The JH-7: Proof Positive that you can get airborne for under $100.00

March 7th 2007
If you happened to be cruising along the net, ran across one of these sporty looking high wing twin pusher prop planes and thought that “that could make a decent trainer” stop and think again. Although it does look docile enough with the high wing and flat bottom airfoil about the only kind of trainer this could be good for is someone wanting to fly a ducted fan (I'll get there again eventually). The twin tiny propellers even on the stock brushed 370’s move it along at a high rate of speed and that’s where it seems to like to be flown.

It really is capable of using the included running gear and achieving take off from a paved runway. (I did one run across the parking lot where I work and when it reached about 3 feet in altitude chopped the throttle and let it settle back down on it’s own.) On grass you’re better off to remove the gear and hand launch it. As can be seen in the accompanying video, the nose gear tends to snag the grass and can result in the type of landings as shown. I don’t think it would never reach enough speed to even lift off from a grass strip. Just too much drag. I will add the shown flight was in the hands of an “advanced” category pilot and not myself. I can only imagine what my results would have been.

Hopefully if you couldn’t pass this “bargain” by (I couldn’t at the time) you won’t have the same problems I’ve had. When mine arrived the left wing servo was bad but I really didn’t want to send it back just because of that. Hobby Estore was kind enough to work with me and sent a new servo at no charge. It did require cutting the long lead and doing a little soldering into the existing aileron harness to install, but most of us RC’ers are accustomed to things like this and only took about 15 minutes or so.

The 1st real “test flight” (shown) revealed that you should consider taking the included radio and tossing it into the nearest trash can unless you plan to fly within a couple hundred feet of yourself at all times. More than that and you may be picking up pieces unless lucky enough to have it fly back into range before it hits the ground. Luckily for me mine did and I’d already bought a Spektrum 6 (trying to solve a glitch problem in one of my copters. It will store up to 10 models so why not?) I'm transplanting the receiver into this one for some testing before putting it into the Great Planes Sportster EP I’m about to start assembling. If I can still "successfully" fly this thing the good old Sportster should be a breeze.
More details to come at a later date.