Phoenix 2000. First Flight.

...a little slope soaring

I've chosen to set up the Phoenix 2000 as a pure soaring glider without motor, running a 2200 3S battery located right at the firewall and some small-change ballast installed in the nose cone.

I have configured the Phoenix with crow brakes, as I discovered that having some sort of brake/lift dump is essential, whether that be fence-type brakes or, in this case, flaps and ailerons configured to generate drag and reflex the airfoil respectively

There are, unfortunately, no good slope soaring sites nearby, however I decided to try the hill at the far end of the paddocks where I fly; not particularly high or steep but enough to generate a little lift.

The wind was a strong north-wester, a little gusty too, and I launched the Phoenix with as lusty a hurl as I could summons. The Phoenix flies well enough, catching what little and sporadic lift was available here.

I tried the Phoenix with and without flaperons active but, given the very turbulent conditions, I couldn't asses the effect they have.  Similarly, I didn't get the opportunity to really test the crow brakes, however they were effective in slowing the glider down and didn't cause it to climb when deployed which is good.

However, as a first try, the Phoenix is encouraging, so I'll be trying to get it flying in some better lift... 

Phoenix 2000 EPO Composite Glider. Unofficial Unboxing.

...back to the future

The Phoenix 2000 was the very first RC plane I purchased, and so this is very much a back-to-the-future episode for me.

The Phoenix 2000 is, as it was back then, a very well build and affordable RC plane. It has a sturdy plastic moulded fuselage, which it shares with its sibling the Phoenix 1600, which comes complete with plywood battery tray and rear servo deck.

The fuselage comes with the rear control rods pre-installed and, on PNF versions, the servos installed and connected.

The wings are good-quality EPO with moulded-in reinforcements, and a carbon joiner rod is supplied as well. There's also a sleek moulded plastic canopy which clips onto the fuselage.

The wings have substantial ailerons, with servos installed on the PNF package, although control rods have to be fitted yourself. There's provision for flaps including moulded recess for servo and linkages included - you just need to cut the flap free where they're moulded to the wing.

The kit comes with a folding prop and spinner with collet adapter, and there's a fixed nosecone in case you just want this as a pure glider.

So the Phoenix 2000 comes highly recommended as a high-quality entry-level glider, sturdily constructed yet elegant and capable in the air...

Flying the Firstar EDF

...on a sunny Saturday afternoon

Beautiful weekend weather begged for some flying, so I headed down to the paddock with the Firstar EDF conversion. The first flight of this has been on a cold & overcast morning, so this afternoon would be an opportunity to try out the big FPv plane in some sunny weather.

With the straight-shooting EDF unit, the flight characteristics are much more aligned with its close cousin, the phoenix 2000 glider, making it a real pleasure to fly. And today enjoying having a bit of fun cruising it around the open space of the paddocks.

Whilst EDF's are known energy hogs, the Forstar flies so much better and truer that I still think the overall performance and duration can't be worse than with that huge prop tower and negative thrust line. This still has to be tested when I get some proper FPV flying done, but even just punting the Firstar around is so much more fun now...

Firstar V2. 70mm EDF Conversion.

...flies and sounds better

The flight performance of the Firstar has been very disappointing, mainly I think because of the effect of the negative thrust angle which effectively just increases the wing loading.

So, like I'd long considered with the Floater Jet but never actually did, I've replaced the pusher prop with a low-mounted 70mm EDF installed directly on the body mount used for the stock motor tower with large cable tie straps screwed in place.

The EDF is rated at about 1.2kg thrust, far more than required, so I'm only running it at 60% speed on a 3000 4S lipo, which is more than adequate. In conjunction I've also replaced the stock 30A ESC with a 50A unit.

The thrust line of the EDF is virtually through the centre of lift on the wing, and this shows on launch with the V2 flying straight and then beginning to climb as the speed climbs, in stark contrast to its behavior with the tall pusher prop where it always nosed in and was reluctant to climb.

The much sleeker form, with the tower and foam shroud, means that it's also faster through the air, if required, and glides very well. And, if you needed more benefits, it also sounds brilliant...

Firstar Sunrise III

...and lovely clouds

Another lovely morning from a few weeks ago, perfect for for a pre-work sunrise flight. The Firstar is a good camera platform, although I haven't been able to use it for FPV due to interference issues with my Taranis radio.

Also, the motor configuration means it doesn't climb very well. However this will soon change; I'm getting some bandpass filters which will hopefully resolve the 2.4GHz interference, and I'm planning to replace the prop with a low-mounted EDF unit to eliminate the down-thrust of the stock unit.

So, we'll see how these changes pan out; here's hoping for some cloud soaring...

Firstar V2. Sunrise Series II.

...sunrise and mist

Going into autumn I again have the opportunity to enjoy sunrises at the field as they coincide with my journey to work. On this particular occasion there was the extra bonus of mist covering the outer fields.

In the suburbs mist is a rare visitor, so I feel especially to spent time with this ethereal visitor, so quickly dispelled with the approach of the sun's rays.

The window of sunrise was quite small, one of those where the light squeezes between horizon and clouds for a few minutes, blossoming brightness growing again quickly dull as the sun heads into the clouds.

Nevertheless, it was a beautifully tranquil morning, with a mix of clouds, mist and sun...

Trainstar Tough Trainer. Flying Around.

...a little fun Trainstar-style


For a while now the Trainstar has been grounded due to increasingly-bad prop vibration.

Initially I thought the front fuselage was flexing from fatigue and installed stiffeners, which made no difference. Then I got a prop balancer & did the prop which likewise had a nominal effect.

It turned out that it was just the bell mount grub screws which, although I'd tightened them, were a little loose as the hex drive had stripped. Fixing this was tricky and painful as I couldn't get the originals out, and I couldn't tap new holes for fresh grub screws as there wasn't enough depth.

Eventually it has been fixed, well enough anyway, and now the Trainstar is back in the air again, still full of character...

Firstar 2000 V2. Launch with Flaps.

...easy does it


The Firstar's high-mounted pusher endows it with characteristics familiar of the breed; it's not nice to launch.

True, the V2 mount is angled to eliminate torque which rotates the nose, however the high-moun configuration cannot escape from a downward thrust component. As well as gobbling up battery capacity in cruise mode, it also makes launches tricky.

Having lived through AXN and Radjet, I'm over launch stress, which is why I like using flaps with the Firstar.

Now I know this is contentious but, in this case at least, it works. Usually I'm fumbling to get my launch hand on the radio before the Firstar hits the turf. And I'm not the only one, I've seen several unsuccessful attempts at getting a Firstar into the air.

Considering that this plane sports high-aspect glider wings, launch really shouldn't be an issue. Which is where the flaps come in; dialing in about 20 degrees of flap transforms the launch from a nail biting affair into a floaty cruise, with the big big hanging in the air patiently while you get your hands into position.

Nice and easy, just like it should be...

Firstar 2000 V2. First Flight.

...brief but successful

The first flight of the Firstar 2000 was also my first outing with my new Taranis, with the latter being much more of a headache to configure than was the former. However the Firstar disappointingly have a number of quality issues which first required resolving.

The morning was a little gusty, with the northerly coming through earlier than expected. I opted to fly the Firstar with two 2200 3S packs which seemed to give the required cog. Volantex suggest running this off a 1800 3S, but seriously...?

Despite the Firstar V2 having the revised motor mount which reduces nose-down rotation due to the moment, this configuration still pushes the plane downwards and consequently there is the balancing act with the amount of power you use to launch.

As such the launch went OK, although I needed to rush to get both hands onto the radio controls after I'd thrown it. Of course, if you have someone to throw it for you this isn't an issue.

As you'd expect with the high aspect glider wings, it flies, and glides, very stably although the downward effect of the motor spoils its cruising performance in my opinion.

The flight was cut short by my inability to trim it out. No fault of the Firstar but rather programming glitches with the Taranis which I have subsequently fixed, but the Firstar landed without issue to complete a rather abbreviated but nevertheless successful maiden flight...

Firstar 2000 V2. Quality Issues.

...a rather disappointing introduction to Volantex

I recently purchased a Firstar 2000 V2, my first Volantex product, and am sad to say that I was very disappointed in the quality, the EPO in particular.

I've previously had several Lanyu products (Phoenix 2000, Trainstar and Phoenix 1600) which have all been very good quality.

The Firstar has several issues:

Ailerons Warped - extreme warping. I had to add carbon fibre strip to try and straighten! They are now better but still not completely straight.

Wing Bases Warped - curve where the wing halves join together. I have to force the wings together try and get the mounting screws in.

Protruding Wing Reinforcement - aluminium tube protruding so the wing could not be joined. I had to cut this off with an angle grinder (my new plane!!)

Dented Wing - minor blemish but another sign of poor Volantex quality.

When contacted for comment regarding the poor quality, Volantex advised that "...weather of humidity and temperature will affect the plane deformation, also transportation will have influence."

I get the feeling they don't really care...

Firstar 2000 V2 FPV. Unofficial Unboxing.

...what's in the box

The Firstar 2000 V2 arrives double boxed, with the inner being the stylish new Volantex picture box. Taking the lid off reveals everything to be very nicely wrapped and arranged, with a number of dividers and individual boxes.

As per a number of the Volantex/Lanyu products (Trainstar and Phoenix gliders to name two) the wings and tail are EPO whilst the fuselage is a nice-quality plastic moulding.

Something new from Volantex, the EPO is painted and I think this is the source of the problem; the aileron surfaces are extremely warped, the EPO has also shrunk overall, breaking the join around the flap mouldings and causing the wing bases to curve, meaning the wings don't join square. Anyhow, more on Volantex's declining quality separately.

The fuselage is large and roomy, happily accommodating two 2200 3S batteries side by side. The tail servos are located to the rear under the wing mounting, meaning that the whole of the front fuselage areas is free for batteries and electronics.

There is a large moulded snap-on canopy, however I can see most people dispensing with this and mounting cameras onto the EPO cover section. This provides a flat camera mounting area up front with a moulded slot for a pan servo, and the moulding slips underneath the motor mount.

The V2 motor mount is angled, pointing at the centre of lift, and screws onto the mid-section of the fuselage. The propellor is the familiar unit used on the Phoenix gliders, with the spinner modified for the pusher-role to prevent the props flipping forward.

All servos, including for the flaps, are pre-installed but you need to mount the control horns and linkages yourself.

So overall a nice plane let down by rather dodgy build quality from Volantex which they attribute to the shipping process...

747-4 Trainstar Shaft Adapter

...so I got a new motor instead

I ended up terminally bending the shaft adapter on my Trainstar some while a go as the result of colliding with a light pole. While, in the past, I have managed to straighten the adapter by hook or by crook, this time my efforts were in vain.

Now, it must be said, the Volantex (nee Lanyu) prop adapters are rubbish, a conclusion based on my experience of both the Trainstar and Phoenix planes, and I've heard this sentiment echoed by others as well; the adapter material is very soft and prone to both stripping and bending.

I've previously looked at the Volantex store but, despite having the items on display, it seemed impossible to actually buy anything. And I couldn't find anything on the web either. However reading through a thread about Volantex spares yesterday,  the website had apparently become functional.

My optimism at this news was unfortunately was short-lived as, while the prop adapter is there (and on sale!) an error came up when I tried to finalise Paypal payment and, despite repeating the checkout exercise, I still had no success. So I again abandoned Volantex for spares (why is it so hard?) and headed to Hobbyking.

The Volantex motor for the Trainstar is a 4023/850KV and fortunately Hobbyking have an exact equivalent, the D4023-850 Out Runner Motor. This, however, comes fitted with a steel prop shaft instead of the aluminium of the Volantex, and is also only about half the price.

So, while I really didn't want to buy another motor when all I needed was a prop adapter, it all got too hard...

Volantex ESC Brake Setting

...it's the second tone you want

My recently acquired Phoenix 1600 came with a new blue ESC (compared to previous unidentified yellow in the Phoenix 2000), accompanied by an instruction booklet which, amongst other things, provided instruction on how to set the brake on the ESC. It does seem odd that the default is set to "brake off" when most of their products are gliders...

Anyway, my attempts at finding the three beeps proved fruitless and had to resign myself to rather compromised gliding, with the large prop whirling busily in the breeze, and with the risk of doing the prop in on landing.

Fortunately I came across this forum post #58.  To summarise succinctly, the crucial moment is when one hears the second musical tone. Don't bother with trying to identify the tone amongst the myriad sounds the new unit makes, you'll just end up reprogramming random settings like I did.

Anyway, I am happy to say, that after the first attempt with the new instruction, the ESC brake is now on and I can look forward to a bit of gliding tomorrow morning.

And, by the way, if you were wondering, Volantex is the new Lanyu...

Phoenix 1600. Unofficial Unboxing.

...what's in the box

After ordering a Phoenix 1600 on the weekend I received it yesterday double-packaged and in a nice picture box.



Everything is very well packaged and protected inside the box, so there was no travel damage at all. Being a Lanyu/Volantex creation, so a nice high-quality piece of kit all round with a beautifully moulded fuselage with built-in battery tray with strap.

The EPO wings and tail are high-quality mouldings with excellent surface finish, and all servos are pre-installed except for the flaps. Provision is made for installing flap servos in the wings, and liknages are supplied

The few areas where complaint was levelled at older models, like the clevises supplied with the Phoenix 2000's, have been fixed on this later iteration.

I'm looking forward to assembling it and will uploading some tech on that as well...