The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

[Grossman56]

Hey guys, got a look at this bird, albeit still in the box unassembled, yesterday!  What a great bird this is going to be.  The LHS had it and I was quite impressed with it.  My one concern was whether the wings were removable for transport as 78" is a BIG wing!
Looks pretty easy to disassemble so that was good news.  The receiver is pretty impressive, especially if you have an I phone as you can adjust its program either with the phone, a tablet or a PC, Spektrum has a downloadable app under AS3X on their website.  All the control horns and pushrods are preassembled (something I always find a pain with FMS) and the quality really seems to be there, just looking at the gear doors which are beautifully flush with the wing.  An interesting note is that the engine isn't installed. No big deal, just interesting as I've never seen that before.
Well, so there I was, my B day and here sits this plane....but the wife is there and so, I had to back away.  Still, I put in on my list of planes to consider purchasing.  Apparantly Motion R/C has some videos coming out soon on the plane.
I'd love to hear if anyone purchases this bird and what their impressions are.

Grossman56    

[Loneflier]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

I also saw one at my LHS this weekend, but I didn't get an up close in-the-box look. I agree, this is a great looking plane, one I would be proud to have in my stable, but at nearly 600.00 for the BNF version, I don't see it happening soon. Maybe once I get really confident in my flying and am willing to risk that kind of loss, but for now, I will have to enjoy watching others fly it!

On the bright side, I did see that E flite does have another T28 coming out in a 1200mm wingspan, with AS3X, flaps, retracts, and more already installed, and for under 300.00. Now we're talking!! Even a scale 3 bladed prop with it too.

[Rocketeer]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Greetings Gang,

GMan,
They started providing the engine uninstalled with the Carbon Z Cub.
No sure why exactly, but the did.
Makes sense they would continue with the big T-28.
Also the AS3X phone App has been around a while as well. Pretty cool.

Loneflyer,
I have to agree.... The big T-28 price tag is too hefty for me. The still incorporate the weak nose gear and in such a big bird that a wait and see for me.

The new mid-sized T-28 seem to be the way to go. Bigger than the parkzone, smaller then the FMS, retracts, flaps, 100% re-design... and under $300!!!!

This one should prove interesting.

I hope more details surface soon other than the stock sales video.


Bill L.
In Okla.

[CT]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Hey guys, got a look at this bird, albeit still in the box unassembled, yesterday!  What a great bird this is going to be.  The LHS had it and I was quite impressed with it.  My one concern was whether the wings were removable for transport as 78" is a BIG wing!
Looks pretty easy to disassemble so that was good news.  The receiver is pretty impressive, especially if you have an I phone as you can adjust its program either with the phone, a tablet or a PC, Spektrum has a downloadable app under AS3X on their website.  All the control horns and pushrods are preassembled (something I always find a pain with FMS) and the quality really seems to be there, just looking at the gear doors which are beautifully flush with the wing.  An interesting note is that the engine isn't installed. No big deal, just interesting as I've never seen that before.
Well, so there I was, my B day and here sits this plane....but the wife is there and so, I had to back away.  Still, I put in on my list of planes to consider purchasing.  Apparantly Motion R/C has some videos coming out soon on the plane.
I'd love to hear if anyone purchases this bird and what their impressions are.

Grossman56    

Happy Birthday Gman!!! Have a nice flying day

[Rocketeer]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Greetings GMan,




[align=center]A Very Happy Birthday to you, my friend!!!!![/align]
[align=center]:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D  [/align]


[align=left]Bill L.[/align]
[align=left]In Okla.[/align]

[Capt. Crunch]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

This plane looks like it would be an absolute blast to fly!! But for now the price tag is shying me away. By the time you get some batteries to go along with it, your talking serious coin invested.

Maybe someday...

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Gman!!

[Rocketeer]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Greetings Capt.

Yeah, $500-600+ is way too much for a foamy airplane by the time it's all said and done.
Aside from it size there is nothing special about this T-28.

I think the 1225mm T-28 BNF is going to by the one to get.

AS3X installed, dual-servo flaps installed, electric retracts installed, and under $280!!
Plus it flies on the ever faithful, tried and true 2200mAh 3-cell LiPo!!

Yeah, that's the one for me!


Bill L.
In Okla.

[Capt. Crunch]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Either way a guy goes, be it a giant t28 or a 1200mm, you cant go wrong with Eflite. These guys make a heck of a plane. Their retracts alone are awesome. I haven't spent one dime for any parts for my Eflite p51 or the p47. And I've been flying the heck out of those planes all summer off a gravel runway.

Jeff

[Grossman56]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Hi guys and gals, I have to agree that the price tag comes with a pucker factor, even if you consider the receiver is already installed and set up.  The one thing is the size of course so I guess you have to compare it to the 1700mm (or bigger) warbirds.
Its one of those Ferrari moments, beautiful to look at and to dream of, but not in my price range.  I did wonder at the prop not being to scale as well, especially at that price.

I'm holding out for the 1400mm P 40B that FMS should have out sometime in October hopefully, I'll have to go into full blown Ralphie mode again to get that one!!

BTW the way, thanks for the B day wishes, especially this year....

Grossman

[Alpha]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

I maidened one of these big birds in PNP format this past weekend and was impressed on many levels. For those of you on the fence, I'm inclined to say you won't be disappointed if you chose to acquire one. Overall this is a solid model for any big bird fleet.

Pros:
1 - "Standout" Size. There were three of these CZ T-28s at the field and everyone crowded around them to take a closer look.

2 - Smooth finish throughout, top and bottom.

3 - Clean seams, clean pre-fabrication.

4 - Clean paintwork and decal application.

5 - The difference in sheen between painted plastic and painted foam wasn't too noticeable.

6 - An improved outline compared to Parkzone's ubiquitous 3s baby Trojan.

7 - Plenty of power for scale takeoffs or shortened takeoffs.

8 - Plenty of power for scale maneuvers. Not fast, but not slow. Knife edges and four point rolls are fall-asleep-easy. Snap rolls require altitude. Not enough power to hover with stock setup, but that's heresy for this plane anyway, in my opinion. I haven't flown the AS3X version but I'd be interested how its stock settings obey/accommodate/restrict more advanced maneuver commands.

9 - 6s 5000mAh pushed all the way forward against the fire wall gave good balance when flying both upright and inverted.

10 - Roll rate is respectable, but try it high first to get used to the timing. Don't try to roll inverted when you're on the deck for your second pass...

11 - 13mph headwind allowed a stable, short landing without flaps, rolling to a stop in about 25 feet. Slight power on, reducing scale, tiny elevator input, touchdown. Quite a fun landing to watch for a model this large. The model will stall, though, so don't get lazy. Test your flaps high. On subsequent flights I found that I preferred 20-30 degrees of flaps for landing, not much at all. Elevator was not mixed in. Too much flap can stop the plane in its tracks so beware.

12 - I appreciated the simplified landing gear/door design decisions. K.I.S.S.

13 - The prop at full tilt makes an "interesting" sound. Some of it is likely caused by the vibrating cowl as well. It's difficult to describe, but it certainly is not a silent electric plane with the usual prop noise. More of an angry bee quality. I quite liked it. For the record, the owner didn't balance the prop.

14 - Did I mention I love the size?

Less positive observations: [/U][/B]
1 - The cockpit detail (or lack thereof) leaves much desired for this price point. I would have loved to see some sort of detail for a plane this large. FMS' 1700mm cockpit-level detail would have set this model up another notch in my book in the Value category. The plain gray paint bubbled up in five minutes. Granted, it was 100+ degrees that day, so I cannot entirely fault the plane. Keep a canopy cover handy.

2 - The simple plastic sheathed wire struts aren't a Con, per se. I like their simplicity and strength. But I can completely understand those who may have hoped to have compression main struts, or at least a compression nose strut, given the price.

3 - Of the three T-28s at the field, one was downed with retract issues out of the box. He watched us fly the other two. One of those two eventually ended the day with a busted retract also, but that was 100% pilot error, not the fault of the aircraft whatsoever. Full flaps and stall from head height, partial correction and a hard smack onto one main. Retract went silent and won't cycle.

4 - The "CZ" decals are a bit off-putting. I wish they'd be included in the box but left unapplied. Last week we (Motion RC) got a call from a gentleman who flew the real T-28 from VT-27 that is being depicted in Eflite's upcoming 1225mm T-28. Real BuNos, especially on large planes like this, enhance realism.

5 - Flight time. A 4:00 minute flight depleted 78% of the battery, and consider that I fly with conservative throttle management, especially for maidens. I will qualify this reading with the fact that it was over 100 degrees, I was flying formation with the other T-28 and we *may* have been racing at different points of the flight and trying acrobatics, and the owner's battery was wrapped in a generic flat red heatshrink with a simple white printed paper label on it. Definitely not a name brand battery. I believe the owner's batteries were either old, high IR, or both. I'd hope for 6-7 minutes at least on a quality 6s 5000. If not more... "10 minutes" is what I read somewhere... is that confirmed as possible?

6 - The flap adjustment as documented elsewhere on this thread, was needed on this one as well.

[Rocketeer]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Greetings Alpha,

Thanks for the detailed input.

Seems to me the highlight of your discertation was "It's Big"!

Still not enough to justitfy its cost and that the R&D wasn't applied to the right areas of concern (like the weak retracts).

At $399 they could sell these all day long and still sleep at night with a smile. $500+ is too much "big" alone.

I'll remain on the fence and continue to wait on the 1225mm version.



Clear Skies

Bill L.
In Okla.

 

[Pheonix]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

I almost ordered this one but could not justify the cost.  I had both models of the FMS T-28 (older version) and problems were always the gear and gear doors.  This model is very similar to the FMS version.  I went for the CZ Splendor before e-flight discontinued it.  Now this is a real plane and flies awesome with a 6-cell 3300, 60C battery. The price is just a little more than I am willing to pay for this model.  I think e-flight will eventually drop the price.

[Grossman56]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

You know guys, I have to agree with you on this one.  Even in the box, this plane is impressive, but wow, I could get an FMS 1700mm Corsair and walk away with change in my pocket. Yes the T28 is bigger but that really boils down to more foam, the gear is what concerns me, just putting it into a larger airframe... And as I can be a little hard on retractable landing gear, especially weak doors, that concerns me as well.
I know there are a lot of T28 fans out there that know these planes better than I do and they are humming and haaing over it. 

Won't be this year for me.

Grossman56

[Rocketeer]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Greetings Gman,

Indeed.

I think the manufacturer had a really good idea but, it's a shame they couldn't pull it off a a respecable price point (well, they probably could have, they just chose not to).
More than likely they went into this with a low expectation on sales numbers.

Like you said...... It's the same old stuff wrapped in more foam.
I think reality will surface as these begin to collect dust on their shelves.
Or they'll just eventually discontinue it due to "lack of interest".
Of course we all know the interest is there.

hopfully, the 1225mm version will be their saving grace.


Bill L.
In Okla.

[Hippie 64]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Gman Happy belated Birthday!  

That plane is a beauty but I don't see it ever arriving at my address . It's just too much for me to invest in. It's like those new bigger EDF's out of my price range .



Bryan 

[Loneflier]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

I'm right there with you guys! At 300- 350 or so, I would have it on order already, but just not willing to invest that much for this one.

[Rocketeer]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

Greetings Hippie,

Agreed!!!

I can accrue 3 of my favorite Dynams for the price of the big T-28 and fly them all on the 3 and 4 cell batteries I already own!!
No need to tack on an additional 50-100 bucks for a 6-cell LiPo.

Bill L.
In Okla.

[Hippie 64]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

DITTO 

BRYAN 

[boomer108]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

I have to agree with everyone. Just to big a cost and I could probably buy three of my favorite planes I have been looking at.

Roy B.

[Grossman56]

RE: The New E flite T 28 (78") Wingspan BNF

yeah, by the time you invest $500+ for the plane then the receiver and then at least three batteries and a few spare parts you just know you'll need, I'd rather get the planes that I really want and save some money.(Not to mention the divorced!)  BTW, has any/everyone noticed that the price of the DX 18 is plummeting?  Has anyone heard if this is being discontinued or replaced.  It just reminds me of what happened to the DX8.  Now that I'd love to pick Mrs. G up a dx8, they've gone the way of the Dodo.

Grossman56