Good sport trainer for 3S 1300?

[mawz]

As a new guy, I'm not sitting on a large hangar, but I do have a number of 3S 1300 packs floating around for my gliders and a bit of budget cominging, and am looking for suggestions for something to wrap around those batteries. Currently I have a little 40" 2s ship (GP Falcon EP) that doesn't like wind and am restoring a classic .40-sized PT40 trainer. But neither of those will use my 1300 packs.

What I'm looking for should be high-wing, reasonably suitable for training through sport flying, and available retail in the GTA (I greatly prefer to support my LHS's). I fly FrSky & Spektrum and prefer EC3 or XT60 battery connectors.

The three I've been looking at are the PZ Sport Cub S (4/5ch one, not the 3ch HZ Super Cub S), the E-Flite Valiant and the HobbyZone Mini Apprentice. I don't have any interest in SAFE, but I'm fine with AS3X or other similar stabilizers, I don't mind if SAFE (or similar) is present as long as there is a non-SAFE mode. I also have a few receivers, so receiver-ready/PNP is fine (Actually, I prefer RxR/PNP as I can install telemetry-enabled X6R's then)

[Michael]

Idea: 2 3S 1300 packs with a parallel connection (easy to make) is equal to a 3S 2600 pack.

More options.

[mawz]

Idea: 2 3S 1300 packs with a parallel connection (easy to make) is equal to a 3S 2600 pack.

More options.

Good point, as long as the battery compartment is the right dimensions that should work pretty well.

[mawz]

I ended up snagging the Valiant after doing a lot of research.

Why?

1. Wide flight regime. It'll fly very mild with the rates on low, has been reported to be extremely docile in stall and can be flown trainer style (apparently some guys are even leaving SAFE enabled and flying it as a 2ch Rudder/throttle ship). Or it can be reprogrammed to be a 7ch ship with full-span ailerons, flaps, crow and all the toys for pushing the edge. That gets me a ship I can potentially train on, while also being reasonably future-proof.

2. Wide battery compatibility. The Sport Cub and Mini Apprentice really are intended solely for the 1300mAh packs (and in the case of the Mini Apprentice, no reason for more as it can get 15-20 minute flights on that pack), the Valiant is fine on a 1300mAh pack, but fits up to a 3000mAh pack and is comfortable from 1300-2500mAh for hitting CG. That gets me compatibility with my current 3s packs (what I was mainly looking for) and with most 3s packs I could conceivably buy.

3. Wind handling. My Falcon isn't up to wind. It'll fly in it, but only with the throttle firewalled (which is real hard on my packs). The Valiant is reported at being very good in wind with the AS3X receiver and reasonably good without. (yes, I'm still building the PT40, hoping to have it covered this weekend)

4. It's good looking. It's just a really good looking ship. Scale-like looks (really looks like 50's/60's GA stuff). I've got a thing for General Aviation aircraft.

5. SAFE Select. Bind once, you have SAFE on a switch. Bind again and you only have AS3X. I've no interest in SAFE beyond maybe playing with the R/T flying idea. This makes the aircraft more desirable (but I'd still need a 7/8ch RX at some point later to get all the wing mixing possibilities)

6. Discus Launch. Yep, it's DLG capable

https://youtu.be/sAo6HxdRBRA

Seriously ;-)

Actually, I don't recommend trying that, but the fact the guys at E-Flite were willing to post doing that says something about its toughness.

[piker]

That's a nice looking plane.  It looks like a good choice!

[mawz]

Just a quick update.

Simon was kind enough to maiden my Valiant, and put on a bit of a show once it was trimmed. Inverted, knife edge, some other stuff. Flies pretty nicely.

I've been up a few times now on the buddy box and am very happy with how it flies, even got a chance to do a roll & loop on Wednesday with some coaching by Michael.

And here's what it can do in experienced hands:

https://youtu.be/eiwrg5qpRXo