From the Field -- E-flite A-10 Thunderbolt II Twin 64mm EDF Flight Review

[@normleonard52]

Another great job Chris. Love that low pass there....lol. Thanks not only for sharing this really cool plane, but for also always giving us your settings for best set-up.

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you!

[@jjcustomcards]

Great video very helpful. I am a rookie, slowly fixing issues before my first flight, I need to figure out how to wire and program reverse thrust.

[@sladelefty]

A paved runway is only a dream for me. You are so lucky.

[@jettechdonatkins]

That was very nice Chris,it sure likes like a great edf! Great how smooth the finish is on these e-flite jets,and the paint is awesome looking.Thanks for another ground scraping pass! Great review!!

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks man! I really enjoy this airplane a great deal. Such a sweet flyer!

[@louispetherbridge9754]

Hi all , just finished my A-10 and now waiting for the weather to improve, this is my 1st EDF so have purchased some diapers for the first couple of flights , green with envy at runway , only got grass on our site , happy flying from across the pond ( UK )

[@troy9er]

Looks nice, I just got the mini A-10 this winter. Haven’t had a chance to fly it yet, just taxi in my basement then about a month ago I slipped on some snow that was covering some Ice and broke my Ankle in 3 spots!!! Dam, had surgery and have been in recovery for about the last month. Drats!! Just got my cast off yesterday. Dr says stay off the foot for another month, then rehab for undetermined amount of weeks. Everybody’s recovery is different. Can’t wait to get back to work and play.

[@Thercgeek]

Oh wow, I hope you heal up quickly! Hopefully you can enjoy a fun assembly with this A-10 while you recover.

[@troy9er]

Thanks, the mini A-10 don’t require any installation, just program the transmitter and install the battery! Can’t wait to get back out there!!

[@captainfunksauce]

very cool rc jet, great vid

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks 👍

[@M4rkmcc21]

Thanks for the video. Just deciding on what lipos I want for this. Regarding the C rating would you say minimum 50C? Would getting a higher discharge rate be worth while for the extra money? I watched another video with the spektrum 30C and seemed to be quick enough too? I just thought the higher C rate means more performance. Esp with EDFs. Thanks

[@Thercgeek]

If you plan to run a 4000, 30c should be plenty fine for it. For a given capacity higher c rating will get you a bit more performance, but they are also heavier. For most applications, when running larger capacity, 30-35c will do the job well. That’s what I run in most of my airplanes.

[@M4rkmcc21]

@@Thercgeek thanks Chris. You're always helpful.

[@HorizonHobbyProducts]

Great review Chris! This airplane is truly remarkable!

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you! Such an impressive flying model and so much fun!! 😊

[@Izmael1310]

How far can you actually fly with this RC model and still be able to control it? And the 4000mah battery that gives 10 minutes of fly time? Is there any safety feature to let you know about low battery or that you are getting too far away - so the plane somehow automatically goes back to you like a drone? Thank you.

[@Thercgeek]

Honestly, you will lose site of the model before you lose control of it. Also, The model does not have gps or a return home feature or anything like that. It is intended for advanced flyers and kept within reasonable line of site. Flight time is best kept with a timer based on your flying style that is augmented by the smart telemetry that can provide battery information in flight.

[@grassgobbler7214]

They is an amazing model. It even makes kind of a high pitched whistle sound that is similar to the real ones!

[@Thercgeek]

It really is an incredible bird. The performance is awesome! It does have a cool whine from the fans too as you noted.

[@fogcityrc4874]

I want this one! Great vid!

[@johnnydep8979]

U one crazy pilot...belly touch n go. I luv it bro

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, thanks! I actually didn’t intend to touch, but I was all in when it did, lol

[@nicholaspetre1]

Will this work with DX6 Spektrum transmitter or 6 channel is not enough? It is pretty unclear what transmitter to use with it. Thanks

[@Thercgeek]

Yes, this will work with a dx6. If you’re looking to use safe, it’ll require being tied to another function on the model with a 6 ch system.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

Wow... you do have the battery waaaaay back lol. I'm using a Onyx 6s 4000 and think I need to go back some more too. Not a lot of room in the battery area. Was having problems getting my HRB 4000 (They make great batteries but big!l in there but..maybe gotta get back some more. Should help my landings too since I've been a bit nose heavy. Always lean toward nose heavy first cause as the saying goes... nose heavy flies poorly but tail heavy flies once! Using your spektrum file again. Nicely done. Really helps speed things up when you can't wait to get this beautiful bone girl in the air. A couple of quick personal preference switch changes and done! Now, I just need to record and add the Brrrr....Brrrr audio and add it to the bind button voice alerts....lol. Great job man! She is the smoothest foam I've seen yet from Eflite. They have been going yard and hitting home runs lately. Really upping their game! For those thinking about getting this bird...stop thinking and start buying. She is locked in a beautiful. They even offset the nose gear for that scale adherence. Too bad the Gatlin isn't included. Had a crowd form at the air field as soon as I brought her out. The hands free wing quick connects... so freaking cool. I gotta take the wings of my Eflite F16 and the A10 to get them in the trunk of the Malibu and can leave the wings on the Spitfire. Nasty cable mess for the wing on that thing. Can get all three and the Eflite V22 Osprey in the 2016 Malibu and a cooler. Not bad lol.

[@Thercgeek]

Good stuff man! Yeah, my battery is pushed as far back as it’ll go without having to hog out foam. Feels good there. I agree, a little nose heavy is not a bad thing. Plus, you can always sneak up to that optimal cg a little at a time. I like your idea for the brrrrt sound, haha! I may have to do that too. 😉

[@Sabotage_Labs]

@@Thercgeek I didn't see the BEC on yours. Not thrilled about where they put it but...I get it. I'm thinking about getting a cable extension and maybe velcro it to the top of that way back area. Hard to find just JST extenders on amazon. Just a lot of male and female connected with just raw wire leads in one end. Maybe I'll just crimp myself lol. So glad I rewatched your review. I can actually cram my HRB 60c way back now too. 😋😁. You're a good egg! Bummed they closed your field man. Here in Phoenix they let us fly out at ASU Wedt campus. Had about 15 guys there yesterday (spread out) and campus police just waved as they drove by. Hang in there brother. My favorite review channel!

[@Thercgeek]

I’d say just crimp some extensions up. The bec is right in the nose area and I just tuck it into an opening in the fuselage side when I slip the battery in.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

@@Thercgeek yea, just made up an extension and think I'll velcro it down by the reciever. That access door on the bottom is pretty handy. Pulled some of that cable rats nest down in there to make some battery room. Still better than that ball'O'"cables behind the reciever in the 70mm F16. 😋😁 Man o man the A10 full flap landings slowed down with that battery back. Had a nice 6-8 knt head wind, slight cross. Amazing speed envelop! Helped get that nose up for landing too.

[@shanethepain2009]

FMS/EFLIGHT servos are noisy , so 5 min flight times if i cruz at half throttle with a 6s 4000 ?

[@Thercgeek]

That’s 5minutes flying the model pretty aggressively. If you cruise partial throttle for most of the flight, you could probably get even longer flight times.

[@markdavid801]

Last question! I bought one. Love it. I have -72 on the elevator trim. Do you think my plane is still nose heavy? I marked CG at 62mm with a 4kmah pack.. keeping in mind my maiden flight I stayed around 75% throttle. Is my CG off or should I adjust the pushrod to compensate?

[@Thercgeek]

Well, it really depends. What does the elevator look like at the model. Is it carrying up elevator or does it look mostly neutral? I have my 4000 pack pushed all the way back, so if there’s room to do so, you might give that a try. Otherwise, If you’re happy with how the airplane is flying and it’s trimmed, then I maybe don’t mess with it?

[@markdavid801]

The RC Geek Id say it’s carrying up elevator.. about 2mm from neutral.. the servo isn’t at 90 degrees either; it’s definitely leaning more towards the up side. It just bugs me that it’s -72. I could live with -10 ha!

[@Thercgeek]

Sounds that its still nose heavy. Mines not carrying that much up elevator.

[@markushuber214]

How long does the battieries take, I guess if they are low it will crash?

[@Thercgeek]

If you drain all the power from the batteries, the fans will quit, but you will still have control of the airplane. The goal is to not get to that point, so having a properly set timer is important to ensure you don’t completely lose propulsive power.

[@EDF_FANatic]

Chris how many clicks of uptrim did you need with the stores on?

[@Thercgeek]

I honestly don’t remember. I think maybe about 6 clicks.

[@EDF_FANatic]

Chris how much up elevator are you holding on landing approach?

[@Thercgeek]

Oh man, I couldn’t tell you. Landing is out reading and reacting to the model. Typically you’ll need to carry a touch of elevator since it’s flying at a slower airspeed. But, how much input will vary on the approach speed and conditions.

[@EDF_FANatic]

@@Thercgeek Thanks Chris, I found it harder to slow this thing down compared to the f16 which I can just high alpha all the way down. I find that the plane nosed down a fair bit with the flaps so I'm thinking my elevator mix from the book may need to be reduced. Did you stick to the stock 10% and 12% down elevator with the flaps?

[@andymencel6929]

How would you say this compares to the viper in terms of performance and top speed?

[@Thercgeek]

I think that they are both similar, but the a10 has greater vertical. It’s almost unlimited on the a10.

[@andymencel6929]

The RC Geek thanks for the response! Love what you do. Keep on doing it!!

[@Truthstillmatters2]

Which plane is better built for longevity for flying off of grass, this A10 or the Eflite Viper?

[@Thercgeek]

That's a really good question. The tires are pretty small on the A-10, but it may be the better choice as the Viper jet can develop wing cracks behind the main gear wheel well operating from rough surfaces. How manicured is your grass field?

[@Truthstillmatters2]

The RC Geek Avg club field length... the Eflite Cherokee’s wheels get buried in the grass. The grass is about 2-3 inches maybe after being cut... I flew the Viper and those cracks you referred to started occurring already...

[@airbus7379]

That scrape pass could’ve ended bad lol that was cool great review it’s on my list of airplanes to get

[@TangyLlama]

Same here Airbus737! How’s it going?

[@airbus737guitarcovers3]

@@TangyLlama good this is my. Other channel

[@victorrcjets7660]

I thought I commented on your video already. I love your touch n go. How do you like the suspension and tires they look a little bouncy. Just wondering if you changed all the wheels. And if you did a nose gear mod?

[@Thercgeek]

This one is completely stock on the gear, I've not changed anything. The tires are a little hard, but the suspension is decent. Maybe a little stiff, but they work well enough.

[@seanmolloy9422]

are the tires hard?

[@Thercgeek]

They are fairly hard, yes. But the struts are shock absorbing.

[@flyndutchyrc1208]

Do you cg this plane upside down ths?

[@Thercgeek]

Upright or upside down, You can cg it either way. I don’t recall exactly, but I think I checked it with it upright in this case.

[@flyndutchyrc1208]

Love all the info on everything you fly nice job . I did a maiden on the a10 today a little windy but what the hell eh info was spot on ths.just one more question what is the best method for foam repair ,ca,epoxy, hot glue,ect. Ths 😁........😥

[@Thercgeek]

I’ve been using foam Tac of late and it’s pod stuff. How extensive is the damage?

[@kencyr5653]

would like to know WHY my Smart 6 Cell DOES NOT FIT????? My E-flight does, but has the wrong connection.

[@Thercgeek]

I’m guessing the smart pack you got has an ic3 connector on it and not an ic5. You probably just need this adapter: bit.ly/3Dw8BS7

[@DadsRCHangar]

Great flight , looks rapid. 👍🏻

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks!

[@DadsRCHangar]

Kind of funny, looks like everyone got that plane today. Even though I don’t use a spectrum, you still better to watch. Keep safe 👍🏻

[@JetAlfred57]

Excellence 👍👍👍👍👍😀

[@markdavid801]

Do you think a 6s 5000mah would work?

[@Thercgeek]

I’m not sure a 5000 will fit. The 4000 I’m using barely fits and is pushed as far back as it’ll go to get the cg right.

[@SanDiegoUteFan]

This looks like it has everything the Freewing 64 and Dynam were missing.

[@Thercgeek]

Yeah man, this airplane is awesome!

[@SanDiegoUteFan]

Looks like a winner, Chris. The size and price make this one pretty irresitable.

[@octane2099]

When did this come out? I was so busy on motion rc page I didn’t even know this came out till today and it’s sold out

[@Thercgeek]

It was announced this morning available for preorder. I’d expect they start shipping in a week or so.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

Yea...and they went right to backorder like a day later with next shipment of mid April. But...last Wednesday they had them back in stock. Ordered and had it by Saturday. Check it out man...she's a honey!

[@FourthWayRanch]

the CG was way too forward on mine, I think I have to add a few ounces to the tail.

[@Thercgeek]

There’s the option of reducing battery capacity to reduce the weight in the front to get the cg where you want it.

[@FourthWayRanch]

@@Thercgeek I shoved battery back more and got CG in range but I put a camera and gimble on top so still gonna have to add some weight on the tail, maybe those sticky wheel weights would work nice.

[@spindash64]

I think I might give this plane a go. I’m pretty new to RC admittedly, but the extra power, SAFE, and relative safety of high mounted fans seems like a reasonable compromise between performance and friendliness Plus, it survived that high speed scrape and go, which is pretty impressive.

[@Thercgeek]

I do recommend gaining some proficiency on a trainer type aircraft before jumping into this. While it is a great flyer, it is quick and powerful and so is something you want to stay ahead of in flight. Do you have a local club you can connect with to get some instruction? The sims are good too, but having some instruction is really helpful.

[@spindash64]

@@Thercgeek I believe so. Admittedly don't wanna bite off more than I can chew here

[@hotheadedfilmshhf6734]

@@Thercgeekiv been flying for a month or so and decided to buy one of these after i bought the small umx air tractor… taking off and flying is awesome but i defiantly don’t have the experience for landing. Snapped the nose gear second flight.😂

[@Thercgeek]

Hey, you did it though, congrats! Those nose wheel first touchdowns will get you and is when bad things happen. Try a bit more flare to get the mains to touch first. 😊

[@hotheadedfilmshhf6734]

@@Thercgeek thanks man great video

[@jeffhenderson934]

I honestly thought you purposely did a “Touch & Go” because the wheel didn’t fully retract. I’m watching and thinking, “Chris is good, but having the fine motor skills to touch & go with the landing gear up... He’s amazing.”

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, I like that, let’s go with it! 🤣

[@jeffhenderson934]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZK0mXaKeJitnKM

[@jeffhenderson934]

“Wild Chris”

[@airbus7379]

What is expo?

[@Thercgeek]

Expo is short for exponential and is a setting in the radio that can allow you to tune the center sensitivity of the sticks. It’s all about tuning the rates and the expo to the desired feel in the air.

[@richpalmisano1740]

Great review, watched many on this war bird. I really love this plane for style and function. I'm new to the hobby and my first jet however will be the Habu. I'd like to go idiot proof before that kind of investment as I'd need a better controller.

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you! The habu is a good choice and with some instruction, you could realistically learn on it. Once you’re proficient flying the habu well, the A-10 isn’t too far off.

[@RennsportRacer]

I would highly recommend Realflight 9.5 if you’re just getting into the hobby. It’s a great way to learn and practice. That’s what I did and I’ve gotten many hours in since I received it about 5 days ago.

[@EDF_FANatic]

Chris I'm about to pull the gun on this plane. How does it handle compared to the F16 70mm?

[@Thercgeek]

The F-16 is a unique flyer as it can do the really slow, high aoa stuff. It’s also a bit bigger and presents bigger in flight. The a-10 flies more on the wing like a traditional airplane.

[@2ndinvasionairsoft584]

Are you in Miramar California

[@Thercgeek]

Yep!

[@sr8shoota]

can u fly it with a Flysky FS-i6X

[@Thercgeek]

Yes, if you get the plug and play version, you can set it up on any type of radio system.

[@jeffhenderson934]

Maidened it today. Being a sissy in this sport is really unproductive. I think I did the build in August, and there it sat... This EDF is without question one of the best handling, easiest to takeoff, fly and land than anything I’ve owned in 5 years. Some elevator up trim, a couple laps in Safe and the rest of two batteries were AS3X and 90/30 rates. I didn’t get the chance to do that cool, low speed touch and go you did on your maiden, I’m not that good. Plus I left the ordinance at home. (My 14 year old mentor 5 years ago told me- “Throw all the drop tanks, rockets and missiles away! They’re crap! They slow the plane down, and they break!” It’s hard to argue with that kind of logic) Anyway, the a-10 is a technological marvel. I even made it look good. Easy to roll, loop and Cuban 8. One of the best days ever at the field.

[@richardhensley8281]

How much do you pay ?

[@SOBaseball]

Hi. I keep ordering many planes. Bought Eflite’s 64mm a-10, habu rtf, umx v2 supercub, umx t timber in the last few weeks. Gonna buy many more til I find the best for my park area by our house. I can’t get much help. First ‘tuber to help will get my orders 😁. I flew the a10 64 one time. It was awesome! My landing was great too. But I didn’t notice a little clay mound, like a small ant hill. I hit it as I slowed down. Snapped my nose gear retract pin. I ordered eflg349 to fix it. But that darned E clip inside the retract is a bloody nightmare to get to. Can u tell me how to get that E clip off and then back on? It’s been 3 weeks now I’ve been posting in forums and such with no help. First KZbinr to reply gets my order of eflites umx a10, extra 300, and ultimate 3D. And the extras i keep ordering. :)))) I’m in cancer treatment. Don’t have too long. Just lost my wife to breast cancer. And Houston can’t seem to keep a good shop in business. I’ll send much love to whomever sends it to us. :)

[@Thercgeek]

I’m not certain which c-clip you’re referencing inside the retract? Are you talking about the clip that holds the tire? The part number you referenced was the axle set so I think that’s what you mean. So, the way I remove c-clips is by using a really small flat head screw-driver to carefully dislodged and pry it off. You do have to be careful though as it can get launched off and lost. So, I try to keep my finger over it to avoid launching it. And then, to get it back on, I set it into the groove and then use a pair of needle nose pliers to squeeze it back in place. If you want to send me a picture, shoot me an email through my contact form and we can connect there. Thercgeek.com/contact

[@SOBaseball]

@@Thercgeek Hey awesome ty! Ur the first to send a contact. I sure will send it! And Tks again!

[@SOBaseball]

@@Thercgeek. And btw...definitely E clip not C :))😂

[@SOBaseball]

@@Thercgeek. Hi. Sent you a message. Hope to hear back. Thank you much

[@Thercgeek]

Got your email and sent a reply. Shoot me some pics and we’ll see if we can get this sorted.

[@lloydgriffin546]

They don’t sell these anymore

[@Thercgeek]

They still sell them. Looks like it’s out of stock until May though. They ended up releasing an updated version with full smart telemetry.

[@Mikeylikesit1968]

It nice to see you can still fly. No flying for us

[@Thercgeek]

Well, this was filmed a couple weeks ago. most of our fields are closed at the moment. 😢

[@loomyair]

Hey if you still reply on comments would you reccomend as a starter jet

[@loomyair]

I want an a10 that's electric as a starter

[@Thercgeek]

I try to respond to all comments when I can. Sometimes some get missed as the KZbin notification system isn’t great. For a starter jet, I always resort to the eflite viper jet as it’s a great flying airplane. That said, if you have experience flying high performance aircraft, this a-10 isn’t a bad option either. The overall performance is a little more than the viper, but it’s a really easy flying jet.

[@loomyair]

@@Thercgeek thanks I'll try and find it

[@Jas_67]

Looks nice, but HH have given up on the UK market. No spares, no product support.

[@Thercgeek]

I’m sorry to hear that. My experience with their customer service here has been quite good.

[@Jas_67]

Yes, they do seem to be good in the US, buy in the UK they don't even bother replying to emails.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

@@Jas_67 that's a shame man. I'm with Chris...they have been fantastic with me as well. Guess it can be hard doing biz across the pond.

[@airbus7379]

Lol the bombs saved the other paint from getting scratched

[@dilligaf1009]

I'm thinking of getting one of these I doubt those will even make it out if the box

[@stanislaoperrotta1289]

I miss de brrrrrrrt

[@lazymarine4890]

2:51 background lmao.

[@Thercgeek]

I think he logged each of those landings. 🤣

[@rh3758]

Is this too advanced for a first jet?

[@Thercgeek]

My go to recommendation for a first jet is the eflite viper jet. That said, this a-10 isn’t a bad option if you’re pretty experienced with high performance aircraft. It flies similarly to the viper but has more overall performance.

[@vintageracer3734]

Check out "DA BOMBS" HA HAHA HA HA OMG FUNNY, Great Stuff!

[@Thercgeek]

You can only tie the record, haha! #challengeaccepted 😂

[@p3arljam26]

If they would just make it 80mm or 90mm i am not spending money on the 64mm or 70mm anymore.

[@Thercgeek]

I definitely understand. This particular one really does feel like a larger model in the air than it actually is. I was really surprised by that.

[@Marco-dm3tc]

Awww no brrrrrr

[@richardhensley8281]

A10

[@shanethepain2009]

very fun easy to fly , but not avalible anymore . pretty lame Horrizon once agian ,

[@Thercgeek]

Wait, it’s been discontinued? That is a bummer 😕

[@Plllix]

No hits on that run…

[@stevez6499]

Too low gear, too low gear.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

Yea... need a Telemetry sensor for that lol!

[@Thercgeek]

😂

[@andykunz1387]

I avoid Horizon products these days - their customer service awful in the UK. Good luck trying to get spare parts, or any technical assistance. If product arrives damaged there is no chance of help from customer service. AVOID.

[@Thercgeek]

That's not typically been the case for me and for most of the folks I talk with. It's generally been quite good. I've heard stories from the UK, but I have no purview into that.

[@Sabotage_Labs]

That's too bad to hear. They have been nothing but fantastic with me. When I got my Spitfire there were some like dents/perforations on one side of the wing and one retract servo worked but had a bit of a catch to it. I emailed them and three days later they sent me a new retract servo and an entire wing...no questions asked. I never call in because their wait times were long before Covid madness. Curious... have you done anything with Motion RC and if so, was service any different? I've never ordered anything from them...yet. Freewing makes some really detailed stuff.

[@andykunz1387]

@@Sabotage_Labs In the UK, they don not reply to emails, they do mot reply to letters, they are just not interested in resolving issues whatsoever. They are happy to charge really high prices on new products though!

[@andykunz1387]

@@Sabotage_Labs MotionRC are fantastic. Excellent products and excellent service (no that you will need service very often as the products are so well made). HobbyKing service in the UK is first rate these days too. Horizon Hobby have fallen off a cliff edge - they don't even bother replying to emails.