Movie-Star

Review #1 30-Jun-2004 Patrick Plawner Video Available Follow the link
Motor 2 x Permax 400 Servos 2 x HS 81
Speed Controller 35 Amp Batteries Anything 7 or 8 cells
Channels 3 Flight Time Full speed draws 19 Amp.
Propeller 7x6.5 Gear Box 2.3:1

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Wingspan "
140 cm		 Length "
95 cm		 Empty weight oz
849 gr		 All Up weight oz
1350 gr
Wing Area sq.inch
38 dmē		 Wing load oz/sq.ft
gr/dmē		 CG location
from wing edge		 3"
7.7 cm

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Building Specifications from Multiplex:

Wingspan: 1400 mm (55.12 inches)
Fuselage length: 980 mm (38.6 inches)
Wing Area: 38 dm2
Weight: 1450 gr
Wing loading: 38gr/dm2
Wing section: HQ 30-12 mod
Tailplane section: NACA 0009/0010
Controls: Rudder/Elevator/Motors
Payload free to add (beside the battery): 400 gr (14.11 oz)

My Comments:

ARF, in all it's flying colors. Meaning, extremely easy to build, and fast. 2-3 hours of work will make it. The User Manual is written in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. It is so clear, with very good pictures to guide threw the different steps, that there is no need to add anything (see picture of the User Manual in the Building phase pictures below). I don't like to build planes, but I have to admit building this one was fun. Just very smartly done. Please, read the Tips below to avoid some mistakes I did. I must add that all my previous experience with all Multiplex planes was so successful that I am full of expectations for this new bird.
See also pictures on the building phase

TIPS on the building:

  • VERY IMPORTANT: I highly recommend to do the Picture 22 and 23, before doing 10,11 and 12. The reason is that there are fairly high chances that the Rudder/Elevator, won't be perpendicular as needed, if glued after having glued the aluminium tube (tail boom) to the main cockpit part. I followed the normal steps and I had to work later on the tail, to make it horizontal
  • If you use the gear box, don't forget to make the motor go reverse
  • If you use 2 servos (as opposed to using the recommended 2 servos and receiver block), think well before you'll put the tail boom, how you want the wires to come. I recommend to have the 2 wires, horizontal if 2 separate servos, and vertical, if using the Multiplex servo box. Again, check this before you'll glue the tail boom !!
  • If possible, replace the wires from the servos to the tail, with stronger ones
  • Glue the tailplane, instead of using the rubber bands. Just easier, stronger.
  • On picture #20 of the building pictures ("32_first_camera_position.jpg"), you can see where a receiver can be installed. See above the camera.
  • If you use a gearbox, make sure to have the propeller in line, with the wing, when you'll install it.
  • A possibility would be to install very light servos on the tail, next to the control horns. Could be much more efficient than having the added weight of the wires and strong HS81 servos. I think it won't disturb much the CG, but would need to be checked before doing it.

Since you are never served better than by yourself, I decided in February 2003, to apply some of the advises above, regarding the servos in the tail, as well as replacing the motors with stronger ones. Plan to use Graupner 480 BB Race 7.2 V, with 3:1 gearbox and 9x6 prop. See pictures

Take-off Tried both hand launch and ground take-off. Both easy and without any problem. It takes about 10 meters (30 feet) from the ground to take-off. The rudder does help to control.
Flight behavior With the current setup, seems a little heavy and needs some good speed to fly. It does not have any bad behavior I spotted so far. If motor cut, it glides well but fast, but does not have any tip stall or anything surprising. Turns are easy. The plane goes fast, in general, if to keep the same altitude. Noticed that the Elevator does not seem to want to go up enough, this maybe due to the weak wires or an error I made in the way I build it ?
Landing Heavy plane, so needs some speed to perform a correct landing. From the only few tests done, seems that keeping the motors running on landing would help, as if not, either you do a clean landing curve, with no mistake, either you either land too heavy on the ground. The landing gear is very strong and it seems that it could take quiet hard landings
Crash Results Elapor, so should be the easiest. Epoxy or any cyano 5 minutes would do
Repairing Don't know yet :) but again, this is Elapor, so like all Elapor planes, should be endless repairs
Other comments I don't have enough time to provide an educated final word on this plane. It looks gorgeous according to my taste, it is build specifically for aerial photography with 2 floors in the cockpit, separated by the piece of wood, that can be easily removed. The bottom has a hole, to take photos from it, and if you prefer photos from the side, then the transparent cockpit is there for this. Not sure how transparent it will remain after many flights though.
Building the plane, on the field is easy. The 2 wings are assembled with 2 pieces of plastic from the above tied to the cockpit and a tube inside the wings. It feels very strong when assembled. I would say 2 minute work on the field to get the plane ready to go. As for the batteries, really don't see any limitation. From 7 cells to anything, according to your motors.
The plane, in the configuration with the gear box takes 19 Amps, at full throttle. My next test will be to remove these motors/Gearbox configuration, and replace them with 2 x Permax 480 and 5.5x4.3 props and I think it should be stronger. The manufacturer states that this plane can have a payload up to 400gr (14.1 oz) , of anything. Will need to test it. I did put a 8x3000 NiMH battery (500 gr - 17.6 oz) and it took off fine, both hand and ground take-off.
As I will perform these tests, start doing some aerial photography, I will update this review.

Did more tests since the review, keeping the same motor set, but trying different batteries. Still heavy but it is a very nice plane, and with such a strong landing gear, very forgiving one. The Gear box I installed makes quiet some noise, so it is possible that either I did not set it right, either it is not an optimized gearbox and it is wasting energy with unnecessary frictions.
Still, very addictive plane as it looks gorgeous. The Transparent cockpit seems to impact on the quality of the pictures taken, with the camera inside the cockpit. Will need to work on this to find a solution, maybe a special hole ?

Read Per Tidemann's review below, as Per took the Movie-Star to a higher dimension, and found that the plane is behaving very well. Per also customized the MS in a very interesting way.
Interesting Links  
FMS plane Movie Star for FMS
Pictures

 

Review #2 on the Movie-Star: From Per Tidemann - Click to read it

Excellent Results found and an amazing plane made by Ter !!!! A must read review.

 

Latest Update: Monday, 20 June 2005