> I went out to Zilker park here in Austin to go fly a bit during lunch,
> > and some people from the local hobby shop had an Aerobird Xtreme out
> > there that they were flying
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>
> > I was actually impressed with how well the plane flew. From what I've
> > seen in the past, all of the planes shaped like this (Firebird,
> > Aerobird, etc.) that come as an all-in-one package generally fly like
> > ass, with the later 3 channel versions being better than the older 2
> > channel versions, but this new one flew extremely well.
> >
>
> The AeroBird Challenger (ABC), the Extreme's older (but littler) brother, is an
> able craft and has plenty of juice even with its standard 6-cell NiMH packs. I
> get about 12-15 minutes of throttle time out of mine, and it soars like a champ
> when I get it way up there and it has a chance to hunt for those updrafts. The
> third channel is what really makes this plane. I can't imagin having to rely on
> two channels, with throttle for altitude control. My brother had a Firebird and
> while it got him hooked into RC aircraft, he would never buy one again. >
> > It had plenty of power, and plenty of control authority. And the wing
> > is re-enforced with carbon fiber, so it shouldn't fold like the older > > ones do.
>
> You can acheive the same effect with strapping tape, which is the first thing I
> do with new ABC wings. But it's good to see HobbyZone incorporating new ideas
> and updates into their newer designs.
>
> >
> > The guy was doing loops, rolls and generally having a good time.
> > Compare to the original Firebirds, where they would just fly around in
> > a big fat circle.
>
> Friggin' amazing what an elevator can do! But truthfully, you can outgrow the
> ABC quite easily. You can't get the thing to fly inverted, and any tricks that
> would require use of ailerons are of course impossible. The one thing they are
> great for is having a compact, truly ready-to-go plane in a nice box that will
> fit in the cab of your pickup truck. Great for lunchtime outings. >
> >
> > Of course, at $190, they're starting to get in the price range of the
> > more serious planes, but even so ...
>
> The ABC is $150.00 with an extra battery pack at hobby warehouse. >
> >
> > I probably won't go out and buy one, but I must admit that the `entry
> > level toys' are getting a lot better.
> >
>
> Hey, it worked for me! But I'm currently in the process of putting together a
> Sig Rascal. That's my next toy.
>
> James
Did you get a chance to try the combat or drop module out???? I had the Comander but never got a chance to try out those 2 goodies. Sold it and moved on to a 3ch balsa Kyosho Spree. I kinda miss the old firebird :-( ..Anyway good luck on that Rascal, thats a sharp looking plane. I am consedering buying one but I also like the E-Flite Ascent.
Good Luck Mike