Re: Katana 50 by Hangar 9
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:32 pmTo be totally honest -- there is only one really fun way to get into 3D and that's with a profile (either nitro or electric-foamy).
Profiles are *much* easier to 3D than "fatties" and when you dork them, they're stronger and easier to fix.
Mention a profile and lots of folks immediately say "so ugly" -- but they're just so much fun to fly that you'll soon learn that beauty is only skin-deep.
A good example is hovering -- a profile has ailerons that go in to nearly the center-line of the model so they operate directly in the propwash. When you're learning to hover, this means you can keep the model oriented properly and facing the right direction. With some fatties, the ailerons are actually quite a way out and almost out of the propwash -- which means that when you try to hover they'll be far less effective and you'll have problem with the plane torque-rolling on you.
But the time you'll love a profile the most is when you dumb-thumb it into the ground. If you get a good profile then you just walk over, pick it up, dust it off, fit a new prop (if it was a really bad dorking) and then fire it up and carry on flying.
Those "3D" fatties tend to break into a thousand pieces of thin ply and balsa stringers when you do a "dumb thumb".
For your Saito 82 I'd recomment the Primo 40 -- it is a kitset but it's a very quick build and they fly so damned well you'll probably be hooked on profiles forever.
Primo 40 flying 3D
Profiles are *much* easier to 3D than "fatties" and when you dork them, they're stronger and easier to fix.
Mention a profile and lots of folks immediately say "so ugly" -- but they're just so much fun to fly that you'll soon learn that beauty is only skin-deep.
A good example is hovering -- a profile has ailerons that go in to nearly the center-line of the model so they operate directly in the propwash. When you're learning to hover, this means you can keep the model oriented properly and facing the right direction. With some fatties, the ailerons are actually quite a way out and almost out of the propwash -- which means that when you try to hover they'll be far less effective and you'll have problem with the plane torque-rolling on you.
But the time you'll love a profile the most is when you dumb-thumb it into the ground. If you get a good profile then you just walk over, pick it up, dust it off, fit a new prop (if it was a really bad dorking) and then fire it up and carry on flying.
Those "3D" fatties tend to break into a thousand pieces of thin ply and balsa stringers when you do a "dumb thumb".
For your Saito 82 I'd recomment the Primo 40 -- it is a kitset but it's a very quick build and they fly so damned well you'll probably be hooked on profiles forever.
Primo 40 flying 3D