Pilot’s Choice Product Review
E-flite UMX F-16 BNF Basic Become an honorary member of the Thunderbirds
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My soft spot for F-16s comes from the days when I called them in for fi re support as
a scout helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. I doubt the “Zoomies” (U.S. Air Force personnel) appreciated us referring to F-16s as yard darts, but I sure appreciated them coming in pairs to support the troops with incredibly accurate fi repower. When I opened the box from E-fl ite,
I knew this was going to be fun. I love the way the box doubles as a carrying case because I travel and like to take along a couple of things to fl y. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds paint scheme was well done and certainly helps with orientation. There isn’t any construction to be done—it’s ready to go when it comes out of the box. If you choose to add
the optional ventral fi ns and missile rails, check the included illustrated manual for the exact location. You have to use foam-safe CA glue
or another type of adhesive to adhere the plastic pieces to the foam. There are also some sheet decals if you wish to add them to the sides of the vertical fi n for more scale accuracy. I chose not to use the missile rails or
ventral fi ns because I prefer to hand launch and land on a grass strip. Doing so with the accessories attached would cause damage. I also like to keep these UMX-size
aircraft as light as possible, so every gram matters. I typically remove the landing gear for a smooth belly landing. I hope you put the battery on
charge when you sit down to read the manual and get the F-16 ready to fl y, because that’s about all there is to it! I used the
recommended throws and CG (center of gravity).
Although it’s fast, the F-16 will slow down nicely on approach and slide in for a beautiful touchdown.
After successful test fl ights, I set up a three-position switch for each dual rate and set a throw in between the recommended high and low rates. The recommended throws work well, but because I have a tendency to let other modelers grab the transmitter and try it, I like giving them the option of an extra setting. I set my CG at the recommended
This is everything as it comes out of the box. The E-flite UMX F-16 BNF Basic is ready to go unless you choose to install the ventral fins and missile rails.
setting of 38mm. It feels solid at that level and I haven’t adjusted it. There is enough room to slide the battery fore and aft a tad if you want to adjust it after several fl ights. This isn’t
Photos by Greg Gimlick
The nose-wheel steering is attached to the rudder servo and stays connected, even if you remove the gear—making installation easy. There is also room to adjust the CG by moving the battery.
50 PARK PILOT [Winter 2016]
my fi rst UMX electric ducted- fan aircraft, so I already had some experience and expectations. The test fl ight came on a
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