New E-Flite AT-6

[F22trainer]

I've been debating this AT-6 as a second plane for some time despite warnings that it might be too big a leap from my Apprentice. Yesterday, while watching a club member fly his, he offered to let me fly it. I jumped at the chance. After a smooth and easy takeoff on our 1/2" grass field, I flew around the perimeter and did some figure 8's 3 mistakes high, then brought it down to about 25' for some mid-speed passes and approaches with 1/2 flaps. He wanted me to land advising to "fly it to the ground - no throttle cut and flair", but I didn't want to risk damaging his plane so he landed. Just a beautiful looking plane, easy to fly, no bad tendencies and a wide flight envelope. I'm sold and doubts are resolved! Ordering tomorrow.

It will tip stall, just like the real one, if you get slow without flaps or overbanking without proper rudder input in a turn. It can be a big surprise. But mostly it has been tamed with proper washout and with flaps it is a predictable stall when you are in a proper coordinated configuration. I really like mine but I went to a PT-17 first to get more tailwheel experience after my tailwheel trainers. Good to get help - you’re doing it right.

[MikeT]

It will tip stall, just like the real one, if you get slow without flaps or overbanking without proper rudder input in a turn. It can be a big surprise. But mostly it has been tamed with proper washout and with flaps it is a predictable stall when you are in a proper coordinated configuration. I really like mine but I went to a PT-17 first to get more tailwheel experience after my tailwheel trainers. Good to get help - you’re doing it right.

Kinda weird and interesting to hear. We've been pulling them hard in turns around pylons and haven't noticed any stall issues. I've also slowed mine down to a crawl without any tip stall either. This thing is a *****cat and nothing at like like every other AT6 I've flown..

Mike

[OV10]

Kinda weird and interesting to hear. We've been pulling them hard in turns around pylons and haven't noticed any stall issues. I've also slowed mine down to a crawl without any tip stall either. This thing is a *****cat and nothing at like like every other AT6 I've flown..

Mike

Having not flown the Eflite one, your last sentence would indicate that they designed in a novice friendly(washout??) version. ;)As you eluded to, AT-6's are generally notorious for kickin ya when least expected.

[ICM]

Earlier in this thread and I believe in one of justwingit's videos on the "other forum" it was mentioned that the designer incorporated some washout. In my brief experience it flew like a *****cat on approaches with 1/2 flaps - slow with no bad habits. In retrospect, I wish I'd accepted the owners offer to land it.

[MikeT]

Earlier in this thread and I believe in one of justwingit's videos on the "other forum" it was mentioned that the designer incorporated some washout. In my brief experience it flew like a *****cat on approaches with 1/2 flaps - slow with no bad habits. In retrospect, I wish I'd accepted the owners offer to land it.

You'll be fine with the purchase. Just like any other new acquisition you just need to fly it.I've let others fly mine and they have had no issues with it.

Mike

[bob_stan]

But the flaps don't come with the kit do they? I thought they were precut in the wing, but no provision for the flap servo. Their installation would be a DIY by the owner.

[ICM]

No, the eFLITE At-6 comes with flaps/servos pre-installed.

[bob_stan]

Must have been thinking about the Dynam one.

[fhhuber]

Correct, Dynam's does not have the flap servos.

It does include the hinges for the flaps to rotate back as they come down.

[F22trainer]

I did mention it was designed with some favorable washout in the wing tips and while you can get it slow with out flaps - go ahead and slow some more until it does stall, just make sure you have some altitude. It will drop one wing first, with gear and flaps up. With gear and flaps extended it just mushes forwards, which is a favorable stall characteristic.

[Grossman56]

As a matter of interest, I got to see the AT-6 at Nefi. One of the fellows got it, assembled it and flew it right there.
I'm not a huge fan of E Flite as the Spitty was a disappointment, power wise, but this plane interested me.
She has quite a bit of get up and go and did not require a ton of lead up front to achieve CG. Scale wise, she looks great and seemed to handle well.
It looks to me like a great investment and probably a good second plane up from the Apprentice, just fly the crap out of the Apprentice on Advanced (normal) before hand.
Now, you are transitioning from trike to tail dragger, so remember, keep the fuse and wings level and control your decent with throttle and you'll have no trouble.

Grossman56

[F22trainer]

Get one Grossman!
I did not have add any weight - BNF version and 2600 battery. Had to re-glue the RX and retract had an issue but HH sent new. Pretty much flew out of the box.
I have no trouble closing on the T-28’s six o’clock:).
It slows pretty good without flaps, but they just make for a more stable final.

[rifleman_btx]

Get one Grossman!
I did not have add any weight - BNF version and 2600 battery. Had to re-glue the RX and retract had an issue but HH sent new. Pretty much flew out of the box.
I have no trouble closing on the T-28’s six o’clock:).
It slows pretty good without flaps, but they just make for a more stable final.

Yeah I wish I could have seen it go when I was there, but yeah the way that gear was, that wasnt happening.

[F22trainer]

Yeah I wish I could have seen it go when I was there, but yeah the way that gear was, that wasnt happening.

Yeah, that was the only bummer of the day.
She flies nice at half power but wil still stand on a wing in the turn without much nose drop or tip stall. Add power and you got a pylon race!
Preferring scale flight it is all too easy to start throwing it around even on low rates.

[Boots Whirlygig]

As a matter of interest, I got to see the AT-6 at Nefi. One of the fellows got it, assembled it and flew it right there.
I'm not a huge fan of E Flite as the Spitty was a disappointment, power wise, but this plane interested me.
She has quite a bit of get up and go and did not require a ton of lead up front to achieve CG. Scale wise, she looks great and seemed to handle well.
It looks to me like a great investment and probably a good second plane up from the Apprentice, just fly the crap out of the Apprentice on Advanced (normal) before hand.
Now, you are transitioning from trike to tail dragger, so remember, keep the fuse and wings level and control your decent with throttle and you'll have no trouble.

Grossman56

I was also impressed with the looks of this T-6 at NEFI and it was Warbird Charlie that performed her maiden. As I recall she was airborne at half throttle and CB was happy with how well it flew. I saw there were only 4 in stock at MotionRC, and now only 3. ;)
i hope to create a Hollywood version of the Tora Tora Tora Zero, as Grossman suggested in an earlier post.

[F22trainer]

I was also impressed with the looks of this T-6 at NEFI and it was Warbird Charlie that performed her maiden. As I recall she was airborne at half throttle and CB was happy with how well it flew. I saw there were only 4 in stock at MotionRC, and now only 3. ;)
i hope to create a Hollywood version of the Tora Tora Tora Zero, as Grossman suggested in an earlier post.

Been wondering who would be the first to make a Japanese version T-6.
Go for it!

[Bob Symes]

Get rid of the stock 2.5oz collet and spinner, replace that with a light aluminum version, I believe mine is from an old PZ T-28.
Remove the stock motor and pull the aluminum mount off. The FL3648 will bolt directly to that. Before you reinstall that, The esc is bigger so I use a small fish fillet knife to carefully open up the esc bay under the battery tray by reaching through the plastic motor mount. Remember to allow airflow around the entire esc for proper cooling. I also eased the motor mount open just slightly with a dremel so the esc would slide in. In the battery bay I added a piece of dowel at the aft end to raise the battery above the AS3X Rx. You could move the Rx aft a bit but I just used a dowel to make space. My canopy fit on with no trimming required.

Hi Ole-Timer, were you able to attain the manual cg of 92-98mm with the 4500 battery as per your photo and no additional tail ballast?
i have struggled to balance with a 2200 t shut graphene 4S, had to add some tail ballast.
Maidened on the weekend, eventful flight with very abnormal, slow to respond controls, including a throttle that would not shut down, would run at about 1/8 speed. Managef to get back on the ground, broke one wheel hub( now replaced with 3” pro lite s). I have never had any luck using the AR636 units. When I repowered it in the workshop to put the gear down to replace the wheels the receiver was dead. Tested with another esc and no go. I replaced the Ar636 with my stock go to Lemon units and all good. Late yesterday afternoon went out to check all the throws with the lemon and now the lemon is dead. So after dinner I stripped the plane down, soldered up a new ESC(Turnigy plush, 60A) hooked up another lemon and all good.
next test is when I get home from work to check if it powers up ok. Not sure what happened, must have not seen the black cat in the dark, LOL.
am waiting on a lemon with end pins(current test one has top pins which does not suit the compartment layout) to have a V2 maiden flight.

[Boots Whirlygig]

And I've seen 4s work in this plane...

I have a problem with this video and the claim it’s a 4S battery, because when they connect the battery to the ESC there’s only 3 beeps, indicating 3S. Did nobody catch this?

https://youtu.be/XVCoELTZVOY

[Dewey H Lee]

Very good catch. I could only count 3 beeps on both batteries. Mine came out of the box with one magnet for the flaps stronger on the left side than on the right causing it to veer badly on deployment.

[rifleman_btx]

After you pointed it out, i sure did catch 3 beeps as well.