Official Announcement: FlightLine 1100mm LA-7

[Ron1950]

cant wait to see what flightline puts out next....why doesent anyone put out the A1 skyraider in the 1100 to 1200mm size anymore....

[FLTRI]

Hey Guys,

I'd really like to make this my next plane, but have a battery question. I don't have any 4S batteries of the recommended size, and I really don't want to add more batteries to my already oversized pile. I have plenty of 2200 and 2600 3S batteries, and some 5000 4S batteries. Will either of these work?

Thanks!

Edit: The weight difference between the recommend Admiral 4000 and my 5000's is 143 grams, or 5 ounces...

[Alpha]

Hi FLTRI, I've used as small as 4s 2500 in the La-7 (tail heavy), but I really recommend 4s 3000 at minimum or rather the 3600-4000 for the best in stability and handling. A 5000 would be heavy... Doable, but heavy. The La-7 doesn't seem to mind the 4000 I usually fly in it --it penetrates and carries its energy well in even the windiest of conditions. My only concern with running a 5000 would be overtaxing the gear on landing. Use half flaps and keep your touchdowns gentle.

[FLTRI]

Thanks for the reply, Alpha...

[Delizar]

I've seen the La-7 on the ground of at Apollo Field. Didn't get a chance to see it fly. It is a good looking plane and as many have pointed out, something more unique than the everyday you see at the field.

I'll get to the point of this post. There is darned little video out there of the La-7. Motion did a build video but no flying video. If you want customers to step out of the box of convention and buy these you may want to lend them a hand by providing them with a bit of eye candy to watch on those windy days at home.
Just a passing thought on my part.

[shocktrooper]

This thread appears pretty much in-stasis for over a year now.
I just got my new Flightline La-7 from MotionRC built & balanced for her maiden flight in the coming days, hopefully this weekend. I was hoping to find some inputs from our members about this bird before I launch. Apparently, there has been very little interest from the Motion RC customer base in purchasing and flying this bird...unless I have missed seeing a different titled thread about it...?
I would appreciate and respect any and all advice before I send her up for the 1st time.
FYI...I have watched 'Pilot Ryan's demo flight on the motion site, re. "This one is NOT for the feint of heart". I have installed the Eagle A3-L gyro out of caution, a Tactic 8 ch Rx w/ dual antenna, and CG'd spot-on @ 85mm with an Admiral 3600 mAh 40c LiPo (all the way fwd.) in the bay. She was a bit nose heavy with gear up &(inverted) & would almost tilt off the balance stand with gear down. With gear up, I added one, 1/2 oz stick-on (glued down) tire weight to the RH horizontal stab's lower surface. The fuse is too narrow at the rear for a good flat surface to adhere to.
She CG'd perfectly level now with gear up and tilted slightly forward with gear down. Methinks this will be ideal for a 'twitchy' warbird, and I always fly my warbirds in a scalelike manner, so a tail heavy setup is not what I want or need. I fully realize that I could have moved the batt aft, off the fwd bulkhead to counter the nose heavy tendency, but I prefer locking down my batts all the way fwd. which is less likely to shift in flight, and cause a catastrophe. A 1/2 oz. of added weight in this case (I believe) is no big deal.
So...I am reaching out to anyone out there that can offer their own advice and experience with this awesomely beautiful Soviet warbird from 'The Great Patriotic War', as the Russians referred to WW II.

As a footnote, I am currently sim combat flying this bird in 'Campaign mode, late 1944' against the Luftwaffe, outside of Berlin.
It is an older flight sim; IL2 Forgotten Battles, but it has me really challenged and thrilled to fly it daily. For an "old sim"...the graphics and realism is fantastic! Currently have 28 kills in the La-7 as a 'Kapitan', flying wingman for the Colonel, in some really brutal air battles at medium to low altitude engagements with Fw190s, Bf109s &110s, and even an occasional Me262 shows up for a quick blast-through the 'furball! The historical accuracy and recorded trends of the airwar over the Soviet Union and late war Germany are remarkably accurate in this sim!
In the sim, this 'thing' can be quite the killer-beast on takeoffs and landings (several KIA resets while learning it), but it is very fast, agile and lethal in flight against the nazi birds. The 'modeled difficulty level for T.O/landings in this bird have me a but leery of this RC model. Then agin, all this is what made me want to buy, meet the challenge and fly this awesome RC La-7 fighter model from Flightline and the FANTASTIC MotionRC!
Hit me up fellas...I ALWAYS, "listen to those that know."
THX in advance!
shocktrooper

[Hardway]

Just ordered one today. At 169.99, how can you go wrong!! Going to put in an A3-L gyro and Spektrum 8 channel receiver. Have to turn the gyro on/off on channel 7 and plug the 10 amp BEC into channel 8..... I have the high speed P-40B and the KI-61 Tony... I think this one will fly in a similar manner. Can't wait!!

[dkalwishky]

I saw that this is one that's on sale. I may just pick one up since no one else around my parts has one.

[Hardway]

Going to post a few pics of the new paint and Callie's graphics.....

[Hardway]

Not exactly scale, but visually pleasing... I added the stars on the top of the wing, and did some camo with Tamiya medium blue for contrast on the grey. Did the tail white with one red stripe, not three. Just too much red with the Soviet star on the vertical stab.....

[Hardway]

:P Thank you guys!

[Hardway]

Ready to maiden.... Spektrum 8 channel receiver, Freewing gyro, and a CC 10 amp BEC. Admiral 4000mah 4 cell battery.

[Delizar]

Looks great. If she flies half as good as she looks, you will have a real cupcake.

[Hardway]

:Cool:

[Husafreak]

I just ordered one of these. Not much on the Squawk to support it but I am building the CY models giant scale kit and I'll be putting a Moki 180 in it. So basically how could I resist? This model looks pretty scale like to me. The LA-7 was a little odd looking in real life. It really looked like a bad Chinese replica with a squashed canopy and cartoonish features! I have a soft spot for warbirds that look tough and purpose built though so I really like it. And it was a great fighter. They really took it to the Luftwaffe with this one. In real life it was made largely out of wood and was nicknamed "The Grand Piano".
I have been flying my little Parkzone FW-190 for years (43" also) and it has the worst ground handling of any plane I've ever owned so how could this be any worse? LOL I am really surprised by the size of the batteries you guys are using! The PZ flies with a 3s 2200. This with a 4s 4000? Yikes. I'll probably pick a battery that can fly for 6 min, maybe a 4s 2500-3000? and add tail weight to balance. I'd rather add 1oz in the tail than 4oz up front.
I ordered a TA-152 as well, thank you MRC for offering these great alternative warbirds.

[Husafreak]

The LA-7 looks just great, what a nice looking model!
I put the stick on decals on my LA-7 and Ta-152 today. The Ta-152 went fine. The LA-7 was a lot of trouble. The decals may have dried out or something but they just don't stick to the plane well. The little stars are impossible to attach, they just fall off. Time will tell if the bigger ones stay on. I sprayed over with Testors Dullcote and they look great but the corners are not staying down. I'll have to contact Callie Graphics. Anyone buying this plane may want to consider them right off the bat. Or maybe I was just unlucky.
This is my first experience with the stick ons and I much prefer Freewing water slide decals.