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The Predator scale model is as easy to fly as it is awe-inspiring to watch circle above, easy to build, this is an excellent park flyer. Set it up with a 400 size or 150-200W motor with a pusher prop and you have a stable flying topic of discussion at your next club day.
Watch people run for cover in fear of a pending missile attack with the Predator! Model comes with detailed instructions.
yes it is a hard one to fly, start with a bixler or something .... it will save you alot of money and its still supper fun and a platform you will grow on .
my predator was covred then painted when i started to work on it the paint started comeing off so i took allt the covering off and im going to cover it my way will send yo a picture of it when i finst it next week so let me know what you yhank of it vince
In reguard to the wing issues so many have seem to have had with this plane, I would advise to make sure the joiner tube is inserted correctly, then as a added measure add a one inch wide strip of fiberglass tape to the bottom of the wing from center to about theree inches from the wing tip. Do this at 25% of the wing cord from the leading edge. This will not add much weight and will add much strength to the wing during lift. This plane was not made for speed, and really should be flown like a powered glider.
I have this plane and motor in my cart, however first, I would like to make sure that the ST4010-820kv motor will fit into the cowling. The motor number is “*ST4010- however the info states “*dimensions: 51x23mm”*. I’*m a little confused.
Thanks KB.
is this motor fine with this plane?HobbyKing 2834 Brushless Outrunner 1250KVm will it fit? also what lipo should i use, what prop size if i use the 3-blade,and what esc amp should i use thanks
Sorry the links I pasted into the last post did not upload properly. That motor should be good personally, I would use a little beefier one but that should work. If you do use the 2834 go with a 40A ESC of good quality or a 50-60 of lower-grade. As far as the prop, three bladed are less efficient than two but use a watt meter to find the best prop.
Does this use standard size servos or mirco servos?
Can anyone tell me what motor lipo esc they use?
Any videos of this flying?
Balsa?
help please!
Also what level ud say this is flying?
The plane is very lite, the instructions on the box call for a "motor---400/2612" I check with HK search but could not find anything. I personally would go with this motor: www.link far as the servos, I will not use 9g due to the amount of $$$ the plane will carry and tests have proven those low grade servos will interfere with the video or jitter because of it. The servos that I will use will be able to push 1.5kg/cm something like this: www.link are just my preference.
Wonder if someone could simply identify what is needed to complete the airframe for flying that is available on the website at HobbyKing? A guy would think HK would do that but apparently thats beyond their capability. Servo size, wiring, motor, ESC, battery, adapters, etc. Surely folks with experience will know this simply off-hand. Thanks..
The reason that the reccomended motor isn't showing is that it's out of stock, basically, you will need a 28mm motor of around 1400kv (8x4 prop) a 20A-25A ESC with 4 x 9g servo.....the other stuff like connectors and wiring is part of the building process.
Can someone recommend the best servos and prop for this plane? I am getting the 2834 Brushless Outrunner 1250KV motor as recommended. Also, will I need any extension wires to plug everything in? Seems like a big plane. Thanks! http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/images/em_t humb.gif
Bought one along with a T 9X Tx on july 5, from usa warehouse, can't wait to get it but still in print queue, 13th today, is that normal? Never took this long when ordering from china. Anyways, other than strengthening the wing spar, anything else one should be aware of?
directions are not the best, be ready to improvise.
for me, i had make the ESC in the front of the plane Because it would not fit in the spot made for it. also to help from the plastic ripping, put Packing tape above the servos on the wing. have fun Flyin! Cheers.
Yes, it is the MQ-9 Reaper, also called the "Predator B" or "Guardian". The original MQ-1 Predator had an inverted V-tail and was typically painted white.
i used that same motor in it, and the answer is yes, but BE CAREFUL! i strengthened my wings with a long carbon spar, and they still flex a bit when i pull up into a climb. if you try it, make sure to strengthen the wings (requires stripping back the covering to do it properly) so yes, it works fine, but it will need strengthening. also, be careful to not pull back too hard on takeoff, as the longer prop that motor uses can hit the ground and break. if this helped, please say "yes" when it asks
noticed one thing on mine, it is 13 IN off ground, 12 inch prop would get really close to hitting the ground on take off and landing are you sure that is the best prop?
i bent the landing gear inwards a little to raise it (and put a longer nose leg on it) try that. also, try bigger wheels. more clearance and can take off from rougher fields.
i my self am new to the brushless moters, i would very much like this model but am confused on the diffrent types of brushless moters here on the site, the specs call for a speed 400 moter but i noticed in the list most were rated at the glow/gas equivilant, what would be the best motor/and esc for this aircraft, i read down the list and found the 2200 mah lipo batt best suited but no mention of esc nor motor, would be much abliged fort the answer
The 400 stands for the "park" size so if you go to the brushless outrunners by size you will see another catagory for parkfly motor, there will be 400 size motors in there. Also look for ones that start with 28. so for instance a 28-36a... then put a 10x6 prop with that. most motor have a recomended esc size the 28-35a recomends a 20amp esc... I would use a 30amp to be safe. The KV of a motor stands for rpm per volt so say if the 28-35a is a 750kv that means it would have a 9300rpm on a 3 cell battery (12.4 volts fully charged) hope this helps
i just bought this plane and was wondering what the back 2 'rudders' are for and how to program the Hobby King 2.4Ghz 6Ch Tx & Rx V2 - Mode 2 for it. Details would be nice. will reward 1st persons answer that is right.
*rcher that is a month full. They are the wheels stacked. As far as the programing V tail on your RC set. Firstly do you have a cable. (YOU NEED ON). Then the next step is to g oo g le. The instruction are out there but you do need to down load them. They are over a page long. The best part is that it does work. Once you have down loaded it let me know is you need a hand.
you can post the buddy codes in the hk forum and if some one uses it to buy this plane then you get store credit. if you click the buddy code icon in your order it will tell you how much credit you will get if someone uses it for which ever product it is associated with. you can also go into the hk forums and look for buddy codes to use for stuff you want. just enter the code into the discount code area on step three of the checkout. if you google hobbyking buddy code you will find more sites that have a place to post of get codes. they expire within 14 days of product order date.
Yup. Look they are taking down my comments warning people about this plane. Wow, they sure did that fast, funny thing, I couldn't get a hold of them or ask them for my money back.
if you used COMMON SENSE you would have put a bigger spar in. you say you are an experienced builder, but you used the stock spar, which is useless. with just a bit of common sense this plane flies beautifully.
When I buy a product I expect it to work. It's not just the spar. This plane is built very poorly. I tore it apart after the crash and it's very poorly designed. If you want to use it that's fine, but I think it is fair to warn people about this product. SO STOP TRYING TO DISCREDIT ME. THIS IS A POORLY DESIGNED PLANE.
Why should the consumer have to upgrade the plane and increase the spar or any other part of the plane. Why didn't the manufacturer properly design the plane? The COMMON SENSE comment is bogus. Design the plane the right way!! This plane is very poorly designed!!!
Kurt I totally agree mate, I was writing the same sentiments when I was interrupted, basically beezlebub's comments about replacing the spar being common sense is the biggest load of trash I have read on any RC forum. How do you firstly remove an integral structure member like a spar and then replace it?? I suspect he doesn't know his terminology and therefore is actually not qualified to comment on what a very valid and logical complaint by Ryan. I am so tired of armchair experts dispensing advice with no education or knowledge or experience to back it up. I am a manufacturer of competition kit aircraft and I can tell you that a spar can not be replaced and it is entirely reasonable to expect this model to fly as advertised without any modifications.
Aaah, I thought that's what you might be refering to, the 'spar' is actually the span-wise running strctural member forming the heart of the wing, all ribs, stringers and attachments and devices attach at the spar. What you are referring to is the 'wing joiner' sometimes called the 'spar joiner tube'. That can be replaced indeed, and far to often on ARF's should be replaced but the model should perform well within the envelope stated in the advertisement, requiring mods only for performance outside of the manufacturer's envelope. If this fundamental structure is failing well within the envelope then the model is essentially flawed and 'unairworthy' and the buyers should be made aware and can decide for themselves if the effort required to make it structurally and aerodynamically sound is worth it - most discerning buyers would feel there are more than enough worthy and completely sound designs out there to choose from, including perfectly good Predator models, making this more trouble than it's worth, but I personally don't mind the mods as long as the price is right, and at this price I think this is still a good buy.
Aaah, If I was a big shot manufacturer of competition kit aircraft I wouldn't be hanging out on HK's site. You got something that works better for the same price?
Gohmer U loosen it!!! I bought one of these and it is **** no matter how cheap. I am a lineman and have been one for 33 years. What company do I apparently own, and should I be getting royalty's?? Your definitely new here...
I'am a rookie. So this is my question for you: for this airplane do I have to buy additionaly: 1- motor 2- propeller 3- battery pack and battery charger 4- 4ch radio 5- reciever??? Nothing more?? or everything is included??
What pumpkinhead said. Assuming you have a transmitter, you'll need a compatible rx, motor,esc, 4 servos (the cheap 9 gram should be fine)and a battery. 3c 2200 would be more than enough for a 400 sized can. Oh... and a prop - pusher type. given its a 400 motor around 9-10" x 5-6 electric should be fine. Being a rookie you may want to consider something more in the trainer ballpark as these have a tendancy to stall weirdly. At altitude - not a problem, at 20', well...
I just bought my Predator, and yes that motor should work great. I probably wont even put something that big in to try to conserve weight. Make sure to use a push prop and if I were you I would stick with a 3cell 2200 battery to keep it light and glide better.
thanks, but i tried it on my predator a few days ago and it would have worked fine if the propeller had been about 4 inches shorter. i learned something else as well: DO NOT HAND LAUNCH THESE!!! they need way too much speed for level flight to use them as a hand launch. however, i found that if you remove the motor and use a nice light 4s nicad to power the rx, they make a great thermal glider.
I just bought this plane yesterday and I thought the same question. I believe it means pattern may very. I looked all over online and I didn't see one different color other than the green and brown one.
Has anyone replaced the scale wing with a shorter and wider one to see if it flys better. It looks like these long wings would have a problem trying to perform like the original more exotic materials. I would like to find a big camera mount that flys well and doesn't crash, so would try a different wing that could be attached and removed.
I have one of these(diff supplier though) & although the quality is poor it actually flies quite well.You don't need a V-tail mix setup as rudder isn't a primary control anyway with such a model.I run a normal prop turning backwards so pusher prop really not needed. Makes a good FPV with docile handling qualities,much like a glider with it's high aspect ratio wings
Customer Reviews
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chatenever
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PREDATOR
Wings folded on the first flight because of an under-designed wing spar. Nothing crazy ... happened while executing a normal low-G turn.
Build was a little annoying for an ARF. Required thin-profile servos to fit completely within the thin wing section. Had to cut open the covering on the fuselage in order to install guides to prevent the push rods from bowing. Servo wire extensions were required for each of the two wing servos, and a very long motor wire extension was required to connect the pusher motor to the receiver in front. Some cutting and material removal was required in order to fit in a 2200 mah battery. If you buy this model, you MUST figure out how to use a larger spar. I don't know how you would do that without messing it up because the spar is designed as a small rectangular hardwood piece that slides into the root rib and one or two inboard ribs. Enlarging the opening for a larger spar on the interior ribs would require cutting and patching of the covering.
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ChiefTodd
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Got this kit because it is unique and a GREAT price! I have not built it yet because I can't figure out how to make the wing removable. It is over 6 feet and with a body of 3 feet it will be difficult getting it into the car as a single piece. Overall I think it is a great buy, but can anyone give me some idea on how to make the wing removable?
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bikerbob24
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good aircraft just takes some common sense mods to the wing spar , flies great, just watch for tip stalling at low speed. I set mine up with flaperons and used a 250 watt motor 3s 1800 Lipo for decent flight times
Finally got it today (jul 31. ordered on the 5th) Beautiful plane, covering has wrinkles here and there but nothing major.Now i see what you guys mean by too weak of a main wing spar. Other than that I can see myself having fun with the wiring. Otherwise I'm happy with it specially considering the price. Will be back later with flight review.
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3/25/2013 335drvr
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I was a bit disappointed with a couple of things. I didn't like the OD w/white dappling so I pulled all the covering off and recovered with gray Monokote. Looks much better. No decals included in kit. Why is front wheel axle threaded? The included FG wing spar is twice as long as can be used. I think I will drill a hole (blindly) in a wing rib and file/sand it so the spar will extend into the wing a bit farther. Right now you would have to cut the spar in half to be able to get the wings on. I am planning on using a 450 motor and I will need to make a new firewall/mounting plate for it. If you want nose gear steering, where does the battery go? I will make a platform to hold the battery above the steering servo. I am also going to make a bomb drop and camera pod.
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