Vimana89
Legendary member
With my micro Trojan looking pretty battered, waiting for a new Scout kit and some electronics, and having taken a break for a bit from building, I decided to try my luck with another RTF plane. This time, I was looking for something that was a good trainer, but had no safe mode. I didn't want to break the bank, was looking for something compact and easy to not only repair but replace parts, with gentle flight characteristics. I stumbled on the Hobby Zone champ, something I had seen briefly but overlooked last time I went shopping around on the RTF market. On closer inspection, I realized it looks just like @basslord1124 's avatar. It is well liked in terms of reviews, and I liked what I saw from videos. I looked around, and replacement parts for pretty much every piece of the plane from electronics to airframe are cheap and readily available.
It arrived in a somewhat large box for a micro plane, which is understandable since it comes fully assembled. It came with a basic transmitter that looks much like the one that came with my micro Trojan, but without safe mode, a clear and concise instruction manual, four AA batteries, some extra small Velcro strips, one 1s 3.7v 150 mAH battery(the same exact type my micro Trojan takes), and the corresponding USB charger(I have three of these chargers and four batteries total now, with four more batteries on the way). No assembly was required, and the plane came bound to the transmitter. This is my first experience with a Cessna/Cub style plane, aside from on the Multiflight simulator, where I have flown this style both as RET and four channel with a good amount of success. The champ is a simple, RET micro version of this style of plane. It is readily available RTF with transmitter for about $90-$100.
First Impressions: Nice color scheme. I really think the orange stands out on the Cessna type, which I normally see in white/red or white/blue schemes. The plane has a simple charm and a clean, sleek, sturdy, look. The detail on the geometry of the top of the wing is a nice touch. I don't know the technical jargon for the ridges/lines/texture, but the attention to detail is pleasing. It makes the wing sturdier and adds a bit of drag, which is actually desirable on a slow trainer. From what I can find, the material is listed as EPO.
From what I can tell, it is indeed made of sturdy, hobby grade foam-the whole thing, wings and fuselage, unlike the Trojan, which has a fuselage made out of what seems to be basic Styrofoam. The propeller is made from thin, flexible plastic similar to but not exactly like the props on my Trojan, which can take a real beating and come away with only cosmetic scratches. I have had to make major repairs several times to my Trojan, and it is on its last legs, but it is still using the prop it came with. The battery connects to the Champ on a strip of Velcro in a channel on the underside the fuselage just like my Trojan. The rudder and elevator are already together on the right stick on the TX where I want them, and a control check shows the rudder and elevator to function well. They have a fairly short range of motion which is good for a trainer. There is a slight dihedral to the entire wings and then a secondary one at the tips. Great for an RET trainer and looks nice. Everything looks promising.
Maiden impressions: I had to time several short flights in between nasty winds today. It flew well right off the bat, but I had to get used to its flight characteristics and flying without safe mode. I had a couple rough landings due to the wind picking up in flight, and a couple random crashes that I found were from the battery coming loose during flight. These impacts really worried me when they happened, but each time I went to retrieve the plane, it had only very tiny, minor cosmetic scrapes and crinkles on the nose and only cosmetic scratches on the prop. Its extreme lightness and durable material make it pretty impact resistant. That same lightness, though, makes this plane far from ideal for handling any kind of wind other than slight to modest breeze. I had one flight that was going very well until the wind picked up and took it across the lot almost to the highway. I had to cut power and bring it down rather roughly, but once again, no real damage.
As far as handling and flight characteristics, I have to say I'm very satisfied. This plane is extremely stable and really just has a tendency to want to stay in the air, with very little control input needed to keep it flying. The double dihedral provides a nice self-leveling effect that is smooth and predictable rather than jerky. The stall characteristics are very gentle, and there's not much the operator can put this plane through in the air that she can't immediately recover from. The controls are smooth and responsive enough, without being overly touchy; it does not feel as "on rails" and uncrashable as a plane flying on safe mode, but it is less touchy than my mini scout and a good bit easier to control than my Trojan is with safe mode off, and has a very locked in feel for having no training wheels. This plane, although it can be flown with very little control input, is also capable of crisp, tight turns and can be flown in limited outdoor spaces. I imagine it would also be a good choice for indoor settings such as a gymnasium. This plane can loop, but it needs to be on full throttle and have enough momentum built up, or else it will stall.
Pros:
*Great value for money
*No assembly required
*Very nice "fit and finish". clean assembly, nice aesthetics, nice attention to detail, especially with the wing.
*Replacement parts for every piece of this plane are cheap and readily available
*Compact size for storage/portability
*Impact resistant
*Smooth, gentle, stable, and forgiving flight characteristics, without safe mode make for a great trainer
*Ability to make tight turns and operate in limited or confined outdoor spaces or indoor environments such as gymnasiums
*Super short ground take off, even from less than ideal terrain like a rough dirt trail
Cons:
*Poor wind resistance
*A bit underpowered for even the most basic aerobatics
*Battery can come loose and dangle or detach during flight if it is not seated securely
Overall rating: 9/10, would highly recommend for a trainer
Final thoughts: I'm glad I didn't choose to shell out an extra $40-$50 for the fancy red and white version with safe mode. There are other safe mode equipped planes at that price point that are better value for money and would benefit more from the addition of safe mode. If I were buying this to train a small child, or this was my absolute first rc experience ever, I could see the benefit to having safe on this plane, at least for the first couple flights. For anyone who has even flown at least on a sim, I would opt for the basic version, because safe mode on this plane is overkill. The basic, non-safe- mode Champ, in my opinion, is the perfect level of ease/difficulty to really learn.
It arrived in a somewhat large box for a micro plane, which is understandable since it comes fully assembled. It came with a basic transmitter that looks much like the one that came with my micro Trojan, but without safe mode, a clear and concise instruction manual, four AA batteries, some extra small Velcro strips, one 1s 3.7v 150 mAH battery(the same exact type my micro Trojan takes), and the corresponding USB charger(I have three of these chargers and four batteries total now, with four more batteries on the way). No assembly was required, and the plane came bound to the transmitter. This is my first experience with a Cessna/Cub style plane, aside from on the Multiflight simulator, where I have flown this style both as RET and four channel with a good amount of success. The champ is a simple, RET micro version of this style of plane. It is readily available RTF with transmitter for about $90-$100.
First Impressions: Nice color scheme. I really think the orange stands out on the Cessna type, which I normally see in white/red or white/blue schemes. The plane has a simple charm and a clean, sleek, sturdy, look. The detail on the geometry of the top of the wing is a nice touch. I don't know the technical jargon for the ridges/lines/texture, but the attention to detail is pleasing. It makes the wing sturdier and adds a bit of drag, which is actually desirable on a slow trainer. From what I can find, the material is listed as EPO.
From what I can tell, it is indeed made of sturdy, hobby grade foam-the whole thing, wings and fuselage, unlike the Trojan, which has a fuselage made out of what seems to be basic Styrofoam. The propeller is made from thin, flexible plastic similar to but not exactly like the props on my Trojan, which can take a real beating and come away with only cosmetic scratches. I have had to make major repairs several times to my Trojan, and it is on its last legs, but it is still using the prop it came with. The battery connects to the Champ on a strip of Velcro in a channel on the underside the fuselage just like my Trojan. The rudder and elevator are already together on the right stick on the TX where I want them, and a control check shows the rudder and elevator to function well. They have a fairly short range of motion which is good for a trainer. There is a slight dihedral to the entire wings and then a secondary one at the tips. Great for an RET trainer and looks nice. Everything looks promising.
Maiden impressions: I had to time several short flights in between nasty winds today. It flew well right off the bat, but I had to get used to its flight characteristics and flying without safe mode. I had a couple rough landings due to the wind picking up in flight, and a couple random crashes that I found were from the battery coming loose during flight. These impacts really worried me when they happened, but each time I went to retrieve the plane, it had only very tiny, minor cosmetic scrapes and crinkles on the nose and only cosmetic scratches on the prop. Its extreme lightness and durable material make it pretty impact resistant. That same lightness, though, makes this plane far from ideal for handling any kind of wind other than slight to modest breeze. I had one flight that was going very well until the wind picked up and took it across the lot almost to the highway. I had to cut power and bring it down rather roughly, but once again, no real damage.
As far as handling and flight characteristics, I have to say I'm very satisfied. This plane is extremely stable and really just has a tendency to want to stay in the air, with very little control input needed to keep it flying. The double dihedral provides a nice self-leveling effect that is smooth and predictable rather than jerky. The stall characteristics are very gentle, and there's not much the operator can put this plane through in the air that she can't immediately recover from. The controls are smooth and responsive enough, without being overly touchy; it does not feel as "on rails" and uncrashable as a plane flying on safe mode, but it is less touchy than my mini scout and a good bit easier to control than my Trojan is with safe mode off, and has a very locked in feel for having no training wheels. This plane, although it can be flown with very little control input, is also capable of crisp, tight turns and can be flown in limited outdoor spaces. I imagine it would also be a good choice for indoor settings such as a gymnasium. This plane can loop, but it needs to be on full throttle and have enough momentum built up, or else it will stall.
Pros:
*Great value for money
*No assembly required
*Very nice "fit and finish". clean assembly, nice aesthetics, nice attention to detail, especially with the wing.
*Replacement parts for every piece of this plane are cheap and readily available
*Compact size for storage/portability
*Impact resistant
*Smooth, gentle, stable, and forgiving flight characteristics, without safe mode make for a great trainer
*Ability to make tight turns and operate in limited or confined outdoor spaces or indoor environments such as gymnasiums
*Super short ground take off, even from less than ideal terrain like a rough dirt trail
Cons:
*Poor wind resistance
*A bit underpowered for even the most basic aerobatics
*Battery can come loose and dangle or detach during flight if it is not seated securely
Overall rating: 9/10, would highly recommend for a trainer
Final thoughts: I'm glad I didn't choose to shell out an extra $40-$50 for the fancy red and white version with safe mode. There are other safe mode equipped planes at that price point that are better value for money and would benefit more from the addition of safe mode. If I were buying this to train a small child, or this was my absolute first rc experience ever, I could see the benefit to having safe on this plane, at least for the first couple flights. For anyone who has even flown at least on a sim, I would opt for the basic version, because safe mode on this plane is overkill. The basic, non-safe- mode Champ, in my opinion, is the perfect level of ease/difficulty to really learn.
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