I got "into" a new hobby over the past month. Check out www.zagi.com. It's a blast!
I got "into" a new hobby over the past month. Check out www.zagi.com. It's a blast!Very cool, Rob. If you get into it heavy, you may want to consider getting the NO-CODE HAM Technician License, a lot of guys into remote control planes get the HAM ticket just to use some HAM freqs for remote control operation.
Rob
These little electric models look pretty cool.
Which one did you get?
I am looking at the page now.
I got my brother a Zagi-3C for Christmas, helped him build it and just fell love with the thing. But I don't live near a slope, so I bought the 400-X (electric powered) and have crashed it every time I've flown it (first time a very tall tree, second day in the middle of a lake). The thing is so tough though, it just bounces right back (the lake water fried the receiver and th speed controller though). Anyway, I bought a 3C for myself after I heard of near-by popular slope (called Glider Hill), but I haven't built it yet.
I got my brother a Zagi-3C for Christmas, helped him build it and just fe love with the thing. But I don't live near a slope, so I bought the 400-X (electric powered) and have crashed it every time I've flown it (first ti a very tall tree, second day in the middle of a lake). The thing is so to though, it just bounces right back (the lake water fried the receiver and speed controller though). Anyway, I bought a 3C for myself after I heard near-by popular slope (called Glider Hill), but I haven't built it yet.
The first thing I'd have to do is learn how to fly. That means an INDESTRUCTABLE aeroplane with only limited controls to master. When you hav to order it from overseas, hope it makes the journey down here uninjured, bu it, and then look for somewhere HARD to crash it, you want it to withstand minor problems like being run over bu a Hino or nose-diving into a barbed wi fence!
I built a balsa/monokote slope-soarer/thermaller some years ago. I used a l bungee cord (Hi-start?) which worked BEAUTIFULLY to get it up to about 120 feet. Then it tipped over and put the nose down....
Pretty tough stuff, that monokote. Balsa - not quite as tough. :-/
If you're at all interested in this hobby, I highly recommend the Zagi's as they're realatively inexpensive, durable, easy to build, and fun!
If you're at all interested in this hobby, I highly recommend the Zagi's they're realatively inexpensive, durable, easy to build, and fun!
I dunno. Maybe I should buy a Zagi 3C and just pound it to bits learning to fly. Then I could decide whether I wanted to move on to something a little more elaborate or just give it up as a bad idea depending on crash-history.
Did you say you had bought one of these? How big a box does it come in? (I gotta ship it to mid-atlantic, after all!)
I think ORANGE is the colour to pick in case she goes down in a cane-field!
love with the thing. But I don't live near a slope, so I bought the 400-X (electric powered) and have crashed it every time I've flown it (first ti a very tall tree, second day in the middle of a lake). The thing is so to though, it just bounces right back (the lake water fried the receiver and speed controller though). Anyway, I bought a 3C for myself after I heard near-by popular slope (called Glider Hill), but I haven't built it yet.
The first thing I'd have to do is learn how to fly. That means an INDESTRUCTABLE aeroplane with only limited controls to master. When you hav to order it from overseas, hope it makes the journey down here uninjured, bu it, and then look for somewhere HARD to crash it, you want it to withstand minor problems like being run over bu a Hino or nose-diving into a barbed wi fence!
The first thing I'd have to do is learn how to fly.
Learning to fly is not too terribly difficult. I think those 'zagi'
planes are a great place to start, they look very durable.
I've been thinking of breaking open the 'fly-box' again lately and I
think maybe I'll pickup one of the Zagi 400's to get used to flying
again. I've still got two old gas powered trainers, but I don't want
to tear them up yet again until I *think* I know how fly somewhat
again. I've been taking lessons in a real cessna over the last year
and I dunno if that will help or hurt at this point.
What TX/RX and servos are recommended for zagi's planes? I've got a
couple older sticks and servos, but I'm not sure if they will work.
So it looks like I'll be doing some SMUGGLING in the near future. Do you th I could get a 2-Meter sailplane in my hand-luggage?
stick with built-in mixing (required for elevons) and comes with regular servos (which are perfect for the 3C). You can get them for $65 (inludes RX servos) at hobbypeople.net.
The 400 (and 400-X) requires the micro servos, so you need to spend an extra $50 ($25 ea) for the smaller servos for that plane. You might be able to get away with standard servos, but I just followed the directions and bought the more expensive (and smaller) servos, but with the same torque.
stick with built-in mixing (required for elevons) and comes with regular servos (which are perfect for the 3C). You can get them for $65 (inludes servos) at hobbypeople.net.
The 400 (and 400-X) requires the micro servos, so you need to spend an ex $50 ($25 ea) for the smaller servos for that plane. You might be able to away with standard servos, but I just followed the directions and bought more expensive (and smaller) servos, but with the same torque.
Do they require a 2 channel, 3 channel, or?
I've got an old Futaba 4 channel
that I'm prettys ure will work, but I might need to pickup some servos.
I
can't seem to find the specs on the the space requirements for servos and receivers.
I did notice on the Zagi sight that there is a dealer right down
the road that carries Zagi goods. I guess I'll make a trip down there and se if I can find out some more info.
Do they come with a built-in speed control?
I've got some old electronic spe
controls left over from my R/C car days. Ahh hell, I'll just got take alook myself asap :0
Do they require a 2 channel, 3 channel, or?
The Zagi gliders require a 2 channel with mixing (preferrably built into the as is the case with the Hi-tec Focus III). The Zagi 400, 400-X, and Razor require a 3 channel with mixing of channels 1&2 (the 3rd channel is for throttle). I've found the fucus III SS AM to be perfect for both the 3C (glider) and the 400-X, although the 400-X directions call for micro servors
I've got an old Futaba 4 channel
that I'm prettys ure will work, but I might need to pickup some servos.
Make sure it supports mixing channels 1 and 2, and a single stick is the way
I
can't seem to find the specs on the the space requirements for servos and receivers.
You cut your own holes on the 400/400-X, so the exacty shape isn't critical. The 3C comes with pre-cut servo holes that almost match the servos that come with the Focus III tx/rx/sx package.
I've got some old electronic spe
controls left over from my R/C car days. Ahh hell, I'll just got take al myself asap :0
I thought I might be able to recycle some of my old R/C car stuff for my planes, but haven't been able to. I even had to buy a new battery charger as old chargers didn't support 8 cell packs. <shrug>
old chargers didn't support 8 cell packs. <shrug>
old chargers didn't support 8 cell packs. <shrug>
Do they require a 2 channel, 3 channel, or?
The Zagi gliders require a 2 channel with mixing (preferrably built into as is the case with the Hi-tec Focus III). The Zagi 400, 400-X, and Razor require a 3 channel with mixing of channels 1&2 (the 3rd channel is for throttle). I've found the fucus III SS AM to be perfect for both the 3C (glider) and the 400-X, although the 400-X directions call for micro serv
Hmm.. I might just buy a new radio setp, but i was hoping not to have to.
I've got an old Futaba 4 channel
that I'm prettys ure will work, but I might need to pickup some servos
Make sure it supports mixing channels 1 and 2, and a single stick is the
Yeah, I think it supports mixing on al 4 channels, but I need to dig it out check. It is a 2 stick model though, serious problem you think? I'm used t one stick for throttle and one for flight controls.
I
can't seem to find the specs on the the space requirements for servos receivers.
You cut your own holes on the 400/400-X, so the exacty shape isn't critic The 3C comes with pre-cut servo holes that almost match the servos that c with the Focus III tx/rx/sx package.
Cool, thanks.. I'm betting I can use my old servos then. That is as long as they still work after 10 years+ being stored :)
I've got some old electronic spe
controls left over from my R/C car days. Ahh hell, I'll just got take myself asap :0
I thought I might be able to recycle some of my old R/C car stuff for my planes, but haven't been able to. I even had to buy a new battery charger old chargers didn't support 8 cell packs. <shrug>
Dam, guess that prbably means my old TEKIN charger won't work either :-(
Thanks for the info.
Make sure it supports mixing channels 1 and 2, and a single stick is the
Yeah, I think it supports mixing on al 4 channels, but I need to dig it out check. It is a 2 stick model though, serious problem you think? I'm used t one stick for throttle and one for flight controls.
What you _don't_ want is an old 2-ch radio with one stick left/right only fo "rudder" and the other fore/aft for "elevator". The Hitec radio shown on th Zagi site is a 3-ch radio but channels 1, 2 on a single stick rather than tw separate sticks like some other 2 or 3-ch radios. I'm not sure how you cont ch-3 on the Hitec though. It's supposed to be fully proportional, but the picky is too small to see if there is a separate slider or what for the throttle.
I hope to be meeting eith the head honcho at the local aero-modellers club today. <sigh> Beureaucracy makes life so much harder!
Make sure it supports mixing channels 1 and 2, and a single stick is t
Yeah, I think it supports mixing on al 4 channels, but I need to dig it o check. It is a 2 stick model though, serious problem you think? I'm use one stick for throttle and one for flight controls.
As long as you can mix 2 channels and use one stick for those two channels ( the other stick for the 3rd channel), it'll work fine.
I thought I might be able to recycle some of my old R/C car stuff for planes, but haven't been able to. I even had to buy a new battery char old chargers didn't support 8 cell packs. <shrug>
Dam, guess that prbably means my old TEKIN charger won't work either :-(
Thanks for the info.
Yeah, no prob. Looks like fun, huh?
If you have an old four-channel radio, then you should be able to mix the aileron/elevator controls on the right-hand stick and use the left stick for throttle, and ignore the fourth channel on the left stick. Or if flying an unpowered (3C?) ignore channels 3, 4 and do the elevon mixing on the right stick on ch. 1, 2.
What you _don't_ want is an old 2-ch radio with one stick left/right only fo "rudder" and the other fore/aft for "elevator". The Hitec radio shown on th Zagi site is a 3-ch radio but channels 1, 2 on a single stick rather than tw separate sticks like some other 2 or 3-ch radios. I'm not sure how you cont ch-3 on the Hitec though. It's supposed to be fully proportional, but the picky is too small to see if there is a separate slider or what for the throttle.
I hope to be meeting eith the head honcho at the local aero-modellers club today. <sigh> Beureaucracy makes life so much harder!
I hope to be meeting eith the head honcho at the local aero-modellers clu today. <sigh> Beureaucracy makes life so much harder!
Good luck!
But if the first time I fly the Zagi it augers in on the top of my head reducing my IQ to that of, oh, say a MUD-player, and I decide to give it all up, I've blown a LOT of dosh!
I hope to be meeting eith the head honcho at the local aero-modellers today. <sigh> Beureaucracy makes life so much harder!
Good luck!
I met with the guy, and he says that the radio he/the club recommends is the Futuba 6XAS. That's a SIX-channel multi-function super-duper radio that com with an option to iron your shorts (you supply the starch). :-/
At $240 from http://www.towerhobbies.com/ that's not _terribly_ expensive, (I've spent $3,300 for a radio before now) but it's about _double_ what I'd intended to spend initially, all-inclusive, and that's just the radio!
I'd hoped to get my feet wet before deciding if I wanted to take up swimming ya know? But this way, if I buy the 6XAS then I'm pretty much committing myself to the sport right off the bat. The 27MHz stuff doesn't work here apparently - all the illegal CBers running linears guarantee a crash every t you launch with 27MHz R/C. So it's gotta be 72MHz and I need to get the clu to recommend a specific freq. so as to avoid clashing with all the other guy
The $65 Hi-tech Focus III SS AM is a 72mhz transmitter perfect for any of th Zagis and even comes with the rx and servos at that price! http://www.hobbypeople.net
I got "into" a new hobby over the past month. Check out www.zagi.com. It's a blast!
Rob
Re: New hobby
By: Digital Man to All on Fri Jan 05 2001 05:21 am
I got "into" a new hobby over the past month. Check out www.zagi.com. It' blast!
Rob
So do you fly them and how do you guide them?
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