RE: a few questions following the MINARE's maiden flight
Good point Ed.
A cure for this syndrome is to build the model lighter. This can be achieved through thinner "shell" frame ups and the use of lighter mini and micro servos (e.g., throttle, retract valve) instead of standard servos which are not needed.
At sub 5 lbs all up, a full house 45 size model is relatively light (wing loading wise) compared to an 8 lb 60 size classic. Even at 6 lbs larger 45 size designs such as Autora's, Dash-5's and Citations are quite light given their wing area.
On the upside, these same models fly comparably to their larger 60 size brethren, consume less fuel and have a higher power to weight ratio. To my mind, this makes them excellent pattern trainers and are a tad lighter on the wallet.
At 5 lbs, Paul has done well with a glass/foam painted piped Minare. However, as we know the Curare is the quintessential ballistic design.
David