practice lol.

Another thing you can do is streamers. I've seen them made from old tape cassettes, just tie the tape ribbon onto the back and cut it after a few feet. Pylon racing ftw! 😀

 

[Kaido]

Here's another big thread over at the Watt Flyer forums:

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthr...abc6dcd31bcc2b3284ff3cb4834aa67&t=2453

 

[theeedude]

Umm. So me and my friend at work were flying it at the work parking lot and he ended up getting it stuck in the pine tree permanently 🙁
Now I got a remote and a set of decals that I need to sell, then I am going to buy myself another one. Should I get the "Jet" one instead?

 

[6shiw1]

What I view as an attractive alternative:

yellowbee

I've flown one. Large and heavy enough to fly in conditions less than perfect. It was my first plane and I found it relatively easy to fly. Highly recommended beginner plane.

If you have a harbor freight store near you they occassionally have these for $30.

Benefits:
1) Motors and propellers are mounted behind the wing, nose dives won't destroy your plane.
2) Twin motors are powerful enough to to have the plane lift off from the ground. No need to throw it to begin flight. A smooth surface of 15 feet or so is required as a runway.
3) Large, 25-30 inch wingspan. Doesn't feel like a kid's toy.
4) You want at the very least a full soccer field to yourself to fly it, as it's fast enough to cover alot of ground before you can turn it around.

Negatives:
1) Flight mechanics are still more like a glider than a real plane. Cranking up the throttle causes the plane to fly upwards, there is no way to control the altitude (while keeping speed constant). However it does fly pretty fast due to the main part of the body not being styrofoam, increasing it's weight.
2) 4 Channel operation, left, right, and throttle fast/slow.

editted with more details.

 

[theeedude]

PSA, the jet one sucks.

 

[UpgradeFailure]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
How much weight do you think these can hold? I wonder if we could strip down some CVS cameras to attack to it...

Pretty much none. I read about adding weight to the nose to help it fly better, but even a dime is too heavy. I think a 9V battery is heavier than the whole plane lol. The dime helped it fly really well at full throttle, but as soon as you took the throttle down it sunk like a stone. Unless you can find a really, really light camera I don't think it's going to happen.

...although, my brother has one of those on his r/c truck, so maybe I'll give it a try 😀

I figured it couldn't hold much, but I don't own one yet so I thought i'd ask. I am looking at my CVS camera now, and without the batteries it really isnt' too heavy. I wonder if the case was removed, and you wired it into the planes own power if it would work. I assume the plane would only fly for 2-5 mins then though 😱

Possibly. My brother's uses a 9V battery, so I could probably splice it in. Might have to try it sometime. I'm going out to fly it right now, so I'll tape it on and see how it does (without power).

Definately a no-go. Sunk right to the ground. My bro's camera is the one they had at Geeks.com awhile back for really cheap.

Wow dogfights are nuts. We had two up today and it was way fun. Trying not to hit the ground while trying to hit the other person's plane takes some practice lol.

Another thing you can do is streamers. I've seen them made from old tape cassettes, just tie the tape ribbon onto the back and cut it after a few feet. Pylon racing ftw! 😀

Thanks for testing, too bad no video camera to add on. Toys R us has them 20% off I think I read, so I might have to bite

 

[Kaido]

I did some more weight testing with a push-pin today, the kind you use on corkboards to hang up papers, like this one from google images:

http://www.handeconcepts.com/images/PushPin.jpg

It was still too much weight for the little airplane. It flew much more steadily, but it was really hard to recover from steep dives easily, it didn't turn as sharply, and the climb rate was really reduced. If you have a big, flat, open field to fly it and want real stability, go ahead. I've found that the best place to push the pin is right in the cockpit, where the "window" is (it's yellow on my green Aero Ace). The very tip of the nose wasn't as good, and the bottom of the front was even worse. I'm thinking of maybe cutting the pushpin in half to see if that helps, or else just using a bunch of straight pins instead of a push pin. It definately killed the bobbing though...

 

[imported_Skold]

kaido, try a straight pin tack or maybe flat thumbtack. I put two straight pin tacks in the nose and it works great. I may have to try a few other things too.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Skold
kaido, try a straight pin tack or maybe flat thumbtack. I put two straight pin tacks in the nose and it works great. I may have to try a few other things too.

Nice, I'll see if I can fine one floating around here.

Here's a quick list of upgrades that you can do:

-Stock Aero Ace - fly until you master it
-Lower wing removal - after you've mastered the biplane action, remove the lower wing & struts (support bars between wings) for enhanced performance (more difficult to fly tho)
-Pins/thumbtacks - add weight to the nose for enhanced stability
-LED mod - $15 lights for flying at night (http://www.aeroacemods.com/aam/modkits/)
-Landing gear mod - $9 wheels to take off from a smooth, flat surface (http://www.aeroacemods.com/aam/modkits/)
-Modified transmitter - $29 pre-modded transmitter (http://www.aeroacemods.com/aam/aeroace/) includes the following mods:
1. Frequency mod: switch to any of the three frequences (A, B, or C) with the toggle switch; this way you can have 2 or 3 planes and fly them all with the same transmitter (great when you want to keep flying after the first plane's battery runs out)
2. Throttle mod: Sticks where you leave it rather than springing down.
3. Steering mod: Enables you to steer without any throttle applied.
4. Aero Ace clips: Lets you clip the airplane onto the transmitter for easier carrying (rather than having it dangle from the wire)

You might also want to order spare tailfeathers available for $6 (http://www.aeroacemods.com/aam/parts/). Mine are pretty well crunched and it flies a bit erratically because of it. Other than that the plane has held up remarkable well. I've crashed it into concrete, aspault, trees, metal bars, people, all kinds of things and it's still going strong. Maybe it's time to invest some carbon fiber-laced tailfeathers 😀

Also, you may want to use a push-pin or something to push the on/off switch on the airplane. The switch is pretty small and is hard to push if you've just trimmed your nails.

So far I'm having a blast with mine; I'm just waiting for the local Toys R Us to get the red/blacks one back in stock 🙂

 

[WT]

Anyone offer any info on the Thunder Runner heli ?? I can't find anything online but it looks like a bit more for the money.

Thunder Runner 3D heli

Edit: Taking 6swik1's advice and seriously considering the Yellow Bee, which is a very nice model for the price.

 

[Kaido]

Alright I tried adding some 1" T-pins. Adding one pin does a little bit, but two pins really helps. Three pins is pushing it. I decided I liked flying it without any weight in the front and without the bottom wings the best. I've gotten used to the flying style and I'm to the point where I don't crash at all the whole flight. Had a dogfight today with a red bipe AA, it's almost impossible to hit each other but we counted it as who crashed their plane first lol. It's way fun, I definately recommend picking up an extra one of a different color for doing dogfights and whatnot.

 

[Skiguy411]

http://stormlauncher.com/

Have you guys seen this? It looks pretty awesome

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Skiguy411
http://stormlauncher.com/

Have you guys seen this? It looks pretty awesome

Yeah, it's supposed to be out in the next month or so. I've seen other designs go for as much as $200, but this one is going to be like $80 complete with transmitter. The only thing it really looks good at is being a water-boat, but just to have something that can go on land and fly around a bit would be cool too 🙂

 

[Kaido]

Ahh I got nailed in a thermal this afternoon. My AA pulled a Superman - up, up, and away! 😀 I managed to find the plane after hitting a tall tree, but the tail is nowhere to be found. Guess I'm ordering spares today lol. I wasn't even flying high either - a big gust of wind came in and pushed it up, then it got suck into a thermal and disappeared into some trees. I gave it a good fight though, so I don't feel too bad 😉

 

[thescreensavers]

how about attaching a teather? like floss IDk floss is strolng and lite and long so....

 

[Gravity]

I got the bomber for Xmas, returned it. It wouldn't turn well and lift was minimal.

bah.....

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Gravity
I got the bomber for Xmas, returned it. It wouldn't turn well and lift was minimal.

bah.....

Yeah, get one of these smaller bipes. My friend just got a Jet and said it runs like trash.

 

[Skiguy411]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Skiguy411
http://stormlauncher.com/

Have you guys seen this? It looks pretty awesome

Yeah, it's supposed to be out in the next month or so. I've seen other designs go for as much as $200, but this one is going to be like $80 complete with transmitter. The only thing it really looks good at is being a water-boat, but just to have something that can go on land and fly around a bit would be cool too 🙂

I just preordered mine through walmart. I just read though you have to get a battery....which is $30. 🙁

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Skiguy411

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Skiguy411
http://stormlauncher.com/

Have you guys seen this? It looks pretty awesome

Yeah, it's supposed to be out in the next month or so. I've seen other designs go for as much as $200, but this one is going to be like $80 complete with transmitter. The only thing it really looks good at is being a water-boat, but just to have something that can go on land and fly around a bit would be cool too 🙂

I just preordered mine through walmart. I just read though you have to get a battery....which is $30. 🙁

Weird, all of the release dates are different...some are as early as July 26th, some aren't until October. Hrm...