Good Front Yard Plane

[jobinseattle]

Hello All,

Wanted to see if you all had any recommendations on a small plane (38 inches) or less that I can fly in my front yard. I am looking for something that is good quality. I have had the following:

Sport Cubs S (Did not like, too fragile)
Electrifly Flylite (Currently what I use but pretty fragile as well)
Champ (Don't need a RTF) Already have my own TX
UMX Revolution (Way too fragile)
UMX Radian (Fun but does not hold up over time)
Ember 2 (Not a fan)
Ultra Micro T-28 (Pretty fragile also)
Delta Ray (It works but looking for something a little smaller)

I am looking for a 3 channel. Something that is an easy flier.

I was looking at the Dynam Scout 980mm. Anyone have any suggestions?

I have been considering an EPP plane. I have heard they hold up really well.

[xviper]

How big is your front yard? Are you on an acreage? Even a UMX plane will have enough inertia to crack your neighbor's window. If it flies outside of your property, you could be subject to the new FAA regulations and possible fines (especially if it's over 8 ounces). Having said that, I'd go with the UMX Radian. It's slow, maneuverable and light. It can also be flown in a good bit of wind. Not sure why you think it won't hold up over time unless it's crashed all the time, in which case, I'd question the wisdom of flying anything in your front yard. We've got 1/2 dozen of these at our flying field and they've all lasted since they first came out and we fly them just like regular sized RC planes.

[jobinseattle]

I can be a little heavy handed just looking for something heavier duty than the planes I originally listed. It's not like I am crashing them like when I first started several years ago.

[xviper]

Unless you're on an acreage, flying anything bigger than a UMX could be a huge liability. Even a UMX being flown by an expert would fall under the current regs. There used to be videos of some guy hovering his 450 sized helicopter from his front yard and into the cul-de-sac. With the new FAA regulations implemented this year, that could be a very bad thing. You might not want to posting about it in a public forum.

[jobinseattle]

I have a couple of acres but this is maybe not such a good idea.

[fhhuber]

Area needed is proportional to speed of the model.

Wind tolerance is directly related to speed range of the model also...

You can fly a Parkzone Vapor in your living room. But its not going to tolerate much (if any) wind.
A .40 class pylon racer needs appx 300 yards X 150 yards normally overflown area available.... with more area being better. The pylon racers don't have much problem with any reasonable amount of wind.

Then there's pilot skill. A beginner with the Vapor would be bouncing off the walls and ceiling of a large HS gym. An expert can just about keep it over the kitchen table and not hit the overhead light doing loops.

its really a question of area available and pilot skill as to what might be practical to fly in a front yard.

[doctormike]

It sounds like the UMX Radian is what your looking for. I have one, and it is very fun to fly, very controlable, you can land it on a dime, and it will soar forever. Check the weight...I think it is under the FAA beginning weight. Mine will stay up with no power for 45 minutes or longer. I land it in my driveway, right at my feet. Doc

[jobinseattle]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

[TSHobbies]

The Parkzone Ultra Micros are good too, though not 3 channel, but the P51 I had was very easy to fly..which I had it to fly in my yard.