New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

[jobinseattle]

Well my Sport Cub that was just being hold together by glue flew away yesterday after I lost it in the sun and it crashed and I was unable to find it.

The Sport Cub by far was my favorite plane.

My question is when it is time to replace the plane should I get another Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora?

I will admit it will be hard to pick something else besides a new Sport Cub since I no longer have one but I would like to hear from the community.

[Flygirl]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

My vote is the Pandora..... I love that plane. (PS I fly it low wing, tail wheel at the moment)

[jobinseattle]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Question for you, the sport cub is very smooth when flying how is the pandora?

[Grossman56]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

I love mine, she flies as smooth as my inputs! I have both mine in the low wing tail dragger configuration.  Check out the All us Newbies lets share thread!
There's a lot of people here who started out on Pandoras and they'll all say the same. The only weak sport is the landing gear, but I can tell you how to reinforce that, its easy and cheap!!

Don't hesitate to leave me a message if you need a hand!  Or Flygirl, or Hippie or Rocketeer.......................

Grossman56

[boomer108]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

I have the Sensei the Pandora was not out when I bought the Sensei. It is a great flyer very sturdy. The only upgrades I made were metal gear servo for the rudder and nose gear and2 3/4 inch Dave Brown's. A Pandora could be on the horizon though.
  ,

[Flygirl]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Yep! We're here to help if ya need it! I agree with everything GMan said... Great plane and to show you how smooth she flies here is a short video of my Pandora flying in formation with my friends multrotor. It has to be smooth in order to get air to air video so he can try to match the airplane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0XpL2ohDK4

[Grossman56]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Hey Lauren, did you ever try the 3" Dave Brown wheels?

Grossman56

[Flygirl]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

On the Pandora? Nope.... Got them on the P-51 and they worked great this past weekend. No broken retracts this time. LOL! I did snag a retract door in the grass though and broke that but I have new ones coming tomorrow. I bought some Dubro 4 inch wheels for the Pandora but they are way way too heavy for it. I thought about putting a pair of DB 3 inchers on the Pandora but I thought they might look smallish? Do you have them on yours? If so, can you post a pic? I was going to get a pair of DB 4 inchers from "ahem" somewhere else but if the 3's look okay I'll just get them here. :-)

[Grossman56]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Yes, I have them on mine, I had 2.75's but they looked a little small, 3" look great, have them on both
Here's the 2.75's on Pandora One, they look a little small

So I ordered a couple of sets of 3" for Pandora One and Pandora Two
Here's what they look like

You may have to re CG after installation but they're no where near as heavy as the Dubros, I have a set of those collecting dust too!
As a matter of fact, both my Pandoras are set nose heavy and still act like they're tail heavy whe they get in the air.  Have to trim them out after take off

Grossman56

[Flygirl]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Yeah the 3 inchers look much better than the 2.75 ones.... Hmmmm.... Now I have a choice to make. That will take me the rest of the week. LOL!

[DonRhone]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Well my Sport Cub that was just being hold together by glue flew away yesterday after I lost it in the sun and it crashed and I was unable to find it.

The Sport Cub by far was my favorite plane.

My question is when it is time to replace the plane should I get another Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora?

I will admit it will be hard to pick something else besides a new Sport Cub since I no longer have one but I would like to hear from the community.

I was in the exact position you are in, I was flying my trusty Sports Cub when the wind started to gust, had I taken the hint and called it a day and returned I would not have watched the plane get caught in a gust and blown into a grove of Spruce trees which vary from about 50 ft in height to one large tree which must be at least 100' height.

Spend a couple of hours searching the grove but saw no sign of the plane ever again. That plane had at least 125 hours of flying time.  While I was getting ready for another plane I chose as its replacement a FMS 800 T-28. Of all the FMS 800 planes I think the T-28 is the most stable, no way as twichy as some ot the others, especially the P-51

The new T-28 requires a lot more attention than the HH Sports Cub demanded, however I still wanted to have the option of flying a Sports Cub so I bought a replacement Sports Cub plane as well. 

[jobinseattle]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

I went ahead and bought another Sport Cub. I felt if I did not get it I would be kicking myself later on. I do plan on getting the Sense FS and Pandora at some point.

[jobinseattle]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

"The only weak sport is the landing gear, but I can tell you how to reinforce that, its easy and cheap!!"

How do you do it?

Well I am close to getting the red pandora. How big are the tires on the pandora? Does anyone know if these tires would fit on the pandora?

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXELDX&P=7

[Flygirl]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

"The only weak sport is the landing gear, but I can tell you how to reinforce that, its easy and cheap!!"

How do you do it?

Well I am close to getting the red pandora. How big are the tires on the pandora? Does anyone know if these tires would fit on the pandora?

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXELDX&P=7

A 3 to 4 inch tire will work on the Pandora.... I can't tell what size that Tundra tire is in the ad. The stock wheels on Pandora are about 4 inches. Grossman and I have been wrapping the struts with white electrical tape to strengthen them. Seems to work pretty well...! :-)

[Grossman56]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

"The only weak sport is the landing gear, but I can tell you how to reinforce that, its easy and cheap!!"

How do you do it?

Well I am close to getting the red pandora. How big are the tires on the pandora? Does anyone know if these tires would fit on the pandora?

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXELDX&P=7

A 3 to 4 inch tire will work on the Pandora.... I can't tell what size that Tundra tire is in the ad. The stock wheels on Pandora are about 4 inches. Grossman and I have been wrapping the struts with white electrical tape to strengthen them. Seems to work pretty well...! :-
yes, that and expoxying tht little square piece with the tiny screws to the base of the struts as well.  I've had a couple of rougher landings that I know would have damaged the pins at that point.  They're not completely damage proof, but darned close!

Grossman56

[Tim]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

"The only weak sport is the landing gear, but I can tell you how to reinforce that, its easy and cheap!!"

How do you do it?

Well I am close to getting the red pandora. How big are the tires on the pandora? Does anyone know if these tires would fit on the pandora?

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXELDX&P=7

If you want that cub to land really nice ;) grab the apprentice landing gear $8.00 at Hobby Town, and put a little bit bigger DB tires on it. Your wing tips will never touch the ground no matter how tight of an area you have to land. The apprentice landing gear fits with just a hair of trimming, and is a lot stronger than the cubs. No more bending the wheels back forward after landing. Good luck, and good choice in choosing the cub again. Its a very acrobatic up wing which will help you latter going into more advanced planes. P.S. My very first sport cub flew away to.

[Pauly]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

:) I was just wondering how much difference there is in the CG compared to the original tail dragger tires or a set of D.B.  3 or 4 tires?
[hr]

Yep! We're here to help if ya need it! I agree with everything GMan said... Great plane and to show you how smooth she flies here is a short video of my Pandora flying in formation with my friends multrotor. It has to be smooth in order to get air to air video so he can try to match the airplane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0XpL2ohDK4

Flygirl. I enjoyed your video! Smooth flying!

[Flygirl]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Thanks Pauly! It's kind of easy to look smooth with that plane as you now know! :)

GMan uses DB 3 inch tires on his. I don't think it changes the CG much, maybe a little. The DB tires are pretty light. I'm still using the stock foamies but I'd like to get some DB 4 inchers on it at some point.

[Lon]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

At the field flying last Friday, two members showed up with a new Sensei in each of their hands.  Long story short, I watched them do their maiden flights. I was impressed. One of the guys yelled "Watch this!" He was on final approach, raised both his hands into the air, and we watched the plane land itself!!!! WOW! He had it in the beginner mode. Both seasoned pilots. Purchased the planes to teach children/grandchildren.  I really like my Pandora, but, I was impressed by the Sensei.

Lon

[Rocketeer]

RE: New Sport Cub, Sensei, or Pandora

Greetings,

Caught this topic a bit late it appears.

While there are A LOT of pro Pandors flyers here, and I agree that it is an awesome plane allowing the ability to transition from high to low wing as your skills improve, BUT (now remember, I'm just the messenger) If I were coming off the sport cub I would favor the Sensei.

The Sensei is simply a fantastic airplane. It's BIG and highly aerobatic and one tuff son of a flyer!
Now, it's available with on/off flight assist which only make an even more incredible.

I can't think of any plane I have succefully recommended to more pilots that has never received a negative remark.
I have such confidence in this plane that I own(ed) four of them because they are the perfect plane to introduce visiting friends/family members to RC flying. 
Plus the sensei can handle anything an experienced pilot can throw at it.

Me, I never met a plane I didn't like but, the bottom line if that the best plane for you is the one you'll fly the most.
If that's the Sport Cub...... The Pandora or The Sensei......... Perfect!!

No matter what you decide (even though you already have) there are friends here on the forum ready and eager to help.

Enjoy it!

Clear Skies

Bill L.
in OKla.