Fire Bird Specifications: 31 inch wingspan / 22 inch length / 8 ounce wingloading / V-tail pod and boom design

Controls: Ruddervator / throttle

Comments: The Firebird II consists of left and right rudder via the V-tail configuration. The surfaces only go up when steering which provides a sort of mechanical rudder/elevator mixing. The throttle controls altitude. This design has worked flawlessly for me. Due to its design, the Firebird is EXTREMELY durable. The prop never breaks since it is protected by the fuse. The Firebird II cannot thermal because to turn tightly, it loses altitude, thus defeating the purpose. My favorite thing about the Firebird is it comes in an everything you need package. In fact, all you have to buy is 8 AA batteries for the Tx. For $99, this is hard to beat, especially due to the fully propo controls. I have crashed the Firebird many times however I have never broken it.

Upgrades: Hobby Zone has a few upgrades for the experienced Firebird pilot. They include a Speed wing (same area, less camber), 5-cell battery, and various field charges that don’t enhance flight. I will first discuss these upgrades before telling about my own. The first recommended purchase is the Speed wing. It gives a 10% speed increase and quite a bit more control sensitivity (due to more air across the controls). This wing also allows for heavier winds due to penetration. In fact, I have flown in 15-20 mph winds. The second hop-up is the 5-cell battery. I put this thing in and WHAM!, a new plane is born. I have Looped the Firebird once (very difficult without elevator) using this battery. With this and the speed wing, a 35% speed increase is to be expected. Also, the sensitivity doubles. I would recommend this battery when and only when you feel very comfortable with your Firebird. Finally, I will discus my hop-up. Although not mentioned in the instructions, I decided to tape the bottom of the included spare wing. I used box tape front to back. This created a flat-bottom airfoil instead of the under-camber. I think this helped in every category, including strength. The most important hop-up of all was writing my entire phone number (including area code when you go out of town) on top with a bold magic marker. Also, Decorations can be made on the spare wing with A Vis-a-vis wet erase marker. The scheme can be changed whenever you want. My brother and I tell them apart that way in flight.

Problems - Solutions: For the Firebird, this section will be VERY brief, since it had nearly no problems. In fact, the one here isn’t truly a problem, just a recommendation. The thing I encountered with the Firebird is that with the factory installed throws it handles well, however it will not fight hardly any wind at all. From the very beginning, I recommend you move the strings to the bottom of the horn. Remember to reattach the rubber tubing. This set-up is still easy to fly, however can really get you out of trouble when you are in a bind.

Conclusion: The Firebird is a great plane for anyone. It is a great beginner’s plane due to its durability, ease of flying, everything included set-up, and most of all price. It looks great and can have a wide envelope.