Dream-Flight Alula

by FliteTest | April 1, 2013 | (31) Posted in Reviews

The Flite Test crew take a look at the Dream-Flight Alula "fly anywhere" R/C glider

The Alula is made from molded EPO hybrid foam which provides a stiff and lightweight RC glider design. 

 The forward-swept wing of the Alula make this glider a very stable. 

You can launch these gliders using a side-arm-launch method or with a sid-arm 'spin' launch (as David prefers).

The Alula comes as a kit and includes the ultra-light linkages, carbon-fiber pushrods and more.

 


These gliders were 'blinged out' using the Flite Test Decal kit, available in our web store!

They call this the "urban glider", due to its ability to soar in the most unconventional of locations.

We'd like to thank George Rodriguez from Dream-Flight for sending out these great gliders.
You can learn more about the Alula on thier website: www.dream-flight.com


COMMENTS

ipetepete on April 3, 2013
Ok, who's going to be the first to make a scratch-built 'Alula' clone? I got my electronics already ordered, and $foam sittin' in the garage.......and GO!
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eosglider on April 5, 2013
Woooo Hoooo! So happy you guys finally did this. Thanks Chad for granting me and anyone else that might have requested the Alula EVO review from you guys. Michael and George from Dream-Flight ROCK! Such cool people. BTW - I now own 3 Alula EVO's. :-D

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Stevo on April 15, 2013
Add me to the list of folks that went and ordered one after I watched your review. Can't wait for it to arrive!
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RCbacon on April 3, 2013
Hi Flite test!
Is it possile for you guys to build a glider? I really think they are awesome and looks pretty nice to fly :)
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Hasersys on April 3, 2013
I was going to ask the same thing. If at all it would be possible to design a flitetest glider, and maybe make a kit for it in the future. I would love to try a glider but at the moment do not have the resources to buy one.
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racs on April 4, 2013
An other alternative would be the 'La Piuma' (powered) Glider, which has a 1.700 mm wingspan and an AUW of around 550 gramms. All you need are two sheets of 6mm Depron and some Balsa/Ply for reinforcement. As it uses a KF-Airfoil the wings are easy to build. The glider is controlled with rudder/elevator and motor.
The plans can be downloaded from the german rc-magazine 'Modell-Aviator':
http://modell-aviator.de/files/download_0910/laPiuma_Bauplan.pdf
The artivle (in german) is here:
http://modell-aviator.de/downloads/la-piuma/
And a picture gallery is here:
http://modell-aviator.de/gallery/?gallery=2&entry=299
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jhitesma on April 3, 2013
If you're looking for a budget glider you may want to check out the Medicine Man from Realkits. The plans are available free from Make Magazine: http://makezine.com/17/model_airplane/ but you can also order a full kit for $30 from realkits.com I built one right after the article in Make came out (http://www.dunephotos.com/Hobbies/RC-Planes/Medicine-Man-Glider/7710282_Zwg2Q5#!i=498158286&k=d79vhTm) and it was what got me back into RC aircraft. Though I'm still to chicken to actually fly it...tried twice and remembered instantly how much work repairing balsa is and that despite time with a sim my skills weren't up for it yet :D
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Oimmuk on April 23, 2013
I would like to see a swap-able Glider package. One electronics pod several gliders... I think that would be a challenge...
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510thousandths on April 4, 2013
I wanted to try one of these before the review....now I must have one.

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510thousandths on April 4, 2013
It's on it's way from California...

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Big_Car_Killa on April 6, 2013
Well done guys in "chucking" up a DLG(ish) review!

Now for someone to make a cheap version of the same idea!

So good its bank and yank, rudder and elevator bore me to death...
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RCmaniac on April 3, 2013
Cool!!!! I love the plane, its awsome! Looks sort of like a bird! Great vid everyone!
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RCmaniac on April 3, 2013
Everyone at flitetest!
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gmyers2112 on April 3, 2013
you guys really need to live some place warmer
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lFritZl on April 4, 2013
awesome review, still cant wait for that DLG episode
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casehatter on April 3, 2013
I love me some gliders now, That's how I started in the hobby back in the 70's shhhh don't tell I'm just a little over 50 going on 18 ok. I'm back into gliders but lazy all mine have some power asst.
2-weeks ago I got 38 mins. on one flight with the Super Surfer fun plane. Today I got in a Fox 91" I got on e-bay.. It's all about fun and laughter like you guys ham it up and keep it up..!!
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kearneykid on April 4, 2013
Josh Bixler Next week!

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/9417/19630415.jpg
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lFritZl on April 4, 2013
lol,
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liveyourdreamsRC on April 3, 2013
Great, are there any other discus launch gliders that you really like FT? Can't wait for the x8 by the way! Hope you can do a review on the ritewing zephyr too.
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tramsgar on April 4, 2013
..and anyone turning up for work with a mustache will of course get slapped.
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Flying Frenchman on May 15, 2013
The glider is cool but I can't make it fly for more than 15 sec... Any tips?
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Flying Frenchman on May 15, 2013
I can't wait to get to a slope to try it out, most people told me it flew great in slope conditions.
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FLYitRC on April 3, 2013
I finally bought one after seeing this video! Just placed my order! So excited to try this thing out! Thanks Flitetest for doing such amazing reviews!
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giovecchio on April 7, 2013
When we'll see a Depron glider, made from the three killer testers?
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VikingPilot on August 16, 2013
I am going out to buy one and practice the David through technic!
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JasonEricAnderson on July 25, 2013
I rewatched this one after the DLG episode and just this time noticed the extra.... gas.... that Bixler gave his launch at 7:01. Now people are wondering what I'm laughing so hard at in my office.
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bred on February 19, 2014
Model is discontinued now...major bummer!
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webskipperdave on January 9, 2015
Dreamflight has announced that they will be producing a new batch of Alula's soon
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mesadad on February 23, 2016
Just off the top of my head, what about a scratch build DLG, using one of the wing patterns from an already FT flyer. Maybe 2 Boards of foam. Include 2 carbon fiber tubes in the kit. One for the wing and one for part of the fuse. The launcher would fasten to the carbon fiber wing spar that would already have a pre-drilled hole. Include a short peg for throwing it. Maybe for a powered version you use a stick mount motor mount.

Well, that's my 2 cents!!
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rex.keene on May 19, 2018
I've just bought one of these, and I'm having troubles with the electrics.
It says I plug the battery into the receiver, but the supplied battery has only two wires going to a three pin plug, which way round should they go? All the receiver sockets are three pin, and which one should I plug into? They're all marked for control out puts , there's not one marked input?
I think I've already fried one receiver (Spektrum) trying to figure this out. ,
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Dream-Flight Alula