Bixler V1.1 out of the box review

I received the newest version of the Bixler a few days ago and as promised, I have created this video of my first impressions out of the box. The video is a bit long and I have a head cold, so bear with me, since I am a bit out of it.

After un-boxing the newest Bixler, it is evident that Hobby King made several major improvements. Although, they could have taken it a step further by adding some of the improvements from version 2 like a skid plate, flaps and hinges.

Wings:

I really like the fact that they made the wings detachable and reconfigured the attachment points to the top of the craft instead of from the bottom, like they did in the Bixler2.

The wood washer mounts on the new version seem a bit small and it does concern me. I feel the metal attachments on the Bixler2 wings are much more stable and the smaller wood pieces on the Bixler v1.1 might not hold up as well. Time will tell and if this is the case, it is an easy modification.

The carbon rods and coupler is a major improvement, in my opinion. With the carbon tubes being embedded in the wings and a smaller coupler being used to connect them, it will make it a lot easier to store and transport verses the 1 long rod in the Bixler2.

Motor Mount:

The motor mount seems to be a huge improvement, and seems like a much more stable platform for the motor, but the wire channel forces the ESC back down into the fuselage, were there isn't adequate ventilation to keep it cool. In my opinion this is a major flaw, as we all know, heat is our enemy.

Servo Placements:

The servo placements seem a lot better, now that the rudder and elevator servos are positioned towards the rear of the plane. The access hatch, however, seems a bit odd. The hatch placement and direction of removal is going to be prone to problems since it is on the belly of the fuse and opens from the front verses from the tail. What this means is, it could be caught by the wind and blown off or caught on the ground during landing and could possibly cause damage to the tail section of the fuse. It also seems impractical, since the primary reason for the hatch is to adjust the servo arms, yet the screws are blocked by the inner foam, again, and, at least for me, it would be difficult to get my finger in there to make an adjustment.

Control Surfaces and Connections:

The control rods for the rudder and elevator have been improved but at a price. They are sturdier rods, instead of piano wire but we are back to the old screw-on nylon clevis which are more difficult to adjust and trim compared to the linkage stopper style connectors that allow for fine tuning.

The control horns have been changed to the screw in style horns. I have never had a problem with my horns coming loose because I hot glue them on, but in some applications, screw through horns are sturdier. With that said, I don’t think they will be much sturdier because their small surface area in a thin piece of foam and I have a feeling it will lead to damage down the road that will be harder to repair if the foam breaks out.

Fuselage:

The fuselage has been made sturdier with the replacement of the 2 nipples, previously used on version 1, with a tongue and grove system. I found that the old system was lousy and the nipples broke off. The new system makes the 2 halves of the fuse more sturdy and does not add any additional weight to the plane.

I would have also liked to have seen a plastic skid plate added to this version, like the one added to the Bixler2, but it was not and we will still be subject to wear and tear on the planes belly during landings.

Cockpit/Canopy:

The canopy has been given new flare, which is cute, and some people will enjoy having a pilot at the helm but it comes at a cost, as I discovered during the un-boxing.

The first thing I noticed, they changed the magnetic latch from a 2 magnet system to a single magnet system. The old location is still present, but you are going to have to modify it to make it work.

I also discovered that the optional camera mount canopy no longer fits. Which is disappointing, but with a little work and a non-assembled kit, you could make the modifications necessary to make it work.

Overall:

I think this version overall has a lot of great improvements and several of them I would like to see on the Bixler2. The flaws I found are manageable and in most cases easy to modify without a lot of effort.

For new pilots, FPV pilots and those who like making modifications to their planes, I think overall it will be a good experience. I wouldn’t give it a 10, but it is far from being a flop, so I would say it is worth the investment.