XK A800 RTF Glider with stabilisation

[@nickhayley]

Second time I've watched this video.. I've had this plane and loved it. The rtf factor for a newbie is 100%... brilliant plane.

[@AndrewNewton]

Best of the XK range IMO

[@markduckworth5579]

I picked up my first A800 last year and absolutely loved it. It was my favorite and most reliable (and least crashed) flyer for a long time. I can attest that it is a good trainer as I learned a heck of a lot on it. Then one day a couple months back, I started to experience intermittent signal loss. At the time, I thought it could have been a battery issue, so replaced the batteries in the transmitter and then the airplane battery and kept trying to fly. (In retrospect, I suspect it may have been the BEC failing.) Foolish me, I tired one too many times and ended up smashing into the chain link fencing of a baseball backstop. It hit so hard that the nose and motor shaft got bent pretty bad. (Yet the prop didn't break. Go figure.) I ordered a new motor in hopes of repairing the plane later, but also purchased a brand new A800 since the thing is so darn cheap. After maybe eight flights on the replacement bird, the elevator servo stopped working. Another plane grounded. I'm sure I could use the two broken airplanes to make one good one, but at this point, I'm no longer sure if this little flyer is worth the effort. Anyway, I hope you have better luck with the A800 than I did and get a lot of good flights out of it. When it works, it really is highly enjoyable!

[@AndrewNewton]

After my flight today I must agree, what a delightful little glider.

[@nickhayley]

Got it. Flies beautifully. Crashed repaired. Repeat! Easy fix. Fun fly.

[@BigDazNinja]

I bought one of these a year ago as my first plane to learn with and managed to bind it with my Flysky i6x radio using the iRangeX iRX6 Multi protocol module that plugs in the trainer port. I have had a couple of unintentional landings due to the stabiliser not being set properly however that was my own fault due to not levelling the plane correctly before throttling up. The motor needed replacing due to popping the rear cap off after a particularly heavy nose landing (hahaha) but apart from that still flies extremely well for a little budget powered glider. The standard radio works but a hobby grade radio just feels so much better. Happy maiden Mr Newton and stay safe.

[@AndrewNewton]

That's a clever mod for the i6X

[@BigDazNinja]

@@AndrewNewton It is and it works very well for me. Although it is only NRF24L01 chip so only really covers certain protocols.

[@adamsmith5913]

I flew mine about 10 times with the rtf transmitter. The gyro keeps keeps doing weird things. It will be flying perfect then the gyro will randomly try to level like sideways or upside down, then I have to land it without the gyro on. When you try to turn off the gyro and turn it back on it is still not right, but once you unplug the battery and plug it back in, the gyro works properly again.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@adamsmith5913 Could be a hundred different things. Check that the board is glued down properly as mentioned elsewhere here. Since the plane does an auto level check each time it binds up might pay to see if you've got a glitchy Tx to Rx connection. On-Off switches on these toy Txs are notoriously unreliable.

[@richardrosenau9292]

I always love the UMX Radian, this a800 even has ailerons so even nicer. I enjoy the fact we have such a LOW mass to weight ratio, makes crashes into anything far less expensive

[@rc-fannl7364]

Some people reported issues with the motor losing power very soon into the flight. Even though it's the same motor as used on the 959 without issues. But on the 959 the motor runs the other direction, that might explain some things.

[@DavidReynolds-kr6yh]

I’m glad you mentioned that it could bind to multi protocol radios, like my radiomaster tx16s. Also, I’d probably put in some carbon support.

[@andrewbarkemeyer8610]

I have one of these and really enjoy flying it.

[@bobwebber8521]

Had mine for a little while now and it is good fun. A learner would be right at home with it.

[@AndrewNewton]

Good to know Bob, thanks

[@dougmcpheters1546]

Impressive! Finally witnessed one of their products. VTOL. Was rugged and reliable. Radio exceptional for the price!

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

XK X520? Best cheap plane in our arsenal! :-)

[@rc-fannl7364]

I agree with oz, the X520 is a lot of fun. Dual motors make it have so much yaw authority, and the X8 radio is better than most RTF controllers. Here's me having a blast with mine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKXGZmWJjNeEpbM

[@kelvinbloomfield1375]

@@theoztreecrasher2647 grt the xk 450 .if you get into trouble . switch into drone mode .only thing with these planes is the servo gears strip fairly easily

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@kelvinbloomfield1375 I presume you meant "Get the XK X450" there? Can't agree I'm afraid. We have both and while the XK X450 is an extremely adaptable craft it is way too breakable and easy to crash. The X520 is streets ahead in the flying to fixing ratio and tolerance to wild aerobatics.

[@kelvinbloomfield1375]

@@theoztreecrasher2647 its the servos that let go ..but they are replacable to metal gear ones and very cheap .the only reason i said the xk 450 is. i fly them both .and if you get into problems .AS i said is you have the drone option as well .on the XK 450 .but hey .your entitled to disagree its just a debate .and ALL have different opinions .right ?

[@wiiftw]

Looking forward to seeing it fly! I've been having a lot of fun flying the simple wltoys skyking and this would be a nice companion as they use the same battery

[@thedoeverything418]

i have one of these and a xk a160 on the way to my house. im planning on using a radiomaster tx16s for them. so excited! obviously as you can see from my prof. pic, these will only be toygrade for my mums house, all those are at my dads house

[@julianhumphrey4843]

Nice little glider, so nearly bought one to fly over fields at back of house, looking forward to the maiden flight

[@MrDanoman812]

I got one about 6 months ago. Flies pretty nice although, i just couldn't do the paint job they put on it from the manufacturer. I used mineral spirits to remove the old silk screening and repainted it with matte black in a lot of areas and it's a lot better. It flies great but it doesn't fly like an 'ole Gentle Lady for thermaling, in the sense that it doesn't just 'lock' down on a flight path per sae, you've got to continually give it correction input to keep it flat and level for any type of thermaling. There are a few things about it that i'd change about ot but over all it does fly rather well for what it is. I'd get another one if it somehow came apart or flew off into the wild blue yonder as it IS a fun little plane. but, don't expect a real ton of thermaling with this one. In my assessment, the wings aren't really designed for thermaling and it'd be more geared toward one that likes slope soaring and this one is pretty perfect for that. An overall good plane... (saying all of this before i've seen the video to compare your opinion to what mine has been) Thank you for doing this video, Sir. :)

[@wesorama]

I don't know if you're aware, but you can set the high and low rates on a switch too.

[@GroundControlRC]

Nice review Andrew! I have one of these coming so it's nice to have the multi-protocol information ;-) Looks like a nice Trainer as I've watched the Maiden Flight Video as well. See you in the Air!

[@AndrewNewton]

Certainly one of the better micro size models

[@kelvinbloomfield1375]

nice plane but i bought the 959s sky king instead after watching all the reviews , great reviews as always andrew

[@itsover-fs7wm]

Let me know how you go but I found it needed a little ball bearing weight to fly in any sort of wind.

[@The_Pub_]

Hi Mate This will also bind to your Taranis Q if you have the IrangeX IRX4 External Transmitter. Everything goes on my Taranis..Even my Quads. Cheers

[@_ElectraAhmedShahriarSamad]

Waiting for the maiden.. Btw great review.. 👍👍

[@AndrewNewton]

Thanks 👍

[@roadstar499]

This the perfect beginner model...even if you crash it ,i doubt it will take damage..

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes you may be right

[@longjammeriii3323]

Hi I've been looking forward to this video Andrew and it looks like it's easier than the t8sg v2 to setup and now really looking forward to seeing the maiden flight with the radiomaster t16s, thanks for sharing and my best regards from Alan in the UK 🤗🤗👍👍

[@AndrewNewton]

Video up tomorrow Alan, it's a beauty

[@kartherton]

Nice little sloper Andrew. Just the right size to upset the gulls. But it doesn’t take a lot to do that. Whats the parrot Andrew? Or parrots? I have an Amazon parrot. 👍 Keith 🇬🇧

[@AndrewNewton]

Sulphur crested Cockatoos. Big, loud and hilarious

[@kartherton]

Andrew Newton Can they say, subscribe and hit the bell yet? Ha ha. I always know when wizzes (my Amazon) is asleep. He’s quite. But who taught him all the crap in the first place? Me. So I can’t complain. I am the only person, who could get a parrot that never flies. Flaps his wings but never flown. A small hand sprayer, with fresh clean water, on very fine mist, in summer. Sprayed on him. He loves it. Try it with your birds.

[@AndrewNewton]

These are wild cockies from the nearby park.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@kartherton Only thing White Cockies get sprayed with out here is number 4 shot. Illegal but necessary if you want to preserve farmers' crops or townies' trees from these destructive vermin! Like the larger non-specialized kangaroos they are 1 of the very few native species that have been able to (over) thrive and multiply with the provision of permanent water and food sources all over the country by the dumb invasive albino race homo sapiens. ;-)

[@kartherton]

Andrew Newton Ok Andrew I didn’t realise that. They must be close for the microphone to pick them up. Yet I can’t say i have ever spotted a parrot on one of your videos. Ill keep an eye out on the videos now. Ha ha.

[@aliberkozderya3112]

Looks neat. I have something similar in making. I will wait for your flight video to see how your plane handles the wind so I will know what to expect when I maiden mine. My plane is a banggood cheetah chuck glider converted to an rc airplane. Full 4 channel control and weighs under 180 grams with battery

[@AndrewNewton]

Nice one. The Cheetah makes a fun little sloper

[@BrianRamseysg01]

Hi Andrew Just about to set up XK A800 to Radio Master with open tx I am guessing I set up input switches for chl 5 & 8 then set up then in mixer for hi and low rates chnl 5 and for the 6g modes chnl 8 but after that I am not 100% sure it right was that the way so check before flying is that exactly you set your one up? PS. the tx that came with it failed before I got to fly it! Thanks for any tips..

[@AndrewNewton]

That's right. Just check the direction of movement as I did in the video

[@scivanpoon]

WLTOY should make 1 brushless version and take my money!!!!

[@BrianRamseysg01]

Anyone gets one and has trouble getting prop to fold I found there is a tiny bit of flashing on the blade moulding that catches the inside of nose cone at the cut away, triming it off works very well ....

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, same here.

[@KenKneknaneek]

Great demo Andrew, trying to set up my A800 just like you did I have the jumper T18 which shud be the same but am having trouble how to set up the rate switch to ch5 like you did and also the mode switch to ch8. I can bind ok using the model setup. But am confused between inputs screen and mixes screen. Also Rate for ch5 and mode for ch8 . Is switch SA for the Rate and SC for the mode? I have seen some demos but they are all for quads, and nothing for aircraft. If this doesn't make sense maybe you could direct me to someone who is showing how to set up a simple glider like the drift. lol heck maybe i am too damn old for this stuff, I was hoping this transmitter would save me using all kinds of transmitters.. I seem so far to be able to set my aircraft up to fly ok but only in one mode, and i can set the throttle cut switch ok. Can't seem to figure out how to assign the switches to the right channels and modes. Happy Flying

[@AndrewNewton]

OpenTX is a big leap. I tend to forget the input screen and do everything in the mixer screen for simplicity. I'll do a video soon but just assign a 2 pos switch to Ch5 for the rates and 3 pos switch to Ch8 for the modes. Have a look at my OpenTX playlist and you might get the idea.

[@KenKneknaneek]

@@AndrewNewton ok thanks for the kind reply. Waiting for your video too. Going to find your open tx read. If i can get this stuff figured out looks like a neat transmitter. Happy Flying

[@wesorama]

Mine flew pretty good on the maiden... until it didn't lol. Okay well I found out they forgot to remove the sticky backing on the double sided tape holding in the flight control board + servos. It had come loose and the board went askew which explains why all my subsequent attempts at launching nosed into the ground! But nothing was damaged, I found the problem and stuck the board in there good and all is well now :) Oh btw, I fly this with the Jumper T8SG Advanced V2 (the yellow one but without the OLED screen), and it did loops and rolls no problem. My first try at ailerons so it was a blast :)

[@AndrewNewton]

Oh dear! Checking mine right now.

[@wesorama]

@@AndrewNewton Yeah a good idea to check, but I'm sure it was just a "one off". It really is a cool little plane I hope it slopes well for you!

[@sonjaperglerova7196]

Hello Andrew, I need a real expert`s advice. The integrated rudder servo in my A800 plane melted after a few flights. I bought this plane as a training plane for the kids (and myself) but I am worried about buying a new receiver board. It costs 1/3 of the price of the airplane and I am afraid it might happen again. Is there a receiver / motor controller combination that I could install instead of the original electronics, which would work with the original XK transmitter, motor and aileron servos? The part is extremely lighthweight. I can do the mechanical and electrics work, but I have no idea how the rc-electronics matches together. Thank you very much in advance. Regards, Adam

[@AndrewNewton]

Don't know sorry. These XK models don't use normal RC components. Maybe ask on RCGroups. There will be an XK A800 discussion.

[@sonjaperglerova7196]

@@AndrewNewton OK, thank you

[@przemekskw]

Hi! I bought this plane a second time and the second time I don't have a radio controller in the box. Can you recommend any radio controller for XK A800?

[@AndrewNewton]

Any multi protocol radio like I showed in the video.

[@seba2038]

as the plane is really light, can I install a small 9g battery low beeper? it fits inside the canopy, but I am worry about balance?

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, as long as the CG is correct

[@seba2038]

@@AndrewNewton where is CG, it is written 5,5-6,5 cm from the wings, but in which direction? Measured from front or back?

[@AndrewNewton]

@@seba2038 CG is usually measured from the leading edge of the wing. Don't know about this one.

[@clivejacobs5987]

Hi Andrew, can the TX with this model be changed to mode 1 please? Thanks.

[@AndrewNewton]

Not that I know of

[@clivejacobs5987]

@@AndrewNewton Thanks for that Andrew. No point in buying a model in the wrong mode. Thanks also for your excellent channel and content. Regards, Clive

[@seba2038]

I have a problem, I setup the plane, but after I launch it , I noticed it loose signal with RC in distance of 10m and it fell down, what could be wrong? It is same even on the ground, when I move 10m away there is not signal to reach the plane.

[@AndrewNewton]

Might be a broken receiver antenna?

[@seba2038]

@@AndrewNewton I checked it seems ok

[@Reindeer911]

Heh! The transmitter kind of looks like the head of Optimus Prime (Transformers)

[@marko5766]

That leaves ~120g for adding a small FPV setup and still coming in under the random 250g "safe" weight . . . nice

[@adamsmith5913]

Not enough sauce for that unless you put a brushless setup.

[@ceaseanddesist8036]

Fairly easy to make this fpv?

[@AndrewNewton]

With an all in one like Eachine TX03 you can make anything FPV

[@MartyWeller]

Could you bind it to a FlySky FS-i6 ???

[@AndrewNewton]

No it doesn't have a FlySKY receiver

[@BigDazNinja]

You can bind it to a Flysky i6 radio using the iRangeX iRX6 Multi protocol module that plugs in the trainer port. To bind - put the module into the trainer port, connect a 3.7v battery to the module, plug battery into plane, then turn on radio whilst holding the sticks in Rudder right + Aileron left + Elevator down positions. Once bound it should keep it in memory for future flights.

[@MartyWeller]

@@BigDazNinja Thanks. I have just ordered this model ( my very first R/C ) and was thinking of getting the Flysky i6 for future use ( Andrew likes this radio )

[@serang]

It can't take a big smack

[@gliderrider]

Never fully manual? So the human is just basically a directional guide.

[@AndrewNewton]

Correct

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

Battery connector called variously Walkera/micro losi/white losi and a heap of others familiar to anyone from the bottom end of the hobby who started off with Syma X5C and Reject Shop cheapie quads. ;-)

[@AndrewNewton]

Well I learned something new today, thanks mate

[@lordnilsson1]

I got my plane from Bangood today... and it's "dead". When I plug in the battery... not a sound or light. Dead ! But the voltage of the battery is 8.3 V so no problem with that one...! Tired...!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@AndrewNewton]

On switch? Rebind the receiver

[@lordnilsson1]

@@AndrewNewton Now it's working. You have to turn on the plane BEFORE the transmitter obviously...!?

[@vintageguitarz1]

Just another clone of the various Multiplex "Easy Glider" "Power Glider Pro" and the baby sized MPX "Merlin". I had all of these ..... 10 years ago.

[@Atxal]

The electronics are really bad, they dont last. Cheap but very unreliable.