Parkzone Radian XL

[Steve P]

I've got mine ready for some Highpoint action in a few weeks. Man that's one heavy hunk of foam and plastic. Thanks for your report -- there is a lot of online hate going on over weight and climb rate.

Do check the advisories at Horizon as when I opened up my wing center panel the spar doubler was not glued!

Fuselage: http://www.e-fliterc.com/ProdInfo/Fi...e_Bulletin.pdf

Wing: http://www.e-fliterc.com/ProdInfo/Fi...e_Bulletin.pdf

[JimD]

Back in 1999, I paid multiple times the price of the Radian XL for a sailplane that didn't climb as well under power, didn't soar as well, didn't have near the motor runtime, and had to spend hours (more like days and weeks) assembling it!

I am well pleased with this model. If some of the complainers had experienced the before, I think they would be WAY more appreciative of the present!

[lenb]

Don't buy into the plane being "heavy and climbs slow" comment from someone who hasn't yet fown one.

There are many excellent stories on today's forums from a range of pilots. Do your homework and then follow your own path.

[BobM]

I picked one up in Illinois at the Horizon Aerotow about 3 weeks or so ago. My younger daughter helped me build a couple weeks ago Saturday and we had the chance to get a couple flights the following morning.

It was fun for us to build together and I think it flies pretty darn well in my humble opinion. The batteries I use are the Elite 3200 mAh 3s packs.

I was able to climb it out to a good altitude and then get some enjoyable time in making very few adjustments. The receiver has a 3 axis gyro built in and my kit seemed to be dialed in with the gains very well right out of the box.

After I had about 5 to 10 minutes of having some fun with it and checking the controls a bit I had my daughter start learning how to fly. While she is new to it she did have fun and with the dual rates at the lower rate it was a great way to get her started.

The first flight ended up being about 15 minutes for us, with at least 3 or 4 powered climbs to gain altitude. I think the pack was at about 60% remaining when I landed it......worked out well I think for the battery and number of climbs.

I think the Radian XL is fun, easy to fly, it can stay in the air well, and it's also reasonably priced. It has a large span at 2.6 meters making it fairly easy to see in the air, with spoilers on the wings that seem to work well based on my landings that day. It comes as a bind and fly so all you need is a transmitter that uses DSMX such as the Spectrum, or similar.

I have a 2nd generation DX 6 transmitter that we put it on as it seems like a good one for my daughters to use (not too complicated or too many buttons, switches, and levers/slides). The spoilers are on a 3 position switch giving no spoiler, half spoiler, and full spoiler depending on the position. I think it would be nice to have the spoilers on a slide instead of the 3 position switch, but they work very well the way I have it set up on the DX 6.

Other than checking a couple points out on it (thank you Steve for sharing the bulletins on this !) it is great right out of the box.

Try mine out with me if we are flying together, happy to turn the transmitter over for a bit as long as I get to fly it too !

Bob

[Steve P]

Wonderful you are teaching her to fly!!!

I have my spoilers on the 3 position -- can't get used to landing a sailplane without the left stick! I may move to motor to the rear slider and the brakes to the left stick.

[Steve P]

Strip off all the corporate garbage and she looks quite comely for a porcine park flyer. Stripes on the bottom show up well at altitude. I'm seriously thinking about going to Callie for a complete Porsche 917 Pink Pig scheme.

[Swiss1]

Don't buy into the plane being "heavy and climbs slow" comment from someone who hasn't yet fown one.

There are many excellent stories on today's forums from a range of pilots. Do your homework and then follow your own path.

Remember the Internet is full of Unqualified Experts, many of them come into our store

Jeremy and Ben
SCCAAA TT TN

[Steve P]

Flew the XL again today. Nothing like the smell of bacon on a Sunday morning.

This thing moves through the sky like big old Cadillac. Just keeps going with no bumps and minimal driver input. It works lift well -- the rudder is quite effective, she rolls to one side and that wide chord poly wing does its part. Very easy to keep in a smooth circle with minimum effort and responds nicely to pulling up elevator to work a bubble. Easy to make tight circles in small, weak lift. Those tiny spoilers are effective, but frankly it lands so smoothly just gliding along the grass in ground effect they are at best an afterthought -- probably much more useful for escaping big lift.

The other white meat, I mean foam, won't get your adrenaline pumping but does everything a poly wing gilt is supposed to deliver. 15 screws to disassemble the plane is beyond poor design, so I'm leaving my horizontal stab installed and the wing as one big piece for transport. I added a wing skid to the bottom of the fuselage in front of the rudder to help keep grass and weeds from grabbing the base of the rudder. Works well.

Looking forward to flying with the sounder of swine in Cumberland!

[JimD]

I have one of these NIB (actually, it belongs to The Model Box) that I picked up in Illinois for Carl Luft, so he has first dibs. If he decides not to take it, it will be available on a first come first serve basis.

[Swiss1]

I have one of these NIB (actually, it belongs to The Model Box) that I picked up in Illinois for Carl Luft, so he has first dibs. If he decides not to take it, it will be available on a first come first serve basis.

We should have an auction Jim,
I have none left in the store and Horizon is out until next month, they have been very popular
Jeremy and Ben
SCCAAA TT TN

[68mustang]

I had Great Hobbies here in Edmonton bring one in for me and flew it today. It is just as good as everyone says - easy flying and no special trimming needed.

[JimD]

Yesterday evening, Joe and I went up to the field for some Radian XL time. I got there first and got out into the lift using a 25 second motor run. Joe did the same when he arrived a bit later. The lift was broad, smooth, and strong the whole time and we both had to land only because of impending darkness.My flight was well over two hours and Joe had 1 hour and 15 minutes!

I took this photo immediately upon landing. First timer shows the 25 second motor run and the second timer shows the 132 minute and 30 second flight time. What a fun and relaxing way to spend an evening at the field.

[stihac]

so............

from reading all of this I should dump my old Radian and upgrade to XL. Sounds like the performance is worth it.

Petr

[Steve P]

They are different birds. Sure, buy an XL, but don't dump your old Radian.

[JimD]

I have never flown the original Radian, so I cannot make a comparison.

[blake]

Don't get rid of your old Radian!
At Cumberland on the weekend, I gave my two brother in-laws some Radian time and they both loved it so much that I just bought them one each!
Now these guys had never even seen a radio glider before, let alone fly one. By the end of the beautiful evening flight on the Saturday, they were both flying by themselves and even caught some lift!

Blake

[JimD]

Nothing like a free sample to spark interest...good job! 😎

[stihac]

OK, sounds good. Keep the old one and the XL as well

Petr