[Real Gambler]

Nobody seem to talk about this awesome little BNF plane and winter is not over yet, so here we go, just a quick review of the latest ultra micro from Eflite, the Extra 300 3D.



Specifications:
Wingspan: 16.8 in (427mm)
Overall Length: 19.4 in (494mm)
Wing Area: 74 sq in (4.8 sq dm)
Flying Weight: 1.2 oz (32.5g)
Motor Size: 8.5mm Coreless Brushed
Trim Scheme Colors: Red, Grey, Clear, Black
Prop Size: 130mm x 70mm
Recommended Battery: 3.7V 1-Cell 150mAh LiPo
Price in most canadian hobby shop right now: $159.99

I bought one about two weeks ago.... I already want to buy a second one because I could not be long without one (check my "cons" to see why). In my book it's worth the price. I have every other UMs from Horizon Hobby except the Beast (waiting for the summer for this one now and the Extra should EASILY keep me happy until then, particularly when it's -20 outside!)...

Pros:
- Not power hungry. No need for Hyperions and Thunder Power like most other UMs
- This think WANTS to hover (not like most other UMs)
- You do most of your stuff between half and 3/4 throttle (including hover!) so motor should hopefully last longer. (still a brushed motor though )
- Can (and should?) be flown indoor in a very reasonnable space. (I fly mine in a room with 13ft ceiling, 30X60 feet, and only use half the room most of the time). It's nice to be able to fly it in something smaller than a gym.
- Does most 3D stuff with ease, so if you were kind of stuck like me with your other UMs, it's a great "next step" plane.
- Comes with a nice carrying box, so you don't have to make your own.

Cons:
- Expensive but in my book, still worth it.
- Box is much bigger than my other UMs, so cannot be stacked nicely on top of my other 12 boxes
- FRAGILE. The little bit of foam left over between those large holes mean the plane/foam break easily. The mylar is truly holding it together very well and minor crash are usually not a problem, but any serious crash means that you have to glue back one little piece of foam, slowly adding weight. After about 80 to 90 flights (too lazy to load my logbook) I have probably 12 glue spots on my plane right now. Keep in mind that me and my friend (who cannot afford one right now particularly since he would also have to buy his own DX6i or DX7 to fly it) are flying it and we both learned to hover with it. Higher ceilings and only one pilot would have reduced the number of crashed by a lot... With 13 ft ceiling, our safety margin is basically zero... So sure enough, your milleage may vary! Not a first time plane for sure!
- Tips of wings are the first thing to go. Had to add scotch tape on mine very quickly.
- The carbon fiber rod embedded in the wing is too short. Any wing crash an the wing bend past the short carbon rod. I've added some on my Extra.
(even with added tape, c/f and glue, my Extra still fly and hover awesomely. Wish I could have weighted it before so I could tell you how much weight I've added, but still fly great. Will buy another one if it doesn't. That's how much I like it!
- They sell the body only (would be a great way to upgrage any other UM like the 4-site) for $71 US and about $90CDN. Should be cheaper, but hey, comes with the nice box (white) and save you lot's of time with all the C/F. Too bad they cannot match the US price like the do with the whole plane though.

Not tested:
- It's listed as indoor/outdoor. Must be only good when wind is less than 2 km/h outdoor!


I had never been able to hover the 4-Site for more than 5 seconds. It was my only other "3D" plane. So basically, I could not hover a plane before the UMX Extra 300. After only a few flights, I can now do it relatively easily. Check carefully how little input is needed for hover or KE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ISOVvACO_k

This video was done with a very cheap Turnigy Nano-Tech 160mah battery. Still able to hover at the end of the video which is 5 minutes long!

For people who had the UM 4-Site, you know that you could not use the E-Flite 150mah battery that came with it for hovering, since after only one minute in flight, there was no power left. Well, look at this VERY boring video of me hovering the Extra with the same Eflite battery. Should be called: "Hovering over and over with a EFlite 150mah" (Skip that video if you don't want to be bored to death and just trust me, this plane WANT to hover, stock!, otherwise, again, other than one funny crash in it, not responsible if you get bored to death watching it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms7xeP0PY6A

So basically, if you're not into building your own plane, and you want to do 3D in a relatively small space, then the Extra 300 is for you. Charge battery, bind and fly a UM in 3D out of the box. There's 3 settings in the manual. Low, High and 3D. On low, anybody who's confortable flying a plane with ailerons should have no problems with it, though 3D settings are mandatory for most of the 3D stuff. It does come with optional SFGs (Side Force Generator) but they are not needed since the plane need only very little rudder for Knife Edges and most moves where they would normally be usefull. Fly it without them first.

If you have access to a decent size indoor place (doesn't have to be a one, two or three courts gym for a change, yeah!), and you're looking for something to fly without having to build it, then the Extra is definitively a good option! On the other side, it could be a little cheaper, so if nobody buy it, maybe they will lower the price before winter is over so I can buy another one.

[frenzy]

The little plane is awesome the best plane for the indoor flyins i have had yet.its floats, as awesome vertical with a 25c ,would reccommend to anybody with some flying expertise.you will love it.frenzy

[Raysun]

Here is the RC Groups UMX 300 thread, lots of useful info, and yes it looks awesome.



http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...325887&page=42

[Real Gambler]

Originally Posted by Raysun

Here is the RC Groups UMX 300 thread, lots of useful info, and yes it looks awesome.

Trust me, it doesn't only LOOK awesome, until I can get my hand on a Beast, it's the best ultra micro airplane BNF available right now.

[Bdegan]

Its a great little plane. I picked one up last Friday, flew it Saturday at our indoor. Flies great, hovers well. Harriers are rediculously easy.
It does the slowest knife edges I have ever seen.
It is a very fragile airframe. Your biggest worry is being hit by another plane.
Hitting the ground is almost impossible. If you dumb thumb it, cut the power and pull full up. It floats onto the floor.
I was doing some rollers on my second flight. Never been able to do them before.
On the third flight I was passing the transmitter around to other guys.
Some of the comments I got were " Great....Now i need to go buy one " LOL



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[frenzy]

One thing this Extra 300 3d as is lots of air space in a gym,you won t find that with the Beast as I have seen one fly .It uses up some serious space to make that thing fly.

[davecrash]

Originally Posted by Bdegan

Its a great little plane. I picked one up last Friday, flew it Saturday at our indoor. Flies great, hovers well. Harriers are rediculously easy.
It does the slowest knife edges I have ever seen.
It is a very fragile airframe. Your biggest worry is being hit by another plane.
Hitting the ground is almost impossible. If you dumb thumb it, cut the power and pull full up. It floats onto the floor.
I was doing some rollers on my second flight. Never been able to do them before.
On the third flight I was passing the transmitter around to other guys.
Some of the comments I got were " Great....Now i need to go buy one " LOL

Yes he did pass it around, Yes i did fly it and yes I now have to go buy one.
Thanks Brad.

[Bdegan]

Originally Posted by davecrash

Yes he did pass it around, Yes i did fly it and yes I now have to go buy one.
Thanks Brad.

My Pleasure



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[Wildlabman]

Originally Posted by davecrash

Yes he did pass it around, Yes i did fly it and yes I now have to go buy one.
Thanks Brad.

(JOKE ALERT: what follows is to read as a JOKE and not to be taken seriously.....I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the target of this joke and I consider him a great friend.)

Brad Egan is a very bad man, a very very bad man.........Two weeks ago he stood behind me at our LHS and loudly whispered "Buy it, Buy it" when I was looking at a new heli I was was thinking about maybe getting.

Then this past Saturday he continued his evil plan of separating me from my money by insisting that I fly his Extra 300-3D.

Well you guessed it....I now own both a new Heli, a Blade SR, and a new Extra 300.....

So how big are those commission checks from Horizon Brad?????

(Joke Ends)

In reality, I was going to buy the heli weather Brad was here or not and I was looking for a decent indoor plane that actually does more that the Vapor I currently have. The flight I took with Brads plane really sealed the deal. Now I can't wait till this Saturday to get her into the air.

Thanks Brad.......but you are still a very bad man (joke again).

Chris