Ares RC has been steady churning out product since they hit the scene last year. Not only have the releases been steady, but the models fly great! Their latest offering is the Gamma 370, an upgradeable trainer that starts you off with three channels and can progress you all the way to a brushless powerplant and an aileron equipped aerobatic wing. See how the Gamma 370 scores…
Summary
The market is flooded with trainers and most of them are throw-backs to old proven designs. Not that this is a problem, but Ares has decided to “train” your wallet as well, stretching those precious hobby dollars as far as possible as your skills improve.
When Jason at Ares called me about the Gamma, I was definitely interested in their approach and was excited to test the platform. Realize, I’ve had my fill of trainers. We test them on a regular basis and generally they all perform pretty well. Some fall short of the mark and never get filmed, but most do so the delineation between products starts to feel like we’re “splitting hairs”. When someone introduces a new platform that is easy on the budget (a must-have for 99% of the beginners) and also lets them grow with the aircraft, we start paying close attention.
While having a convertible wing design isn’t a new concept, it’s rarely done well. The Gamma 370 starts you off with a dihedral main wing, a brushed-geared powerplant, and only three channels of control. The brushed power system keeps the price reasonable: $129 for the RTF and only $79 for the RFR if you have your own radio system.
Assembly was quick and we were up and ready to fly with the RTF Gamma that Ares sent for testing. We flew on a windy day which seems to be the theme this season in Ohio. Too windy for a beginner, but not too windy for the Gamma. It was blowing a steady 5MPH and gusting to around 8, but the Gamma can handle it in the air. On the ground it gets pushed around quite a bit since it’s such a light design. After an afternoon of flying it was obvious this one was going to move on to the finals for a full video review.
Check out the vids and discover Ares’ latest offering to the RC market, the Gamma 370 Trainer! Keep your eyes peeled for our Product Spotlight Feature of the upgraded wing and powerplant. Yes, we’ve already tested them, but no spoilers..!
Kurt
Additional Resources
Hobbytown USA, exclusive distributor of Ares RC products www.hobbytown.com/shop, (402) 434-5050
Thank you guys for helping me choose the right thing. I was looking for a good trainer and Ares 370 Gamma really surprised me with combination of price, quality and performance. It has been a month since I started flying. In my opinion, it is easy to fly for a beginner with the trainer wing so I tried aerobatic wing within a couple of days after I started, although the aerobatic wing configuration definitely needs brushless outrunner with 3S battery. After opening the box, there were some things that I liked right away compared to similar trainers. Tough foam, well and accurately glued halves of the fuselage and wings, carbon fiber rods glued into control surfaces. Well built plane, that can be easily modified. I think, it is one of the most competitive parkflyers, considering wing and powerplant upgrades.