Nothing Flies Better - Flex Innovations Twin Otter 80E

[@TwoBrosRC]

Update 2: While we don't regret owning it... mostly, it's certainly cost more than it should to continue operating. See the follow-up review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXiWmYGOn86YqJo

[@alanjones2091]

I have this Twin Otter 80e and I love it as do the guys at the field. The Twin Otter is capable and majestic.

[@ModelAV8RChannel]

Bigger flies better. True statement. Field assembly is the issue with almost all larger planes, but like you said...worth it because they fly in a way a small plane simply can't. Awesome flying man...makes me want to play with my EC-1500!

[@TwoBrosRC]

It's easy to overlook all the issues this plane has because it just flies so well that they feel almost inconsequential.

[@rcguyusvi9206]

my twin otter takes a little less than 5 minutes to assemble and 3 1/2 minutes to brake down. It's really not bad for the size that it is, I think it was well engineered in that aspect.

[@uromutt]

This gave me goosebumps watching you fly it! The floats for mine came in yesterday and now I'm charging batteries to finally do its maiden. while I fly no where near your skill level, its awesome to see the capabilities of this plane.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Happy to hear it man! It's a ton of fun. Incredible for what it is.

[@uromutt]

@@TwoBrosRC just got done with the maiden, hoollllyyyy crap! That plane is a beast! Sooooooo much fun, worth every penny. The differential thrust is a game changer.

[@javierc.salazar512]

Brother you're awesome, great video thank you. Awesome flying you're insane.

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

That thing looks soooooo good!

[@TwoBrosRC]

No U 👀

[@alexandernentwig9596]

These control throws... 😂 They look so intimidating that I wouldn't even dare to touch the plane, let alone fly it. 😆 You fly figures that truly defy physics - awesome job, Jon!

[@TwoBrosRC]

😁

[@kevinellerbroek1812]

Amazing bird! Wow thanks for sharing it this morning.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tthulsey]

I can’t wait to be able to fly that good one day practice practice practice

[@johnberrios4255]

He also put a finish of clear coat on it. It looks pretty cool.

[@BrianTurner-ub2tu]

Great video Jon, Wow is all im going to say on the aerobatics! Keep up the amazing videos for the community

[@TwoBrosRC]

Thanks, will do!

[@TwoBrosRC]

Update: We took it out to the lake again after repairing it, and the left motor threw a magnet after four flights. Contacted Flex to see if they'll warranty it.

[@GreenerShadeRC]

Sorry to hear that. Please keep us informed on your view of Flex customer service as it unfolds. Your view means a lot to me and a bunch of others. Have been seriously considering purchasing the ARF kit of the FlexJet Pro 90mm.

[@mikegeran8447]

My Flex Cessna 170 had all its magnets loose in the motor, luckily I was able to deadstick land it without damage. I was able to slide out all the magnets out of the case (no glue holding them in) and Flex would not warranty the motor. As such I will never buy another product of theirs again. Also their warranty guy could use some lessons on better manners.

[@uromutt]

Dang that's a bummer, my Cessna has probably 50+(10+ post submerged crash) flights and my otter now has 15+ and all three motors are in excellent condition, even though I submerged my Cessna.

[@TwoBrosRC]

So far, no response from Flex. Looks like we'll have to buy a new $60 motor and potentially a prop adapter before we can fly it again. It does not appear to handle 85 degree weather well. Might just be a plane we fly in fall to spring here in NC. This'll be covered in the 1 year review - or if needed, earlier. The motor issue happened on-camera, thankfully.

[@uromutt]

@@TwoBrosRC I flew mine for 8 flights with aggressive flying yesterday in 90+f weather, no issues. Hopefully they get back to you quickly.

[@alanshearing7515]

Awesome video, awesome plane . 😎. Thanks for making this evaluation of this plane . I will definitely have a look at Flex . Greetings from New Zealand.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Thanks for watching!

[@caleyd123]

FYI - you have to program it from your pc, but the Aura is programmable and from my experience more easily programmed for highly custom mixes than as3x

[@TwoBrosRC]

Gotta disagree there. Aura requires a PC. AS3X respects any wing or tail type that your transmitter supports. This is a two aileron, two flap, one rudder/elevator setup - no issues at all stabilizing it. Aura is great, not knocking it, but AS3X works seamlessly with the Spektrum ecosystem. One of many reasons we love using it!

[@GreenerShadeRC]

Premiere on a Saturday morning is very cool.

[@TwoBrosRC]

We haven't done a Premiere in a long time, and figured this was a big enough plane to warrant it again!

[@sampamnl.8964]

ขอบคุณมากครับกับเทคนิคการบิน❤❤❤

[@wesrihn]

It's not just the twin Otter, there are QC issues across Flex's lineup of Foamies.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Yeah, today we took it back out and it threw magnets on the left motor after four flights. The 1 year review will account for how their support handles this reasonable replacement request.

[@johnberrios4255]

I told you..😂. That plane is amazing. Like I said one of our members flys for Pilot and he flies that plane like it is one of his 3D planes. He did change the wheels to dubro wheels.

[@AL-RCjunkie]

Thanks for sharing the crash footage (slo-mo and all 👍) along with the amazing flight footage in this video, Jon. I try to take something positive from all of my crashes- rip the nose off? Opportunity to upgrade electronics that were difficult to access when the entire front of the plane was neatly attached (friggin overhead powerlines 😢). I still hit "toddler mode" sometimes (usually after hitting a basketball hoop or a tree w/ a plane), but I freak out on the inside. Like a karate man😂. No one's perfect. I've learned a LOT from crashes, tho. Thanks again for the time and effort put into your videos. And your camera team always does a great job!👍

[@TwoBrosRC]

It takes a LOT of emotional control to not get pissed off over a crash, so mad respect to anyone who can do it for sure. Thanks for the camera compliments! Liz does a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make this channel a reality.

[@AL-RCjunkie]

@@TwoBrosRC That hard work shows beautifully 👍

[@3DMOFO2020]

DAMN! This twin puts your Eflite Twin Turbo Timber to shame on what it can get away with 3d wise WHOA!! This plane look like a keeper dough it does seems like real hessle to transport it around and having to take it apart and then put it togther at the field really does take up a whole lotta of time I'll just wait for someday for them to come out with a 10 size one?? A very fantastic job on the video and all the flights sorry to see the crash you had with the floats Jon I'm sure you are going have her up and flying again sometime as good as new?😁😁😁😁😁😁👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@TwoBrosRC]

Yup, it's already fixed. Gorilla Glued the hole shut and repainted with Lowes paint match. It's hard to tell it even happened. You should hop on Discord with us man! You'll see all of this happening way earlier than YT: bit.ly/TBRCDiscord

[@3DMOFO2020]

@@TwoBrosRC Maybe I will sometime Jon?

[@fyremind]

Flex airplanes have always been been kinda "ruff" compared to free wing or horizon, but they fly so damned good it becomes moot. I love my twotter!

[@TwoBrosRC]

Not exactly moot, since they know it's a problem that bothers people.

[@sendit_rc]

That's wicked Cool😎You Sended It And Pushed Your Limits. I Did the same at Jet Jam and lost 1k in my Viper 90 crash, but i learned from my mistake.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Oooof, what'd you put into that jet to lose $1,000 on it?

[@sendit_rc]

@@TwoBrosRC Jetfan with Het motor and Hobbywing esc on smc lihv 6+4 on 10s.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Yuck, sorry to hear that man.

[@Rcenthusiast90]

@@sendit_rcwhat causes the crash

[@RDEnduro]

Wood propellers look kinda cool

[@wtfmimshag]

This looks like a slippery slope to even bigger planes, Jon

[@TwoBrosRC]

If only they'd fit in the vehicle.

[@blinkguy4ever]

I have never seen an rc plane flat spinning like that

[@TwoBrosRC]

Our EC-1500 does a pretty good job of it too lol

[@eriklapparent4662]

Awesome flying although not realistic.Top class RC pilot!Congrats and cheers and Happy New flying year from France !

[@TwoBrosRC]

It's not meant to be realistic lol

[@camilo8cheryl]

Short drive for me to Ohio nextweek flite test👍 could buy some models from them, sad the laser is on back ordered😢its gonna be a hellish Hot 100f plus summer weather nextweek☀️🌞🔥🔥

[@camilo8cheryl]

Still a good priced model 👍than getting a multiplex fun Cub XL on ebay 😫

[@Xviperprime]

Tires? I replaced mine with a set from an Eflite DRACO - perfect for this plane. Foam and paint quality is "low end", however, paint it with a couple coats of Minwax and "fixed" (but I shouldn't have had to). One of the few Aura equipped planes that I don't mind. I have several "favorites". This is one of them. It's marginally too big, but I can live with it. "Worth it" is in the eye of the beholder. For me - barely worth it. I REALLY like this thing. I just hope parts availability down the road won't be like the Cypher LE - virtually none existent.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Draco wheels sound like a good idea - but as we see it, you shouldn't need to Minwax a plane to keep it looking good from just taking it out of the box. Ours was cracking and peeling during unboxing. Hopefully Flex pulls through and makes future models way more durable.

[@Xviperprime]

@@TwoBrosRC Very true. Mine was the same out of the box. It's like they used low grade paint that wasn't mixed properly and didn't fully cure. Nevertheless, Minwax will also help reduce hanger rash, which even the best foam plane finishes can be subjected to and suffer from.

[@millerrc5829]

EF edge spotted 😮

[@romieiv]

do some tail slides and hammer heads please.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Hammerhead were at the end of the vid!

[@emersonb5764]

Looks like it flies 3d better than their Yak 55.

[@rcguyusvi9206]

How did you setup the motor differential ? I followed the instructions and used the throttle cut switch, it doesn't feel natural to do that ,lol

[@TwoBrosRC]

Join our Discord, there's a guide on how to set up differential thrust in the #setup-guides channel!

[@Cyberdyne_research]

What do you recommend for a transmitter? I need a minimum of 10ch and a minimum of 3km range. I’ve been leaning on my i6x but I’m about to fly my f22 and my f14, and it takes just 12 seconds for my f22 to exit range(this is all math, I’ve never flown it, wanted to be confident in my ability first) but the i6x has very poor range. Great for a park flyer, but 900m is death for my f22. Can I get away for less than $400, and without buying spektrum?

[@TwoBrosRC]

If you're in the US, 3km range is kinda... not legal. You have to fly within visual LOS. We can't recommend a transmitter for that use-case. All of our flying is done with Spektrum equipment. It's not inexpensive, but it's also way easier to set up and use than basically everything else on the market - and it is backed with stellar product support too.

[@Cyberdyne_research]

@@TwoBrosRC are you saying that the flysky i6x is sufficient to fly the freewing f22 8s?

[@Twelvefootpencil]

What is your favorite plane to fly? This thing looks awesome. I am going to get one!

[@TwoBrosRC]

Like Jon said in the vid, he doesn't really have a favorite. There's airframes that do stuff better than others, but they all have their place.

[@raptorscott49]

I dont understand? You said its thirsty but getting 6mins of flight time. 2:25 -2:41

[@TwoBrosRC]

It can be both. Being power intensive doesn't mean it can't get long flight times. That's why it needs a 6000-class pack.

[@ZapTeam]

Now this seems like my type of plane, but that price is uncomfortably high. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to use it to its potential because I’d be scared to crash it

[@TwoBrosRC]

It's not hard to fly, so definitely don't worry much about crashing it. What you should be worried about is what we pinned in the YT comments.

[@Norris0921]

Hi Brothers, Can I fly with a 5200mAh battery?

[@TwoBrosRC]

Not for as long as a 6000 pack, but sure.

[@johnberrios4255]

If you're feeling really froggy, it will do rolling harriers.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Yeah, we demoed that at 8:29 lol

[@johnberrios4255]

@TwoBrosRC I think I missed that part. I have to watch it again. But very good presentation.

[@ricardopr54]

Since you are trying Flex Innovations now, why not try their big RV8 V2... I think that it'll behave way better than this one...

[@TwoBrosRC]

When our budget allows for it, that'll be something we look into eventually!

[@airhammer6203]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍!!!!

[@TwoBrosRC]

👀

[@jack_24635]

I don’t understand how it is under powered. I flew one an I thing the opposite, it easily punches out of hovers. Just put a 5000 in it if it feels under powered with a 6.

[@TwoBrosRC]

You shouldn't need to use a smaller battery than the recommended one for it to perform better. On floats, it's way less powerful.

[@edwardranno7119]

Mistakes are how you learn

[@waynemiller6070]

It's great to fly a super capable plane, but I will tell you that your flying has really gotten better. Ok, now that the brown nosing is done... If you could only afford this or the AMR 60 biplane. ???? It sounds like both are a tedious build. But which would you get... first? ...Assuming you already had a twin timber. Lol

[@TwoBrosRC]

The AMR 60 is a much better value in our view.

[@waynemiller6070]

@@TwoBrosRC it's next. Even though I will be maidening a carl goldberg ultimate 10-300 that I just finished. (Electric conversion) The AMR is 6" bigger and half the weight.

[@weshillsberry6275]

Aura config tool free download just like spektrum and the aura already has all those mixes already programmed

[@TwoBrosRC]

Yeah, but they're not configurable on the fly like AS3X is.

[@n411xbushpilot]

New to me Flex twin Otter 10 flights and left motor on Power never made the normal sound just went thud this os so bad 800.00 $ Airplane in Alaska it is about 1000.00 I am very sad great flying RC but with cheep motor has anyone up grade the Motors maybe Hacker and castle speed controls.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Yep, one of our motors went bad too. We'll be covering that in November.

[@Rcenthusiast90]

I hope it’s not these new dual sky motors you guys are referring to

[@TakeItToTheGround]

I think my twin motor RC factory/Twisted Hobby Puddlestar is way better. Seems more 3d capable & robust.

[@TwoBrosRC]

Uhhhhh...

[@jeffoh5787]

Build a Flite Test Sea Duck. I guarantee you it flies better!

[@TwoBrosRC]

Very doubtful, and foamboard isn't our thing.