Topic: Pred 3 or Strega?

 

Oh and just to rub it in
that broken old brio beat me and my RaceM in the first round of the southern league (not that it was hard) 

Well if I could find an F3F for between £200-400 in good nick I'd take a look. But of late everything has been £600+, which for a secondhand model is too much for me. I'm not looking for a Crossfire or Needle etc.

I guess i got lucky with the price i paid for this then
3,2m and digis all round.

Tis a lovely plane
I always quite fancied a Tanga F3J

90% of people would swap a nice new set of £60 each servos for a set of good condition sloppy set that work if we were selling a plane, I am not saying you would get stitched up with an unreliable set just not get the Ds Bs

Maybe in used cars 90% might be fair, I've not really found glider people to be like that (or maybe I'm just a hopeless judge of character). I also think it would be a lot more effort fitting new servos than just selling it without them...

LOL I agree! If they are glued in, no-one will have bothered to change them, and if they are in frames, then you can't alter what type is in there anyway! I think Allen is too mistrustful of Mr Average Glider Seller. I've only ever had good experiences, but then again I've never bought a second hand F3Fer for £2-300. Oh I tell a lie - I did once - it was the legendary PigBird which I bought from Tony for £300 or so if I recall correctly. Decent servos included, but as those who have seen it will testify, that thing had been MASHED UP! Repaired well admittedly, but let's just say that the colour of it was less pink and more isopon  but perfectly appropriate for the price charged.

All the second hand F3F stuff I've bought in good condition inside and out has been well north of £600 and up to £1000 in one case. And all the purchases have been completely hassle free, as folks selling at that money are not out to make a fast buck by BSing anyone about what they're selling.

Z

LOL I agree! If they are glued in, no-one will have bothered to change them, and if they are in frames, then you can't alter what type is in there anyway! I think Allen is too mistrustful of Mr Average Glider Seller. I've only ever had good experiences, but then again I've never bought a second hand F3Fer for £2-300. Oh I tell a lie - I did once - it was the legendary PigBird which I bought from Tony for £300 or so if I recall correctly. Decent servos included, but as those who have seen it will testify, that thing had been MASHED UP! Repaired well admittedly, but let's just say that the colour of it was less pink and more isopon  but perfectly appropriate for the price charged.

All the second hand F3F stuff I've bought in good condition inside and out has been well north of £600 and up to £1000 in one case. And all the purchases have been completely hassle free, as folks selling at that money are not out to make a fast buck by BSing anyone about what they're selling.

I bought my Acacia III as a slightly repaired third hand plane for a bargain £200 as a bare airframe. It was fine, at least until I got hold of it (it's fine now as well, finally repaired solidly after some good advice from Tony Fu).

I did get an amazing deal there, I freely admit, and thanks to Adrian Bedford for that. But they are out there if you keep looking and aren't fussy about it being in 'mint condition' - and what's the point of that for a slope plane?

but then again I've never bought a second hand F3Fer for £2-300.

Then you is lookin in the wrong places lol
All my second hand F3F planes £300 
and No I have not had any servo trouble, Perhaps I was just being a bit cynical
I was just trying to point out that they should not effect the price unless as you say its a new ish mouldie with a set of £70 Mks

So if good 2nd hand planes are 600 quid, rubbish is 200-300, and olerc are selling a new Strega for 400, plus 200 on servos you are getting a new plane (albeit a second) , but with spanking new 3150s for second hand money. Isn't it better to buy 2nd rather than 2nd hand.

imho pred 3 over the strega.
But there is a second hand Ascot going on http://www.bmfaclassifieds.co.uk/index.php?catid=56 I would rather take the ascot.

Will

Then you is lookin in the wrong places lol
All my second hand F3F planes £300 
and No I have not had any servo trouble, Perhaps I was just being a bit cynical
I was just trying to point out that they should not effect the price unless as you say its a new ish mouldie with a set of £70 Mks

I would like to know where you are looking, I can't find any f3f for £300

I would like to know where you are looking, I can't find any f3f for £300

My club members lofts 

Hi all
WOW I think this thread has mentioned every facet of buying anything and everything F3F EXCEPT the relative merits of the P2/3 or Strega! (Only joking chaps - before you bite!)
My 2p's worth is buy from someone you know - if he's truly your friend you'll get a good deal -  having said that I too have had nothing but good experiences buying 2ndhand from fellas here on the group
If you want to find out who's selling an "oldie but goodie" with 3150's in the wings and brilliant performance for £300, PM me and I'll send you some pics and details of my Javelin (Chinese copy of the Nyx) F3B version, ready to fly with bags included, much used but structurally sound throughout which I might be tempted to part with...
I could take it to the BARCS AGM and market Sunday if you want
Pete

That's funny but true. I think only will has expressed a preference and even then said buy an Ascot! Is there a message in there?

tbh I'm not sure that there's anyone I know of who has owned and flown both extensively. So you'd have to take comments from pilots who have owned each and go from there. The Strega has gone extremely fast here in the UK in the hands of two different pilots - I think it's the only aircraft in the last few years in the UK which has a 30.xx with two different pilots, at two different sites, interestingly neither at the mega-record slopes in Wales. However, the Predator has a fantastic European pedigree from some very serious pilots, and recently our own Peter Gunning has commented very favourably on it, and he's experienced the latest and greatest, and is definitely quick enough to know what works.

Tough choice! It's going to come down to personal "feel" preference, something which sadly can only be developed over lots of models and lots of hours understanding set-up. Well it's either that or pick the one which gives you the most Glider Horn, as either will be as quick as you like once setup and flown well.

Z

The developments of both the Strega and the Predator is something quite significant and shouldn't be overlooked. Both now have very stiff and strong wings which couldn't have been said about the earlier versions. The construction techniques and materials have change dramatically and RCRCM have tried at least 4 versions I know of. I also met Wolfgang Habe who told me the changes he implemented in wing construction when associated with RCRCM through his company, Aviogate. He also notes some of these changes have been carried through on the latest RCRCM Predators and Stregas. It's no secret that early versions of both were quite bendy and this was everything to do with spar strength and construction.
Peter Gunning's P3 is not an ordinary P3. It's an Aviogate P3 and in my view the stiffest wings built.
But Strega and Predators are significantly improved and the latest batch of RCRCM models have been the best I have seen so far both cosmetically and structurally. Not one has failed QC. This has never happened before. The prices have not increased and buying the improved versions means your are buying the latest construction/techniques as all planes are built to order. This appears to coincide to the move by RCRCM to a $10 million new facility. Admittedly the last batches made prior the move were variable quality.
Seconds I understand that could mean anything, off loading old construction perfect stock I understand too. Off loading new, high quality- new factory, latest construction, cheaply, I cant quite seem to get my head round. Perhaps I'm just crying soar grapes but makes sense for any retailer to sell off old stock, cheaply.

In fact I have one myself, my last standard carbon Aviogate/ P3, going same price as glass Strega/P3. Of course there's a catch, there always is, isn't there...   

I would expect JP would be the one to ask as he races for RCRCM and does like to stick his nose in once in a while

John you little Lurker fancy leaving a comment or two 

well i could only recommend the p3 very good plane for F3F.
as to the Strega have only had a fly off a early one but having said that it did feel a nice plane.
a lot more easy for sport flyer, in that it seemed better at aerobatics but that could have been the way that one was set up.
for me i only set my planes up for what i am going to use them for, so only really set the my predators up for F3F.
JP

Well I had an online chat with olerc today, really just to check them out. I queried out stregas in stock. They had a full carbon Strega with 'cloth mark' damage, where the cloth is showing through tje wing. Not sure what that means for 701 usd. Anyway I asked them to send me a 'pic'. 'Oh sorry we can't do that.' Hmmm. They sound like a right bunch of cowboys to me. I wont be buying from there.

Well I had an online chat with olerc today, really just to check them out. I queried out stregas in stock. They had a full carbon Strega with 'cloth mark' damage, where the cloth is showing through tje wing. Not sure what that means for 701 usd. Anyway I asked them to send me a 'pic'. 'Oh sorry we can't do that.' Hmmm. They sound like a right bunch of cowboys to me. I wont be buying from there.

They sent me pics of a (seconds) full carbon P3, not sure if I will go ahead.

Well I had an online chat with olerc today, really just to check them out. I queried out stregas in stock. They had a full carbon Strega with 'cloth mark' damage, where the cloth is showing through tje wing. Not sure what that means for 701 usd. Anyway I asked them to send me a 'pic'. 'Oh sorry we can't do that.' Hmmm. They sound like a right bunch of cowboys to me. I wont be buying from there.

well the wing is made up from cloth laid in to a mould.  You can probably see the weave of the cloth through the paint.

Post a pic of the damage.

??

Have to admit, HK is a long way to go if you buy a model and there is a problem with, 

They sent me pics of a (seconds) full carbon P3, not sure if I will go ahead.

I guess I was lucky - I got pictures of two bits of damage and then the one I got only had one of them - a tiny bit of paint bubbling.

You pay the local shops extra partly because they take the risk instead of you. Your choice.

You also don't know how many other distributors turned those seconds down before they found their way onto Olerc. I was offered them a year ago but turned them down. I recall the list at that time was pretty large, so I imagine it could take some time to clear. There's been a load of construction improvements since that time, as many will vouch so you really don't know what you are getting spec wise either. You might get lucky with a small model, but personally, I wouldn't risk it with anything over 2m.

Z

Thanks for the info Zim. They eventually sent me the pics.

Too much of a pot shot for me, considering whats currently around on the second hand market.