Firebird ll or Firebird XL

[LosiMan3456]

Hey guys,
I race r/c cars and have a lot of fun with those. Now the firebird series has really caught my eye. I know I wont be getting heavily into r/c planes, so I dont want to spend a lot of money.

I would like to know which u would recommend, the Firebird ll or the XL. I am 13 and would like something that will be enjoyable. Do u think I would get bored with one of these planes? They look like a lot of fun.

I like the XL because it is bigger, has landing gear, and is supposably faster.

I like the FBll because it is smaller(taking up space in room), cheaper, and can be upgraded to go faster. With the upgraded wing and batt, would the FBll be faster than a stock XL? Also can I put landing gear on the FBll?

Again, I dont want to spend a lot of money on a plane, I will not be getting heavily into r/c planes. I just want something fun, I wont get bored with, and cheap.

[LosiMan3456]

What about the T-hawk 3ch RTF? Is it any good? I haven't heard much about it.

T-hawk: able to go up/dn and l/r with speed. But i dont think the speed is adjustable, I think it is on/off.

[2NG]

Go with the XL, you'll have fun, fun with it, just about the same but the XL is bigger, and it can really climb up.

[chucksolo]

I was going to purchase a Firebird also, until the seasoned pilots at Hobby People talked me out of it and into buying a Hitec Sky Scooter Pro. They told me that this plane is better to learn on because it has ailerons and can loop and roll and do simple aerobatics. Also, the 3 channel radio, a high quality Hitec unit, can be used in other aircraft, unlike the radio in the Firebird. The Sky Scooter is easy to fly and I was flying it the third time I launched it. Hobby People has the Sky Scooter Pro for sale at $139.00 which is a steal considering the list price at Tower Hobbies is $209.00 and they sell it for $169.00.

[LosiMan3456]

Ok, I'll look into the sky scooter.

But, I dont want to get into this heavily, I would like to concentrate more on cars but would like a plane just to mess around with.

Please, more opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[LosiMan3456]

I just looked at the sky scooter, but it doesnt have landing gear. I like it but I am not sure. Niether does the FBll tho. Can I put landing gear on the FBll? Just some simple thing so I dont have to toss it or crash land it. Also I can get the FBll with speed wing and speed batt for cheaper than the XL. Is the XL worth the xtra money? Is a stock XL faster than a FBll with speed wing and batt? Sorry for all the q's.

Thanks again

[chucksolo]

Sorry, I really don't know much about the Firebird series except what I have read. If you are like me though, I think once you can really fly, you are gonna be hooked and will want a better airplane than the Firebirds.. The first few times I tried to fly my SS, I was disappointed because I could not get it to fly further than a few feet. After I was able to get it up and stay up, it was really thrilling. More thrilling I should add, than running an RC car....at least for me anyways. Now don't get me wrong, I still find running my RC cars and trucks a lot of fun, but there just isn't the same feeling as when you are able to FLY a model plane. It just gets REALLY, REALLY exciting. That is the main reason that I recommend the SS. It is a plane that you can learn to fly other planes with. In short it uses ailerons and most "real" RC planes use ailerons. Ailerons are a little more difficult to master from what I understand and that is why the SS is a good choice. As for the landing gear issue, there are a lot of websites that have info on how to put landing gear on the SS very cheaply and with little added weight. Remeber also, that the SS can be upgraded, the Firebirds have very little upgradability.

[Wings]

I don't have any personal experiences with the FBXL or FBII; only the Fighterbird (which is really cool itself). However, I have read a lot about them and can pass along the info.

To answer your original questions:

Do u think I would get bored with one of these planes? They look like a lot of fun.
They are fun. As for getting bored, truth is sooner or later you'll get bored no matter what plane it is. Alot depends on what you expect and can handle, too. If you expect acrobatic performance from a Firebird, you'll be quickly disappointed. On the other hand, you'll be delighted if you are looking for performance more along the lines of a "powered glider".

I like the XL because it is bigger, has landing gear, and is supposably faster. I like the FBll because it is smaller(taking up space in room), cheaper, and can be upgraded to go faster. With the upgraded wing and batt, would the FBll be faster than a stock XL? Also can I put landing gear on the FBll?

Oh, the choices! :rolleyes: :D

With the speed wing and battery, the FBII is said to be able to hold its own against the FBXL in speed. The FBXL will most likely win any power contest thanks to its larger motor.

As far as I know, the FBII doesn't have any landing gear options. A custom-built set might work, but the additional weight and drag will certainly hurt flying performance.

One other thing to consider: visibility. Bigger may not be better in the car, but it can be a major help in the air. You'd be surprised how much airplanes seem to shrink! Every once in a while my Soarstar (wing is about 40" x 10") will try to sneak off and go exploring (naughty lil' thing...), and even as big as it is I sometimes find myself almost squinting to see which direction it's flying. Remember to keep the plane close enough that you can easily determine its orientation, because flying a speck in the sky is almost impossible. The bigger the plane, the easier to see.

I would like to know which u would recommend, the Firebird ll or the XL.
I like both, so it comes down to your preferences and limitations. The FBXL used to be my pick because it had a significant performance advantage and I figured it would hold a pilot's interest longer. But with the speed options, the FBII is making big strides towards holding its own, even in a breeze (a weakness of the original and the FBII stock setup).

Unlike others, I do not recommend the Hitec Sky Scooter Pro for a beginner, particularly one like you who appears to be interested in just "casual flying". The Sky Scooter is not as easy to fly, and would be more likely to frustrate you. That's the penalty of acrobatic capabilities: they come with a steeper learning curve and less forgiving flying characteristics. Not to say you couldn't handle it (chances are you could with a little help and/or some practice), just that you might not want to take such a big step right now. And as it so happens, the Sky Scooter Pro is often chosen as a second plane after the Firebird XL! :)

Hope that helps.

Wings

[SwampBuggy01]

I just got the firebird XL, I had had the firebird II but exchanged it for the XL. It is one awesome plane! In my opinion it is a lot better then the II performance wise for only $20 extra. It even has landing gear which gives you the option of taking it off from the ground. It comes with a bigger battery,motor,wing , and fuselage, which are all pluses.For a beginner and a casual flyer, I would recommend it hands down. I do not like the sky scooter my self. It seems like it will be harder for a beginner to fly, and for one thing it isn't all that good looking (hey, looks matter!). Another thing is the battery on the sky scooter pro is the battery is only 600 mah. The firebird XL's is 900 mah. Thats 1/3 more, providing you with 1/3 more run time. Also, the prop on the sky scooter pro can break easily on a crash, where as the Firebird XL's is smartly placed where it will be very difficult to break on a crash. Hope this help!

[SwampBuggy01]

I just got the firebird XL, I had had the firebird II but exchanged it for the XL. It is one awesome plane! In my opinion it is a lot better then the II performance wise for only $20 extra. It even has landing gear which gives you the option of taking it off from the ground. It comes with a bigger battery,motor,wing , and fuselage, which are all pluses.For a beginner and a casual flyer, I would recommend it hands down. I do not like the sky scooter my self. It seems like it will be harder for a beginner to fly, and for one thing it isn't all that good looking (hey, looks matter!). Another thing is the battery on the sky scooter pro is the battery is only 600 mah. The firebird XL's is 900 mah. Thats 1/3 more, providing you with 1/3 more run time. Also, the prop on the sky scooter pro can break easily on a crash, where as the Firebird XL's is smartly placed where it will be very difficult to break on a crash. Hope this helps!

[LosiMan3456]

Thanks for all the info!

I am leaning towards getting the XL, I still have to save up tho. Also(stupid me) I forgot that I have a lot of trees in my yard. There is a park I could go to, to fly tho.

I am not sure if I will even get one yet either. From what u have said and others have said, "Sooner or later it will get boring". Knowing me I would get bored forced to get into flying more(which I would like:D , But cant afford:( ) But I dont want to buy a sky scooter. Oh the decisions!

[Wings]

For the record, the battery comparison isn't fair because the motors, props, and airplanes are also different. Both the FBXL (380 direct drive motor & 7.2V 900mAh NiMH pack) and the FBII (280 direct drive motor & either 4.8V "standard" or 6.0V "speed" 600mAh NiMH pack) are listed with about a 15-minute flight duration time. The Sky Scooter Pro w/the 3:1 gearbox mod has a "380"-equivalent motor and runs about 8-10 minutes on an 8.4V 600mAh NiCad pack.

Obviously my observation about the FBXL being more powerful is correct. :D In general, the 400-class (usually listed as 370, 380, or 400) is used for more raw power, and the 280-class is used for more efficiency. The compromise between the two are the 280 race and 300-class motors, which provide more power than the 280 but at the cost of some efficiency. But enough of that...

As for getting bored, I don't think I explained it as well as I should have. What I was trying to convey is that sooner or later you will no longer find your existing plane(s) to be challenging the limits of your skill, and you will want something to fill that void of excitement.

For example, my first plane was a Soarstar. For a while, it was all I could handle. Every time I got ready to toss it in the air, my stomach would knot up with nerves. Then I gradually got used to it. I've learned to respect it for what it is, and it has become one of my favorite and most trusted models. Instead of nerves, I feel confident about flying it. That's a feeling I like, and it keeps me coming back to fly this plane time after time. So, even though I've "outgrown" it in the sense that it no longer challenges my abilities, I don't find it to be a boring plane at all. In fact, I fly it more than any of my other planes.

I just recently picked up a Sky Scooter Pro and an FMA Razor. To be quite honest, the thought of flying them brings back some of those nerves...not as many, because I know I'm capable of flying them, but quite a few nonetheless. The excitement and challenge are there once again...

Get the picture?

See how we get hooked? All the "high" you could ever ask for, and the side effects rarely require anything more than epoxy, patience, spare parts, and a little TLC. And a new model every once in a while, of course! It's great! :D

Oh yeah, one side effect is sometimes shared: throwing up. It usually happens when a pilot watches helplessly as his prized model dives straight into the ground and explodes into a thousand tiny pieces. Not a pretty site when it happens. :(

Wings