Sr - 71 Black Bird

[aamz13]

Hi Guys,
This is my first post here. I have a beat Eflite A-10. It needs a new fuse, flap servos and retracts. I am half way convinced to reuse its guts and put it into an ARF SR-71 Blackbird. Currently available on Banana Hobby. See link below.
LINK - https://www.bananahobby.com/6-ch-sky...f-jet-kit.html
All the info I found is dated even the videos posted by the manufacturer are a decade old. I am reaching out to see if anyone has prior experience with this airframe? Thoughts on gutting the A-10? Ideas to reuse the power system from the A-10.

Thanks

[Aros]

Welcome aamz13 to Hobby Squawk! I have a bit of experience with this SR-71 airframe you could say. I've had 13. Yep, that's not a misprint. 13.

Back in the day you could get the entire KIT/airframe for like $60 bucks so I basically spent the first 5 or so airframes learning how to fly it, lol. I just sold #13 a few months back. I put some 64mm outrunners in it but it was a dog. I wouldn't bother with anything other than an inrunner setup. 9-12 blade EDF. #8 or #9 or somewhere in there was powered by Don's Wicked...I can't recall the exact setup but it was SMOKIN'! Don has since gotten out of the business but if you check the RC Groups build thread you will find all the information you need.

Looks like (if I am looking at the right model) your E-flite A-10 comes with 2 11-blade EDFs with 2840 - 2200kV brushless motors. No mention if they are inrunners our outrunners. The SR-71 is pretty lightweight overall. Especially if you dump the gear and hand toss it (which requires some creative carving). I would say go for it...Just make sure the CG is DEAD ON...This bird has the most touchy CG window I've ever flown. Also, another tip...Make sure you MAX the elevon throws for PITCH, and LIMIT your elevon throws for ROLL. I can't tell you how many airframes I went through until I realized that. This airframe is very sensitive to roll authority, and being all black, orientation is a very real issue.

Hope that helps! If you have other questions I'll try to answer whatever I can. I'm hoping Freewing comes out with an SR-71 someday. It would be superior to LX's in every way.

[aamz13]

Hi Aros thanks that's exactly what I was looking for. Wow that's a lot of planes to go through good thing you started at 60$. I'll be paying twice that plus shipping but it still looks good.

Yes it's a twin 40A esc with a 12 blade 2840-2200Kv outrunner setup that I'll be extracting from the A-10 it goes when it goes. I should have plenty of power with a 6S 35000 mah pack.

I might keep the landing gear based on hot it handel's the grass or if I'm good at flying it on our small asphalt field. Maybe give it a suspension upgrade.
One more question how is the quality of the hinges provided with the kit ( type ) ? Any custom upgrades that you see are essential ?
You'll be getting a lot more questions soon. 😎

[xviper]

I also had one (yes, only ONE - ). It's the old LX model (same plane as what Banana sells). Back when I had it, there were few powerful 64mm EDF. I put the most powerful I could find and afford and I felt it was too weak. But today's 64mm fans like the one in your Eflite A-10 should give plenty of poop. I flew mine off grass (big mistake) and those tiny little wheels just couldn't do it. After a hard landing and cracking the thing in half, I fixed it and gave it away. To show that it actually flew, I demoed it for the guy and that was the one and only time that I greased the landing. Too late to take it back. It took me several flights and crashes to figure it out (balance, rates, trim, etc.). If you have a nice, smooth runway, it should be a fun plane. Just know that it's not a high quality model - low foam quality, Mickey Mouse retracts. But then, it's fairly low price. Being black, it'll bake in the sun.

[aamz13]

Greased landings are still 70 - 30 for me. I'll see if I can get those 25$ suspension setups mounted on the existing retract rods. But it will still have tiny wheels not always great on on very well manicured grass.

[xviper]

Greased landings are still 70 - 30 for me. I'll see if I can get those 25$ suspension setups mounted on the existing retract rods. But it will still have tiny wheels not always great on on very well manicured grass.

For me, this one was tricky to land. It's like a big arrow head and can come in fast. It is possible to high alpha it on the approach to slow it down but that takes practice and back then, I was still on the upper end of "beginner". Because it's so small and light, suspension may not be very effective. Tiny wheels can be overcome with lots of power. You might consider using CF flat rods to strengthen the front 1/2 of the fuselage - from just behind the nose to the beginning of the wing. This will help it take a harder high alpha landing. Mine cracked right about where the wing starts. It's long and slender till then and that's the structurally weak part.

[Aros]

Like xviper says the quality overall is low...Typical LX (cool looking models, low quality materials and components). The hinges are very small but as long as they are glued in solidly they shouldn't give you any issues. a 6S battery? The largest I ever flew it with was a 4S and I had to carve out a ton of space in the battery compartment. So be mindful of that...Again, as long as you can get the CG correct, that's half the battle.

Landings were always tricky...Like anything, you get enough practice and you find the sweet spot and get good at it. High Alpha is effective like xviper said to slow her down but you best not reach the critical AoA with that nose or she will flip vertical and come crashing down on it's tail busting the elevons. Ask me how I know, lol!

So keeping the speed up and the nose at neither a too-high or too low angle and she will settle in. This model is meant to be pattern flown, full steam ahead. Keep the nose pointed forward (loops are possible, rolls are fine too) but departing from a generally scale flight envelope will send you on the Walk of Shame in a heartbeat. She will flat spin like no other, just don't expect to recover from it, lol.

If and when it crashes, as long as it's not a spectacular full throttle into the dirt affair, it will likely just bust apart at the middle seam. I always glued that seam just enough so if and when there was a rough landing or mild crash it would break apart predictably and I could easily glue it back together. Just like the full scale, she wants to fly forward and fast. Try not to slow her down too much or she will bite, especially on turns. Once the learning curve is over, you will really enjoy her because she looks bad ass of course, and is a unique presence at any RC club or field.

[xviper]

If Freewing ever decided to make a twin 70mm or 80mm SR-71, I'll make a space for it.

[Aros]

If Freewing ever decided to make a twin 70mm or 80mm SR-71, I'll make a space for it.

I second that!

[Bearcat]

I am alittle late to the show but I owned two of them and if you toss in a flight stabilizer the CG is not as much as an issue and it makes landing her perfect. Aros and I both had DON's Wicked motors for our setups and the sound was sooooooooooooooooooo freaking sweet and the speed good. Mine got killed when a battery dropped out and one of the motors dies down from the power loss, I was flying too slow an low to recover. I am about to buy another one since they say it's now made of EPS foam, if this is the fact then I will snatch one up soon, same with the YF-23.

[Aros]

Sweet! Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[Bearcat]

Correction : EPO FOAM not EPS.. according to BH website