USA warehouse now open. Our USA warehouse is now open! Low cost shipping and an ever growing variety make ordering from the US warehouse even better value!
The Retro Series - Pioneer 1020mm EPO (PNF) (USA Warehouse)
The Pioneer is the first in the line of superb new Retro Series models, this new range pays homage to the Vintage RC and Freeflight era when models were practical, rugged, simple, good looking and always flew well, the Retro series offers you the chance to experience this golden age of modelling, but with all the benefits of thoroughly modern manufacturing and design!
The Pioneer is made from tough EPO and has been nicely painted in an authentic "dope & tissue" color, it is also Plug & Fly, so the pre-fitted Brushless Outrunner & ESC substitute the old oil burner and the pre-installed servo's offer you full four channel control. There are so many nice touches, including the alloy/plastic rear fuselage frame, the dummy rotary engine, machine gun and proper alloy rigging wires. The metal/CF under carriage is substantial and the large, thin wheels are able to tackle the roughest of strips without drama. Reciever access is via a neat hatch on the side of the fuselage and the quick battery access via the attractive alloy look cowl. Build time is very short, even the rigging system is simple and fast, not like the old days of building from plans, this one won't take 6 months to get in the air!
The Pioneer not only looks the part, it flies the part, the slow flight capability of this model is quite amazing and because it is so "locked in", the Pioneer manages to capture the essence of a much larger Vintage model in flight. At it's heart, the Pioneer is a Sport model, the power train has been well thought out making it quite capable of basic aerobatics like loops, stall turns, rolls, etc, without the need for excessive air speed. The Pioneer is a high quality, fun, robust and attractive "vintage" model with a truly authentic look and feel, take a trip down memory lane with The Retro Series!
Features: Plug and Fly Format, simply add your own reciever and Battery! Tough EPO Foam High Quality Construction and Painted Finish Robust and Practical Design Authentic Vintage Look Easy and Fast Assembly Superb Power Train/Airframe Balance Inexpensive to Get In the Air Aerobatic Capability Perfect Parkflyer size, Vintage flying without the need for lugging round a Flightbox! Perfect Post Trainer Model
I flew R/C years ago and am returning after a long break. I ordered this little plane and am awaiting it's arrival. Can you hand launch this plane? The flying site closest to my home is a grass field that hosts bigger models.
Thanks jk6672, After a few hours here's what I did. I laid the ESC flat on the bottom partially in the side access bay. I had to remove some foam molding from the bottom just inside the access bay. I put my orange receiver back in a hole towards the 2 servos. The battery (nano tech 1.3 45-90C) slides right in the battery compartment with the connectors going in to the side access hole where the ESC connector is located. I used two strips of scotch tape to make a long tab attached to the battery for easy removal. I also cut an extra vent hole in the bottom of the fuselage right under the ESC. So when the wind calms down enough to maiden this I will let you know the outcome and temps. You can watch my build on U2oob
I just received mine today. I am perplexed. I need help! The battery box is full of ESC so the battery will not go in. Where do you have the ESC and where do you put the receiver in the fuselage(i know the side panel)? My motor board is mounted wrong so theres no way to get to the allen (grub) screws that secure the motor and cuts the air flow out so the angle may be wrong? If you put all three (battery, ESC, receiver) close to each other you're going to have a major heat problem and receiver interference. So, tell me what you did to solve this. Thanks
I put my ESC and as close to the front as possible wedging it in from side to side. I have a 3S 1300 nanotech pushed in with the length running front to rear and the width vertical. The orange RX is also wedged in, all the way to the left side of the plane when the side door is removed. Getting to the grub screw, you will have to spear the EPO on the side to reach it. Hope this helps
The real difference beyond price is shipping time. I have already received an ordered placed from the USA warehouse and am still waiting for the order from the international warehouses. Same products, so the real choice is wait time versus additional costs.
where can I buy replacement props? I've tried some HK 8x6, which don't fit and found out are the wrong size, and I tried some APC and they don't fit the motor shaft either. BTW the plane flies great, I'm just a bad lander.
It looks like it flies very well, great low-speed characteristics, etc., and I was considering this as a trainer. Any input regarding that would be appreciated!
It does fly well with gentle stall chartistics. Not a super hot performer out of the box but if you do a prop upgrade you will be see improved performance. For the price its a good deal. Phil
What would be a prop upgrade...can anybody explain prop size, number system, pitch and how it relates to performance, power draw etc in a given motor? Specifically, for this model, what prop would improve performance?
Does the stock ESC/Motor system in this model comes with the battery adaptor in place and if so what type and would it be compatible witht the recommended turnigy battery connector...that is if the turnigy does come with a stock connector in place?
Does the C rating, continuous and peak, determine the amp rating minimum on the ESC or is it the motor?...I am not sure what C rating to use for a given ESC with say a 20A rating or is that not a relevant factor?
The C rating of the pack you intend to use should be determined by the max amps a given motor/prop combo will give. Ideally you want to use packs that are not stretched at full power, in fact I aim for around 10c if possible, this way you get best flying performance and best battery life, it must be said however, this is not always possible to do (pack size, weight, etc).
To be sure, for this plane with the given 20A ESC and stock motor, do you mean an ideal battery with a 10C rating or 10 20=30C rating? Further, is it ok to use higher milliamps than the 1300 recommended?
Stick with 1300mAh, it is all that will fit, this model is flown slowly and draws little in terms of amps, I would say that a 20c or 25c pack would be fine in the Pioneer.
For this plane, it says the esc is 20A for the stock motor and recommends a 1300mAh 3S battery...the battery for the combo is the turnigy nanotech 1300 3S 45-90C lipo pack...is the 45 plus C too much for the 20A ESC or am I reading this wrong?
The C rating will not cause a problem,a high C rating like this just means that if the motor wished to draw a lot of amps it could do so from this battery.The stock motor will only draw under 20amps so this is all it will draw from the battery.
Finding the right C rating is important. a 1300mah pack at 10C delivers 13amps. 1.3a x 10C. not enough. 20C delivers 26a on a 1300mAh pack. Enough but if pushed hard the battery life will deminish significantly. Battery life extends when the amp draw is comfortably inside the specs. Look for a draw desired of 70% max capabilit yof the pack. this plane draws 20 amps max. 25C 1300mah pack can deliver 32.5 amps constant. 70% is 22 amps so you're covered. Also, Higher C ratings are more expensive and the packs are heavier than lower C rated for the same capacity. Finer milled Lithim and polymer mix creating higher density and therefore greater ability to release it's charge, offering higher amp draw when needed.
There are no spare parts available for this plane. on the global listing they do provide additional accessories.
Customer Reviews
Overall Rating
4/6/2013 Sean
6 likes
Value
Quality
Like it?
This is a fun plane to fly. Not a speed machine; very graceful in the air. It has a great look to it. The guide lines on the wings are a nice touch. I would recommend attaching the lines to the wing tip ends first, then to the tower- there is a little more room to get the tension right with pliers at this end. She's a real beauty in the air!
No comments. Reply..
Overall Rating
5/13/2013 MastersOfTheWind
1 likes
Value
Quality
Like it?
The Retro is also known as "Elder 40". This is a great little plane. As with all planes I recieve, I check and reglue all seams and ran some thin CA glue into the fuselage down the tail framework just to make sure it was glued in well. I put in your 39mm pilot, excellent! The wires added that just right accent to the plane but after an emergency landing in the grass and popping a few wires off, I decided to remove the bottom wires since you can only see them in static display. The instructions were pretty good and the plane went together easily. The only problem at first is the small compartment. I put the orange receiver back with the servos, laid the ESC flat on the bottom after removing a little bit of foam from the side access entry and added an extra vent hole on the bottom just under the ESC. I added 62g of lead to the front to balance the CG. The maiden was excellent! Flies great, not hard loops - the front of the wing pulled out. Just for slow flying though it does fly fast. Take off with the drag wire won't do scale, goes left and right, you have to juice it. Landing was perfect, no mixing required. All and all, a real beauty and winner!
Copyright 2012 Hextronik Limited.
The HobbyKing.com®, OrangeRx, Turnigy, Durafly, nano-tech and other brand logos and names are trademarks of hexTronik Limited.
All rights reserved
.jpg)
.jpg)
