Potensky Eagle Electric

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RCU Review: Potensky Eagle - EP More On This Product Show user ratings Check for Retailers Contributed by: Terry Culverson Published: April 2003 Views: 21745 Email this Article PDF Potensky Eagle

1 RCU Review: Potensky Eagle - EP More On This Product Show user ratings Check for Retailers Contributed by: Terry Culverson Published: April 2003 Views: this Article PDF Potensky Eagle Electric Review by Culverson Specifications: Kit Name: Potensky Eagle Intro Price: $ Wingspan: 35.5" Length: 28.1/4" Flying Weight per mfg: 12. oz. (350 g) Flying Weight as tested: Total: 12.5 oz. ( gm) Motor used: POT03B-Speed 300-(*Included) Prop: 9.5"x4.7 Folding Prop-(*Included) Radio and gear: Hitec Eclipse Tx Hitec SUPER MICRO 555 Rx (PDF Manual on 555 Rx) (4) Hitec HS-55 Servos There are a lot of electric park flyers on the market now. Lately, my main interest has been in high performance electric R/C planes, that bridges the gap between a slow park flyer and a high performance aerobatic plane. A plane that I feel will fit my needs is the Potensky Microsystems Eagle. It offers the ability for flight indoors in a large hall as well as outside in light winds. Although not a beginner level kit, anyone with previous experience should have no trouble building this plane. The manual and online building steps would even make it possible for the novice to undertake assembly of the

Seeing how weight is a important factor of flight performance, this kit has very good potential considering its lightweight construction.

2 Battery: 7Cell 720 Mah NiMh ESC: Potensky Turbo 8Amp-(*Included) Gearbox: Potensky 5:1 Gearbox-(* Included) Average Flight Time: 7 min. Channels Used: 4 total - elevator, ailerons, throttle, rudder Manufacturer: Potensky Microsystem Distributor: Hobby Lobby * Included in Deluxe Kit only kit. Seeing how weight is a important factor of flight performance, this kit has very good potential considering its lightweight construction. The Eagle is molded out of an extremely durable EPP (Expanded Polypropylene Polystyrene) material. The ailerons, elevator, and rudder are made out of Depron foam. EPP offers advantages over normal foam construction with its harder surface layer making it highly resistant to dings and dents. Additionally, it can withstand a lot of abuse and punishment with minimal damage. The plane has an extremely good power to weight ratio; better than 1:1. In the hands of an experienced pilot the plane has good potential for aerobatic maneuvers, while still having stable flight characteristics for the novice as well. It has a symmetrical airfoil and offers full aileron capabilities with individual aileron servos. With its huge control surfaces it should be great for 3D flight, including hover capabilities as well as other wildly aerobatic maneuvers, indoors or out. Now let's take a look at the kit contents and begin assembly. Then we will get the feel of the plane in flight and test its full potential! Let's move on... Kit Features Speed 300 Specially Timed Motor Carbon Fiber Wing Support Rods Turbo Speed Control Right Hand Folding Prop 5:1 Gearbox Motor-ESC-Pre Wired High Quality Hardware Kit Colorful Avery Decals (High Quality) Required Items 4 channel radio with 4 micro servos Purex Cleaner 5 channel Rx. Epoxy (5minute worked satisfactory) Standard building tools Assembly of Eagle LEFT: The 4 color printed box (click for full size) RIGHT: Not much left to do to finish this one. Note the box can be used to transport

I could not help but notice the colorful box with the plane specs on the front. The kit was packaged well, with a very complete hardware package.

Potensky Microsystems also has a website with animated building steps.

I read over the manual at least twice before commencing work on the kit. This helps me fully understand each set of steps needed to complete the project.

7 folding prop, Potensky Turbo 8 amp speed control pre-wired to the motor. The pinion is already pressed in place on the motor shaft and the gear meshes with the gearbox.

3 I could not help but notice the colorful box with the plane specs on the front. The kit was packaged well, with a very complete hardware package. LEFT: Airplane as is right out of the box RIGHT: Out of the box front view The Eagle comes with an exploded view of plans to build from, as well a manual with simple to follow steps. Potensky Microsystems also has a website with animated building steps. You can even control the speed of the animated steps in the online manual, which I found to be very helpful for reference during the assembly of the plane. I read over the manual at least twice before commencing work on the kit. This helps me fully understand each set of steps needed to complete the project. Electric System-Battery The motor supplied with the kit is a specially timed for performance Pot 03b Speed 300, 5:1 gearbox, 9.5"x4.7 folding prop, Potensky Turbo 8 amp speed control pre-wired to the motor. The pinion is already pressed in place on the motor shaft and the gear meshes with the gearbox. I found it to be a very pleasant surprise that the kit came equipped with the Speed 300 motor, Turbo ESC, folding prop, all pre-installed and completed ($70.00 retail cost of equipment). Specs on the Speed 300 motor and ESC controller are shown below. Motor-ESC-Battery-receiver Gearbox-Folding Prop Assy. The battery I am using is a 7 x 720 mah NiMH that will supply adequate current for some advanced aerobatics, as well as good flight duration. After the firewall support and engine mount ring are secured to the motor, you install the assembly into the fuselage with two screws. Motor Specifications POT03B Speed 300 Power Supply 6-7 Cells Current w/ 7 Cells 8.5A Gear Ration 5:1

RPM Prop Right Hand folding Weight Battery Battery Type 5600/min 245/120 65g 7x720 mah NiMH Electronics Speed Control (ESC Specs) Electronic Speed Control Supply Voltage Stabilized Entry Voltage For

2g Size Operating Temperature Range 20 x15 x 5 mm -10 to +40 C RADIO INSTALLATION I opted to use epoxy to glue the servos in place (Hitec HS-55's).

4 RPM Prop Right Hand folding Weight Battery Battery Type 5600/min 245/120 65g 7x720 mah NiMH Electronics Speed Control (ESC Specs) Electronic Speed Control Supply Voltage Stabilized Entry Voltage For Constant Starting Current For 30 Sec. For 5 Sec. 5 to 7 Cells 5V; 0.2A Turbo 0.8A-5s, for 0,5A-10s 8A 14A 16A PCO 5.1V Weight w/o Cables 1.2g Size Operating Temperature Range 20 x15 x 5 mm -10 to +40 C RADIO INSTALLATION I opted to use epoxy to glue the servos in place (Hitec HS-55's). I began by gluing the elevator and rudder servos into the fuselage. Then I glued the right and left aileron servos into the side of the fuselage, below the wing. The rudder and elevator pushrods are installed my making a slit in the fuselage. The aileron pushrods are pre-sized and all that is necessary is to glue the control surface horns into place, and connect the rods to the servo arms using adjustable ez-connectors. Next, I cut out an ample opening in the foam canopy area for the installation of the Hitec 555 receiver. Then I cut out the area for the battery compartment. After checking the CG of the plane I had to cut the area slightly further forward for shifting the battery to achieve proper CG adjustment. LEFT: Rudder-Elevator Servos In Place RIGHT: Aileron Servo Installed

5 LEFT: The Pushrod Tube -Rod Installed RIGHT: Rx Being Fitted For Fuselage The decals are very colorful and add a nice cosmetic touch to the Eagle. I applied the decals with a water-based solution Gluto Glue that ensures adhesion of the decals to the fuselage and wings. I then used a squeegee to press out the excess glue - this also gives you a much more attractive cosmetic look to the decals. Removing Excess Glue POSING TIME Potensky Microsystem Eagle

planes or helicopters. When set-up using Dual rates, the plane was mild mannered and and very stable. On high rates, the pace quickens as the plane was more pitch sensitive.

6 The finished Potensky Eagle with decals applied and ready to fly! (Click Any Image For Full Size) Radio Setup, Flight Testing and Evaluation Radio Setup I used the Hitec Eclipse Transmitter that offers a wide variety of mixing capabilities for use with various RC planes or helicopters. When set-up using Dual rates, the plane was mild mannered and and very stable. On high rates, the pace quickens as the plane was more pitch sensitive. Since the plane has individual servos for the ailerons, I used the flaperon mixing functions on the Eagle. The Eclipse has the capability to change receiver polarity shift (Negative-Positive) which allows you to use various manufacturers receivers. Although the Eagle can be flown with a standard radio, the Eclipse offers a wide variety of functions for use with any plane or heli. MAIDEN FLIGHT After a fairly thorough inspection, the Eagle was ready for its first trip to the field, an old airport first opened in the late 30's and now closed down. The area is still widely used by many individuals, and has a nice peaceful atmosphere. At times you can still seem to hear the old biplanes taking off and landing in the distance. I still have many fond memories being around, and growing up near the old airport. After a fairly thorough inspection, the Eagle was ready for its first trip to the field, an old airport first opened in the late 30's and now closed down. The area is still widely used by many individuals, and has a nice peaceful atmosphere. At times you can still seem to hear the old biplanes taking off and landing in the distance. I still have many fond memories being around, and growing up near the old airport. Left-Picture Of Old Hangar Today The weather was fairly nice, slightly cloudy, with a bit more wind than I would normally want when flying, but all was a go. After setting the plane down on one of the access areas to the main runways, we decided to go for it. After a few feet down the strip the plane leaped into the air. I was pleasantly surprised by the power of the Pot3b motor on take off. After leveling off I trimmed the elevator by giving it a few clicks of up. After another minute or so the plane was capable of near hands off flight. Then I started putting the plane through its paces, by doing loops, outside snaps, inside snap rolls and inverted flight. A bit of down elevator input was necessary to sustain inverted flight but the plane flew very satisfactory inverted as well as tracking well right

7 side up. I noticed no bad tendencies of stalling during low speed flight. Landing was easiest by simply backing off the throttle and allowing the plane to slow and settle down before touching down on the runway. The steerable tail wheel provided good ground handling during take-off and landing. Flight times were roughly around seven minutes using aggressive throttle ranges near or at full throttle throughout the flight. After each flight I became more and more accustomed to the plane's consistent good flight characteristics and found myself wanting to fly it most of the day. More flights... During the flights above I had the CG dead on with the specs from the plans. Moving the battery allowed me to dial in the CG a bit and get the plane to come out slightly tail heavy and more aerobatic. The trade off is the ability to perform more aerobatic maneuvers, but at the price of stability when inverted and during landings. I attempted a knife-edge, which until now was pretty much unheard of using an electric plane. The plane performed the knife-edge maneuver, but would loose altitude. I compensated somewhat with more rudder input, which helped somewhat. Many flights proved the plane to be much more of an accomplished aerobatic plane that I would have previously believed possible. FINAL WORDS Having owned everything from electric planes, helicopters, and gliders to the occasional ducted fan jet over the years, I found the Potensky Eagle to be the advanced aerobatic park flyer I was looking for. The planes lightweight durable EPP construction and power to weight ratio made it a blast to fly advanced aerobatics that I previously thought were only possible with a gas aerobatic plane. With flight times of several minutes, I was very happy with the flight duration of this electric powered model. Long gone is the myth of not having sufficient power to take off and fly for a respectable amount of time. I could get the Eagle up to altitude quickly until the plane was almost a tiny dot, or when flying a trainer what we call " three mistakes high". Power was extremely good while still having a very respectable climb out rate during the duration of the flight. The Eagle has an extremely good glide ratio, and also flew very well even at half throttle. If you are looking for a Park Flyer with the advantage of performing some fairly radical aerobatics, you need to take a long look at the Potensky Eagle. This would be a great addition to your fleet, on days you wanted to get in a few quick flights at the park or at your local flying field. The NiMH battery had long flight duration as well as ample power while flying. But I believe the plane would be very 3D capable using the Lipoly battery combo. I was very content with the performance of the NiMH battery system, but if you really want to push the envelope I would recommend using the Lipoly charger-battery setup. The Potensky Eagle is distributed by Hobby Lobby. You can contact them at their website at or by phone at REVIEW RATINGS

8 1-POOR 2-NEEDS IMPROVEMENT 3-AVERAGE 4-VERY GOOD 5-EXCELLENT Packaging Quality: Construction Quality Hardware Quality Quality Of Manual Ease Of Assembly Completeness (Kit): Finish Quality Hits Durable EPP construction Speed 300 (*Included) * In ARC Kit Only Turbo ESC (*included) Right Hand Folding Prop included Lightweight Construction Motor fit perfect into precut hole Stable flight characteristics Plenty of power for aerobatics Long flight times (7 minutes average) Takeoff: Landing: Aerobatics-Basics: Aerobatics Advanced: High Speed Performance: Low Speed Performance: Stall Characteristics Misses Had Slight Difficulty Adhering Hinge Covering Manufacturer & Distributor Information Potensky Microsystem 1573/20 Praha CZECH Republic Tel: (0420) potensky@volny.cz Website: Hobby Lobby International 5614 Franklin Pike Circle Brentwood, N.J USA Tel: sales@hobby-lobby.com Web Site: Hitec RCD USA, Inc Paine St. Poway CA, Phone: Fax: Website:

9 Comments on RCU Review: Potensky Eagle - EP There are no comments The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review. THIS ARTICLE OR CHECK OUT THESE OTHER GREAT REVIEWS! Photo Manufacturer Product Summary Reviewed Tower Hobbies J-3 Cub With its distinctive looks, it is probably safe to say that the J-3 Cub is one of the most recognized and known airplanes in... 11/23/2015 RCGF 21cc Twin Cylinder Gasoline Engine RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline engines, designs and manufactures engines specifically for 'the RC aircraft market /23/2015 RCGF 120cc Twin Cylinder Gasoline Engine RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline engines, designs and manufactures engines specifically for the RC aircraft market. T... 11/23/2015 Seagull Models Maule Super Rocket 10-15cc ARF When Seagull Models announced that they were going to produce not just a model, but an ARF of the Super Rocket, I just had to... 11/22/2015 Hobbico Estes Proto-Z The Proto-Z is a Blast of micro-sized fun! It's the ultimate user-friendly drone- The fastest, easiset and most economical wa... 11/22/2015 Flitework Edge 540 The Flitework Edge 540 is an electric only ARF airframe with a generous wing span of 66.9" and also beautifully dressed up in... 11/21/2015 Seagull Models Steen Super Skybolt 15cc ARF Seagull Models introduced this biplane early on in 2015, and SIG mfg. had a pre-production sample at the Toledo Expo. That pr... 11/20/2015 ST Model Salto ST model brings us a fun aerobatic glider with the H101 Salto. The self-launch electric glider has no bad tendency and will b... 11/19/2015 RCGF 10cc Gasoline Engine RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline engines, designs and manufactures engines specifically for 'the RC aircraft market /17/2015 Funky Cub 10-15cc Seagull Models ARF The new Funky Cub has some really cool attributes, borrowed from scale aircraft, that should add up to make it a great flying... 11/16/2015 RCGF 20cc Gasoline Engine RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline engines, designs and manufactures engines specifically for 'the RC aircraft market /15/2015

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