Slo V = Fast Fun

Slo V = Fast Fun!

I have gotten back into RC models for the past 12 months and when the Slo V was originally released, it just didn;t do anything for me. My other planes tended to be fast, brushless and flying wings which is as far from a Slo V as you can imagine.

Then after Christmas, I was looking around for a plane that didn't take much building and was real fun in the local park. Many of the foam wings started out as park flyers but once you add a brushless motor, they tend to out grow the local park.

After many hours of searching the ModelFlight site, ParkZone's Slo V RTF stated to make more sense. here is a plane that goes together in 10 minutes, comes with everything, has a dedicated 3 channel proportional radio and is stress free to fly in your local park where I can air to air combat with the magpie and not feel like a big bully.

I showed the Slo V to a friend and we bought one each along with the parachute drop module as well as the sonic combat module.

When the Slo V arrived, I was very pleased with the way it was constructed and put together. Everything went as planned and i was firing the Slo V up in the lounge room within 10 minutes. Even the pushrods were spot on and required no adjusting.

I was very delighted with the Slo V but the thought of only having 10 minutes of flying in between 40 minutes of charging would be torture. I looked around at my battery box which included 700mAh battery packs from my Toro and other planes. I didn't want to cut off the Slo V's connector and replace it with a JR connector because it would have defeated the purpose of the exercise.

In the middle of the night, I spliced a JR female connector so now i can use all my older NiMH packs lying around.

Most of these shapes actually fit quite well into the battery compartment of the Slo V.

Flying the Slo V.

I knew the Slo V was going to be easy to fly so I was quite excited about trying it out on my local park. I gave the batteries a charge the night before and toped them up just before takeoff. This ensures maximum voltage and power for its first flight.

With full power and a slight wind, the Slo V took off from grass in about 3M (10 feet) and flew like a dream. No bad tendencies at all. The first flight was about 5 minutes as I got use to the characteristics of the Slo V. I enjoy the controls being responsive but ParkZone has included dual rates for those who prefer more leisurely flying or for beginners. I found that the standard 6 cell did not provide enough grunt to climb more than 5m high or handle wind. 7 cell packs are essential if you want to fly high or carry the extra weight of the drop or sonic combat modules.

I found that with the slow speed, I was able to do exciting low and really close passes, skimming the ground by as little as 30cm. This  plane is great for touch and gos as well as air to ground work (watch the video above)

At the beach, the Slo V managed to handle up to 10mph winds and at one stage was slope soaring off the cliffs in the background. The large tail surfaces gave great response even with power off

Pros:

• Easy to fly
• Great Value
• Cheap and easy to get replacement parts
• Take off on any grass field
• Fly in small parks.
• Sonic combat and drop modules
• Full 3 channel proportional RC system
• Rugged

Cons:

• Standard 6 cell battery pack does not pack sufficient grunt.

Summary:

Not to be overlooked as a great fun model for all the family and even if you are an experienced modeller. ParkZone has put together a great package in the Slo V and its now my favorite local flyer. Make sure you order one or two 7 cell battery packs.

Imagine this flying in your local park or flying field? Why not click on the price to order it NOW?

	ParkZone Slo V   Read the ParkZone Slo V Review Download ParkZone Slo V Manual     ParkZone Slo V - Along with ParkZone-quality features like a 370 motor with gear reduction and a fully proportional FM RC system, the ready-to-fly Slo-V will have the flexibility of Mode Change Flight Control software as well as X-Port expandability. Replaced by the Super Cub