Deciding on a miniair

[syn-]

I've been flying a raptor 50 and Trex SE for a while now and I would like to get something bigger. I've been looking at moving up to a 90 sized bird and several people have suggested going with Miniature Aircraft. After looking around on their site for a bit, it looks like there are two main choices, the Tempest 3D and the Stratus. The price difference between the two is fairly small, so I'm looking for advice from the guys who fly them. :) What are the differences in performance between the models? Is one more of a "favorite" than the other?

Me personally, I like the rear mounted fuel tank on the Stratus as well as the servo layout. The Tempest sure does look amazing though. :P

One other thing, how about powering this thing... YS or OS???


Thanks for the info,

-syn

[Peter]

I've got 2 Extremes , a stratus with the tempest head , and 2 Spectra G's .... they are totally different machines to fly ..
Stratus is YS powered , extremes are OS, G's are Zenoah/TRM....

Stratus has a fantastic power to weight advantage,,, it's ballistic..

Extremes fly really well.........

but my favorites are the gassers .. plenty of power, enough weight to be very stable , responsive enough to 3D with ease...

Of course , none of them bounce as well as a Raptor , but we are talking PROPER helis here , aren't we ...

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[DebianDog]

There is not a better built bird out there.

[ClayK]

Just as an observation, YS is a "fire and forget" motor. No tweaking really involved. Once it's set, it's set. However, the OS might need occasional tweaking to get it in that "hummer" range. OS will give you a little bit more punch and should give you a little more power, but it's really what you feel comfortable with. You really can't go wrong with either motor. I've seen and heard good and bad with both motors. :dontknow

The Stratus is light. By light I mean it's stupid light compared to the Fury. Comparing a Stratus to my Tempest is apples to oranges. There are distinct differences. I think the maintenance design is better on a Stratus. I like the fuel tank in the rear on the Stratus vs having it up front on the Tempest, but that's me (looked like a better balance throughout flight among other things). Engine mounting is different. etc etc

Just my $.02

[DebianDog]

Oh there is a YS motor in this MA heli. Is this enough power for you?
http://www.helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=15730

[ClayK]

It's too bad Dan forgot the camera when Charles was flying at Clints.... he was laying it DOWN in GA.... Bad dog....

[Gary O]

Syn,

I have Extreme's, Tempest's, and Stratus helis. If you are wanting a heli more for all out 3D then the Stratus is a great choice. In the Stratus the YS or OS works fine. I've got them set up with both engines and I like them equally as well. The OS does have more punch but the YS does fine as long as your collective management is good. If you are wanting an all around heli, the Tempest 3D or the FAI are great machines. You can make a Tempest great for 3D but it's slightly heavier than the Stratus and you can feel it when flying. Engine choice really comes down to preference.

[syn-]

Hmmm, decision decisions. I wish I could SEE both of them before choosing. Anyone got some close up pics of either of these? I'll do some digging through the galleries too.

-syn

[WayneBrown]

I have an Extreme and a Stratus. What would you like to see close ups of?
The stratus layout is cleaner, and the overall machine is roughly 1 lb lighter than the Fury Extreme/ Tempest kits. IMO, being subject to coastal winds that can gust suddenly, I'd rather have the extra weight to help penetrate the wind, and get it back over the field in the event of an unplanned auto. I'm kinda chicken that way... :D
If you have occasion to get to Augusta, GA I'll let you fly both of them and check 'em both out.

[syn-]

Hey Wayne,
I'm mainly interestrd in the servo tray and head, but if you are right there in augusta don't sweat it, I can just come down! You aren't that far away. Would you be willing to meet up with me next weekend? I've only got a couple weekends before I have to go out of town again for work, so let me know. I'm always up for a road trip to fly with new friends.

-Lee

[ClayK]

Wayne is good people! Wish I could have flown with him more at Clints... He was wrenching and I was flying :(

[WayneBrown]

We can decide where, I am working in Greenville, SC and *may* have to stay up there and fly.. :wink:
Feel free to call me during the week and we can decide where to meet. 706-799-4911 is my cell..

[Alfred]

Here you go..Stratus

[syn-]

Cool deal, I'll surely give you a call. It will prolly be tuesday (wed at the latest)... I've got a ton of work to get done since I just got back in town.

-lee

[syn-]

Alfred.. wow. :shock: :shock: That looks amazing man. Why can't they put pics like this up on the mini air website??? All they have for a $1700 bird is one lowsy pic... wtf?

-lee

[DavidH]

Lee,
These are on the MA website. Click on Helicopter Kits. Then click on Stratus.

http://www.miniatureaircraftusa.com/helicopterkits/1026_Stratus/1026_kit_main.asp

Then on Kit Details
http://www.miniatureaircraftusa.com/helicopterkits/1026_Stratus/1026_kit_details.asp

There is also a parts list and assembly manual and brochure for the Stratus on the MA site.

On this link from the MA site.
http://www.miniatureaircraftusa.com/helicopterkits/kit_collections.asp

All the models that have the name in Red under them. Click on them and there is in depth information and pictures about them.

David

[WillJames]

I keep on goign back to MA every time I try another brand, and I have tried basically all of them. My MA machines ROCK and I could not be happier with them. You are not going to find any machine that is produced and is for sale now that can match them for durability and longevity.

[ecofan_]

Hi

MA is really good... juste be carefull while mounting your heli, and it'll fly wery well and last a long time !!

@ Alfred

your heli is really clean !! But If I can give you a piece of advice, I 'd rather protect servos wires, or the carbon frame'll cut them !

[DavidH]

The Carbon Frames will not cut the wires with the servo wires just laying against them. Now it will cut them if they are across the edge of the frame and the wire or the frame is not protected.
Alfred's set up looks really nice and I don't see anything that would cause problems in the picture.
The white edge you see in the pictures on the frames . I would guess that is a strip to protect the wires from the edge of the frames where needed.

David

[Alfred]

The white edge you see in the pictures on the frames . I would guess that is a strip to protect the wires from the edge of the frames where needed.
David
You are spot on. The white strips are used in the electrical + Communication Industry to protect cabling that goes through or on sharp metal edges and comes in different width.
It's made out of the same type of plastic as the white MA Plastic undercarriage like the one on the Stratus.
Where the fuel tubing passes around sharp carbon edges, the edges have been slightly rounded with a needle file and the fuel tubing is additionally protected by a black braid, secured onto the fuel tubing with black heatshrink.

ecofan
I have already learned the lesson in regards to sharp carbon edges but thankfully caught it before it could cause a crash.

syn
Mine has the YS91, GY401, 9252's
It is turning into the same boring heli as my Fury Expert when it comes to maintanance.
I check it over with a magnifying glass but can not find a single part that needs maintanance.
My 3 year old Expert was purchased from a hard ass 3D guy.

In the 3 years it has seen:
1)Tailbox gears replaced (just a few weeks ago) due to wear and more a precaution
2) Tailgear box greased 4 times
3) Maingear one-way autorotation unit re-oiled..once
That's it.

I am more of a FAI type flyer with mild 3D. The Stratus is a ***** cat to fly.
Huge round continous loops can be done until you run out of fuel.
Rolls until it is getting out of sight and it's time to turn around.
Point it in a direction and let go of the sticks and just watch it go. Grab the sticks when it's time to turn around.
Are you getting the feeling that I like mine? :lol:

[bkervaski]

I have two of them (Stratus). Love them. Wouldn't give them up for anything. Quality, quality, quality. Fast, fast, fast.

I used to fly YS91's in my Evo's and my first Stratus. When the OS91SZPS came out I switched. It's just as easy to setup if you throw out the manual and go by the forums. To quote someone else, it's an "Order of magnatude" difference from the YS in power.

My two cents.

[syn-]

OK, so now that we have boken into the realm of discussing electronics :mrgreen: here is what I have so far:

- New shiney JR 9303 (anyone wanna buy a 9 month old 8103?) :D
- JR R649 PCM receiver
- (4) JR DS8311 servos
- Futaba GY611 with 9256
- Throttle Jockey Pro Gov.
- 4000mAh Duralite Li-Ion with 5.1v regulator

Now all I need is a bird to put this stuff in... well and a motor. :)


-syn

[syn-]

Oh hey, a couple of other things:
- Where the heck do you buy these things? Direct from manu or is there a better route?
- What is with the price difference between the 8.** gear ratio kits and the 7.**? The eights are about $1440 and the sevens are $1740. Where the heck does that additional $300 go???

Thanks guys!

-lee

[DavidH]

There is no price difference because of gear ratios.

If your looking at the Tempest. There is a Tempest FAI and a Tempest 3D.
The Tempest 3D has G10 side frames and a couple of other minor differences and the gear ratios are usually 8.18 and 8.45.

The Tempest FAI has Carbon Fiber side frames and couple of parts that are different.
The gear ratios are usually 7.75 or 7.91.

The Carbon frames is what makes the increase in cost.

Plenty of great dealers to buy MA helis. They advertise right here on Helifreak.

Ray's Heli Resource, Rick's RC Helis and East Coast Extremehelis

David

[bkervaski]

Just FYI -- Rick's and the other shops have them for a good bit less than Miniature direct.