The Startling Slofly 22-inch Micro 3D

A 22" 5.5-oz EPP 3D That Flies Like A Dream

Technically, this isn't my plane, but Akkana's. Except for having the colors -- well, black and white -- inverted, they look about the same. After she saw mine fly, building another was forced. And the way you get some black parts and some white is by buying one plane of each color. So I had another anyway.

Small planes are cool and easy to transport, but usually don't fly all that well. But Steve Bobich at Slofly has come up with a wing design that allows extraordinary stability and performance with only a 22" span.

Okay, so I liked both pictures and had to show them

Hover is reasonable, even in light wind. Roll rate is predictably quick, but movement in all axes is strong and positive. Waterfalls are great, and flat spins are as tight as anything I've seen, even with relatively modest power plants.

The truly strange thing is the general flight performance. If it's just too windy to fly 3D, you can load up the nose a bit with a heavier battery and fly extraordinarily crisp pattern maneuvers, even in a brisk breeze. Knife is reasonably clean for a small flat-plate plane, and looping maneuvers are very precise.

All in all, a fairly amazing little plane!

Tech Notes:

  • Handmade 17-turn 26awg 22.7-stator CDROM motor
  • Slofly bearing tube and motor mount
  • HE 540 Servo for ailerons with Hitec long arms
  • GWS pico servos for tailfeathers
  • Handmade arm extender on elevator
  • GWS R4PII Receiver
  • Castle Phoenix 10 ESC
  • All-up weight 5.5oz with Kokam 340 2s

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Copyright 2005 by David Mark North