Product Description

Nothing as exciting as Anti-Crash Technology (ACT) has happened to entry-level radio-controlled planes since HobbyZone was introduced.

Here’s how it works:
Two sensors on the fuselage, one on the top and one on the bottom, monitor the position of the plane in relation to the ground. When the plane is flying level, the top sensor sees the sky while the bottom sensor sees the ground, and they tell the onboard computer (receiver) that the plane is flying correctly. If the plane enters a severe dive, the sensors detect the change in orientation and react to the danger that the plane is then in. The software in the receiver will temporarily cut the motor and correct the severe angle and pitch of
the plane. This causes the nose to come up and pulls the plane out of the dive to help prevent the plane from crashing. The pilot is then able to regain control. If pilots are flying correctly and do not put the plane into a severe dive situation while ACT is engaged, they will have complete control of the plane’s flight pattern. Once users gain experience flying, they can turn ACT off.

Now, you can take advantage of this technological development by purchasing a Firebird Commander® 2. This plane comes with everything that you need to teach yourself how to fly, including a battery pack for the plane, batteries for the transmitter, and an instructional video and manual. All of this, including the revolutionary Anti-Crash Technology, makes a price of less than $100 seem like a steal. And, with the ability to shut ACT off, it’s like you get two planes in one. You can learn to fly with ACT engaged, and then shut it off to fly more aggressively and to use X-Port™ modules, such as the Aerial Drop Module™ 
(HBZ6023), Sonic Combat Module™ (HBZ4020) or the Night Flight Module™ 
(HBZ3510). Because flying at night is very difficult, you should be quite experienced before you attemp

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4391 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Hobbyzone
• Model: HBZ2600
• Dimensions: 5.50" h x 11.50" w x 41.70" l, 4.85 pounds

Features

• Anti-Crash Technology (ACT) so learning to fly is easy and safe
• One-box purchase—everything needed to fly comes in the box, including batteries
• Powerful 380 motor enables great climb rate and power
• Two transmitter-selectable flight modes, ACT "on" or "off", so pilots can select the appropriate level of control for their skill level
• Detailed instruction manual and video CD

Customer Reviews

Not having elevator control is rough!
I just bought a Firebird Commander 2 today from my local hobby shop, based on recommendations here on Amazon. Now, let me first explain that I'm a beginner RC pilot, which is part of the reason I bought this plane. Initially, I had trouble getting it into the air, but after a crash or two, I was able to get it going.

Even though this has Anti-Crash Technology (ACT), it didn't prevent me from totalling the plane about 10 minutes after the first flight. Now, you can attribute this to my lack of R/C flying skills (although I am a real pilot, I realize this skill doesn't necessarily translated to R/C), but I think the big problem is not having a seperate elevator control. As it comes, it has one channel dedicated to the throttle and one channel dedicated to the aileron (tail) control for turning. This should be ideal for beginners (one less thing to worry about), but the problem is that if you are in a steep dive (because of wind, a steep turn, or whatever), your only hope to recover is to hit the throttle and hope that the speed will bring it out of the dive before it impacts the ground.

Based on this experience, my next plane will either be a 3-channel that has throttle, elevator and aileron, or a 2-channel that has elevator and aileron. I don't really care about the speed as long as it's fast enough to get airborne.

So, not so much a negative review for the plane, as to clearly lay out for people who are thinking about buying this plane: There is no elevator control! Once airborne, all altitude changes must be done with the throttle.

Awesome Plane!
I got this plane for Christmas having never flown a plane before. I am relatively new to the RC scene and had previously only had a truck. This is a whole different beast. The plane is very easy to setup - less than 5 minutes and I was ready to fly (except for the 3 hour battery charge). I never flew a plane before and my first flight was about 5 minutes. Easy take off from throw and plane was easy to maneuver on the way up. At this point, I realized I was in trouble and didn't know how to land. Winds were a bit stronger than recommended 7 mph so this was a bad combination. I throttled down and caught a little down draft. Anticrash technology didn't save it from the tree. The wing is pretty easy to break. Tried again and flew for only a minute. The wing is nearly completely destroyed now but it was worth that 5 minute flight. I am addicted now and ready to buy the 11 dollar wing to start again. I have tried to tape the wing but I don't think that is going to work too well. I highly recommend this for the inexperienced flyer. Very very fun.

Great Plane to learn to Fly
This plane is a blast!
Try using a computer flight simulator to get comfortable with the basic control and tracking. This is the easiest plane to fly but it is not trivial. ACT or not, there is a good chance you will crash when first learning about the direction of the plane, wind, hazards, etc. Definitely have your first flights in NO wind. Parts are easy to find and very robust.