H-King Cessna Skylane (965mm) Review

H-King has just introduced another Cessna into their already impressive and ever-growing lineup of model aircraft.

The H-King Cessna Skylane is fitted with tricycle landing gear and is designed for a very affordable 800-1000mah 3s battery. The PNF model is equipped with a powerful 1200kv brushless outrunner, 20A ESC, LED nav lights, and scale wheel pants and only requires a receiver and battery of your choice and you’re good to go. Hobbyking is known the world over for affordable model aircraft and in keeping with tradition the Cessna comes in at under $100. The Cessna Skylane is a much loved iconic aircraft that aviation enthusiasts around the world will be very familiar with. Cessna started production of the Skylane from around 1956 onward with progressive changes as technology and customer requirements changed. The Skylane earned a reputation for reliability along with flight performance and the H-King representation is no exception. The aircraft captures the classic lines of its namesake and looks impressive in the air. The decals are expertly applied at the factory over a very modern blue scheme.

Flight-Report

I’ll say from the outset the model flies very well which was a surprise to me given the price point. I am naturally cautious of low priced aircraft, however, HobbyKing has certainly raised the bar in terms of acceptable quality and value for money. At its core, it is a forgiving general aviation aircraft but it also has the ability to kick it into sports mode if you give the throttle a nudge. The aircraft offers a surprising level of aerobatic ability which is something I wasn’t expecting. Takeoff could not have been easier and was without incident. I moved the throttle forward allowing the Cessna to reach full throttle before adding up the elevator to rotate the aircraft. I found the front nose wheel may dig into a grass strip, so simply add a little up elevator as you take off and this reduces the pressure on the front nose wheel. Very little trim was required to get the aircraft to fly straight and level. In addition, I noticed no pitch sensitivity at the suggested CG and found it quite acceptable. The plane had more than enough power and in fact, I flew the plane at a half to a quarter throttle. Come to think of it, I have never heard anyone say a plane had too much power. It comes in handy to get you out of trouble and if you feel the plane is flying too fast, I suggest you get used to the proportional control of your throttle. An underpowered aircraft is little more than a recipe for disaster because if you’re in need of thrust to get you out of a bind and there is nothing there you’re going to have a bad day. The result is a crash and hours of time-consuming repairs. The aircraft is quite aerobatic with inverted flight, rolls, loops, tight circles, etc all within its flight envelope. The aircraft felt right at home in those maneuvers and in the air. For a little plane, it’s very stable in the air and a pleasure to fly.

The Hardware

The finish on the foam is wonderfully smooth and something I did not expect at this price point. The hinges on the wings, elevator, and rudder are made from the foam. Mine was not particularly stiff, however, I was sure to bend them a number of times to allow the surface to move freely. The control horns are nylon using two screens which are diagonally opposed to secure them to the control surface. A well-fitting clevis joins the control rod to the control horn. The wheels are simple lightweight foam wheels and are held in place by c-clips. The electrical system is comprised of generic parts, however, we had no issues. I gave both the powertrain and the servos a very hard time looking to see if anything would fail and everything held up very well. I must say that I’ve come to expect more from HobbyKing as they have matured over the years. Their low price point models often exceed the quality that you’ve come to expect from the big name brands. I cannot wait to see where they go over the next decade.

Landing

Landing is a very simple affair. They say, taking off is optional but landings are mandatory. The more landings you do the better you’ll become at it as practice makes perfect. Landing, in general, is, without doubt, the hardest and most nerve-racking part of the entire flight, particularly when you're just getting used to a new plane. It is often said that if you don’t get the approach right, you’re not going to land right. They are right of course. If you’re trying to correct a poorly executed landing it quickly becomes a nightmare. Get a feel for the stall speed of your aircraft by climbing to a safe altitude and then reducing throttle allowing the aircraft to slow until it stalls. Take note of what happens; does it drop a wing, drop the nose, or does something else happen. When you’re coming in for a landing you’ll want to land as slowly as possible so getting a feel for stall speed is very important and what it wants to do in a stall so you can be ready if it decides to stall. The Cessna drops its nose in a stall and I always prefer the nose to drop as opposed to a wing dropping.

Flare and Landing

Once the aircraft is lined up with the runway and is straight and level (wings level and nose to tail level) at a reasonable height then a landing can be performed using the following sequence:

1. With the aircraft lined up with the centerline of the runway, reduce the throttle of the aircraft and keep the nose of the aircraft level.
2. Use the throttle to control decent. Reduce throttle and put the aircraft into a gentle glide. As the aircraft slows down the wings produce less lift and the aircraft will start to descend.
3. Monitor the speed of the aircraft and if required apply a little throttle but try not to adjust the elevator. You may find a blip or two of the throttle is enough.
4. Once on the centerline of the runway keep the aircraft level, from side to side ie wings level, and nose to tail level. Use the ailerons and/or rudder to make small smooth corrections to keep the aircraft on the centreline.
5. Once your aircraft is just a few inches above the runway reduces throttle and continues to input up the elevator trying for as long as possible to bleed off all speed and lift.
6. Flaring is achieved by pulling the nose of the aircraft up slightly and keeping it up, using the elevator. As the aircraft bleeds off speed it will lose lift and eventually settle on the runway, without bouncing.
7. Once on the ground, the operator needs to ensure they continue to steer the aircraft along the runway using the rudder.

Specs

Features

• 
High quality fully molded light and strong EPO material with lots of scale details
.
• Detailed cockpit with instrument panel decal, molded passenger seats.
• Aileron servo leads and navigational light leads are quick and easy to connect during wing installation, thanks to a new PCB connector design.
• Molded-in clear navigational lights lens for ultimate true-scale looks.
• Pre-installed servos, motor, ESC, and even navigational lights. All the hard work is done for you.
• A smooth, mellow flier that virtually any pilot can enjoy

The two most important things for me are takeoff and landing and for me it was uneventful. The aircraft tracks well and those were no effort how I check for are take-off and are fitted quite sporty given that it is fitted with a 1200kv with an XxX 3S prop. Let's face it, this 965mm Cessna has a much better power to weight ratio than the full size which allows you to pull off some very impressive aerobatic maneuvers. I have test flown many sports models I must admit that this plane is one of the best fliers around. If you were looking to migrate from a Bixler to something with solid landing gear then the Cessna is a good choice. Even if you’re a seasoned pilot looking for something different yet reliable then this should interest you. Alright, let’s get into the detail. Written by Gozarian 

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