Introduction F5J 2.9m

So, please refer to my previous 5-star review dated Jan 5th below. Nothing to change in that review. But, alas, I was attending Joe Nall and decided to fly my Introduction on very windy day. My lack of experience kicked in and I porpoised it behind the "burm" at the electric line. It went in head first and the fuselage and one external wing broke. So, undeterred, I immediately ordered another kit to rebuild what was broken - that's how much I love this glider. Amazingly, I ordered it I think on a Saturday from my RV at Joe Nall and by Weds it was it delivered (UK to Duluth, GA, USA in about 3 days)!! I think maybe the folks at Hyperflight felt sorry for me because my first one didn't come as fast (LOL). But super service. The glider is rebuilt with some improvements (expanded hatch per this youtube video I found: https://youtu.be/LeRUmLoDva8?t=154 ). I re-maidened it today and it was magnificent. Love it. Thank you Hyperflight and Gruner.

What a superb quality kit! Drawings are a work of art and the parts super accurate. German instructions incomprehensible but the English translation available through the Hyperflight link is perfect. Assembly is easy if you've done anything of the FxRES type before, but even if you're a novice builder it won't present too much difficulty. The only small criticism of the model design is that there is no easy provision for ballast and at this light weight it will be needed in anything over a 10 mph breeze. I moved the fuz mounted servos forward to the bulkhead which creates a space of about 35 x 35mm on the c of g for the depth of the fuz. I plan to make up 4 or 5 x 35x35 square lead plates with a centre hole and thread them on to a bolt installed under the wing seating. It means leaving a hatch in the bottom sheeting to get access to the area. I haven't flown it yet as its awaiting wing covering but I'm sure it will go great!

I purchased the kit back in January because of my admiration of my friend's Introduction but I've held off my review until finished and flown. I couldn't be happier with the kit and the build process. Was very fulfilling. As a "beginner-Intermediate" builder it was helpful to have advice from my friend. This was the first kit I've built where attention to the DIAGRAMs on the paper plans was critical - as or morre important than the text - especially in regard to getting the angle of the wing sections correct - so place close attention and of course use the angle templates W1 and W2 as instructed. ALSO, despite the warnings about building a Right and Left fuselage side - its so easy to get this wrong so be sure you understand which side of the fuse you're working on and glue the "doublers" (which will be on the inside of the fuselage accordingly). Final building tip - the instructions are in German. If you're English-Speaking there is a translation available online which I used and it was very helpful. However, I discovered that Google Translate works incredibly well. In the App just snap a picture of the page you're on and you'll get a precise translation. I found the english online version and the Google Translate version a bit complementary. Usually they are exactly the same, but at times they are complementary! One other thing on the build instructions. I found the instructions are just a bit "light" when it comes. to the little connectors and the screw head that hold the outer wing sections in. So study the plans ask for help if confused. I used the recommended Hacker motor and had to sand out the motor compartment a bit. (Actually, I used sticky backed sandpaper around the outrunner, then temp installed the motor (shoved it in with the sand paper around the motor) and ran it a bit to sand out the compartment - it worked great). So I finished the model last week and yesterday was the maiden flght. It is the most magnificent glider I've ever owned. It floats on the air and is majestic in the sky. At the advice of my friend I dialed in an optional throttle to down elevator mix that is on a switch for when you want you fly at a higher throttle and not have an extreme climb. Otherwise at more than half throttle you'll head toward the clouds - and that's ok most of the time. Again, this is a magnificent glider that was so worth the build process. I will be soaring next week in Woodruff, SC at the big Joe Nall event. Easily 5+ Stars.

I built the first Introduction kit last winter (2023-2024) and test flew it in early summer of 2024. I then sold it to a club member that just fell in love with the way it launched and seemed to just float in the air. Unfortunately, he crashed it this past fall leaving only with the tail feathers with carbon boom and center panel. I purchased the second kit and proceeded to replicate the original version. This new bird was test flown yesterday (Feb. 27, 2025) on a rather nice day here in the Rocky Mountains and I'm happy to report that this second model turned out to fly exactly like the first model. I had added some additional 1/16" birch ply to the forward part of the fuselage for some added motor mount strength (at the owner's request) and that added approximately 1 oz. of weight over the original model. I think that the performance of this second version of this model speaks well to the sailplane designer and the kit manufacturer. Thank you, Neil, and Hyperflight for outstanding service and quality products.

Incredibly fast shipping, (though not cheap), but I was happy to receive on the west coast of Canada in THREE days. Best kit I've ever seen....cutting, detail, plans...everything first class. Not built yet as I've been acquiring the necessary other bits, but expect to have it done by December end and flying in January. Pleased as could be with the kit and service; flying report to follow.

It’s been a couple of months since I built the introduction, but I decided I needed to write a review as I am so happy with it!
First off I ask for Neil’s advice for a set up to make it climb vertical so you can get up there faster, and wow, it’s like a missile! Flying wise it’s smooth in the turns and turns slowly without using too much rudder. Thermal wise as it’s so light it’s just floats, you don’t even need to try it finds the lift for you.
I used Kst 06s on the main movement and some cheap ones on the brakes.

All in all building was great fun and flying is even better, defo buy one, ask Neil for recommendations on set up and enjoy!
Hope this helps.

Amazing delivery time from HYPERFLIGHT as ever.
The Kit was perfectly packaged in a nice box. The manual is written in German but has excellent color pictures. The plan is made with high-quality paper and printed in color lines. It is easy to follow the instructions for construction because all the parts have an ID grabbed with a laser over the wood and written in the plan. Quality of the wood and laser cut is of the other word.
Misses. Pushroods and clevises are metallic. CF and plastic will save weight in the tail. The head of the plastic screws in the wing and horizontal stab are exposed to the airflow with poor aerodynamics. The ballast box is not present for flying in windy conditions. It is a great value for an impressive glider. German quality as ever.

I plan to start this product next month so I haven’t even opened the box yet. That being said, I was floored at how fast the service was getting this kit to me in the US from the U.K. To Wisconsin in just a few days.

Great service which alleviates any concerns I may have had in doing business “across the pond”.

Super fast delivery as always 👍
Quality of laser cutting is spot on and fits perfectly.What more can you ask for.Compared to kits from other well known suppliers that I have purchased from these are just miles better.Will purchase again.Not completely finished yet but I know it will fly as advertised.Thank you for yet another quality purchase.

Super fast delivery as always 👍
Quality of laser cutting is spot on and fits perfectly.What more can you ask for.Compared to kits from other well known suppliers that I have purchased from these are just miles better.Will purchase again.Not completely finished yet but I know it will fly as advertised.Thank you for yet another quality purchase.

As always, my package from Hyper Flight arrived promptly and well packaged. The Introduction is a very well done kit. The laser cutting is excellent and all parts fit correctly. Many thanks to the folks that took the time to translate the German instructions to English! While the plans are very complete, having the assembly instructions helped a lot. The kit went together very well with a minimum of issues.My AUW for the maiden flight was 1000g. A little heavy but I glassed the front part of the belly as I sometimes fly at a dirt (rocky) air strip. The initial flight only required a few clicks of elevator trim and it thermaled quite well on a 70 degree (F.) day with 1-3 mph winds. Still working on getting the elevator/flap mix right but they definitely are effective! Not the same as my carbon F5Js, but a lot of fun to fly. I'm glad I got it.

I’m very impressed by the fast shipping.Three days to Tennessee.This will be my first F5J build.Thank you for your Professional service.

I’m very impressed by the fast shipping.Three days to Tennessee.This will be my first F5J build.Thank you for your Professional service.

I’ve just finished building the glider. Everything is well cut and accurate. The English translation manual did throw up a few snags but if you take your time then they can be easily resolved. Came together really well and I’m so happy with it. Trim flight only required a few clicks which was great and a surprise.

The test flight went great and despite the bumpy air she floated really well! Just need to fine tune the flaps.

If you want a relatively low cost thermal to either get you into F5J or a relaxing thermal glider in general then this is great option.

Neil as always was really helpful and service was excellent.

On ordering the Introduction F5J I received it the very next day the advice given to me by Neil was second to none. I am halfway through the build and have had no problems whatsoever, I can not wait to fly her
Thanks again Hyperfight I am sure will do more business very soon

On ordering the Introduction F5J I received it the very next day the advice given to me by Neil was second to none. I am halfway through the build and have had no problems whatsoever, I can not wait to fly her
Thanks again Hyperfight I am sure will do more business very soon

I have bought 3 kit of this glider, 1 kit for wing, and 2 kit for fuselage. I have made with first 80 flights, and I have broken fuselage at a launch in F5J competition. Second fuselage I have broken after 70 flights, after my mistake at landing. With third fuselage I have only 7 flights, but seem to be the best variant. At this moment I have two wings and 2 fuselage, and one build with carbon tube. It's wonderful glider. Last variant have CG at 94 mm. This glider is an wonderful floater. For more informations, build log, many graphics, and a lot of pictures, please visit: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3970109-Introduction-F5J-kit-building-testing-flying

I've now completed the Introduction and had roughly five flights on it. I am happy to report that the flight characteristics are positively STELLAR. I have a number of thermal ships including high end F5J, DLG, etc. This plane is a joy to thermal and looks fantastic while doing it. My AUW flying weight is under 1000 grams (35 oz) with a 1300 mah 3S pack in the front and no added balancing weight. The Introduction is agile, signals lift extremely well, and can even handle some wind just fine. Best of all, the flaps make for EASY hand-catching in the most unfriendly of landing areas. I would build another in a heartbeat, even though it took a while. A+ to Neil and Gruner!

hello very nice kit complete every thing fits perfect this was a joy to build super nice blue prints that are so pretty you could frame them i have not flown yet but it is ready just need a day i do advise dont buy th blue bird bms 125 wv servo to much slop in gear train i highly recamend hitech hs 65 mg a hair bigger but precise movement did i mention the wood is all top shelf strait nicly grained AAA balsa very happyy and delivered to usa in 7 days amazing you all did a great job an this glider thanks again i am sure that by other revues it will float like a feather

hello i live in us super fast shipping it was here in 7 days amazing i have waited way longer for things shipped in us also kit is super nice every thing fits very nice have not finished build but close in a week what a pleasure to build and the plans did i mention that they are beautiful very detailed what a deal for 200 bucks i love it thanks again rich if you dont have this glider buy it now !!!

As always, fantastic service from Hyperflight. This kit arrived very well packaged the day after ordering. I have only just started building but it looks to be of very good quality and so far has gone together well. I chose this glider as it is from the same company as the Slite v2 that I have previously built and am very happy with. I have no doubt that the Introduction will perform equally well.

Pretty nice kit, but parts fit has some concerns. Other reviewers note perfect fit do it might just be my kit, but even overlaying some of the parts on the plan reveals 2-3 mm discrepancies in dimensions. Lack of instructions is also a problem as the included directions are in German and the translated instructions for the inside f5j are different in critical areas, like the dihedral angles.

All of this can be overcome but overall, this kit is a solid notch below something like a Yellowjacket.

I’ve got two wing panels to go and ultimately will report back once completed. I’m sure it will fly splendidly.

Best balsa wood kit i have ever built! Superb in every way. Neil is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

I cannot overstate how impressed I am with the Introduction. The kit is beautifully produced, and goes together like a Tamiya plastic model. In less than a month of very relaxed building, I was ready to test fly today. I have been building and flying RC model aircraft since 1974, and in all that time, have never had a model fly "off the board" until today. Not a single click of any trim was required. I cannot recommend this model enough.

After 33 flights, mainly in light winds, and 2 flights of over 1 hour, I am well pleased.
The model is easy to rig at the field and is sill undamaged, despite its light structure and my aging fingers.
It is my first "modern" thermal e-soarer, and it amazes me how much lift there is.
I would recommend this model - you might also need a deckchair and sun cream.

I bought this, (together with the recommended bluebird servos) in October 2020, and it had its maiden flight today. I used a Roxxy 28-34 motor with a 9x6 prop providing just under 100 Watts.
1) Good prompt service from Hyperflight; thank you.
2) Instructions are in German – though well-illustrated. Unofficial translations are available on the web.
3) Balsa quality is good; hardware complete. Nicely drawn plans. Perhaps the circular spar holes in the wing ribs are a little large. Materials are light and it needs care not to be heavy handed when building. It goes together quickly – all the parts fit. The carbon leading edge with iron on covering works remarkably well. Needs care with wing joiners – but the system works well.
4) It balanced at 87 mm from LE, as per instructions, using a 1600 mAh battery and no added weight. Also flew OK with a 1300 mAh battery which was 24 g lighter.
5) Landing flaps are effective – landings are slow.
6) It circles tightly and gains height quickly. It is my lightest and largest electric glider yet, and it thermals better than anything I have had previously. More than once today I had to use flaps to dump height in a thermal. I am looking forward to flying this a lot.
7) Good value at this price.

The delivery by Hyperflight is excellent.

As mentioned by most, this kit is absolute quality and the parts fit perfectly. Given the kit seems to have found its way to the USA and Australasia I am surprised the instructions haven't been officially translated from German. The translation for the Inside F5J differs significantly after the centre section of the wing is complete. The sheet and part numbers are different and it means following the German version. They use symbols for gluing so it is quite intuitive. Once you have completed the centre section the same process is followed for the outer sections.
Having covered the wing sections I would highly recommend that all the surfaces are sanded to remove the charred surface. In covering the main section the covering started tearing away when stretched because adhesion to the burnt area was very weak.

For the price this kit is an absolute steal :)

Looking forward to getting it in the air.

Very satisfied arrived in good condition easy build very good service recommend to all.

Starting at the beginning, the kit was well packaged and arrived promptly.
The quality of the material selection and the laser cutting is outstanding, parts fit with little or no reworking making the assembly of the model fast and a joy.
The plan is clear and comprehensive, the instructions although in German give a graphical guide, and English instructions for the Inside F5j, downloadable, cover most of the build .
Build threads on YouTube are worth watching.
First test flights confirm the model is easy to fly and I am looking forward to relaxing days thermal soaring in the summer ahead.

Excellent kit. Wood, cutting, accessories, plans, were perfect. Assembly was straight-forward and easy.
Would buy from this maker again. Delivery and help with ordering was the best.

Great service, fantastic advice for those who are actually interested in purchasing great quality kit

Great service, fantastic advice for those who are actually interested in purchasing great quality kit

Unbelievably rapid delivery. Kit box was received suspended within a robust outer box - very safe. All components complete. Quality of materials and cutting appear excellent. Really looking forward to building this one. Birthday present to myself so can't start until the day comes around!

This arrived in about 5-7 days to here in New Zealand. An excellent looking kit and such a small carton for this wingspan. Very Happy thanks...Laurie

The Introduction kit packed in a sturdy box arrived at my home in Australia 7 day after placing the order. All components are accounted for. The cutting and the wood employed in the kit is of high quality. Building has commenced and I am amazed how accurately components fit together.

Thanks Neil for another effortless transaction.

Wonderful kit very precise! And Hyperflight.co.uk awesome service took only 3 days for delivery to the US!

Ordered my glider and the next day it was delivered! Glad I ordered it as it is now temporarily out of stock again only had a quick look in the box so far but everything was packaged well and quality looks superb! Thanks everyone at Hyperflight couldn't ask for a better service

The kit arrived promptly looks good, no English instructions so if your not an experienced builder or German then it may be an issue
I’m looking forward to building but it won’t be for a while the kit is on route to my home in Austrslia

I inherited this Intro from my dear deceased friend Spencer, who didn't quite manage to complete it before he departed for the great hanger in the sky. My only task was to install the motor, ESC and lipo, which was relatively easy, giving an AUW of 975gms.

The maiden flight off the slope was delightful in its stress-free nature with minimal trimming required. Since then I've flown Intro on numerous light weather occasions up the hill (10mph or less) and it is always a joy to experience its vice-free behaviour - so stable you can almost eat your sandwiches without having to touch the sticks! At the same time it indicates thermals well and picks up height quickly. Precision landing is no problem with the very effective flaps. At first I was a little worried about landing such a fragile-looking model on our rock-strewn slope sites, but it's survived 2 seasons now with no damage.

Overall, an excellent lightweight floater that is tougher than it looks!

good

What an easy sailplane to put together - the laser cutting is top quality ,and so fine . The whole thing just slots together without any fettling of parts - just installing radio so havnt flown it -

I have been building and flying rc over 40 years this is one of the nicest sailplane kits I have built and flown. Fit to finish is exceptional builds quickly. Hyperflight shipped fast and responded to my questions quickly. The people at hyperflight are great to work with. This has become my favorite craft to fly.

Fast delivery & excellent communication, well done Hyperflight. The kit is of great quality & a joy to build, I can't wait to get it finished & in the air.

Really quick delivery and although I haven't started the build yet quality appears to be excellent.

First, per usual, the shipping was excellent. UK to NC, USA in 4 days. Always impressed with Hyperflight's service.
This is probably one of the easiest and fastest builds I've ever done. The build is straightforward and easy if you have any building experience at all. I didn't run into those "head scratching/questioning delays". With some building experience, one could follow the excellent German build manual and probably get by. However, the English translation is easy to follow, mostly corresponds with the steps in the German manual, and in spite of the wing build in that translation being for the Inside, the fuselage is identical and the wing is pretty much the same. I worked a couple hours every evening and one full Saturday and was ready to fly in 3 weeks.
My only 2 complaints; The ribs and mid ribs fit rather loosely on the carbon spar, I believe the tolerance's could be a bit tighter and need to be if using thin CA. I would suggest med-thick CA to get a good bond, or even epoxy. As it is, I just don't feel the wing is as "tight" as it could be, though when covered, is sufficiently stiff so this isn't really what I would call a "deficiency" just something that could be better. The second complaint is the motor nose block required some reaming and sanding to get enough clearance for the motor. The wires channel also required milling out. This just to make it all fit. There is almost no ventilation to the motor and heat will build quickly! Keep that in mind when choosing the motor diameter. I've overheated my motor and considering some ventilation options.
Just advice; Also when building the joiners, do one at a time and go slowly being VERY CAREFUL to get both wing panels properly aligned. If the joiner is off slightly, you will have difficulty getting the panels to align perfectly when assembled. Using the clips to adjoin the outer panels to the mid is a neat trick, but you don't want open space between the two and getting everything aligned during the build will assure no gaps.
Now on to flying. At this writing I only have maybe 15+ flights, but I am impressed. She is definitely a floater! A slow easy flyer that uses lift very well. I'm still working out trims but overall I am impressed. One big negative but one which is well known; This plane does NOT penetrate wind well. Much over 10 mph wind and she just stops. It will take considerable down trim just to move forward and personally I find it difficult to hang into lift with more than a breeze, as circling will take you far downwind quickly. But that probably says more about my piloting skills than the plane. Not a good clear way to add ballast other than there is room forward of the wing, but that will affect CG.
Overall, just totally pleased and out of all of my planes, this is the most relaxing and pleasant to fly in calm-light breeze conditions.

Amazingly fast delivery to me in Connecticut. I have just started building the Introduction and I was very impressed with the over all quality. The parts just snap out of the sheet and require no sanding and they fit perfectly. It's a well engineered kit.

Great kit very easy to assemble as there is no cutting out to do every part is laser cut to a very high standard
The only problem I had was maintaining the alignment of the round wing joiner

Excellent delivery very quick but there was damage to the both box’s. Look as it the instruction manual took the force no damage to the parts.
The kit is excellent quality.
I am so pleased with my introduction to f5j.The build is so relaxing easy to assemble and every part fits very precise.

Excellent delivery.
Kit is excellent quality.
Not done any buildng yet as recovering from knee replacement op.

For us flatlander thermal guys I the Introduction has a slight advantage in light conditions compared to my Inside. Pick your poison, but my go to ship in light lift is my wonderful Introduction.