Control range of Aerobird Challenger?

Why fly it where you can't see it?

That's not a very big plane. It must get difficult to see at 600 feet.

And, yes, transmitter range does fall off as the batteries lose power. Alkalines are not like NiCds in that their voltage is constantly decreasing as they discharge. NiCds will maintain a rather constant voltage during discharge until they reach a critical point. Then the voltage drops rapidly.

I've had mine up way past 500 feet and had no problems at all (except keeeping an eye on the plane itself). Dumb question - you do have the antenna fully extracted, right?

I can definitely still see the plane, I'd guess sometimes it is around

300 feet away and then the engine seems to cut out as if it is losing communication, so I usually turn it around... Hmmmm.... I'll just have to experiment I suppose...

Momentary loss of signal is something I experience with my AB. It seems like it gets interference, but it's only for 1/2 second at a time. I guess that's what you can expect on 27 mhz. I have had my AB at least a 1000' away, yes I know it's far and yes it's hard to see, but I have done it. I did have it way up there so if I would lose perception of it I could dive it to see which way it was flying (away or towards me). With fresh tx batteries and a fully charged rx battery, it probably can reach 2500'. I used this plane as a basic trainer to orient myself with the hobby. I find myself flying more realistic planes (NexStar, Extra 300S, and a Super Chipmunk) on the 72 mhz band. The AB certainly helped me with the learning curve.

Darren

my nephew specked my ABC out, it was at least 300 yards away, and a

least another 500 in the air. I used my binoculares to see it and brin her home. ( note to self, The nephew is not ready to fly unsupervised in the 20 seconds or so I turned away to ready my other plane, it wen from in our flight box, to way the hell over there. He says the win took it. but in any event, I had control of it when i took the stick But if it wernet for the binoculares, I dout I could have brough he back from such a distance. All my naked eye saw was a speck.

Persoanly I like to fly it down low and fairly close, I like to be abl to see it. I rarely go above 200 feet or so, and rarely more then 10 yards away.

My hiteck claims a 2 mile range and states clearly, If you can see it you can fly it. I cant imagin outrunning that range hehehe.

Have you checked your antenna wire for damage? it is possible you ar just getting interfearnce, have you flown at other places? Hmm, wonder if I can turn down the radiated signal , say reduce the range t

1 mile transmitted and save a heap of battery life.,, gonna ahve t find someone to talk to about that one..

Ken-Ohki

"I make things do what I want them to, The hell with what they ar designed to do.

-- Ken-Ohk

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I had my aerobird challanger one half mile away, but it got low and

lost control. I know it was one half mile (about 2500 feet) because drove over to a road near where it went down a some people had foun it. I looked on the map and the road was one half mile from where was flying. The airplane looked pretty small when I lost control, but when I've ha it thermalling close to straight up, I've had times when it even looke smaller and never lost control of it

-- Jim

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The proximity of the ground will compromise both the radio range and the mental state of the pilot.