I received an Easy Star from my girlfriend! Before building I collected some building tips so if you’re getting into this wonderful EZ* plane make sure to read them through. Good flight characteristics start with a proper build ;-).
- Double check that all the parts are included in the box before modifying any part. You won’t be able to return them otherwise!
- The rods are attached to the lid of the box using tape. Make sure to remove all tape excess before putting the pushrods into each other. This would stick and result in obsolete friction otherwise.
- Keep the box for transport. Once the tail surfaces are in place you’ll need to modify the box a bit to make it still fit. Check the web for pictures on some great mods. Some people even added a holder for their tx!
- Always test the glue you’re going to use on the elopar foam on a place it wouldn’t hurt the model. Use foam safe CA glue or polyurethaan glue (like gorilla glue) for glueing the fuselage and wing cf rod holders. You can add some kickstarter to speed up the process. Non the less make sure to stick to the instructions that came with the glue. For the tail surfaces use a quicker drying glue (not super glue since that will break!) like hot glue so you can level things out and don’t get any wrong angles during glue dry time.
- Put the servo’s in place and use some tape on the fuse to smoothen the surface. This will reduce drag and is an extra security not to loose any servo in flight.
- Tape the nose with strong fibertape to protect your model on hard landings. You can also add a small stroke to the tailing edge (TE) of the wings.
- Replace the foam skid by a real skid from hard plastic (tie wrap for instance) since that foam will wear out very quickly.
- Share your experience and let us know how the maiden went!
If you bought the kit version of the multiplex easy star you’ll need to add your own brushed speed controller, servo’s and tx/rx system.
Make sure to wrap in your receiver before flying and securely attach it so you won’t break it that easily on rough landings. I lost a micro receiver using my EZ*. No need to go for micro anyway. You could also go for a more advanced tx/rx system, but for beginners this will only make it more difficult to fly your model.
The cheapest servo’s available from HK (in fact great servo’s so don’t be afraid of the cheapness) do fit in the Easy Star fuselage but you’ll have to glue them in tight since the openings are a bit to large to hold them securely by tape alone.
If you’re a beginner, like most of the Easy Star buyers, you’ll want to start off with the stock motor. You can get a cheap brushed controller from HK in case you went for the kit version. Once you can fly it that way upgrade to a (more powerful) brushless setup. This is an example brushless configuration for your easy star:
HXT 2030 (130S) 3500kv Brushless Inrunner (providing comparable power as the 400 can motor, if you need more power get a bigger one!)
Folding Propeller w/ Alloy hub – 6×4 (folding is better to reduce drag when floating, this easystar can float)
TURNIGY Plush 18amp Speed Controller (or cheaper with less programming options: Hobbyking SS Series 18-20A ESC)