The Rc Review Zone

[Phoenyx]

If this is better off in the off-topic section, go ahead and move it

Alright. I have two reviews to start this topic.

Now the format that I will post in is simple. First I will post an image and the example video of the RC Car, Plane or Boat, then I will give my two cents before giving a rating breakdown.

First off is the E-Flite UMX (Ultra Micro eXtreme) Extra 300 3D Bind-'n'-Fly.

Example video

First off, this plane is a blast to fly. It has all the maneuverability that a small, electric profile plane should have. It's extremely light-weight and goes where you want it.

When you open the box, you'll find that the plane is ready to fly, but there's something missing. If you guessed the transmitter, you're correct. As a Bind-'n'-Fly, you must either buy a transmitter for it or have one already. Afterwords it's a matter of charging the included 3.7 volt 150mAh Lithium-Polymer battery and binding the receiver to the transmitter.

Now, an interesting thing about this plane is that it has no airfoils what so ever. The wings are a flat foam frame covered with a lightweight plastic covering material. If you want to see how this thing flies without airfoils, just take a piece of paper and blow over the top of it while holding it horizontally.

Anyway, I was able to keep it in the air for about five to seven minutes, until a crash-landing knocked the right-side aileron servo off its mount. I should be able to repair it with servo tape and a little foam-safe contact cement. I can actually blame the crash on a combination of a lack of vigilance, a lack of experience and poor battery positioning on my part.

Alright. Time for the breakdown.

Speed: It's an aerobat, so you actually don't want too much of this. This plane can hit an airspeed of an estimated 35 MPH (about 56 kph) but handles great without being at full throttle. 7/10

Handling/Maneuverability: Flies comfortably in tight spaces, but what would you expect? It's an indoor aerobat. 10/10

Durability: It took several crashes with only slight structural damage. Balsa Wood would have been a better material but the foam held up well. 9/10

Appearance: It's really up to you whether you like the flat profile look or not. I personally like it for the most part. 8/10

Equipment Quality: Genuine Spektrum DSM2 radio equipment is always a good thing, and a Li-Po battery out of the box is also sweet. The plane also comes with a charger for that battery. 8/10

Fun Factor: If someone told me flying this thing was boring, I'd tell them they aren't human. 10/10

Overall: 8.6/10

I recommend this plane for aerobatic flying enthusiasts and new pilots who have mastered the simulator and would like to fly a real RC plane for a change.

Second in line, we have the Team Losi Triple-X SCT.

Example Video

Ok. If you told me that short course trucks would never be as race-worthy as other classes of vehicle, you obviously haven't seen this truck.

The Deus Ex Machina of the short course class, the Triple-X SCT is arguably the best platform for short course racing. What it lacks in full on straight-line speed it makes up for in its amazing handling.

I don't have much to say other than that. My only complaint is that you can't drive it on tall grass in stock trim - the gear ratio just doesn't work for rough terain. Oh, and watch the ball cups on the steering rods, they tend to pop off.

And the breakdown:

Speed: Not as fast as other options, but it can keep its speed up better in corners than any other short course truck I've seen. 7/10

Handling/Maneuverability: As stated before, cornering speed is amazing, and the truck can handle the tightest turns on any track designed for 1/10 scale. 10/10

Durability: Good overall, but the steering rod ball cups tend to pop off the the ball studs on the front hub carriers. 7/10

Appearance: Not a fan of the stock body's available paint schemes, but that's a personal preference. Overall the truck looks great. 8/10

Equipment Quality: A Spektrum receiver (and transmitter if you have the RTR instead of the Bind-'n'-Drive) is included with the truck. That's the only highlight with the stock electronics, however. The ESC is average and the motor is prone to burning out. Switch these out for a Mamba Max Pro 17.5 brushless system ASAP. 5/10

Fun Factor: It's a pure racing machine, it's designed with the track in mind. If you want to play around in the back yard, get a Traxxas Slash. If you want to race, get this car and keep in mind that it can't multitask. 6/10

Overall: 7.1/10

Recommended for: Hard core racers who want the best handling truck on the track.