AeroBird Crash and Burn

[HobbieOne]

Well the aerobird is like 3 weeks old and today a tree got the better part of the plane. Fuse is split and bent,Wing is folded nearly as bad as the tail. Should I replace parts or is there anything out there that flys nice but can take some punishment? I know nothing is tougher than a tree, but light ground crashes should not due the damage they do to this little plane. All the weird flyin started when i purchased and installed a new wing. Never flew right the whole day. Know how to attach a wing, but I think this thing might have just been made wrong. I should have checked it for cg, it already has a mark. Wouldnt think you had to be that exact with a 150 buck plain plane.

[bigedmustafa]

Hmm, I'd guess that the plane flying weird after replacing the wing might be coincidental. A challenger wing is a challenger wing is a challenger wing. My guess is the crash that necessitated replacing the wing also did something else to your plane.

The wings are preformed, and all new wings should fly about the same. Even light crashes can affect the tail alignment and the stick portion of the fuselage in ways that significantly alter the flying characteristics of the Aerobird Challenger.

I've seen my Aerobird Challenger flown full speed into a very thick fence post and then bouncing into a car. It was ready to fly when I picked it back up and realigned the tail surface. If there is a tougher plane for sale at any price, I've never seen it.

The key to not replacing your wing, tail, and propeller weekly is to reinforce the foam surfaces with box tape, reinforce your fuselage stick with CA glue, and keep your tail assembly lined up in a neutral position with the tiny retention screws on the tail arms tight to prevent control loss while flying.

[HobbieOne]

Well the quality of the Aerobird replacement parts are really sad. The new landing gear broke on the first touch down, and the boom was soft right out of the box. The plane is worse than when it was new. Putting the tail together was my first hint. The new tail support plastic is was very soft. Stripped the first one out before the screw was a quarter of the way in. Took it off to look at the plastic and noticed that they dont thread the piece from the factory. You are cutting threads the first time you put in a screw, and they are thin threads, not what you should be cutting in plastic without a tap. Wing looked good till i noticed the wing tips. Bent from the excess paper stuffed in the shipping box. Wont really effect the AD of the wing, but my credit card wasnt bent when i paid for it. After the walk home, I tried the controls once more and noticed that the trim on the radio only trims left. Put it in Pro mode and it trims both sides. So a couple hundred dollars later, Ive got a plane that wont fly, cant land and only can be trimmed to the left. Im writting Hobby zone.

[Piggy89373]

Hobbie, definitely write Hobby Zone. I ordered from them not too long ago for a replacement fuse and rudder assembly. I didn't have half the problems you did. The only thing I did notice was the lack of tapped screw holes (which was quickly remedied slowly screwing in the screws prior to installation).

Considering the experience of other members of the board with these planes, I think you just got a bum job on it. I hope your stuff is fixed soon, so you can enjoy the fun these toys bring. Don't let this bad experience get the best of you.

[HobbieOne]

Wrote to Hobby ZOne and the service was great, much to my suprise. They actually cared that the plane was not performing as it should and agreed to send me the parts that I suspect to be at fault. I was so used to getting crappy service that I just figured this would be no different. I have been thinking about a second plane, I know where Im buying it !

[bigedmustafa]

Glad to hear you had a positive service experience, HobbieOne!

Remember that HobbyZone and ParkZone are practically the same company when you're shopping for planes. I got to see the Aerobird Xtreme and the new "Furious Frankie" P-51 Parkzone RTF fly at the field last night. It was nice to see some skeptics impressed by a couple of top quality RTF Park Flyers.

[HottsOne]

When you are done playing with the foam tails, let me know. I am working on a lazer cut wing that is nearly indestructable. Plus, brings a whole new meaning to expert mode for flying. I will have them available to view soon. I think they will all be done in black (for the contrast) to the sky. I have also had some suggestions for white, both can have vinyl applied to it to get the color scheme you want. Interested? post or email me.

[Leo L]

I would be interested in a better tail for the ABC. I've recently moved on from the ABC to the Cub, but I still fly the ABC while waiting for the Cub battery to charge between flights. A better tail, with better performance, would be welcome. Let me know when the tail becomes available.

[HottsOne]

Ok, I got the videos all worked out. www.putsfile.com/hottsone and you can see everything from how it works to what you can expect in flight.