E-Flite UMX Radian BNF with AS3X Technology Unboxing, Maiden Flight, and Review

This is the unboxing, maiden flight, and review of the new E-Flite UMX Radian BNF with AS3X Technology RC plane with AS3X Technology. It is also not the the BNF Basic package, so it comes with a USB charger and battery in addition to the Radian UMX RC Glider.
Click here to buy one: bit.ly/3h91sBs
The links in this description are affiliate links. They give me a small commission on sales which helps support the channel and keep it independent: www.amazon.com....
Visit www.gblynden.com/ to learn more about the hobby!
- Recommended Radio: bit.ly/3DF94TW
- Battery Used & Recommended: amzn.to/3EbRyZo
- Charging Balance Board: amzn.to/3C4EceA
- Charger: amzn.to/3RvM2n6
Here are my Unboxing, Maiden and Review Notes:
Cons:
- Fragile
- Not easily transportable like previous UMX planes
- Brushed motor
Pros
- Handles stiff and swirling winds pretty well
- Good slow speed handling
- Performs loops well
- Good flight times
- Powered unlike the UMX ASK-21
- Fun
This is how Horizon Hobby describes this RC Sailplane otherwise known as the Ultra Micro Radian BNF, not to be confused with the Parkzone Radian:
"The E-flite® UMX™ Radian is a powered sailplane that packs all the simple fun of the larger ParkZone® Radian into a much smaller package that's an absolute delight to fly. AS3X® technology gives a pilot the feeling of flying a much larger glider especially outdoors because of its renowned ability to smooth out the effects of wind and turbulence. Its distinctively curved wing delivers outstanding lift and impressive glide ratio using 3-channel control simplicity. The lightweight brushed power system requires just a single-cell Li-Po battery to provide excellent launch performance and long flight times. Plus the one-piece wing can be easily removed and stored in the handle-equipped box making your ability to soar through the clouds as convenient as can be. You'll be in the air in no time thanks to great features like:
Folding Propeller - For maximum glide efficiency, the ESC is specially programmed to work with the folding propeller so it opens quickly and folds back to streamline the airframe.
Removable Wing - With the removal of just two screws the fuselage and wing can be separated for easy transport and storage within the custom packaging provided.
Long Flight Times - The included E-flite 150mAh 3.7V 1S 25C Li-Po battery can be charged with the provided charger from any convenient USB power source. Average flight times of 10 minutes or more can be easily achieved on a single charge.
AS3X System Equipped - The specifically tuned AS3X System in the UMX Radian® ultra micro motor glider is designed to work behind the scenes to provide instantaneous attitude corrections when turbulence, torque and tip stalls haphazardly interrupt the way you want to fly. Moreover, the aircraft flies incredibly smooth while providing you with control that feels natural and utterly accurate. The result is the feeling of flying a much larger, well tuned sailplane that's convenient enough to fly just about anywhere."
All I can say is that the UM Radian or Baby Radian is something I am pretty impressed with so far.
Stay tuned for more information by subscribing to my channel!
GB

[@GBLynden]

Click here to buy one: bit.ly/3h91sBs The links in this description are affiliate links. They give me a small commission on sales which helps support the channel and keep it independent: www.amazon.com/shop/gblyndensrc. Visit www.gblynden.com/ to learn more about the hobby! - Recommended Radio: bit.ly/3DF94TW - Battery Used & Recommended: amzn.to/3EbRyZo - Charging Balance Board: amzn.to/3C4EceA - Charger: amzn.to/3RvM2n6 In addition to the content in this video, I have a separate unboxing, maiden flight, and review of V1 version of this E-flite UMX Radian you can watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inK9qX9mjL-AlZY

[@rcpete7055]

I guess you got this a while before the night radian? The comments about the lightness and cheap has put me off this a bit I was steering towards this instead of the night radian because of its smaller size..

[@GBLynden]

After flying is for 100’s of flights, including a big crash, I can say this is great! No repairs needed either.

[@JohnVHRC]

neat little bird. Horizon should pay you for all the exposure!

[@GBLynden]

I agree! I know I have helped sell tons of planes for them and get crap on the message boards since they think I am promoting their stuff lol They should at least send me planes to review like they do Chuck T Seeker. PS: Thank you again for doing such a good job behind the camera during the maiden. I would still be waiting to put up a video without your help.

[@bradsgold345]

What happens when the battery gets low?

[@GBLynden]

You don’t want to find out. That is why radios have timers 😎

[@bogdog999]

Dang! I'm trying to find a good video showing how it flies in smooth air, but everyone's video is in wind. Oh well.

[@GBLynden]

I have quite a few videos of it flying. Keep looking, they should be ranked fairly high in the search 😀

[@WildCaptures]

You got me I had to order one! Hopefully my E-Flite LP6DSM radio will bind to it? It's a Spektrum 6 channel DSM radio that was used for a Blade Heli.

[@GBLynden]

+Steve B I am not familiar with that radio, but if it is DSM2 or DSMX, it should work just fine :)

[@mikeflytime7269]

Update.. GBLynden your efforts do not go unappreciated. Your review steered me to purchase this plane and you were correct, it is a gem!!! I have piloted this plane through 5 - 160mah batteries so far. Most flights lasting approx. 10 - 15 minutes. The last flight was my longest, lasting 23.5 minutes. 5 minutes of motor run time = 23.5 minutes of smiling... Crazy. Thanks again for your videos and review of this plane.

[@GBLynden]

I am so happy to hear that my efforts are appreciated! FYI: I wouldn't recommend going over 20 minutes with this plane. The AS3X using quite a bit of battery, so that is my highest time ceiling for this plane. It is cool that you had a flight time of 23.5 minutes though :D

[@tobiasscharnberg2919]

Hi, you said you maidened it in quite a bit of wind and wouldn't recommend higher winds. I don't see trees moving though. How much wind can the little radian take? I already own an UMX Skywalker without ASX and it's only fly able without any wind at all. If the radian is like that I wouldn't be able to fly it very much because here is always some wind except for maybe half an hour on an evening. Thanks for the review and the flying vids!

[@GBLynden]

+RC-Grundrauschen It really depends on the kind of wind and the skill set of the RC Pilot. Some wind is firm but steady and some is slower but choppy. It can do ok up to 10 mph if the firm/steady variety, but the choppy wind isn't not good for this. I hope that helps :) GB

[@tpalshadow]

I really like how you included post-flight with honest comments about how your nitpicks were no longer a concern. That gives confidence to a new buyer!

[@GBLynden]

tpalshadow Thank you and I am glad you found this review to be helpful!

[@peepopoooooooooof]

I have some 360mah 1S from my eachine p-51 would they work in this?

[@GBLynden]

That will likely be too heavy and not have the right connector. I highly recommend these for great flight times without being too heavy for all of my 1S planes: amzn.to/38RLbKp

[@bltefft]

I don't use the screws. I copied a mod of another and use magnets to hold the wing in place.

[@GBLynden]

That is a smart mod! I have used this for years now, but I would use magnets if I got a brand new one.

[@bltefft]

The CG is 31mm from the leading edge of the wing - the manufacturer said with the battery centered, that should be the CG.

[@GBLynden]

That isn't correct with mine. With the 150, mine had to be all of the way forward. These are so small that mileage varies though lol

[@bltefft]

Thanks, I'll remember that when I make my maiden flight.

[@adamrobinson3824]

Would they survive bad crashes or how tough are they?

[@GBLynden]

I am not sure, but I am guessing not well. The foam used is not HQ foam, but should be glued back together fairly easily like most foam.

[@eeshaangauthamrao5695]

Can this be a great first Rc airplane?

[@GBLynden]

It could be, you just need a wide open space and an understanding of flight dynamics to be successful 😎

[@TheChap1012]

Hey Bro, I'm thinking of buying one of these. Always love your reviews and I just happened to bump into this vid. Your a freakin' star Dude with E-Flight :-) So, this vid was done in April of 2014. How is the Radian holding out? See ya on RCG.

[@GBLynden]

I have to be honest.....it still flies great! I even crashed it nose first onto my neighbor's roof on a hot summer day and the only damage was a few dents on the nose cone. It flies high and is fun to heard the neighborhood kids around the yard. The mom's appreciate me making them tired lol All and all, I would say it was one of my best RC investments ever. I like to fly mine with Tattu 220's 1S packs I get off of Amazon for a great price to ensure there is plenty of nose weight :)

[@TheChap1012]

@@GBLynden That's great to know Bud. I was thinking about using Babblebatts myself. I have some 330mah. I foget the "C" rating. I think 20C

[@GBLynden]

Those would kill this and be too heavy. This plane flies on 1S batteries!

[@mikeflytime7269]

Nice review! Will probably be adding this one to the hanger. Any idea on the wind speed during the maiden? Also, will the Hobbyzone Champ batteries work in this plane?

[@GBLynden]

Thank you very much Mike! I would guess that the wind speed was in the 10-12ish range consistently with some gusts above that. The battery that comes with this plane is the exact same battery as comes with the Hobbyzone Champ. Thank you again for watching and for the sub! GB

[@Innuendoh]

I'm new to the hobby and wanted your opinion. Would you suggest the UMX Radian here, or the Micro Calypso by Flyzone, or the Hobbyzone Coscendo S w/ SAFE technology as my first plane to learn?

[@GBLynden]

The Hobbyzone Champ would be best, but if you have a nice Hobby Grade radio, this one would work too. I don't know the others, so I can't comment on those.

[@mikester1290]

I 'm glad you made those last comments positive, otherwise flammable comments would ensue, with great haste!!!!! I believe people refer to those sorts of comments as Flaming ETC or something like that?

[@GBLynden]

Mike Creed lol Thanks for watching Mike and you are correct that those would be referred to as flammable comments or something similar. I am glad I pulled it off at the end :) GB

[@MichaelSmith-fk8sl]

Whats your thoughts on this being a beginner plane. I am also looking at the Sport Cub S. Ler me know. And thank you for your reviews. They are always great!!!!!

[@GBLynden]

This really could be an ideal beginners plane. You just have to make sure it doesn't get too high.

[@InternetFun212]

Will the space walker RTF transmitter bind to this plane?

[@GBLynden]

It will but it could get out of range very quickly with that radio.

[@alexyt4434]

Why is it making noises again? My dad will freak out that it's broke

[@GBLynden]

+SkyPilot 737 That is the gyro working. It isn't broken :)

[@tilmannluhning9235]

The Black Thing is for under the Wing.

[@GBLynden]

Thank you so much for letting me know. I was so confused when I first opened up that box :)

[@michaelpederson6569]

Ya

[@alexboatingfishing9103]

The unit does not come with the remote??

[@GBLynden]

+Slim1 Dune Correct, that is what BNF means :)

[@1999Fusion]

What do you mean by 'Not as transportable as other UMXs'???

[@GBLynden]

1999Fusion Taking the wing off and on is a pain in the backside.

[@1999Fusion]

alright thank you

[@GBLynden]

1999Fusion You are very welcome and it is a very good plane otherwise :)

[@skykink]

What a piece of crap, here is my one star review that I put up today after receiving this glider today: I was anticipating the arrival of this model, but when it arrived things went quickly down hill. For starters, the construction of this model is shoddy. The top wings decals were all bubbled up and it was disappointing to see how loose the wing was when it was attached with the two supplied screws. The rudder, in the neutral position, was calling for left rudder. It's hard to believe they cannot pack the model adjusted to neutral. There was something very unclear to me in the alleged manual regarding proper taping of the battery compartment to I called Horizon Hobby's alleged tech support. After holding for a solid hour and a half, the system hung up on me. I was yet to discover the worst part. I decided to bind the model to my DX6i, and discovered that the battery connector was faulty. I plugged the battery in to bind the Radian, but later when I tried to plug in the battery again, it would not accept it or any of the many others that I own. I have 4 different models that use the thin 150 mAh LIPO batteries with the exact same connection, so I am aware of how it is supposed to work. As I type this, I am again on hold hoping to get through to them. If tech support is this difficult to get pre-Xmas, imagine how it will be after Xmas.

[@GBLynden]

+Sandy Scott That sucks Scott that you had that happen to you. I have had my share of issues with these planes too, but this one for me has been a great performer. I hope HH helps you get things all sorted out. GB

[@skykink]

+GBLynden Thanks GB, but I finally gave up and simply returned it to Amazon - when I finally got through on the telephone, they seemed totally insensitive to my issues so I simply will never again purchase one of their products.

[@GBLynden]

Sandy Scott I don't blame you at all man. I have had that happen too and either did what you did OR I kept calling back until I got the answer I wanted. I am like a ankle biting Pitbull like that :)

[@Sam-w9des]

ALL THE TEC AND WERE STILL USING BRUSHED CRAP MOTORS WTH HORIZON HOBBY

[@GBLynden]

+DOUG SHELTON JR. Great point! I wish all of their stuff was brushless.

[@Sam-w9des]

its so much more efficient idk why they don't, plus its a lot quieter and really the cost aint much more from brushed now days

[@Sam-w9des]

cool vid btw id buy one if it was brushless. have a good one. THANKS W9DES

[@NateB1976]

Nice review. Like the USB charger, nice little bonus... the 2 screw thing must be common on gliders as that's what came on my park flyer. Had a problem with 1stripping out did the old rubber band trick and it works fine. Nice footage!

[@GBLynden]

Thanks! I ended just using tape to help hold the main wing in place. So far so good :)

[@NateB1976]

Whatever works right.?. Had a question for ya. What are your thoughts on the Aircore power system? It's the one that uses the same motor, prop etc. And then you just get separate airplane bodies and you can just switch it out. Has little magnets that hook up to it. Have to have your own 4 channel controller which is something I want to get anyways as you need that to fly most planes.

[@GBLynden]

Exactly! I am not familiar with that set-up actually. I wish I had something to offer regarding that system, but I don't.

[@NateB1976]

The basic concept is once you by the aircore powercore system(the motor,reciever,speed control etc all in one) you can take the whole system out very easily and just put it in another plane. Then you can just purchase other planes to put the system in. It kind of just slides in the nose of the plane and connects to the servos and everything with magnets. So you can be flying say a P-51 then just pull it out and stick it in a Spitfire. Pretty neat.

[@GBLynden]

That sounds pretty damn cool!

[@rodpolice]

Just got mine today and it arrived with the rudder hinge broken (the foam part, so the only thing holding the rudder to the vertical stabilizer is tape). Gonna have to call horizon! I really want to fly it but I may have to return it to get a replacement so.... :( nice video, though!

[@GBLynden]

+rodpolice That sucks man! Let me know how that goes for you. I hate it when that sort of thing happens on something brand new.

[@rodpolice]

+GBLynden yeah, me too! Mainly for all the hassle of having to call and wait a lot on the phone, plus having to wait twice to finally get the plane haha, but thankfully, Horizon just sent me a new one along with return shipping label to return the old one as well! I really like their customer service when things go smooth haha. Should be here next wednesday :D

[@GBLynden]

+rodpolice I can't wait for you to get yours, the correct one! :)

[@rodpolice]

+GBLynden oh yeah! It's going to be fun! :D

[@GBLynden]

rodpolice Calm summer nights ARE THE BEST :)

[@marh415]

Nice review, I'm just getting back into the hobby after a few years away. I always had a thing for heli's, but I can't stop checking this plane out. I actually just bought a Nano QX and a DX6i to start off. What are you using for a transmitter?

[@GBLynden]

Thank you and welcome back to the hobby! I too use the DX6i for my transmitter for my main stable of planes. Let me know if you have any other questions I can answer for you about this plane and I will try to answer them. GB

[@marh415]

Thank's! Would you recommend this for a first fixed wing? I'm having a blast with my QX right now. Totally different animal than the mSR!

[@GBLynden]

If you have quad and heli experience, then yes, I think this would be a fine first airplane. It is so slow and predictable that it may even work for someone brand new, so long as they have the right radio and only fly over grass.

[@marh415]

Picked one up this afternoon, I'll keep you posted on the maiden flight!

[@GBLynden]

marh415 That is exciting! I can't wait to hear how it goes for you and your thoughts to share with everyone else here. I never want my channel to just be able me and my opinions (That is why I try to only show the planes and not me), so share away!

[@willyskilt]

Good video. Thanks,. I just got this plane, unboxed it and about ready to fly

[@GBLynden]

Thank you William! I am glad you found it helpful :D

[@PhantomAspect]

i spent $90.00 for WHAT! i would rather lit cigars with that money. This is the nearest nothing i can remember wasting money on. It has all the value of a small used styrofoam coffee cup.

[@GBLynden]

What seems to be the problem with your plane? Have you tried to fly it yet?

[@meazy451]

Found the old dude who can't figure out how to fly rc