Black Flyer V2 Our indoor flying sessions are divided into slots for different model types. Initially there were two fixed wing slots, for Shock Flyer types and for slower models. I flew my Crack Yak in one and the Mini-ifo in the other. This went okay for a year or so, then there were mutterings about the ifo being too big for the slow fly slot (it is a very small hall we use). So I bought the Spacewalker. By this time though, the slow fly slot was populated almost entirely by Night Vapors so once again I was (very politely) kicked out of the slot. However, the Spacewalker flew so well that three other flyers bought them and they were given a slot of their own. So, still feeling left out of the slow fly slot, in the Summer of 2017 I bought this kit from Banggood. It comes in a small polybag, the main content of which is a coil of thin carbon rods. So insubstantial is the package that one reviewer wrote "I received motor and wires but where is the actual plane?"! In fact, the kit is surprisingly complete, including covering film, motor, undercarriage wire & wheels and a sprue of beautifully moulded (albeit impossibly tiny) plastic parts. Instructions are downloaded from the web and are well illustrated. However page one begins with the instruction to 'intercept the lengths of the carbon rod'. This did not bode well for the comprehensibility of subsequent written instructions. This concern proved to be largely unfounded and the instructions were generally fairly easy to follow, although it sometimes pays to look a few steps ahead to make doubly sure you have everything orientated the right way - ask me how I know!
The model comes with a motor and gearbox but you have to source your own avionics. In this regard I was helped out by the donation of a couple of broken Spacewalkers. With the addition of a 160mah single cell LiPo, the Black Flyer was ready in time for the new indoor season. The first flight lasted long enough to trim the elevator and to decide that more rudder movement was needed in our small hall. However at that point the motor stopped dead and inspection showed that the gearbox had seized completely. Fortunately another flyer who had independently bought and built the same model explained that his had done the same thing but a few drops of oil solved the problem. Second time out, with the gearbox running smoothly and the rudder movement increased, the model flew well. It has enough power to be quite lively and I was just beginning to enjoy it when I overheard someone remark how well it was going, only to be met with the response 'yes, but a bit fast though'! I'm now trying to get used to flying while silently repeating the mantra: "Slow Fly, Slow Fly, Slow Fly. . ."! Footnote, November 2018
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The only problem I had was with the thin carbon rod used to frame the tail. This is not of good quality and broke. Frustratingly, it didn't break when intially bent and fitted, but after covering. I did have suitable replacement rod in stock but liberating the fittings from the broken rod did weaken them with the result that you will see (in the heading picture) a couple of loops of thread on the tailplane to take some of the strain off the central fitting.
