Sbach 342 (Orange) EPO 1400mm (PNF)

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Customer Rated

May 17, 2016

Well I should have listened to other people's reviews and replace the aileron servo's that came with the model. Shortest maiden flight ever, model crashed and severally damaged the fuselage. :( The left aileron servo jammed in full up position shortly after takeoff and the model just spun in. Ground checks were perfect, I have never had a servo fail that early in its life. I haven't pulled it part yet but it feels like the gearbox is jammed. What I don't understand is that I didn't even use the ailerons before it started spinning so the servo drove itself fully up. Tried to keep it level with full right aileron but I couldn't get it back to earth safely. Nose-in made a mess of the spinner/motor mount and broken prop, broke the fuse behind the canopy and the canopy broken in 2. Lots of power with 4s pack. Very sad as it looked beautiful before it hit the deck. :( Lucky I had some paint mixed to touch up the orange coz I am going to need it if it can be repaired! I wish HK had spare parts available like the 1400mm MX2.

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Customer Rated

May 11, 2016

Received the orange version as per my order last week. It is a nice plane and good value when you consider everything provided. Mine includes a separate SBEC so perhaps the previous issues with an integrated ESC/SEBC have been resolved. Servos seem OK for the moment but I haven't flown it yet. A couple if issues: 1) the prop adapter hole for the spinner 3mm bolt is drilled but not tapped, grrr. I guess I will have to tap it unless HK send me a new one. 2) the wings have some warping which I am having trouble straightening with hot water/hot air. Any ideas? 3) The paint finish is very matt, so I have been spraying a clear coat to protect it. 4) I did not like the canopy clip so I removed it and installed a HK sliding canopy lock. Overall I can't really complain about the value for money. I have read some reviews complaining about the lack of scale fidelity, e.g. instrument panel it wrong for a 342. Really? It is a cheap PNF foamy for less that $200, it is not a plane you are going to use in a scale comp! :)

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Customer Rated

May 02, 2016

This is for people planning to buy this plane.
I have had this plane for about 2 months now. First of all, this plane is NOT for beginner pilots. The landings aren't that easy for beginners and the controls are very sensitive. so make sure this isn't your 2nd or 3rd plane either.
i fly this with a 4s 3000 with a few grams in the nose to get the perfect cg.
The canopy latch is not good at all and you will have to secure it with either velcro or magnets, as mine popped out mid flight, (having rechecked) before flight.
the spinner is very unbalanced so i just fly without the spinner.
having said that, the plane is just awesome to fly. the speed and the way it handles is beautiful.
so for intermediate pilots, this is an awesome plane with just a few tweaks here and there.
SECURE the canopy!.

Happy flying.

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Customer Rated

Jan 23, 2016

Great plane. The quality of the airframe seems to be very good. However, I had some issues with the motor. After a couple of flights, there was a "scraping" sound when turning the prop. Took the motor apart and found that one of the magnets was loose. I epoxied it back in place, but after one more flight, another magnet got loose. I have filed a RMA with HK.
The plane flies great.

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Customer Rated

Oct 10, 2015

This plane is strictly for handy-people. It takes a lot of hours of work, to get this plane flying straight. Engine mount is crooked, so you will have to dismantle the engine and adjust the bracket. Pushrods arent adjusted in the correct lenght, that needs doing too. Servos are mounted in places that obstruct the pushrods, so they need to be moved. The propeller that comes with the plane makes for a 200~ Watt output, I suggest using af 13x6, which brings the output down to 92 Watt. You will need to exchange the ESC, since the one that comes with the plane is useless (as so many of the other reviews states)
All that aside, once you have spend several days preparing the plane for flight, it is absolutely AMAZING! Im very happy about the plane, but not pleased about the amount of work it took to get a PNF (Plug nfly) in the air. The airframe is simply gorgeous. The execution of it is very poor, but it is possible to make it into an absolutely amazing plane, with a lot of work.

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Certified Buyer Rated

Sep 05, 2015

Not perfect, but fantastic for the price. It looks and flies great. Lots of power. I've tried it with 3000 4s and 5000 4s. better lighter but still flies well even with the big batteries. Only problems I've had are to do with the under carriage. After several landings on grass its started to bend back. The tail wheel just fell off during flight (never to be seen again).



Another great plane from Hobbyking!

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Customer Rated

Aug 07, 2015

Crashed my first due to receiver out of range (orange 6ch with integrated stabilisation).
Ordered a second one, now with orange 7ch with satelite. No problems anymore.
However pay specific attention to CG. I fly it with 4500 4s (3300 too light for correct CG)
Very good performance plane !!!

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Customer Rated

Aug 04, 2015

Very decent plane. Huge scale EPO aircraft with PNF setup. ESC has been upgraded, looked like a plush. Also it comes with a Ubec which circuit board looks identical to HW 3A ubec one. The spinner is quite out of balance, as well as the prop back plate. Better to upgrade to the metal one. Havent test out the servos yet, but changed to other upgraded ones. Overall the aircraft is excellent regarding to it's price

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Certified Buyer Rated

Jul 24, 2015

Hi Guys,

Got my Sbach last week all built and ready to fly except for one little thing ..... The GG position in the manual notes 120mm ..... But doesn't say from WHERE !!! This is not the first occasion that this has occurred from HK either. C'Mon HK selling planes without a CG position is just NOT ON !! Please fix this as to maiden this aircraft without checking for a correct CG would be just stupid !!

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Customer Rated

Jul 24, 2015

Mine came in today. Was packed nicely no damage or bubles in paint Got it all put and flew it. She flys great and 3D is pretty nice too. Its big but worth every cent! Waayyyy better than the carbon Z yak in my opinion. Id also choose this one over hk's. MX2 1400 epo as it has a few flight flaws like snap rolling when trying to pull up ect. This sbach wont let you down , buy this plane if u want a big good quality 3D/ aerobatic plane.