Complete
Kit with hardware
High Quality Construction with a great looking finish
Superb Flying Performance
No Painting or Decals Needed
Painted Fiberglass Cowl and Gear Fairings
Easy Access Magnetic Hatch
Optional Upgrades Available
Detailed Manual Instructions
E-flite
has expertly re-created the rugged good looks and flight behavior of
the full-scale Stearman PT-17 with this easy-to-assemble 15-size model
that is a joy to fly. It comes out of the box constructed of balsa and
light plywood and covered in an authentic early-WWII UtlraCote®
trim scheme. Other scale touches include a painted fiberglass cowl,
painted fiberglass landing gear fairings, and a great-looking
9-cylinder dummy radial engine. Assembly is remarkably simple thanks to
the plug-in wings and bolt-on interplane struts. E-flite?s even
included specially designed jigs that allow you to keep the upper and
lower wing halves connected for easier transport and storage.
In
the air, the Stearman PT-17
15e?s flat-bottom airfoils and light wing loading translate into
exceptionally scale-like flight characteristics that everyone from
intermediate to advanced pilots will instantly fall in love with.
Originally used as a primary trainer for the U.S. Army Air Corps in the
days leading up to WWII, the Stearman PT-17 had numerous post-war roles
from crop duster to air show star, making it one of the most
recognizable biplanes among the general public to this day.
Key
Features:
Can be assembled and flight ready in just a few evenings
Large magnetic hatch for easy access to electronics
Plug-in wings speed assembly
Includes wing jig for easy transport and storage
Realistic 9-cylinder dummy radial engine
Painted fiberglass landing gear fairings
Authentic pre-WWII UltraCote® trim scheme
Painted fiberglass cowl
Specifications:
Wingspan:44.0 in (1120mm)
Overall Length:35.0 in (890mm)
Wing Area:608 sq in (37.5 sq dm)
Flying Weight:3.5?3.8 lb (1.5?1.7 kg)
Motor Size:Power 15
Radio:4-channel
Servos:JR SPORT MN48 (2)(JSP20040) and JR SPORT MC35 (2)(JSP20030)
Trim Scheme Colors:HANU875 Sky Blue, HANU872 Bright Yellow
Prop Size:APC 12x6E electric prop
Hardware Included:Yes
Speed Control :40-Amp Pro Brushless ESC (EFLA1040)
The parts are well protected in the box using custom compartments,
sub-boxes, and bags. The beautifully painted fiberglass scale cowl was
additionally wrapped in foam in its own box, which also served to
protect the delicate windows.
I
did not find a single wrinkle or warped surface on any of the covered
pieces. All the alignment dowels were pre-installed.
The
pre-painted fiberglass landing gear fairings come already built with
the wheels attached. The 32-page manual is loaded with clear photos and
instructions, continuing the tradition of E-flite excellence!
Fuselage:
A closer look at the fuselage reveals the incredible detail in building
it light and strong. The decals are already applied and the cockpit
painted. The hatch is held in place by two strong magnets in the back
portion.
Power System :
The
power system components for the Stearman PT-17 include the following
items:
The
first step of the assembly is to install the two JR Sport MN48 mini
servos for elevator and rudder control.
Stabilizer
Mounting:
The
horizontal stab, elevator, rudder, and tailwheel all installed exactly
as described in the manual. I had no problems following the detailed
photos and descriptions. Thin CA was used to glue the stab in place as
well as the hinge material. An Allen wrench is supplied to secure the
tailwheel assembly.
Pushrod
Installation:
The
rudder and elevator pushrod installation went according to the manual
with a few minor changes. Use a 5/64" bit instead of a 1/16" bit to
enlarge the servo arm holes for the pushrod. Also, the amount of
turning to get the clevis in the correct position warranted cutting of
1/4" of the threaded ends of each pushrod.
All
the hardware is included in the kit and the pushrods are already bent
for the servo arms.
Gear
Mains:
The
landing gear and cabane strut installation was very easy. All the
t-nuts are pre-installed so you simply screw it together after dabbing
a small amount of thread locker on each screw.
Aileron
Servo Mounting:
The
aileron installation uses two JR Sport MC35 Micro servos. The servos
are first mounted to the hatch using the supplied blocks and then
screwed in place on the bottom wing halves.
Strings
are installed in the wing halves to help pull the control cables to the
ends. The ailerons are secured using thin CA and the linkages are
installed using the same technique as the rudder and elevator. The
difference here is that the control horn screws do not go through the
ailerons for a cleaner look.
The
5/64" drill bit was used again instead of a 1/16" bit to open the outer
servo arm holes. Other than this drill bit size error, the manual
instructions are flawless.
Motor
and ESC:
The
motor and ESC installation is also well described in the manual. The
important areas here are to select the correct spacer lengths, as there
are two sizes in the bag, and use thread locker on the x-mount screws
and 1" Allen bolts to prevent them from vibration loose in flight.
The
E-flite 40-amp Pro Brushless ESC is held in place using hook and loop
tape. I used my own Industrial Strength Velcro here. The motor/ESC
wires are then secured using your own cable ties.
Cowl
Mounting:
The
fiberglass cowl installed easily using the paper strip guide technique
in the manual. I cut the four strips needed from the backing on the
E-flite ESC packaging. The cowl is positioned by hand and then marked
for the exact hole placement.
Wing
Mounting:
The
wings are simply pressed into place and secured with 4-40 x 3/8" Allen
bolts. Both top and bottom wings are supported by carbon tubes and
aligned by pins in the center section.
The
interplane struts (shaped like the letter "N") and pre-mounted metal
lugs in the wing panels were already pre-drilled and tapped to accept
the 4-40 x 1/4" Allen bolts. I used a single JR Sport (JSP98020) 6"
Y-Harness to connect the two servo wires to the aileron channel on the
receiver.
Transport
Jigs:
E-flite
has included specially designed wing jigs that hold the upper and lower
halves in place as you slide them on.
When
it comes time to pack everything up and head for home, the jigs will
allow you to leave the upper and lower halves connected for simpler
transport and storage.
Optional
Pilot:
E-flite
offers the (EFLA150)
1/9 Military Pilot as an option to use in the Stearman. The windows and
pilot were glued in place using Pacer Formula 560 canopy glue.
Receiver
and Battery Placement:
The
components were placed per the manual recommendation. My extra
satellite receiver was positioned between the two servos. Note that the
battery pack is held by Velcro on the bottom as well as a strap.
The
APC 12x6 e-prop seems like a good fit and my initial run up to full
throttle revealed plenty of power!
Balancing:
The
last step of the assembly was to check the CG. The manual recommends
2oz to 4oz of lead weight to obtain proper balance.
I
added 3oz of lead to the inside of the cowl to get my Stearman to
balance right in the middle of the suggested CG range.
Ready-To-Fly:
My
Stearman PT-17 was Ready-To-Fly at 61.4oz (3.8lbs) including the 9.4oz
E-flite 3s 3200mAh LiPo pack. The power system measured 420 watts at 36
amps which gave me a strong 109w/lb.
Test
Flying
The E-flite Stearman PT-17 flies as good as it looks! The video shows
the first two flights we had on the Stearman and just how dynamic the
flight envelope is for this WWII trainer. Pilot, Devin McGrath, puts
the Stearman through a series of maneuvers that includes loops, rolls,
hammer heads, inverted flight, and some great slow flying around the
field.
The
stock E-flite 3-cell 3200mAh LiPo pack provides a good 15 minute flight
with plenty of mixed aerobatics. We had no problems with grass
take-offs or landings other than the occasional elevator delay.
Sometimes when landing the Stearman, the elevator control was sometimes
blanked out by the air over the wing. This caused a slight dampening
effect where we would feed it elevator until it reacted and would
notice a slight pitch change when landing. The Stearman didn't want to
stop flying and really loved to float before landing. This model is an
easy build and an easy flier but still requires intermediate flying
skills. Although the Stearman seemed to handle 10-15mph winds without
issue, we had the most fun in calmer conditions. Other than that, the
Stearman flies great will plenty of authority using the Power 15
outrunner motor, which the video shows on several hammer-head
maneuvers.
The E-flite Stearman PT-17 has a light wing loading that provides
exceptionally scale-like flight characteristics for pilots from
intermediate to advanced skills. It comes out of the box beautifully
constructed of balsa and light plywood and covered in an authentic
early-WWII UtlraCote® trim scheme, allowing for assembly times
around 10 hours.
The
recommended E-flite Power 15 Brushless
Power System provides plenty of
authority to perform a series of maneuvers that includes loops, rolls,
hammer heads, inverted flight, and some great slow flying around the
field.
The
large magnetic hatch allows easy access to the electronics and battery
pack. The plug-in wings and included wing jig provide for easy
transport and storage. The Stearman design was very well done,
continuing the tradition of E-flite excellence!
E-flite AT-6 Texan
E-flite Models
Distributed Exclusively in the U.S.A. by:
Horizon Hobby, Inc
4105 Fieldstone Road
Champaign, IL 61822
Ph: (800) 338-4639
Toll Free: (800) 338-4639
Fax: (217) 352-6799
Website: www.horizonhobby.com
ZAP Glues On-line
at Frank Tiano Enterprises
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5-minute Z-poxy
Pacer POLY ZAP(tm)
Comments on RCU Review: E-Flite Stearman PT-17 15e
I enjoyed your review.I really enjoy my PT-17 also. Mine is powered by an E-flite Power 25 ( because I had one)- It is a good flyer and just looks awesome in the air. I would recomend it as a great sport flyerJay
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.
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