Horizon Hobby E-flite Allusive 2.2m ARF

A well-rounded sport sailplane Read the full review in the September 2014 issue of Model Aviation. Photos, video, and review by Andy Griffith.

Abridged Review

The Allusive has slightly more than a 2-meter wingspan and uses a reasonably priced power system. The only special requirement for the radio system is support for V-tail mixing, which is available on most radios sold within the last 10 years. Assembly time is only a few hours and it can be put together at the field in minutes. The Allusive comes with straight, fully sheeted wings with foam cores that appear strong without being heavy. The wings only feature ailerons. There are no flaps or spoilers—saving weight and complexity. The ailerons are factory hinged with covering material, and there is a cutout for the aileron servo. E-flite manuals are among the standard by which I judge others, and the Allusive’s instruction manual is no exception. It is well illustrated with clear photographs and leaves little to chance. There were only a few minor details that the manual failed to mention which were discussed in the September 2014 issue of Model Aviation. At the flying field, insert the wings, plug in the aileron servos, and secure the wings with a strip of vinyl tape on each side and you’re ready to go. With the Allusive pointed into the wind, I advanced the throttle and gave it a straight-and-level toss. The Allusive quickly gained speed, so I pointed the nose approximately 50° up and advanced to the throttle to full. The aircraft climbed with good authority and little pitching up, even at full throttle. I cut the throttle at approximately 150 feet and settled the Allusive into a nice glide to trim it out. It still felt slightly nose-heavy and required a few clicks of elevator trim to slow down. No aileron or rudder trim was needed. Under power, the Allusive will zip along nicely. I estimate straight-and-level speed in the 80 mph range. In a dive, however, the Allusive is as fast as any of my EDF jets and maybe faster. Those have been clocked in the 125 to 135 mph range, so I estimate that the Allusive was flying a similar speed. Read the review and build details in the September 2014 issue of Model Aviation.

Specifications

Model type: Electric sailplane Skill level: Beginner builder; intermediate pilot Wingspan: 87.5 inches Wing area: 546 square inches Wing loading: 12.9 ounces per square foot Wing cube loading: 6.6 Airfoil: Semisymmetrical Length: 43 inches Weight: 3 pounds, 1 ounce Power system: .15-size brushless outrunner motor; 40-amp brushless speed control Radio: Four-channel minimum Construction: Balsa-sheeted, foam-core wings; fiberglass fuselage; built-up V-tail Covering/finish: White, black, and yellow UltraCote covering; white painted fuselage Street price: $329.99

Test-Model Details

Motor used: E-flite Power 15BL 950 Kv outrunner Battery: E-flite 3S 2,200 mAh 30C LiPo Propeller: 12 x 8 folding Radio system: Spektrum DX9 radio; Spektrum AR6260 receiver; two Spektrum A5030 Mini Digital Aircraft Servos; two Spektrum A7020 Digital Wing Servos Ready-to-fly weight: 3 pounds, 1 ounce Flight duration: Varies depending on skill and weather conditions

Pluses

• Nicely finished fiberglass fuselage. • Easy and quick to assemble. • Fun to fly. • Simple control setup offers easy assembly for beginners. • High contrast between the top and bottom of the wings for excellent visibility.

Minus

• Model needed some weight added in the tail to balance at the recommended location.