HobbyKing ™ Guppy Mini Slope Glider Balsa 1165mm (KIT)

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Nice little slope soarer

Nov 16, 2016

The Guppy is a nice and small slope soarer but you need to improve this little bird at some places. The push rod for the elevator needs to be fixed for not getting loose, the front wing attachment has to be reinforced and it's better using two separate servos for the ailerons.
I'm using 3 pieces of TGY-D56MG (SKU 9399000023-0) and it's same weight as using the 2 stock servos. Also perfect for direct use of a 2S lipo with about 600mAh. This plane is not for beginners!!! Cheers - Tom

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Customer Rated

Aug 04, 2016

The main downside with this kit is the lack of instructions and plans required to build the kit. The can get away with no plans but the instructions have to be very clear and can not miss out important details. The instructions you receive as part of the kit is a series of pictures which a way to small to see and when there is an important stage the instructional picture is split into 4 even smaller picture that you have no chance of focusing on.

I also received the kit with missing stock balsa for the underside of the glider. If I knew there wouldn't be any then I would not have bought this kit as it would be over priced. This again comes down to poor instructions as I don't have a checklist to check if all the parts are in the box.

You will enjoy the final product but be aware that it is a very small glider. More details on a motor conversion are needed in the kit as it does say it can accommodate a motor. I would also appreciate the layout of the electronics and how to install servos into the wing/fuselage.

I know that people say to expect this from Hobbyking but I have always received great products in the past. This is so close to a five star review, its just the poor instructions that have such a big impact.

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Customer Rated

Oct 08, 2015

This is a great sloper with a couple of modifications. I read bad reviews about the built kit and it is understandable, when you build it you can do the right modifications. Where the wing attaches to the front of fuselage is to weak, one bad landing and it will break. The nuts for the trailing edge don"t stay glued, all i did was create an index for the wing and use the good ole 2 rods and rubber-band trick. The rear elevator control is tricky, i just bent the wire around the small horn and did my adjustments at the servo. I also attached a motor and folding prop because the weight needed to balance the plane is the same as a motor and ESC so why not!!! I guess what i am saying is you need some experience building. Flying the plane is a dream i love it, has a nice range from slow to fast. This plane has no rudder but you can modify that pretty easy, personally i think you don't need one on this model. Cant wait to fly it again!!

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Customer Rated

May 12, 2015

Overall a good kit. Fast and easy to build.
Biulding the kit:
1. A little skill is required to form the leading edge, wing tips and tail.
2. The wooden pieces for the wing mount nuts are weak - I set these in epoxy putty with a carbon strip under the supplied former with good results. 3. If you are not going to add a motor, form the nose out of balsa. The same goes for the canopy. These are only flimsy plastic.
4. Glue a piece of ply to the fuselage behind the wing to keep it pressed against the forward bulkhead - otherwise, the two tabs that hold the forward part of the wings are easily dislodged.
5. The plane is small, so use a color scheme that makes it easy to see in all directions and inverted. I used clear red on the underside of the wings, tail and fuse, clear yellow on the top of the wings.

Flight:
1. Add weight if it is windy and there is good lift. There is space next to the elevator servo. Make a lead block that fills the whole space and fasten it with a screw through the side of the fuselage.
2. Inverted flying is not very good due to the flat wing bottom.
3. Does not require very much lift in light conditions provided that you keep your speed up.
4. The plane is not very big and is relatively fast, so don't blink when you are doing a fast, low pass.

Overall, a fun and handy little plane

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Certified Buyer Rated

Mar 22, 2015

Overall a good kit. Fast and easy to build.

Biulding the kit:

1. A little skill is required to form the leading edge, wing tips and tail.

2. The wooden pieces for the wing mount nuts are weak - I set these in epoxy putty with a carbon strip under the supplied former with good results. 3. If you are not going to add a motor, form the nose out of balsa. The same goes for the canopy. These are only flimsy plastic.

4. Glue a piece of ply to the fuselage behind the wing to keep it pressed against the forward bulkhead - otherwise, the two tabs that hold the forward part of the wings are easily dislodged.

5. The plane is small, so use a color scheme that makes it easy to see in all directions and inverted. I used clear red on the underside of the wings, tail and fuse, clear yellow on the top of the wings.



Flight:

1. Add weight if it is windy and there is good lift. There is space next to the elevator servo. Make a lead block that fills the whole space and fasten it with a screw through the side of the fuselage.

2. Inverted flying is not very good due to the flat wing bottom.

3. Does not require very much lift in light conditions provided that you keep your speed up.

4. The plane is not very big and is relatively fast, so don't blink when you are doing a fast, low pass.



Overall, a fun and handy little plane