The Super Kinetic isn’t a new ‘plane. In fact, it has been around for a long time. So long in fact, that it is one of the biggest selling planes from HobbyKing.
In all of that time, the original design and specifications have remained unchanged. Until now. Not all of us get to live near open spaces large enough to handle fixed-wing models like the Tundra, EZIO 1500, Bixler, or Bush Mule. Other smaller planes can be a little too loud for a park due to their speed orientated motor and prop setup (Yes, I’m looking at you EFXtra!). This model is quiet but also packs easily enough power to perform aerobatics and get you out of (and into) trouble quickly and give you a great flight. The Super Kinetic features a few things that are not on many other ‘planes and make for a fun flying experience. The front plastic hatch looks like it’s covering the battery bay but that area is only needed for a radio receiver making it simple to pop a receiver in there and connect all of the clearly labeled servo plugs to your chosen radio receiver. There are large air-holes in the plastic motor mount and foam in the nose that allow plenty of air to run through the model to help keep the motor and ESC cool. The battery bay is in one of the most sensible places I’ve seen in any aircraft design. It is in the belly, below the wings at the COG point. An 850mAh 3s battery in this bay fits perfectly and provides the perfect center of gravity. 
The main wing attaches with a little tab in the rear and a finger-operated rotating catch at the front making for a tool-free installation and removal. To stay with the tool-free design the rear horizontal tail feathers (elevator) also push into place with a click through the rear tail section. Interestingly the elevator isn’t a traditional design with a fixed horizontal stabilizer with a small moving control surface at the back. In the Super Kinetic the entire horizontal stabilizer pivots. Very cool. So what changed on this latest version? There was only ever one real problem with the original design and that was the plastics that controlled that unusual rotating elevator could sometimes break. The servos that control the tail are safely hidden away under a plastic cover rear of that battery bay so are nice and safe. It was the rotating collar in the rear of the tail could be damaged.
This new version has a newly designed rear assembly so breakages shouldn’t be anywhere near as common. The other difference is the decal scheme. The last version of the decal livery was starting to look at little ‘millennial’ and the new orange and grey decals are bright and provide excellent orientation support with the bottom wing surfaces sporting nice clear black bands too. The decals are well applied and in the flying here haven’t lifted. Due to the no-glue nature of the model, the assembly is very fast. The model itself can be together in less than five minutes. Snap-on those funky rear stabilizers and feed the aileron servo wires into the body of the model (this is easier if you open the battery bay to help pull them through) and then rotate the locking clip and you’re done! It will take you far longer to set up the model and reverse any channels you need to than actually building this thing. The no-glue construction also means that you can break-down the model for easy transport, handy if you are looking for a back-pack flyer.
So what’s it like to fly?
The center of gravity seems to be spot on in the manual and I left all of the throws on my radio at 100% and added a nice healthy 30% Expo on the elevator and Aileron and 20% on the rudder controls. 
The hand launch was nice and easy holding the model by the fingertips of the wing. Give it around 60-70% throttle and a gentle throw will have it climbing gracefully into the air. I set up the control surfaces in line with the wing and only needed a few clicks of aileron to correct for the torque from the motor. This model has a nice wide speed envelope. It can pootle around on 25-30% throttle but open the throttle up and it can get nice and quick, perfect for aerobatics. Even at full throttle, it’s amazing how quiet this is. If you’re used to larger models you’ll be worried that something is wrong as you can’t hear it! Once it’s more than a few dozen feet from you, it appears silent. There is only one thing to watch for. It will tip stall at very slow speeds. On landing, just keep the power on until you are ready to land and use the grass to arrest the momentum.
This model will not float into the ground as an EZIO 1500, Bixler or Walrus will. I did make a few mods on mine; all of these are due to my personal taste and not necessary. I did pop a drop of oil into that rotating plastic section at the rear, mine was a little stiff initially but I’m sure it would have quickly erased with a little use. I also added a Velcro battery strap for the battery bay. In the kit, you will get a Velcro set that you can use to make the battery nice and safe but I like the extra security of a strap. The last mod was to remove the ‘Y’ cable that connects the aileron servos built into the main wing and run them from two separate channels on the radio receiver. This allowed me to setup up flaperons and spoilerons on this model too. In practice, I’m not really using them. 
I like the looks, the decent flying, and especially the price of the model. The ability to break it down for easy transport is a great idea and that belly-mounted battery is an idea I’m surprised we don’t see on more models.
I know the most common question I’m going to get asked for the Super Kinetic – ‘Is it good for a beginner?’
The answer is yes with two reservations; any model with a prop at the front will suffer in the most common ‘nose in’ crashes that will happen when learning to fly and that little tendency to tip stall will mean that you’ll have to keep the throttle above 15-20% until you are ready to land. But apart from that, it’s one to consider when looking to learn. For me, the best learner is still the fantastic ‘Bixler 2’ with its ‘floaty’, forgiving flight characteristics, and ventrally mounted prop. If you’ve not got the space for a Bixler, or are simply looking for a good performing, quiet park-flyer that’s easy to transport then this is a great choice.
H-King Super Kinetic is available to buy on HobbyKing now, click here
Written by Painless 360
