I decided to upgrade from my Foamie PZ T28 (which I still love BTW), and went w the E Flite Leader 480. The model arrived packed perfectly, and all parts and hardware were there. This is my first Balsa plane, so I didn't kno what to expect as far as assembly was concerned. I've never installed my own servos, motor, esc, pushrods etc before. So if ur a novice pilot looking to upgrade, this build could be a bit difficult if u don't have the tools. There's glueing, measuring, drilling, and sanding involved with this build. The rudder servo that also controls the nose wheel is tricky and takes some bending and adjusting to fit correctly into the servo arm. Also installing the motor and esc took some time to get right. There's no instruction on how to install the battery strap ( I'm sure it's easy, but like I said this is my first balsa build. Anyways, once the build was completed (took me about 7 or 8 hours total), the plane looked fantastic. The maiden flight was flawless ( very little trimming needed). She took off easily, and landed like a feather w the tri landing gear. She has some speed too. I'm running a Turnigy 3536 w/a 4s pack. I'm very satisfied w this model. Recommend to all those looking to upgrade from a foam model. ALso, spring for the Aluminum Prop spinner for the extra 17 bucks. Can't wait to fly her again !

Never tire of Cuban-8s in a 50' box! 22 flights on my first 480 w/P10 motor & 4S power. Building a 2nd with nylon pinned hinges and digital servos. I'll have 2 operational versions of the same plane, hope Horizon doesn't discontinue this model.
Niggly, picky complaints :
The gear is bendable 2.3mm wire that limits landing weight to 3lb, 2.5lb is rated gross w/battery. Calls for "delicate" landings! Fortunately, At 3lbs with 50% flaperons & 9 clicks of up elevator mixed in, it will slow float over 3" pavement cracks to set down on the smooth.
2nd complaint, the steering linkage is going to bind the rudder servo. Fixed that on 1st plane with a 5th steering servo mixed to rudder channel and a complicated 2 horn linkage on 2nd plane.
Observation : Like all pattern planes the 480 is sensitive to CG balance. Nice running thread about the 480 on RCGroups.

I fitted my Leader with a Tacon 10, APC 12x6 and 3s battery. I also removed the decals and added my own to make it a little different from all the others. I really like this plane and it is a great pattern plane with a lot of extra power on my setup.

Great windy day flyer! Also Great for practicing touch and goes.. I've notice the Quality of the plane is not as good as in the past, but for the price, I still love it... I used a E-flite 15 motor with a 60 amp ESC and use a 4000/4s 40c battery with a 10 x 7 or a 11 x 7 prop.. Timer set for 5 mins. I also use the E-flite spinner. Looks great..

This is the best plane I've had in a long time. It is an absolute blast to go to the local middle school to fly this thing, instead of having to trek to the flying field.

The Leader 480 flies absolutely great. I also have a Kaos 40 and it really reminds me of that. It is smooth, it is fast, it responds to control inputs extremely well. Be sure not to try to slow it down too much on landing approaches. That is a mistake I keep making. Come in fast, and don't flare until it's about to touch down.

The build is not as advertised. This plane took a long time and a lot of work to build. Some of that comes from missing parts and pieces. Some of that came from wanting to find better ways to do some things. Even though the plane is not cheap, it does come with some quite junky parts and those needed to be replaced. When in doubt - go with Dubro.

Don't be dissuaded about the build. This is such a fantastic plane that it's worth the effort. Putting together the Leader is a lot less work than building most pattern planes is anyway.
I used the recommended Eflite battery, motor and ESC and stayed away from the HobbyKing stuff for this plane. It's worth it and this plane deserves the good stuff.

Five stars. Get one while you still can.