E-FLITE MENTOR 25 EPTS
Learn to fly the easy way with this true military trainer�no assembly or gear required!
NOW THE BEGINNER HAS A CHOICE AND CAN LEARN ON A REALISTIC SCALE MODEL INSTEAD OF THE GENERIC PLAIN-VANILLA TRAINER
The tail feathers are self-aligning; you just bolt them on. All of the control surfaces are already hinged.
The E-flite Mentor 25 ePTS looks more like a scale model than a trainer, even with its removeable plastic NACA droops on the leading edge.
PRIMARILY USED AS AN economical training airplane for the U.S. Air Force and the Navy during the 1950s and 60s, the T-34 Mentor has a long history. The large bubble-type cockpit offers clear visibility for soon-to-be aces. A Pratt & Whitney turbine-powered variant was produced up until as early as 1990. What serves as the perfect trainer in 1:1 aircraft has also translated to the RC world. E-flite has put together one of the best packages for aspiring RC airplane pilots. Absolutely everything is included to get started in the exciting world of flying: transmitter, all radio gear, battery, charger and more. Not to mention the ePTS (Electric Progressive Trainer System) makes learning to fly even easier. It allows the pilot to change various components of the aircraft to match his/her skills. This allows the airplane to grow with the pilot into basic aerobatics. This plane was designed for beginner pilots in mind, down to the setup. Not much time is required to set up the aircraft; you can easily do this within an hour, about the time it takes for the included battery to charge. A Spektrum full-range programmable transmitter is included (DX6i). This is another piece of equipment that can transfer into future projects.
SPECIFICATIONS
- MODEL E-flite T-34 Mentor 25 ePTS RTF
- DISTRIBUTOR Horizon Hobby (horizonhobby.com)
- WINGSPAN 55 in.
- WING AREA 545 sq. in.
- WEIGHT 5.2 lb.
- WING LOADING 22 oz/sq. ft.
- RADIO INCL'D Spektrum DX6i 6-channel 2.4GHz
- MOTOR INCL'D Power 25 outrunner
- PRICE $450
HIGHLIGHTS
- � All equipment included
- � Easy to set up
- � Perfect package for first-time pilots
- � Included DX6i transmitter
UNIQUE FEATURES
The Mentor's large canopy/hatch is held in place by powerful magnets, so it's easy to access the large radio and battery compartment.
When you're more confident piloting the Mentor and are ready to fly faster, the plastic NACA droops are easy to remove.
It's easy to add the optional flap servo; the split pushrod is included and the servo bay is ready to accept the servo.
The E-flite T-34 is an amazing package. I am impressed by how far radio technology has come: we can get a spread-spectrum technology transmitter, LiPo battery, charger, and all the radio gear at such a killer price. After gazing at everything that is included, I started unpacking the airplane. The Mentor's covering looks fantastic. I had to tighten up some of the covering with a heating iron, and afterwards it looked flawless. This has to be one of the best looking trainers on the market. In fact, it would easily pass as a sport plane/warbird at the flying field before being a trainer.
Electric technology in aircraft has progressed leaps and bounds over the past few years, and nothing offers more ease of use than a brushless-powered aircraft. Being plug-and-play, anyone can get started fast without the hassle of breaking in a nitro engine or tuning it, which can be daunting tasks and somewhat overwhelming to someone who has never done this. The included DC charger can charge up to a rate of 0.5 to 3 amps and can handle balancing/charging duties of 2- or 3-cell LiPos.
The actually assembly of the model goes together very quickly because all of the work has been done at the factory (even the standard E-flite servos come installed!). You have the option of fixing the flaps at one of three positions, or installing a servo. I installed a standard servo so I could test out each flap position without manually changing the flap positions. The wing halves bolt together, and then the tail surfaces bolt right on. NACA droops are installed and fixed to the wing by transparent tape and can be removed once the pilot feels comfortable doing so. Minor adjustments are required to the linkages so the control surfaces are in their neutral position while the servos are centered, which is all covered in the manual. All that remains is securing the battery and plugging in the servos to the receiver.
The included power system is a Power 25 brushless outrunner motor powered by a 3200mAh 3-cell LiPo battery pack. Even though this airplane is decent in size (55-inch wingspan), the light weight of this model allows this lightweight power system to pull the plane with ease. This combo is perfect for this aircraft, and the Mentor can fly around the sky at a nice quick clip. The included Spektrum DX6i transmitter is the ultimate RTF transmitter; it provides full-range performance and is fully programmable. This transmitter can move with the pilot and be used in future models for a long time to come.
In the Air
Since the T-34 came with the NACA droops attached, I decided to fly it in the beginner training mode first. I installed the optional flap servo the so I could easily change the settings at the field without disassembling the plane. The radio was incorrectly programmed for the exponential values (negative expo). The expo values should be a positive value, and future kits will have the correct programming. I performed some taxi tests and the plane handled the grass field very well. The tricycle landing gear makes it easy for the beginner to taxi and make a straight takeoff roll. The takeoff was uneventful, and the wing droops will allow the plane to fly very slowly in case the new pilot tries to get it into the air too soon.
General Flight Performance
STABILITY The Mentor has excellent stability with and without the droops and is a great training platform. This stability makes it easy to land the plane as you just need to aim it at the runway and let it settle in for a picture-perfect landing.
TRACKING I noticed with the NACA droops attached that when I went into a turn as usual (bank the plane and add some up-elevator), the plane climbed a lot. The T-28 needs very little elevator to hold a level turn, presumably to lessen the burden on a student pilot. With the droops removed, the plane flew like a typical low-wing sport plane.
AEROBATICS I did most of the aerobatics in the sport mode (flaps up and NACA droops removed). The Mentor performs sport aerobatics with ease. Loops, rolls and stall turns can be practiced with confidence. The plane needed only a little down-elevator for inverted flight, although there was a tendency for it to try to roll upright.
GLIDE AND STALL PERFORMANCE With the NACA droops attached, the model can fly at a very slow airspeed while still retaining control. The stall is very mild and the spin characteristics are also very good. To come out of a spin, just let go of the controls. (It takes some effort to get it to spin!) The plane glides a long way, especially with the flaps up.
Pilot Debriefing
Like its full-size counterpart, the T-34 can take a pilot from first flight to basic aerobatics. Even though the Mentor is an easy to fly, an experienced instructor is invaluable and will help you get through the initial learning phases more quickly. Now the beginner has a choice and can learn on a realistic scale model instead of the generic plain-vanilla trainer.
CONTROL THROWS
- ELEVATOR ? in. (low), � in. (high); expo 15%
- AILERON � � in. (low); � � in. (high); expo 25%
- RUDDER � � in.; expo 15%
GEAR INCLUDED
- RADIO Spektrum DX6i, E-flite standard servos
- MOTOR E-flite Power 25 outrunner
- PROPELLER 12�8 Electric
- BATTERY 3200mAh 3-cell LiPo
CONCLUSION The E-flite T-34 Mentor is my favorite package for a beginning pilot. I have already recommended this model to a few people as being the perfect trainer. This is due to the fact that absolutely everything is included to get up in the air and no other accessories are required. And what really sweetens the deal is you get a full-function Spektrum radio at a great price.
