Yak
Wingspan: 33 inches
Engine: Air Power 300xt out-runner
Type: indoor 3d aerobatic
Description
Cor wow, I like this plane, and with the incredible power generated by the out-runner motor it is amazingly manoeuvrable, responsive yet very forgiving. I guess it is the lightness that makes it so forgiving, but whatever it is it flies where you want it to go, and all this despite having fairly loose connections to the flying surfaces, and the fact that the whole airframe is likely to flex all over the place in high g manoeuvres.
This is the first plane I have tried indoors that makes me feel as if I can be successful at indoor r/c flying. So well balanced that the power of the out-runner motor will pull the model up into a prop-hanging position without the wings stalling. Just a faint wobble as the nose goes up and the prop torque takes over. it can also be flown very slowly, by holding the nose up, and using the throttle to gain or loose height. It will not tip stall no matter what you try, and the outrunner has enough grunt to pull the model up in an inverted spiralling climb.
However, like all very light things it is delicate. I don't know how long it will last, but the depron foam is easy to repair and as kits are less than £30, not expensive to replace.
So far I have used two lithium polymer batteries: a three cell 480mah pack and a two cell 480mah pack. The three cell pack has great endurance and power to spare, the two obviously rather less, but for medium aerobatic manoeuvres is OK. Compared to the 1320mah three cell pack I use in the Buddy Buddy both these 480mah packs are incredibly light.
Score:
10 out of ten (possibly more)
Most exciting moment
Like the Buddy Buddy all manoeuvres are performed within a fairly small box in the air, plus with indoor flying you also have to contend with ceilings, walls, other people, other models, bright lights, roof girders, etc, etc. All good fun really, and you have to accept that given the small spaces accidents are likely to happen. you just cannot watch other peoples planes all the time. So on its first outing my mate Simon tried to eat the Yak's tail with his Mini IFO, and on the second I became disoriented and crashed into the floor, bending the nose a bit.
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