Ta-152 Build and Flight review

[Kloverzero]

Hi guys(and gals), just wanted to share my experiences with the beautiful Ta-152!!

Decal the plane!
It is going to make your life much easier if you apply the pressure sensitive vinyl decals BEFORE you begin assembly of the plane!!

The Build:
It doesn't get much easier than this. The wing halves only needed a slight touch of sanding to achieve a perfect joint, the spar fit nicely, and all of the wing control surface connections went on in short order. Glue the rear wing fairing pieces onto the fuselage and then the wing bolts right onto the fuselage with the provided screws. The stabilizer halves slide into plastic supports, and the elevators lock together with a keyed plastic piece. The screws are very small, and you need a small Phillips head screwdriver to get them in good. The rudder links to the steering horn on the tail wheel for a positive linkage between the two. The Blue Box connector fits in a niche in the rear of the battery compartment and my receiver nestled right in front of it. A few screws is all it takes to get the propeller all put together. With all of the connections hooked up, it is time to go to the field!!

Flying:
The Ta-152 has a ton of power on the recommended 4S 3000mAh. Be very careful on takeoff, as all of that power translates to a lot of torque, and the plane likes to try to roll to the left if the power is applied too rapidly. Once airborne, the plane is a thing of beauty. It tracks perfectly. Large inside and outside loops, Cuban eights, excellent vertical performance. It will slow down to a crawl with the split flaps deployed, and doesn't begin to rock its wings until about 15 mph true airspeed. High speed low passes are incredible and breathtaking. The airplane, on the stock power system moves along at a very good speed, and will satisfy all but the most hardcore speedsters. Landing is a cinch with the flaps deployed, it slows down nicely for perfect three point landings.

I have found that the plane is not too fond of grass, and as that is all that I have to fly off of, I have had to learn to coax the airplane around on the ground. I do not attempt much taxiing with the plane, as it likes to nose over in the grass. All in all, it is an excellent airplane, and any of you that have flown it will testify to this fact, and for those of you that haven't....what are you waiting for???

[dkalwishky]

Decal the plane!
It is going to make your life much easier if you apply the pressure sensitive vinyl decals BEFORE you begin assembly of the plane!!

I'll second that, that's what I did.

I did NOT decal the Spitfire until it was built. That made it more difficult to get them on nicely.

[Oxotnik]

I agree with the ease of build and beauty of the plane (aesthetically and handling). The only area that I struggle with this plane is on the takeoff roll. I fly on grass, and the plane is really touchy on the takeoff roll. If I release the elevator back pressure too soon, it'll nose over; if I hold back pressure a bit too long, it'll hop into the air too soon, and either stall or torque roll if too much throttle is applied. The band is very tight on the elevator to get a good take off roll. Once flying, the plane is a thing of beauty. With that said, though, it is more prone to accelerated stalls than most other planes due to it's long, slender wing design. So, be careful with the elevator and don't yank back too hard during looping maneuvers.