Hobby Lobby T/V EDF: Su-34 or F-35?

[xspare]

I am having a hard time deciding between Hobby Lobby's Su-34 & F-35 thrust vectoring EDF foamies. The Su-34 is a largish plank, which is good for seeing but bad for storage and transport, and uses 4S3000 batteries, while the F-35 is a little smaller, has 360 degree thrust vectoring, and uses 4S2200 batteries. Both have retracts that bring the gear & wheels out of view but not into the wings.

I understand that my 6-channel DX-6i limits what I can do with these birds.

My mind is set on thrust vectoring for my first crack at EDF, but are there any other factors (or airframes) that I should be considering?

[Bigugly]

I really like the looks of that F35 Might have to try one for myself.

[Kington99]

sorry to jack the thread but how is the thrust vectoring controlled? is it mixed with the elevator and rudder inputs?

[xspare]

The nozzles are actuated with dedicated servos. The Su-34 has twin fans and independent up-down control on each nozzle. The F-35 is a single fan and has up-down & left-right control on the nozzle.

You can use whatever mixes you want but I expect you would want to mix the Su-34 controls with aileron and elevator, and the F-35 mixes with rudder and elevator. I don't think either of them have a rudder. For the Su-34 they say:

"There are a total of 10 servos pre-installed in the jet: 2-elevator, 2-aileron, 2-vectored thrust, 3-gear retract, 1-steering. Additional items required: a 7 channel transmitter and receiver, and a battery charger for the included 4-cell lipo battery."

But you could get by with a six channel setup if you are satisfied with having the twin nozzles operating on a single channel. Ideally I would want to throw a Hitec Aurora 9 in it.

[P.I.Engineer]

i'm eyeing that f-35 they have coming out, how is the quality of the hobby lobby stuff. I'm assuming it's cheap styrofoam. I've been ripping on a phase 3 f-16, but I'd really like TV, the TV phase 3 jet is ugly.

[Squirrlybird]

I have been eyeing this SU-47 Berkut http://www.xtremehobby.ashop.com.au/...f-jet-arf.html

It is supposed to have a greater than 1:1 thrust to weight ratio (we'll see), and has thrust vectoring (elevator and rudder), retracts, and a drag chute. It's pretty big too. I am just not sure when the release date is.

[TomRex]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClfU6Tsk-fY[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAOtSt2GHP8&feature=related[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfXOKkrEPME&feature=player_embedded[/ame]
http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/107307.asp
I got the airframe and gear only and am putting a ARC 28-47-1/HET6904
combo with the TV unit!

[invertmast]

Speaking from personal experience...

Retracts in small airplanes w/ foam airframes are a waste of money. Especially if they are mechanical! They are fiddly, break easily and generally only look good. The extra weight makes performance go down.

If you wanting a thrust vectored EDF jet.. look into the Phase 3 squall.. No mixing is necesary and 70-90+mph speeds out of the box is no problem using a 4s 2200 mah lipo.

[P.I.Engineer]

i have a phase 3 f-16, it's awesome, prob does about 70 stock on a 30c battery.

this is queer, but i hate the way the squall looks, and you have to sit it down ass first or else it'll tumble.

[invertmast]

Originally Posted by jrod155

....and you have to sit it down ass first or else it'll tumble.

thats called flare

[xspare]

Not queer at all -- I find the Squall and its vane vectoring butt ugly. While I'm at it, I'm also a little annoyed with ParkZone for naming their new sport EDF after the SR-71.

The Su-34 on the other hand is a beautiful scale edf warbird, and raw speed is not especially useful or interesting to me. But then I think road luge and skydiving are more exciting than a 250 mph run in a Veyron.

Originally Posted by jrod155

..this is queer, but i hate the way the squall looks, and you have to sit it down ass first or else it'll tumble.

[TomRex]

This one's for jrod
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TufYysDFJk&feature=player_embedded[/ame]
I got the glassing done with polycrylic and am ready to paint. Here are a couple mods on the Het/Arc combo going in my Squall

[TomRex]

I find the Squall and its vane vectoring butt ugly

I thought vectored thrust was that cheapie foam nozzle on the F-35 and thrust vectoring uses paddles like on the Squall.
I building a HL F-35 for a friend and when checking the nozzle it has a major ring depression within the ball socket creating some major air flow disturbance leaving me to see how much more efficient the Squall's design is.
xspare,
I thought the whole reason for flying models was so we can vicariously fly with the plane, Yes a Squall can go faster than the SU-34 but I bet you a kit the Squall can fly slower than the SU-34 also, now ad the vaines and you can do some wild stuff too! But you still have to flair or fly on.
Have you ever landed a plane nose first Jrod? I mean without trashing it.....

[Squirrlybird]

My Su-34 can slow to a crawl as well any delta that I have ever flown. Probably due to the canards and wide nose. It is not the fastest jet, but has near 1:1 power to weight ratio on the stock stuff giving it a great climb out. Thrust vectoring is fun to play with on any model.

The Su-34 is the best looking jet (imo), the squal is the fastest and cheapest, and the F-35 should be somewhere in between (but should lean closer to the Su-34). You cant go wrong on any of these choices as they all have a devoted following.

note: The Su-34 is definately slower than the squal, but it is not a slow stick. I have not had a chance to check the actual speed yet, but my guess would put it in the low to mid 70's. Lots of drag, but lots of thrust.

[xspare]

I just noticed that the Su-34 has been upgraded with the addition of 360 degree T/V. Not sure when that happened but I've just found it that much harder to resist.

Micro-4Site on the way and now this comes along. My wife is going to kill me. Looks like I'm going to need an off-site hangar.

[TomRex]

Well the maiden of the F-35 build was OK to say the least, had weak batts.
The build was supplemented with a wemo fan and a JS1400, 100a esc and a couple of x brand 9g servos one of which was mounted by shifting the hole for linkage adjustment. The batt prob was fix with a new 3.3 40c 5s. the nozzle servos needed full ATV for effective thrashing. The frame is draggy so nothing stellar but moved right along. I removed the battery box and cut the bottom out and replaced stuffed the bottom of bay with soft foam and stuffed the 3.3 in toward the rear of hole and off it went. The first batt worked for maiden trim but the re maiden was flawless with the 5s pack. The best part is the power used by the nozzle to really thrash the direction change. 5mph down the runway, taxi to the end of a 400' paved runway and off we go! At a little past third way it lifted, what a sight to see! Perfect angle and acceleration to a 40* climb out and around, sweet! The first landing for a T&G was sorta limp but when switching the nozzle active and flaring with a third throt floating to touch at that perfect nose high attitude and rotating down,,, I really wish the batt didn't die in the camera. sorry