Blitz RC/Art Tech F-14 Tomcat

[MCO3024]

I'm considering getting the Blitz RC/Art Tech F-14 Tomcat. I really like the F-14 and this is one that is a manageable size for me. I have not been able to find many customer reviews on this plane. Does anyone here have any experience or thoughts on this plane?

[bradl4648]

Hi

Well as far as Art Tech is considered I would really steer clear Their planes are not great at all. I have heard that people who got that jet ,claims that it has just enough power to fly it that's it. Their quality is horrible at best . But I am sure people will say that I am being bless but I am not. This is what I have seen and the experience I had in the past with them. So in short the simple answer is not finding any response for this jet should say to you leave well enough alone. But if you do buy one good luck to you and happy flying.

[wvrailfan]

You may find some info here https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...ch+F+14+Tomcat

[xviper]

Are you talking about the twin 55mm one that sells for just over $100.00? I haven't had much luck with BlitzRC/Art Tech but back in the day, they were so cheap that it attracted a lot of attention from people who were new in the hobby (and still does). For the money, what can you lose? Well, your hundred bucks plus shipping. If you can live with that, try one. You may luck out or it may be good experience as you move through this hobby. You'll know very quickly why something is so cheap. But then, it's not an expensive experiment considering what high quality stuff costs.
Even the big Freewing one (twin 80mm) that sells for over $500.00 (which is on sale for $499.00 right now) is a handful to fly as a "swing wing". If you can find some of the original videos that were put out by MotionRC, you see all kinds of cautions and warnings about how not to fly the plane and some of the possible outcomes if the owner doesn't pay attention. I'm sure there are a few owners who ended up with a very expensive partial flight.

[Alpha]

I had one of the twin 55mm F-14s. Honestly it flew fine, after some modifications to strengthen the wing box. Use a strong servo for the wing sweep actuator. There is still slop in the mechanism overall, but for the aircraft's size it's not so bad. You're not out to win any scale contests. Be prepared to balance those fans, though. I had one grenade due to imbalance.

The stick landing gear is fine for paved surfaces, but if you're on grass, you can hand toss the aircraft. Wings forward, full throttle, and a couple big steps and a strong throw.

As xviper2 said, the big twin 80mm Freewing F-14D is rated as an Expert/Advanced level aircraft. My general thought on that level of aircraft is, if someone has to wonder if they're ready for an airplane like that, it's probably wiser for them to wait a little until they know they are confidently capable. It may seem counter-intuitive for the designer and seller to say something like that, but honestly I'd rather people get planes they're comfortable with and can safely enjoy for a long time. Happiness is the most important goal, not sales.

[MCO3024]

Thank you all for the input. It was indeed the twin 55mm model I was looking at.

Given some of the comments about quality and instability in the swept wing configuration, I'll pass.

I'm really looking for a quality built, hassle free, not too advanced EDF for my next plane. I've bought a couple used edfs, but I want this one to be a new purchase "baby" that I can get in tip top shape instead of inheriting someone else's problems or repairs. I want to get it new and fly it for a good, long time.

The 80mm twin F-14 is a beauty, but Alpha is correct. its WAY too much plane for me at this point.

I'll probably switch my looking to the FMS 64mm planes for now.

Thanks again for the input.

[xviper]

The Freewing Rebel has been a great first EDF for a couple of guys at my field. It's sleek, inexpensive, good quality, easy to fly, can be fast if you want it to be, works well off grass, can be flown on cheaper 4s batteries.

https://www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-rebel-v2-70mm-edf-jet-pnp

[Alpha]

The Freewing Rebel is a nice plane for the money, only $179 to your door. Flaps, retracts, and Freewing's overall dependability. I especially like how the V2 makes battery access much more convenient, and the power system is efficient and effective. Watch Ryan's video of it to get an idea of what you can expect.

https://www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-rebel-v2-70mm-edf-jet-pnp#video-tab

The one thing I'll say about the Rebel is that on paved runways it can be a hopper if landed poorly, so be mindful of that.


Another plane in the "Easy to fly 4s 70mm jet category" would be the Dynam Meteor. It flies similarly to the Rebel, at a lower price than the Rebel at only $149 to your door, although its color scheme doesn't do much for me, personally, and it doesn't have out-of-the-box flaps like the Freewing Rebel has.

https://www.motionrc.com/products/dynam-meteor-70mm-edf-jet-pnp

Both aircraft have plenty of customer reviews to read, and are both 4.5 star rated aircraft based on those reviews.

[MCO3024]

Thank you. I'm not much of a fan of the "sport" looking planes.

This isn't my first EDF. I've been flying a F-18 that I bought used. While open to options, I kinda want to stick with some of the military jets.

[Alpha]

4s 70mm, scale... Freewing Yak-130 ARK PLUS with a 4s installed it instead of the 6s PNP would be nice. I've flown on 4s 4000s. Flaps, retracts, scale.

70mm F-16 and F-35 are both okay. Not my favorites, but good planes based on most customer reviews.

70mm F-104 on 4s instead of 6s isn't a bad option either, but best if you had a paved runway and were comfortable flying a needle.

You might also consider the Freewing twin 64mm A-10. That's a pretty easy one to fly as well. 4s 4000mAh lipo.


All of these planes have retracts, and all except the A-10 have flaps. The A-10 is pre-cut to accept flap servos that you add, but in my experience I prefer that plane without the flaps.

[MCO3024]

Any thoughts on the FMS F-15 Eagle (64mm)? It seems to have good reviews, will fly on 3 cell batteries and seems basic, but nice.

[Alpha]

The FMS 64mm F-15 is really fun with the landing gear removed and simply hand launched and belly landed. It's reasonably quick for its size, rolls like a drill bit, and runs on cheap 3s 2200mAh lipos. The gray camo works, though, so keep it close if you're flying in overcast skies. It is basic, but it's low cost and fun for a 3s EDF. Nothing wrong with that! It really is better without the fixed landing gear attached.

[MCO3024]

Decision made! order on the way!!!!