Volantex SonikRC Corsair - How To Fly & Tips

I've been flying these now for 20 months and they taught me how to fly 4 channel radio control aircraft. I think these little 400mm wingspan EPP foamies are great. Very resilient to damage, and at around just 60 grams they are hardly any threat to anything. In fact in this video the plane hits me on the shoulder in flight as I was trying to get close shots to camera, and no harm was done to either of us. In this video I cover the basics of what the controls do, and also give some hints and tricks I have learned on the way.
If I repaint them I use water based acrylics such as Vellajo or Citadel paints. I stipple them on with a brush for small areas or spray for larger ones. See other recent videos on my channel of a Kittyhawk and Mustang conversion.
I use UHU glue to fix the foam as I find this does not eat into it. Also UHU POR is a flexible glue suitable for aileron mounts that need to move.
One tip is to land (or crash) with the throttle down, otherwise the chance of spinning the prop into the ground and smashing it is high.
Another is to repair your props. I've flown on 82 days and break a prop say one in three outings because I usually try something close to the ground or camera. So for my prop repairs as shown in this video have saved a lot of money, and I quite enjoy doing them. I use a contact glue to hold in place whilst I then use an epoxy resin joint around the break to hold it. At first I added some glue weight on the other prop but soon found it was not necessary for balance.
If your servo twitches you need to get to it through the hatch, rotate it 180 degrees so it points the correct way, then when you re-arm it will find its correct centre position. If you have a Mustang, Corsair, Trojan or Sport Cub you cannot easily get to some of the servos, so you may have to separate the wing or cut the body in half. In fact you will need to to replace a motor or gearbox. I have known one motor stall due to sand in it. Don't fly on a beach unless you want the sand to clog up the motor. In my case I got lucky and it cleaned out ok.
You may think about leaving a contact number under the plane. This is up to you. For me I do that (as I did with my model rockets) to get them back, and it works most times. I give £10 or a bottle of wine to the finder.
These planes will self-level but that is all. You will have to fly them. They are not like some drones that can fly themselves or take off and land themselves. But if you have a simulator or game you should get the hang of these planes really quickly. My sons did straight away. They could fly just having gaming experience. I recommend these for age 14 or more.
They are rules in each country. I would suggest familiarising yourself with those. But in the UK there is no legal requirement at time of this video to pass the exam as the plane is below 250grams. In fact these planes have so little momentum it makes sense. A football could do more damage being kicked about and they are not licensed.
Spare parts are readily available online. I recommend several batteries (3.7v 400mAh). I store mine in a metal box. Read up on LiPo battery safety and storage, especially for larger models. Be careful with glues and paints. Use common sense when flying. Do not scare animals or people. Stay away from traffic. Fly on non-windy days if possible. Strong winds are possible if steady and a lot of fun too but do that when yo have experience. Look below in the comments from people in case they have got some tips.
U-Turn: Tranny on, power plane, Throttle trim up (3 beeps), then bind. To operate throttle trim down.
Three modes:
Beginner: with X-Pilot stability on fully restricting harsh movements and so good to learn with. Will not allow manual loops or rolls but the aerobatic button suffices instead.
Midd: Lively mode that will allow sharper movements and loops even but rolls will need to be done with the aerobatic button or by switching to 'expert' mode for a moment.
Expert: No stabilisation. I don't recommend this in any kind of wind as these little planes are more susceptible to gusts than most. Larger model planes also have stability, so why not use it as then the plane will respond more like a large plane and you can 'fly' it rather than 'fight' it. Some people fly in expert mode but I feel no need to do this as I can enjoy my day more with a touch of stability, technology is here to make the flying more realistic, easier and fun. I have flown for over a minute, so can d it and don't need to prove it to myself anymore. Oh and you can do loops and rolls.
Have fun!
My squadron so far:
X450 (drone/aircraft style)
Spitfire x 4
P-40 Warhawk/Kittyhawk x 2
P-51D Mustang x 2
F4U Corsair x 1
Messerschmitt Bf109E x 1
Sport Cub x 2
I have flown a Trojan. Getting a Zero soon.
PLEASE make a RAF WW2 Hurricane!
Internet search 'Calvertfilm'.

[@user-cc3cq7xi6p]

Great tips.

[@only_visiting]

Great video man, thanks for the tips.

[@Calvertfilm]

You're welcome.

[@dwkach]

NEVER NEVER repair a broken prop by gluing. It is totally unsafe. It is an accident waiting to happen.

[@Calvertfilm]

On a larger plane but on these it is fine. Flown many times that way and all is ok.