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THE MODEL
Offered in both an RTF ePTS and the reviewed ARF version, the T-34 is constructed of balsa and light ply and expertly covered in UltraCote. Assembly will generally take just a few hours and can be ready to fly in a couple short evenings. I found no surprises during the assembly of the ARF version and have only a few recommendations. The RTF version is available for $449.99 and comes completely assembled with all required accessories in the box. These accessories include a Spektrum DX6i 2.4GHz computer radio, E-flite Power 25 outrunner motor, 11.1V LiPobattery and Li-Po balancing charger. During the first few steps of the manual, you are instructed to assemble both the horizontal and vertical tail surfaces. Although they tell you to secure the tail in place, I suggest leaving the nylon lock nuts loose enough to adjust the tail and square it with the wing tips once the wing is in place. Ideally, you want a perfectly square airplane (symmetrical) and I found there was just enough slop in the tail to possibly put it nearly 1/2-inch out of square. This is not detrimental to the overall flying qualities but it will cause less than perfect slow speed and stall characteristics.
The wing for the Mentor comes from the factory with the flap linkage installed in a fixed position. Although not needed for this airplane due to its light weight and light wing-loading, I chose to add the additional servo and utilize the flap function on my JR transmitter. Computerized radios typically offer the ability to assign the flap channel to a switch or in my case, a slider on the transmitter. The nice thing about the slider is that you can set the flaps in any position you want for the conditions, rather than the preset up, mid and down fixed positions you get with a switch.
It took me just two evenings of a couple hours each and I was ready for the field. The nice thing about using the recommended components in the manual is that more times than not, the center of gravity comes out right on the money.
For those who chose the additional performance of the Power 32, you may need to move your battery toward the aft limit of the battery tray. Even with this setup and the 4S battery pack, the wing loading came in at just under 21.5 ounces per square foot. Trust me, it still likes to float.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
There are very few tips for success needed here. This is another winner from E-flite. Take your time, use thin CA to harden all wood screw holes and use the included plywood plates for standard servos. Remember to go back and tighten the tail surfaces after squaring the wing tips to the tail tips. Follow the suggested control throws listed in the manual and do not exceed the recommended center of gravity limitations. These few items will reward you with a rock solid airplane.
One thing I would like to recommend is to choose a quality speed control for your model. With five servos on board you will need either a switch mode BEC or separate receiver battery pack to supply sufficient power. The E-flite controller I used can supply a continuous current of 2.5 amps at up to 6S, so it easily covers the needs for the T-34. Other options will likely require the additional hassle of an aftermarket BEC or another battery to power the radio. |
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ower-off stalls saw a slight drop from the left wing, while power-on stalls were more pronounced with the left wing dropping more aggressively. The moderately sized rudder has quite a bit of power, and readily allowed flat turns with opposite aileron to keep the outer wing down. Both upright and inverted spins, as well as normal and flat spins were all easily accomplished. All other basic aerobatic maneuvers were no problem for this docile trainer. Given the wing loading, its not surprising that the T-34 glides very well. 