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Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft Product Video

Product Review:
Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft

Perspective By:
Tim Tworek "sun.flyer "

Manufacturer Contact:
Great Planes Model Distributors P.O. Box 9021; Champaign, IL 61826-9021

Manufacturer Website:
www.greatplanes.com

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Introduction

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What would you say if you could get giant scale features incorporated into a .46/.81 sized glow airplane? Think it’s impossible? Well the good folks at Great Planes think that not only is it possible but it’s also extremely practical even for this size of airplane. The all new redesigned Matt Chapman Eagle 580 .46/.81 Sport-Scale ARF takes ARF quality to a whole new level using some giant scale features. This highly detailed new Matt Chapman Eagle 580 now comes with these brand new features: - Awesome new Matt Chapman licensed Embry-Riddle trim scheme - Pre-installed AND Pre-glued aileron and elevator control surfaces - Large control surfaces for extreme 3D capabilities - Foam Core balsa sheeted wings and stabilizers (YES, that’s right foam core)!!!! - Carbon fiber wing tube AND carbon fiber stab tubes!!! - Pre-installed pilot bust and easy to use sliding canopy/hatch assembly - Easily setup for both glow and electric power with no modifications needed.


Out of the Box:

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My Matt Chapman Eagle 580 arrived very well packaged with an awesome looking box top picture of the Eagle 580 and full scale aerobatic pilot Matt Chapman. Everything inside was very well protected thanks to being individually wrapped in plastic and thanks to the use of protective cardboard through out. As I started to remove the parts from the box I immediately noticed how well the Monokote covering looked and how it was nearly wrinkle free. As I do with most all my planes I did hit the plane with a heat gun after allowing the parts to sit out of the box for day or so. The Matt Chapman Eagle 580 comes with a super complete hardware package that includes everything needed to set the plane up as either gas or electric. I was completely taken back when I looked at the wings and elevators. Both the aileron and elevator control surfaces were pre-hinged and pre-glued RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX!! I have never built and ARF that had these steps done for you out of the box. This is a huge time saver that allows for the Eagle 580 to be built fast……..very fast. Great Planes has has done a lot to try and cut down on weight with the refined Eagle 580. The wings and stabs are foam cored and covered with light weight balsa. After carefully looking over the very complete photo illustrated assembly/flying manual a few times and after I had everything unwrapped it was time to start what could quite possibly be the fastest build I’ve ever had on a .46/.81 sized ARF model.

Product Specifications
Specifications Stock Number: GPMA1281 Wingspan: 53 in (1350 mm) Wing Area: 645 inē (41.6 dmē) Weight: 6-7 lb (2720-3180 g) Wing Loading: 21-25 oz/ftē (64-76 g/dmē) Length: 57.5 in (1460 mm) Requires: 4-channel radio w/4-5 servos; 2-stroke .46-.61 or 4-stroke .52-.81 engine; OR RimFire™ .80 outrunner brushless motor; 60A brushless ESC & 6S 3200mAh LiPo battery

Setting up the Eagle 580


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The new Matt Chapman Eagle 580 as mentioned above could quite possibly be the easiest to assemble small sport r/c airplane I’ve ever put together. I decided to equip. my Eagle 580 with the very powerful and easy to mount O.S. .81 4 stroke glow motor. The O.S. 4 stroke is the perfect motor for the Eagle 580 as it provides plenty of power for both sport and 3D flying. For the servos I went with (2) Futaba 3004 standard BB servos on the ailerons and used some Dubro (670) heavy duty arms to help obtain full 3D throws. The standard arms work great if your looking to sport fly the Eagle 580 but I wanted to have the additional throw for some 3D flying capabilities. With the hinges already being pre-glued in place setting up the ailerons was a snap using the included hardware. To make the aileron setup even easier Great Planes has already glued in the aileron servo mounting blocks on the hatch covers. Once again a HUGE time saver and something I've never seen done before on this size airplane. NICE!!!!

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Ever setup a .46 sized airplane with a removable horizontal stab?? Well Great Planes has added this giant scale feature in this refined Eagle 580. The horizontal stabs simply slide onto 2 small carbon fiber rods and are then held in place by 2 bolts. This setup allows for super easy removal if space is an issue transporting your Eagle 580 to the field. With the elevator already pre-glued to the stab setup up the elevator was just a matter of installing my Futaba 9252 coreless digital servo in the pre-cut servo tray in the fuselage. Just like on the ailerons I used the Dubro (670) heavy duty single arm to obtain 3D throw capabilities on the elevator. The Futaba 9252 fit perfectly into the servo tray and before I new it the elevator was setup and I was ready to move on working on the rudder. The manual gives you two locations where you can mount the rudder servo depending on the weight of the motor you plan on using in the Eagle 580. Because I new the O.S. .81 would fall on the heavier side of the glow motors I opted to use the rear rudder servo location for mounting my Futaba 9252 rudder servo. This location puts the rudder servo just underneath the horizontal stab and requires the rudder servo to be setup on push-pull. The Eagle 580 kit includes a carbon fiber rod that slides over the pushrod and is then glued in place. This adds a tremendous amount of strength and prevents any kind of flexing while using 3D rates. Setting up the O.S. .81 on the Eagle 580 was pretty simple to install and setup. I used all the included hardware and found that the fuel tank was a perfect fit both inside the fuselage and in the motor box. I used a Futaba 3004 servo on the throttle which gets mounted inside the fuselage in the servo tray. The O.S. 81 was mounted on the supplied motor mount and measured so that I had the correct distance for mounting the cowl. The motor mount will require you to drill and then tap the holes out for the bolts but this really only took a few minutes and before I knew it I had the O.S. .81 mounted and had the cowl installed. As with most glow model some cutting on the cowl will be required to provide sufficient cooling to the motor and allow the muffler to be attached. Great Planes has also included pretty much everything you would need to setup your Eagle 580 on electric power.

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In the Air
After double checking to make sure everything moved the right direction and ensuring my cg was correct I headed out to the field to break in my O.S. .81 motor. I ran a solid tank of glow fuel through the O.S. .81 and right from the first flip the O.S. motor never missed a beat. I was extremely pleased with how smooth the motor ran right out of the box and how little the needles needed to be adjusted. I decided to us an APC 14 x 4W prop for breaking in the motor. I was able to get around 10,200 RPM’s on this prop setting the needles about 300 RPM back from peak. This prop definitely hauls the Eagle 580 around with authority and provides a great combination of speed and thrust on the Eagle 580. With my Eagle 580 coming in at approximately 6 lbs. 14 oz. it was great to see that the O.S. .81 and my 14 x 4W prop were up to the task of flying the Eagle 580.
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After getting a good break-in on the motor it was time to get the Eagle 580 up for some photo passes. The Eagle 580 has excellent ground handling characteristics and once I had it lined up on the runway it only need a small amount of rudder to maintain a nice straight track during the take off roll. Once airborne the Eagle 580 accelerates upwards at a brisk clip and I actually needed to throttle back just to keep my speed down. On low rates the Eagle 580 exhibits excellent tracking and handling characteristics. I set both my low rates and my 3D rates as specified in the manual and they seem to be a great starting point for flying the Eagle 580. The Eagle 580 will slow up quite nicely though I didn’t want to get it to slow when bringing it around for some photo passes. I have my cg set right at 4” measured at the leading edge where the wing meets the fuselage and I think this is just about the perfect cg. I flew the inverted cg test and found that I needed only a small amount of down elevator when inverted which for me is just about perfect for flying both precision and 3D aerobatics. With the photo passes out of the way it was time to see what the Eagle 580 was really capable of.
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Flying Impressions
The Eagle 580 is fully capable of flying IMAC style aerobatics and I have really had a blast with it flying the IMAC Sportsmen sequence. The Eagle 580 has a high enough wing loading to easily handle some wind which has made it very practical plane to take to the field when I don’t want to haul my trailer. The Eagle 580 does exhibit some knife edge and roll coupling which can easily be programmed out in the transmitter though I’m sure most pilots will opt to just fly it out with the sticks. The rudder on the Eagle 580 has plenty of authority for performing knife edge circles. The Eagle 580 is also a perfect platform for perfecting your snaps as it snaps very cleanly at most all speeds and I found it was very easy to stop the snap on command. The Eagle 580 is also 3D capable and I was able to explore some of its capabilities. I did switch props when it was time to do some 3D work. I put an APC 15 x 4W on my Eagle 580 which dropped the RPM down to roughly 9500 but it added a TREMEDOUS amount of thrust which was needed for 3D aerobatics. The Eagle 580 as expected flies a bit slower than with the 14 x 4W but the O.S. .81 had no problem handling the larger prop. The Eagle 580 performs some decent inverted flat spins, though they are kind of quick and with my cg were not perfectly flat. Exiting the flat spin just requires the controls to be neutralized and power reapplied. On 3D rates the Eagle 580 will easily pull right up into a wall without snapping out and I was easily able to transition into a hover. The Eagle 580 did require some work to maintain a hover has it had a tendency to for the nose to drop forward which required nearly constant use of up elevator. The Eagle 580 does exhibit some wing rock in upright harrier but is much more stable flying inverted harriers. The Eagle 580 will easily perform rolling harriers though with the low wing placement it will require some aileron differential to get truly axial rolls. On the stock fuel tank you can easily plan on 8-10 min. flights with plenty of fuel for a couple of go-arounds if needed. Landing the Eagle 580 is really a non event as it carries plenty of momentum and on low rates lands very smoothly with only a small amount of power needed up till the flare. The Eagle 580 has never displayed any tendency to snap out during the landing approach and 3 point landing are a very common occurrence with this plane. It just doesn’t get any easier than that!!!
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Conclusion
Great Planes has always been innovators in the r/c industry and once again this point has been well made with the refined Matt Chapman Eagle 580 .46/.81 ARF airplane. The high level of pre-fabrication that has done right from the factor is truly amazing and seeing such things as pre-glued control surfaces, carbon fiber wing/stab tubes and foam core wings really make this plane stand out in a crowd. I have been very pleased with the stock hardware provided with the kit and have seen no reason why anyone would need to replace it other than for some personal preferences. The Eagle 580 tracks extremely well and I have been enjoying flying it both for precision IMAC work as well as perfecting my 3D skills. If you’re looking for a ARF that offers a super quick box-to-field assembly and a kit that offers you the options of both glow and electric setup then you really need to take a look at the all new Matt Chapman Eagle 580.46/.81 ARF.

Great Planes Model Distributors P.O. Box 9021; Champaign, IL 61826-9021 www.greatplanes.com
 
Default Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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Old 08-07-2009, 04:04 PM   #2
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Great Review!
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Old 08-07-2009, 05:50 PM   #3
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Thanks Kevin!!

Tim
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Old 08-07-2009, 05:54 PM   #4
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Looks like the pictures turned out great. Great review as usual and will be happy to help out any time.
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Old 08-08-2009, 09:03 PM   #5
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
nice to see it powered with Alcohol instead of electric...
YOu satisfied two reviews for me...!!....
The engine, and the plane!!!

Thanks...
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Old 08-08-2009, 09:15 PM   #6
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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nice to see it powered with Alcohol instead of electric...
YOu satisfied two reviews for me...!!....
The engine, and the plane!!!

Thanks...

Glad to help!!

Tim
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Old 08-08-2009, 09:26 PM   #7
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Nice Review Tim!
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Old 08-08-2009, 09:28 PM   #8
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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Nice Review Tim!

Thanks!!

Tim
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Old 08-11-2009, 09:47 PM   #9
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Great review!

Being a Cap lover (own 3 ranging from 27 - 40%), I am utterly offended at the horizontal stab placement, though. Shame on GP.....
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Old 08-12-2009, 05:41 AM   #10
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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Great review!

Being a Cap lover (own 3 ranging from 27 - 40%), I am utterly offended at the horizontal stab placement, though. Shame on GP.....
The new stab placement I'm sure was to help reduce the amount of knife edge mixing that is common on most all Caps. I really don't think it hurts the final appearance to much and I KNOW the flight performance does not suffer from it either.

Tim
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Old 09-11-2009, 11:04 PM   #11
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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Great review!

Being a Cap lover (own 3 ranging from 27 - 40%), I am utterly offended at the horizontal stab placement, though. Shame on GP.....
I totally agree with the Stab placement...that's what makes the Cap a Cap! With all the mixing our Tx have you can easily dial it out...
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Old 09-26-2009, 05:06 PM   #12
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Tim- Thanks for the thorough review. I've been interested in the Chapman Eagle series since I saw the first one. Being an Embry-Riddle survivor, I can't resist this one. I have an Evolution .61NX and the DS821 servos left from my DX7 looking for a home. Any thoughts on how you think this combo would work out? I'm also new to glow, but have plenty of knowledge to draw from at my club and field. If you think this plane has any bad habits, I'd like to know. Thanks.
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Old 09-26-2009, 09:52 PM   #13
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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Tim- Thanks for the thorough review. I've been interested in the Chapman Eagle series since I saw the first one. Being an Embry-Riddle survivor, I can't resist this one. I have an Evolution .61NX and the DS821 servos left from my DX7 looking for a home. Any thoughts on how you think this combo would work out? I'm also new to glow, but have plenty of knowledge to draw from at my club and field. If you think this plane has any bad habits, I'd like to know. Thanks.
Doug

Doug,

I think your Evolution .61NX would work just fine in this plane if you are looking for a good sport setup. That motor might not work out to well if your looking to do any hard type 3D flight. Maneuvers such as rolling harriers, KE spins, blenders, and some other mild 3D maneuvers should be easily accomplished with that motor.

As far as any bad habits the only thing I can think of is follow the manuals control throw setups. The elevator on the Eagle 580 is very, very effective on high rates and I would plan on using a fair amount of expo on high rates.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Tim
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Old 09-27-2009, 09:32 AM   #14
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
Thanks for the quick reply, Tim. I take it that the Eagle likes a 4-stroke for 3D that requires serious "grunt". My thumbs are not quite ready for "hard" 3D! Most of my flying would be sport/precision acro, and I'm not shy about putting in plenty of expo until I'm comfortable with a model. Time to start saving!
Doug
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Old 09-27-2009, 10:17 AM   #15
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Default Re: Matt Chapman Eagle 580 Almost Ready-to-Fly .46-.81/EP Sport-Scale Aircraft
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Most of my flying would be sport/precision acro, and I'm not shy about putting in plenty of expo until I'm comfortable with a model.
Doug
Doug,

Yeap your motor will suit you quite well flying sport/precision.

Tim
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