Horizon's New Mystery Model

nick_onelove · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:21 pm Post subject: Horizon's New Mystery Model

Has anyone else been following this? Three weeks ago Horizon Hobby started an interesting ad campaign for whatever their new thing is. Each week they've released a new "top-secret" video giving further hints as to what it might be.

They can be found here: http://www.horizonhobby.com/content/secret/

The first hint was "something unlike the world had ever seen", and then the second week "in the future, runways will be obsolete." Which just screams VTOL to me. Very Happy

The second video also seems to suggest that whatever it is is capable of hovering and axial rolls with very little loss of altitude, AND may have an onboard camera.

The third video was virtually useless, but that was explained when a new hint popped up on their Eflite-specific site. This page is filed under the "UMX airplanes" section: http://www.e-fliterc.com/content/secret/default.html

All you can see is a yellow blur, but the fact that it's filed under "UMX airplanes" pretty much confirms for me that it will be some kind of micro VTOL. Whatever it is, it's finally being released/unveiled on the 20th, this Thursday.

I think it's something of an insult on our intelligence to be pushing such a childish marketing scheme on us, but on the other hand.....it's totally working on me. Rolling Eyes

I'm super excited to find out what it really is, and unless I'm way off and it's something really stupid, I'll almost undoubtedly be getting one....

Any thoughts? Does my VTOL theory seem reasonable, even with the model's apparent ability to do rolls from a hover?
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Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

chopper54 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:59 pm Post subject: post subject

Are you thinking it could be a version of the Osprey.

nick_onelove · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:49 pm Post subject:

Something like that. Or maybe even some kind of jump jet. In other forums people are saying it sounds a lot like EDF(s) in the videos though. And from the blurry pic you can tell it's bright yellow, so it's probably not anything scale.

Maybe some fantasy-design VTOL with tilt-EDF(s)? How would something like that pull off a roll though?

I have no idea, I just hope it is some kind of VTOL. Up until now the only RC VTOL option is the V-22 Osprey from Rotormast, which looks like a pretty complicated/expensive build.
_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

admiral · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:17 am Post subject:

My guess is some form of multicopter, similar to the Parrot drone or the Gaui 330X or. 550 X
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Keep your rotors spinning

Keith

nick_onelove · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:23 am Post subject:

It's categorized under "UMX airplanes" on their E-flite site though Keith.

Also why would they say "in the future, runways will be obsolete" if it's just a quad, which has never needed a runway to begin with?

Your guess is as good as mine, I'm just playing the devil's advocate. Razz

_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

tombo242 · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:00 am Post subject:

I guess that you folks are doing exactely what the advertisers hoped that you would do. Bring their product into the public eye a.s.a.p. Speculation is the advertisers delight. It's not long to wait - wait and see Cool

.

Tom.
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lightning · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:25 pm Post subject:

I think it's our prime minister ,you don't see much of it and when you do it's fairly vague. Laughing

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lightning · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject:

On a more serious note ,I'm curious too Cool

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amatuers built the ark,professionals built the titannic.

pjdog · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:19 am Post subject:

I sent Horizon Hobby a nasty Email. I told them you Never But Never tease a Modeler. They will turn on you like an Ex-Wife.

I said show it to us or go back to sleep.

Didn't hear anything back from them. I guess they think my vote does not count.

jack
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nick_onelove · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject:

Wow, it's a veritable deluge of new products.

First up is the disappointment of the "secret" product they've been advertising; it's basically just an ElectriFly VFO with a 3-axis gyro thrown in:
http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLU4780

That disappointment was quickly forgotten when I saw the new flybarless Blade 450 X!!!!
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=BLH4380

The mSR is also going flybarless:
http://beta.horizonhobby.com/products/msr-x-bnf-basic-BLH3250

In addition, they brought back the UMX Beast and a UMX Gee Bee racer with integrated 3-axis gyros, which should allow them to handle some wind and make prop-hanging/hovering a breeze:
http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLU4850
http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLU4580

I've got mixed feelings between the letdown of the month-long marketing campaign for a simple high-alpha hanger and the excitement of the FBL Blade 450 X.
_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

nick_onelove · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:02 pm Post subject:

Here's a video of the new thing:

Link

Not what I was expecting, but kind of cool I guess...

The thing that puts me off planks the most is having to land so I might consider getting one.
_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

pjdog · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:31 pm Post subject:

Reminds me of the plane back in the 50's & 60's called a pogo. landed on it's tail and flew just like this model.

I like it. a plane that lands like a helicopter. I'll get a BNF.

jack
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RC Submarines (3)
RC Planes (20)
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AMA-952547

admiral · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:47 am Post subject:

Well certainly different, a new set of flying skills I probabley don't need to learn, I think I might just drag out one of my old planks and re-aquaint myself, it's been about 20 years.
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Keep your rotors spinning

Keith

nick_onelove · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:49 am Post subject:

Yeah I think a plank flight every once in awhile is good for the reflexes and makes you think in a different way.
_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

tombo242 · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:33 am Post subject:

I agree with Jack - it's an updated Pogo - I used to have one a long time ago. Not a flying model though, just a decoration for the bench.

This one looks like a good 'Scratch Build' if I ever saw one!

Tom.
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