Join us in welcoming our newest reviewer, Nikolei Zinsli as he reviews the AJ Aircraft Laser 230z!
ArticleBy Matt Gunn |
AJ Aircraft's third release in their new product line of Laser 230zs is their first giant-scale offering. Their first two in this line, the 56 and 73 have proven themselves to be excellent flyers with great characteristics that has pleased both the 3D and precision pilots. The 93 should be no different than its smaller siblings, so join me for a closer look at how it is on the build table and in the air. Here's what's included: Required: The initial packaging of the airframe was impressive! The fuselage was double boxed, with the fuse, stabs and rudder fully wrapped in plastic and suspended in foam rings inside. Also inside the fuselage box was a carefully wrapped and boxed cowl, as well as a box with all of the hardware and small parts. The wing was triple boxed, with 2 wood 1x2 frames between the outer layers. The inner wing box revealed the wings secured in their padded wing bags. 
Product: AJ Aircraft Laser 230z Wingspan: 93" Length: 88" Flying weight: 18-20 lb Electric motor: Q-80 Gas engine: 60cc - 70cc Engine used: DA 70 Servos used: Savox 1270TG Product link: CLICK HERE
- Everything you get in the box
As you can see, AJ Aircraft has included practically everything youll need for assembly. The hardware kit is full of quality hardware and even comes with a bag of spares with at least one of every type of bolt, washer, nut, etc that youll be using. Each hardware bag is individually packaged and labelled according to what major assembly they go with.
The first thing youll notice as you remove the plane from the box and wrapping plastic, besides the cavernous size of the fuselage, is the excellent finish and quality of covering. I was hard-pressed to find a single wrinkle! The simple yet striking Retro red and white star scheme looked even better in person than the pictures. Similarly, the finish on the cowl, canopy and wheel pants were all excellent and a perfect match to the colors and alignment of the fuselage covering. Youll also find that the ailerons and elevators are pre-hinged, and the ailerons are even sealed. Looks like AJ Aircraft is doing as much as they can to get you in the air quick! On to the build!
The assembly manual can be downloaded right from AJ Aircraft's product page. You can spend the short time it takes for the plane to get to your door to thoroughly read, review and plan your build. I also highly suggest reviewing the dedicated RC Groups thread for additional tips and loadout ideas! The manual was in plain English, very thorough and contained a bevy of pictures which accompanied nearly every major step.
- The components going into the Laser 230z
As you should do with any new plane, the manual suggests going over all of the covering with a covering iron and going over each joint inside with thin CA. While the airframe looked very strong in and out, a little time spent here will help ensure a nice strong plane that will take a beating in the air!
As this was to become my primary IMAC competition plane, and my first giant-scale gasser I really wanted to do a simple yet clean looking build. The first step towards that goal was a nice firewall paint job. I used the large bag the fuselage came in, cut a hole in the end and taped off the firewall box. Using a base of Rustoleum flat black followed by a light coat of black/grey/white Rustoleum speckled texture paint gave a nice finished look to the front of the fuselage. This step also helps fuel-proof the area.
Installing the landing gear contained the only real assembly problem that I came across in the entire build. But since I reviewed the RCG thread before starting, I was prepared for it! The wheel hubs in the pre-production model appear to have had a raised center hub, which the current version does not. Without a spacer, the cotter pin that holds the wheel on can hit the protruding parts on the hub. There are several ways to get around this, but I used a wheel collar and secured it with household wire going through the wheel collar and axle.
- A little paint on the firewall for fuel-proofing and a clean look
- I used a wheel collar and wire instead of the provided cotter pin
The installation of all of the control horns and servos for all surfaces went flawlessly and exactly like the assembly manual described. I tapped all of my servo arms for 4-40 bolts and secured them to the servos and then the control rods to the servos. I delayed using any lock-tite here until I get all of the radio setup completed. Once Im sure all of the surfaces are level with servos at neutral position, Ill go back and lock-tite everything.
Pro tip: Get a rubber grommet assortment kit from the hardware store and use them with a small scrap of wood to hold your servo extensions! Cut the appropriate size hole in the balsa or light ply, feed the end of the servo lead through the grommet and then install the grommet into the wood. You can also cut the grommet to help get it in. Once complete, youll never have to fish your servo wires out of your wing or fuselage again!
The engine install was the next major assembly on the list. I chose the Desert Aircraft DA-70 twin for power, which happens to be what Andrew Jesky designed the plane around. With the provided drilling templates for common engines of this size and the included standoffs, this beautiful engine was mounted in no time. I should note that the drilling templates also have hole locations you can use for fuel tubing and throttle arm pass-throughs, but I suggest thoroughly reviewing your installation plans and throttle servo placement before cutting these holes. I found the fuel tube template hole to be just right, but I didnt need the throttle arm slot as I found that mounting the throttle servo upside-down outside the firewall box gave a clear shot to the carb. I wrapped the ignition cables in red split-loom, continuing my clean-build theme. Split loom is available in several colors and sizes at most auto parts stores, and will help prevent wires from chaffing. I also used cable C-clamps to secure the ignition wires to the firewall box. One hardware upgrade that I do recommend is ball-links on both ends of the throttle arm. The included hardware provided an EZ-link, which I dont suggest for this size of a plane.
- The control horn and servo install was painless
- Use a grommet and spare wood to keep your servo ends handy
- The DA70 is installed, and ignition wires wrapped with split loom
I chose to line the inside of the fuse with carbon-fiber printed vinyl, which I found on e-bay for a decent price. It took a decent amount of time to lay down and trim, but I think the final effect looks great! Once the vinyl was down, I was able to complete my installation of fuel tank (a 32oz Taildragger RC tank), Tech Aero UIBEC, receiver satellites, fuel dot and soft-switch for my Spektrum AR9110. I also decided to try out the Redwing RC quick wing-lock product on this plane. Once their rubber grommet is glued in and the special wing bolt screwed in, you just clip on the lock, turn it 180 degrees and latch it done! Sure beats sitting at the field wasting time twisting on nylon wing bolts!
- Cutting the cowl
Once the pipe & headers for the DA-70 and the majority of the internal electronics were installed, I was able to attach the wings and horizontal stabs/elevators for a CG check before installing my A123 packs and receiver. AJ Aircraft made this very easy by providing a set of holes in the upper fuselage plywood right in the CG range. Lifting the airframe by these holes will give you a very good idea where your CG lies. My CG came out tail-heavy with my batteries on the back-tray as I had initially planned. Moving one of the packs in-front of the tank got the CG forward enough to fly. I laid down extra length of Velcro for each pack to allow fine-tuning of the CG after some test flying.
- The Desert Aircraft DA70 mounted up
- Here is where my components needed to be for initial balancing
Speaking of flying, lets see how it does!
Takeoff & Trim
With just a couple flicks of the prop, the DA-70 was purring and running well. Once on the runway, a steady advance of the left stick had the Laser 230z airborne before I got past half-throttle. Climb-out was steady and predictable. A click or two of up elevator were all that was required to fly a beautiful straight line. !!Basic Aerobatics
As can be expected with most giant-scale aerobats, flying on low rates through your basic rolls and loops were very easy with no surprises. Knife-edge flight took very little rudder and showed little to no coupling, likely assisted by the large surface area on the side of the fuselage of the Laser 230z. Point rolls, slow rolls and snaps were all spot-on.
3D Aerobatics
Turn the rates up and this precision ship turns into a 3D hucking monster! The first thing that will shock you is the roll rate. The Laser 230z turns rifle-rolls into blur-rolls! Harriers and hovers were predictable and effortless. The Laser 230z showed excellent rudder and elevator authority in high-alpha flight, which made it nothing but fun to fly.
Landing
Landings are as easy as can be. The large wing gives the Laser 230z a great glide slope that makes it easy for you to do a perfect 3-point landing every time. I initially had my idle set a bit high, as it was a new engine and didnt want it to die in the air so my first landings ended with me cutting off the ignition on final. However since then, Ive gotten my idle lower and have no problems slowing down.
| FlyingGiants Review - AJ Aircraft 93" Laser 230z (9 min 8 sec) |
The 93 AJ Laser 230z is an excellent airplane capable of satisfying any pilot, whether they you want to fly nice large pattern aerobatics or down in the dirt 3D and Extreme Aerobatics. The kit is of excellent quality with great hardware included and the airframe itself is light but incredibly strong. Even though AJ Aircraft is a relatively new company, you can tell that the Jeskys took their time when designing the Laser 230z. If you havent tried one yet, regardless of which size suits you, you really need to add one to your hangar!
- It Looks almost as big as some other 100cc planes!
- The 93" next to its' baby brother, the 56" Laser 230z
Pros
- Easy assembly
- Detailed manual
- Quality hardware
- Pre-hinged & sealed surfaces
- Flies great precision or 3D aerobatics
Cons
- Wheel installation needs minor modifications
- Throttle control rod hardware needs to be upgraded
Special thanks to Chris Koharik for the flying pics and video.
Last edited by Jim T.; 01-15-2016 at 04:25 PM..
