P6n Pantera

The Pantera is an honest flying helicopter. Honest - as in smooth and steady - instead of highstrung and nervous-feeling (like a model optimized for the 3D-mania). Panteras appeal to those attracted to the solid-and-predictable end of the handling-spectrum versus twitchy models, which dart off at a thought. Perfect for big-sky maneuevers, rock-steady handling is what Panteras are about (plus beginners love them because they hover nearly hands off).

Meanwhile, the Audacious-crew are famed for thinking around corners (by coming up with solutions to problems the other guys overlook). In a pragmatic sense, what if the desire for a scale model grabs you one day? Instead of being forced into buying and outfitting a whole new model, a Stage II E-conversion makes perfect sense because of its stunningly realistic turbine sound effect. Now powered by LiPos, and flying quietly for 10 minutes, it's still the same great handling Pantera. You prudently future-proof your investment instead of being locked in!

In a similar vein, we've had the audacity to offer you insane factory performance options. Thus, just like Chevrolet makes it easy to put a 600 horsepower 454 big block V8 engine into a Corvette (in lieu a 350 cubic inch small block V8), we offer you the 91-conversion. Packing your Pantera with 3.4 ponies is incredible fun because you can engage your pals in drag racing, or have a go at racing bottle rockets . . . without being an expert pilot! But it's a practical conversion too because the extra horsepower makes learning collective-management much, much easier. At last, there's a real justification for more horsepower - beside the fun, of course. It's an utterly pragmatic basis for more power because it lets you recover from mistakes more easily (especially since nothing saves your ass from an oops-moment like unleashing enough raw power to affect the Earth's rotation). Best of all, the yee-haw experience will plaster a smile across your face (and leave your cheeks hurting the rest of the week). This converts your Pantera into a superb 3D-trainer - for learning faster - if your interests are subsequenty attracted toward this aspect of the sport.

Beyond the Pantera's honest handling and pragmatic practicalism are other factors, which may make it the best choice for you because of the many varied aspects involved in becoming a better helicopter pilot. To learn more, delve into the next four sections; Simple Facts, Bigger is Better, Tougher by Design, and Easier to Fly.

Here are some simple facts about model helicopters. They're harder to master than anything else in the world of remote control. For example, even when flying through the air, model trucks are easier to control than model helicopters because the added vertical dimension is more involved than just staying between the lines and keeping the dirty-side down. In fact, model helicopters are harder to fly than model airplanes because they can stop in midair (hover) and fly backwards! This isn't an attempt to discourage you . . . but one to make sure you realistically assess all factors before taking the plunge regardless of whether it's with our machine, or a competitor's.

Perhaps you're thinking this means there’s a lot of hand-eye coordination going on at once with a helicopter. Maybe you're even wondering if it's too hard for you. While you're right to wonder how hard it is because it really is, the facts are we've seen everybody who gives it a serious try succeed. Just like learning to ride a bicycle, with practice and patience you'll learn how to fly model helicopters too. Moreover, it's easier with the aid of computer flight simulators (some free, or close to it) and when you take a smart approach to selecting your model - with an eye towards making it more practical and easy - you can assuredly succeed! In fact, we've built a company based on the audacious idea of making model helicopters easy. We even have the equivalent of training wheels available!

As you learn about the Pantera you'll discover it's been created with ruggedness and durability in mind - pretty much above all else. It's because in creating a helicopter explicitly for training these become prudent and practical benefits for sport and scale pilots (where having fun is more than a serendipitous byproduct, but the very purpose of a model helicopter). Thus, as a helicopter-trainer, be it for primary-training (learning to hover), basic-training (forward flight and autorotations), advanced-training (inverted and basic maneuvers like loop, roll, and stall turn plus maybe the odd flip and tumble), 3D-training (chaos, piroflips, tick-tocks, and maneuvers you yourself may invent, which collectively constitute the 3D-mania), or most difficult of all, precision-training (FAI hovering and aerobatic schedule) your Pantera won't hold you back. In fact, the progression of training will instill in you the discipline required to become a superior pilot because all the while - you're not worying about how hard it is to repair if you mess up, or what you'll say to your wife on the third weekend in a row when you pile drive it into the ground by dumb-thumbing at a critical point in a maneuver because it's tough and inexpensive to repair. Yes, there's a peace-of-mind aspect to owning a Pantera too.

This brand new Pantera, the P6 variant, is the ultimate refinement of simplicity in model helicopters, which began with the Tiger 50 (but that's another story). It's been expressly created to be simple (by having fewer parts). It's been created to be tougher by using materials more resistance to crash damage. It's also been created to be stronger (by using larger critical components than competitors), and yes, the Pantera is pragmatic in some ways. The Pantera is a very solid choice in a training helicopter and an all around strong contender as the best choice for sport and scale pilots too because what it boils down to is this; the more methodical and practical you are with your approach, the more easily success will follow. Moreover, we assume our customers are astute enough to always be prudent (and thus, follow their self-interests). Therefore, we believe as you learn about why a Pantera is different from competing carbon-fiber based models, you'll come to share our opinion, which is . . . the Pantera is better than competing 600-class models for training pilots. It's because a Pantera is bigger, tougher, more durable, easier to build, less expensive to maintain, and will flat out hover better than anything else out there! We also believe we can prove it - here's why.

The powerful presence of a Pantera (it's physically bigger and brawnier than competing models) is a huge plus. It sports a 700-size canopy making it easier to see at a distance. This is important because everybody has a hard time distinguishing what a model is doing sometimes since the profile is reduced compared to an airplane. In fact, even experienced pilots occasionally loose orientation (especially when it's far away). A Pantera is better for learning orientation because it's bigger and much easier to see.

It’s always helpful if your model is tough because of the inevitable knocks it’ll receive. Panteras are more rugged than carbon fiber models because the industrial-polymer side frames are more durable. The individual plastic frame halves are flexible (unlike rigid carbon fiber pieces), and nearly indestructible once bolted together.

As always, a little flexibility is a good thing (as we first learned in kindergarten with the story of how the willow survived the storm, which destroyed the oak). The rugged, yet flexible Pantera side frame design withstands abuse better and the extra durability means you get your money’s worth.

Yet there’s more to being tough than offering a far more rugged side-frame assembly. There are things you don’t see in a Pantera, like clutch shoes, which are 37% larger than brand-A for better resistance to hot starts (plus being beefy enough to handle a 91-size engine), and main shaft bearings, which are 40% larger. In short, a Pantera is built like a tank.

Being bigger (for better orientation) and more beefy (for better durability) is complemented by being easier to build and fly. Panteras are so stable beginners love how they hover nearly hands off compared to twitchy 3D-optimized models. Then there are the intangibles . . . like how you don’t need experience to build a Pantera because the shaft spacing and gear mesh line up automatically (unlike carbon fiber helicopters). It’s because Pantera side frames snap together and being self-aligning means they’re easier to build because they’re essentially mistake proof.

However, what really makes a Pantera perfect isn’t just because it’s bigger and easier to see at a distance, or more rugged than carbon fiber models, or even how Panteras are easier to build. What sets Panteras apart are how smooth, steady, and stable they are in flight. In fact, Panteras are famed for being groovy instead of twitchy and nervous (like a model optimized for 3D).

In case you don’t know it, 3D-optimized models are those created expressly for performing maneuvers where the model darts off unpredictably. The trick (as a manufacturer) is simple because what actually flies on a model helicopter are the main rotor blades, which at 2000 RPM don't know (or care) whether it’s brand-A or a Pantera spinning them, so for optimum 3D-performance, you make the model lightweight. This is a matter of simple physics because just as the coach knows his halfback can dart between blockers instead of blasting through them like a fullback, a lighter more twitchy model can dart off faster too. And this is true whether the model is nitro or electric-powered because 11° of collective pitch is 11° and 8° of cyclic pitch is 8° . . . no matter what.

Thus, to optimize their product for the 3D-mania, the chief goal of most manufacturers is to make the model light instead of durable. They do it with lightweight materials like carbon fiber side frames even though they are so rigid they crack like an egg in a crash. And they do it with smaller bearings and clutch shoes despite the fact this leads to more frequent clutch and bearing replacements because it’s only money (yours).

This is even more unfortunate if you’re on a budget, or if you prefer a tough model to a lightweight because you’re a sportsman, or a beginner learning to hover, or if your interest lies in scale models. 3D-optimized carbon fiber models sacrifice size and durability on the altar of agility. This creates an opportunity for the Pantera because it’s been expressly created for the rest of us; the folks interested in easy flying with smooth, big sky maneuvers with impeccable handling, and in the model being gentle and easy to hover. This is what a Pantera is all about!

Anyway, 3D-optimized carbon-fiber frame models are typically smaller (because smaller is automatically lighter and because experts fly them really close anyway). They’re also built very light so they can cut slightly faster than a Pantera. However, since both Panteras and brand-A models can perform aggressive 3D maneuvers (as seen in YouTube videos), the real question for you is this; are the tradeoffs in size, durability, and general toughness worth it? Especially if you’re not already an accomplished 3D-pilot who can feel the difference (or imagines he can) between 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 6 lbs. 12 oz.

Ultimately, what you likely need in your model is different depending on your stage in the progression of becoming a model helicopter pilot. As always, following your own interests and doing what's best for you (instead of following the crowd) will lead you toward making the right decision for you, your goals, and your circumstances.

The Pantera is a big, tough and durable model. It’s smooth and gentle to handle, which makes it easy to hover. Moreover, the versatility you gain from the available nitro-to-electric E-conversion, or the insane power of a 91-conversion, means selecting a Pantera is a sound and prudent decision.Thoughtful reflection of your best interests and their future direction results in keeping your priorities straight. This is critically important because it’s easy to get caught up in the elitist attitudes of club-experts, the glitzy reviews in the magazines, or the incessant yapping online (possibly by 2-gallon experts). We see it all the time where a fellow picked a complex carbon fiber model to learn with and worse, loaded it with the best of everything . . . and is out there learning to hover with $2000-worth of 600-class model while he’s still incapable of feeling the difference. Worse, by the time he is capable of noticing what ultimately are very slight differences, the flavor-of-the-week model considered as "the best" by the lemmings will be different again a year later. How stupid is that?

Ultimately, your decision should be based on which model is best for you. Panteras are bigger, tougher, economical to operate, and fly great. . . what's not to like? To learn even more, note the tabs above, Technical Specs and Extended Information

The utility-infielder of the 600-class because it's so versatile, a stock Pantera accepts a 2.1 horsepower 55-size nitro engine for economical fun but with an E-conversion, the same model can be powered with an electric motor and LiPos. Plus, if you fancy building a hot rod, opting for a 91-conversion means learning 3D becomes easier due to the insane horsepower boost! It’s just more fun too when you can’t bog it down. Panteras are simple, tough, and fly great!

A fellow called recently and the conversation went something like this . . . “Our club expert told me to buy a carbon-fiber T-Rex 600 because everyone in the club has one and it flies better than a Pantera.”

Granted, their 600-class model is pretty good, especially for 3D-maneuvers because they’re built light, so in some respects, your club expert is right. But nothing’s perfect and if there’s a problem with them . . . it’s because they're built light. Panteras, on the other hand, are built like a tank because they’re designed more along the lines of a 700 (in everything but blade and boom length). Bear this in mind; sometimes the coach calls for the halfback, sometimes the job calls for the fullback. When you’re picking your tool, remember this . . . Panteras are big, beefy, and tough!

The other really important factor is how do they compare in flight? Frankly, the their 600 is prized for being really quick on the controls because it’s been optimized for instability and lightning-fast 3D-maneuvers. Panteras, on the other hand, are famed for being mellow and laid back. Frankly, they’re rather easy to handle and beginners love them because they’re stable with nearly hands-off hovering.

Moreover, a Pantera will take you from mild to wild without holding you back (witness YouTube videos of Panteras performing 3D maneuvers), but the fact is . . . twitchy isn’t our game. Panteras are best known for being smooth, stable, and easy to fly. Ultimately, I disagreed with the club-expert because it's not a matter of which model is better. The facts are each has been optimized for a different goal - kind of like the difference between Hip Hop music and Jazz, or why a shortstop’s cleats are different from those used by a golfer. Thus, the real question isn't which model is best, but which model is best for me? Only you can answer that, not the club-expert.

For more on why a Pantera is built like a tank, let’s delve into the next section.

The Pantera is a model, which is tough and can take abuse. It’s not by accident either because we used tougher materials and a stronger foundation, plus we designed it for the real world - with real people in mind. After all, if there's one thing beginners know how to mete out . . . it’s hard knocks! Here’s why Panteras are built like a tank.

• A. Tougher materials: industrial polymer vs. carbon fiber
  

  The reason Panteras are workman-like and tough is because the innovative side frames are made of the same fiber-reinforced industrial-polymer as a Glock handgun. Sure, we could have used the showy stuff but this is better because we mold it thicker where it needs to be stronger, which lets the frames flex on impact and spring back for more.

  Conversely, brand-A side frames are made up of flat pieces of 1/8" inch carbon fiber sheet stock. While this material is incredibly stiff and lightweight, there’s no free lunch. Basically, it's so rigid it cracks like an egg instead of flexing during impact (recall the story of the oak and the willow in the strong wind, which we learned as children). And there’s a seldom-mentioned issue; assembling brand-A requires an expert’s touch to perfectly align the gears when setting the mesh to preclude uneven wear. Meanwhile, a Pantera is easier to build because the side frames are self-aligning and simply snap together, so there’s no getting it wrong.

  Another advantage of polymer side frames relates to cost, which for most of us is an important factor because family responsibilities come ahead of fun. Sure, the club-expert may not care about costs, because for them crashing is a rare event, but consider this . . . those fancy-schmancy carbon-fiber side frames are about 130 bucks to replace, but less than $50 for a Pantera.

  Ultimately, industrial plastics have tremendous advantages for most people because they’re tougher, self-aligning, and significantly less expensive. However, while a Pantera is quick and easy to assemble, there’s no truth to the story you can open the box and toss the parts in the air because they'll build themselves before they hit the workbench . . . that's just fanciful fabrication by some proud owners.

  Next up is what you don’t see; the foundation.

• B. Foundation: Oversize bearings and clutch
  

  When you look over a Pantera there are things you can’t readily see, which result in it being able to withstand substantially more abuse than the competition. For example, few realize a Pantera's main shaft bearings are 40% larger than those of the brand-A, because they’re hidden from view. Even the clutch is 37% larger (and as large as that of some 91-class birds).

  Our engineers come from the school of thought there’s no such thing as too much horsepower and thus, we wondered what it would be like if we could harness a 91-class engine in a 50-class model. We performed finite element analysis and then beefed things up a little bit (where it seemed prudent). Unsurprisingly, this led to larger bearings and clutch, and yes, there was a price to be paid, but the few ounces were worth it for greater durability.

  Frankly, we did it just for kicks (and because we figured some of our customers might like one too). Yet even if you never opt for the fun of building a pocket rocket with our 91-transform option, you benefit from the strong foundation because every Pantera has those humongous bearings and clutch.

  Our transform-options make a Pantera uniquely versatile. Next, the hype about torque tubes is exposed.

• C. Hype Exposed: Cogged belt vs. torque tube
  

  We designed the Pantera with a cogged tail-drive belt instead of a torque-tube mostly because they’re easier to live with. Belts are a great choice because they transmit power through 90° simply with a ¼-twist. To do the same thing, a torque tube is far more complex because it requires a forward set of 90° drive bevel-gears, the torque tube itself (and bearing supports), plus another set of 90° bevel-gears (the ones in the tail gear case).

  As engineers, we believe in the gospel of Murphy’s Law. We also hew to the KISS principal (Keep It Simple Stupid). Thus, fewer parts always wins and torque tubes have more parts by a factor of 3, and cost more by a factor of 4! However, the club-expert would have you believe a torque-tube (like that found in many 600-class models) is better! What’s with that? Anyway, arguments include, “Torque tubes are more precise and stronger.” We say bull . . . and here's why.

  • i. Precision:
    

    Our Bridgeport CNC mill uses cogged drive belts – exactly like the one driving the tail of a Pantera. To put this into perspective, this is a machine weighing 6000 pounds with a motion table, which with the 4th-axis is installed, weighs 400 pounds! And the repetitive movements – driven by motors and cogged drive-belts – are to a precision measured to the ten thousandths of an inch. You can take it to the bank the whole – torque-tubes are more precise argument – amounts to nothing more than a red herring . . . but there’s more to the story.

    Torque-tubes have a certain amount of play in the drive gears – both the forward set and those in the tail case – because it’s required when properly setting bevel-gear mesh. Cogged-belts have zero-play and thus, a torque tube is actually less precise because play is play – regardless of the source. And that tiny little bit of play in the gears driving a torque tube is what’s otherwise called slop! So much for the precision argument . . . next?

  • ii. Strength:
    

    Somewhere along the way, torque-tube proponents usually shift to the strength argument. It even sounds reasonable – until you consider Harleys also use a cogged drive-belt. Even multi-hundred horsepower drag bikes use them! The strength argument is bull.

  • iii. Losses:
    

    Alternatively, they’ll claim belts consume more horsepower (true, if you don’t properly set tension, but this is easy enough and once set you’re done). Regardless, neither torque-tubes nor cogged drive-belts are failing in the air so we feel these are both specious arguments. With respect to strength, it’s a tie but when it comes to precision, cogged drive-belts clearly win!

  • iv. Durability:
    

    By now the torque-tuber (I just made that up) is sweating; let’s move in for the kill because there’s the issue of durability. Drag the tail blades of a Pantera while landing or shooting an auto, and the damage is likely just the grass stains on the plastic blades! Heck, even on asphalt the Pantera’s damage is likely limited to a set of cheap tail rotor blades because the tail drive belt is so tough (and often you can rebalance them with an X-Acto and you’re good to go). Yet consider how merely touching the grass with brand-A’s tail rotor blades during landing often results in blown forward tail drive bevel-gears (there's a reason brand-A sells these in 3-packs). Sadly, even minor repairs to the competition’s model include tail rotor blades and a set of forward drive bevel-gears! But it’s during common repairs, like a boom-strike, where cost rears its head.

  • v. Cost:
    

    You see, during a really hard landing, or crash, the main rotor blades may swing down and whack the tail boom (bending it into a u-shape). The cogged drive belt in a Pantera merely gives way whereas a torque tube is destroyed – along with boom and forward bevel-gears, of course. By the way, expect proponents of the brand-A 600 to – at some point – observe brand-A tail booms are 2-for-$13 vs. $10 for a Pantera tail boom. That’s fair enough, but there’s more to the story because of money.

    Brand-A tail booms are cheaper but that’s not the whole story. When someone observes the issue of tail boom prices, ask about the price of brand-A’s forward drive bevel-gears (fair’s fair, you have to add these in because they’re fragile), plus the torque tube itself. Suddenly $10 for a Pantera tail boom feels downright cheap compared to a $40 repair, doesn’t it?

  • vi. Time:
    

    Then there’s the issue of how much of your time it takes to effect repairs because the forward drive bevel-gears of a brand-A 600 are rather inconveniently buried within the side frames. This means partially tearing the model down for a simple tail boom repair. What’s your time worth? Let’s assume your time’s worth $0 because it’s a hobby but in fact, it doesn’t take many of these repairs before most folks are fed up.

  • In summary, a Pantera is built like a tank because industrial plastic side frames make it tough. Heavy duty components make a Pantera durable. Thoughtful upgrades make a Pantera more versatile. Plus, Pantera’s are practical because there are fewer parts. Panteras are also easier to build and live with (and less expensive to repair). In short, Panteras are simple, tough, and fly good - they’re better for most folks.

    You may wonder, “Why didn’t the club-expert mention any of this?” As usual, the answer can be found when you follow the money. Learn about paid pilots in the next section.

We're often asked, “Who’s your paid-pilot? In a world where a model's instability is touted, and where paid-pilots fly the noon-time demos at weekend events – expressly to demonstrate this fact – we have the audacity of being different. Kind of like the Marine officer who mildly observed after sex with a voluptuous blond, “Sorry Ma’am, I can’t take your money”, Audacity Models doesn’t pay pilots because of our honor. It’s a matter of credibility because whatever a Pantera owner says . . . it comes from the heart instead of the wallet.

Unfortunately, as we all know, some guys are like lemmings. If the best 3D-pilot in the world says, “Fly a Zingy 600”, all the monkey-see-monkey-do guys will fall in line and buy one. Somehow a paid shill’s words are intertwined with the notion; this is what it takes to get me the next level. We don’t really know, but it’s our view Shakespeare said it perfectly when he wrote, “To thine own self be true.”

Moreover, it’s not because we can't find pilots willing to say anything in exchange for freebies and discounts – far from it. Instead, we largely count on word-of-mouth to promote the Pantera. Anyway, while it’s meant tongue-in-check, within the Pantera decal sheet you’ll find a couple of No Sheep Zone decals for poking fun at self-important experts.

Ultimately, a Pantera is different. In the air Panteras are oriented toward smooth aerobatic maneuvers, which are flowing and graceful instead of emulating a drunken mosquito. Moreover, a Pantera is perfect for beginners because of seemingly hands off hovering stability while popular competitors, like brand-A, are actually optimized for instability. You can have one flying characteristic, or the other, but not both at the same time because the two goals are mutually exclusive. Do you want twitchy and quick, or smooth and steady – pick your poison.

As a practical matter, Panteras are tough because we make hard-nosed decisions about strength and durability. Form follows function and thus, me-too carbon fiber side frames don’t cut it in the real world where practicality is paramount. Industrial plastic side frames and a cogged tail-drive belt are better because they’re tougher and more resilient, have fewer parts for increased reliability, are easier to repair, and cost less. These are important practical design considerations because it means Panteras are easier to live with.

Finally, consider this; what actually flies on a model helicopter are the main rotor blades, which at 2000 RPM don't know (or care) whether it’s brand-A or a Pantera. Or even whether it's nitro or electric-powered – because 11° of collective pitch is 11°, and 8° of cyclic pitch is 8° . . . no matter what.

Ultimately, as with every purchase, it’s a matter of judgment. If someone poo-poos the idea of a Pantera, maybe you'd be wise to question theirs because perceptive questions affect the answers you'll get. While the club expert is certainly entitled to his opinion, he's not entitled to his own facts! The real question to ask is, “Which helicopter is better for me?”