I finally saw the Su-30 fly over the weekend and had a chance fo look at it up close. It is a nice looking aircraft, and it sounded great with the EDF's being well balanced from the factory. It flew with authority, had respectable performance, and looked great in the air and on the ground. The struts appeared to dampen the surface (pavement) nicely without overly rebounding. Without a gyro, it looked very stable in the air. The lights also showed up very nicely in the air.
Some notes after closer inspection or after seeing the flight:
- It is a bit heavy, and the flight time isn't spectacular on a 6S 5000mah LiPo, but that is to be expected.
- I'd like to see some better linkages on the jet as it has plastic ball links with a self tapping screw through the ball attached to the control horn. The screw has very little threading left by the time it goes through the ball and other side of the control horn. I prefer Freewing's metal ball with a machine screw and a nut on the end to secure it to the control rod. That can be changed out rather easily on the jet.
- With the battery position in the nose, I would have liked to see more reinforcement/strengthening in that area with carbon fiber. It could be a potential weak point if not careful.
- I noticed there were more tiny screws in various places (such as on the main landing gear covers and ESC cover) for easy and clean removal of plastic covers, whereas some manufacturers use glue for securing the parts. This could be a positive or negative aspect depending on preference.
- The unpainted bare foam nose area, on the vertical stabilizers, and on the ordnance set were noticeable. I really wish they had painted all the areas.
Overall, I'm impressed and it is nice to see the improvement in EDF jets by E-Flite/FMS. At this time, I think this is the most appealing E-Flite/FMS scale EDF jet that has been released.
Some notes after closer inspection or after seeing the flight:
- It is a bit heavy, and the flight time isn't spectacular on a 6S 5000mah LiPo, but that is to be expected.
- I'd like to see some better linkages on the jet as it has plastic ball links with a self tapping screw through the ball attached to the control horn. The screw has very little threading left by the time it goes through the ball and other side of the control horn. I prefer Freewing's metal ball with a machine screw and a nut on the end to secure it to the control rod. That can be changed out rather easily on the jet.
- With the battery position in the nose, I would have liked to see more reinforcement/strengthening in that area with carbon fiber. It could be a potential weak point if not careful.
- I noticed there were more tiny screws in various places (such as on the main landing gear covers and ESC cover) for easy and clean removal of plastic covers, whereas some manufacturers use glue for securing the parts. This could be a positive or negative aspect depending on preference.
- The unpainted bare foam nose area, on the vertical stabilizers, and on the ordnance set were noticeable. I really wish they had painted all the areas.
Overall, I'm impressed and it is nice to see the improvement in EDF jets by E-Flite/FMS. At this time, I think this is the most appealing E-Flite/FMS scale EDF jet that has been released.
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