PILOT CUTLASS .40 ANYONE BUILDED IT?
02-16-2003, 07:00 PM
#1
PILOT CUTLASS .40 ANYONE BUILDED IT?
This afternoon, I went to a garage sale and bought a old kit for $5
manufacturer: PILOT
plane : CUTLASS .40
This is a full wood structure, traditional building, retract, elevator, ailerons ,rudder and throtlle
Before investing two months in building and plenty of $$$$ for retracts and engines, I would like to know if this think fliy great.
Depending on what you are going to tell me about that plane I will build it with a jett .50 engine and retracts (expensive) or with a os .46fx and a fixed gear (cheap)
does anyone builded it ????
manufacturer: PILOT
plane : CUTLASS .40
This is a full wood structure, traditional building, retract, elevator, ailerons ,rudder and throtlle
Before investing two months in building and plenty of $$$$ for retracts and engines, I would like to know if this think fliy great.
Depending on what you are going to tell me about that plane I will build it with a jett .50 engine and retracts (expensive) or with a os .46fx and a fixed gear (cheap)
does anyone builded it ????
02-16-2003, 07:11 PM
#2
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PILOT CUTLASS .40 ANYONE BUILDED IT?
Well I haven't built this plane so can't answer that question, but Pilot kits are very good and sought after. If you paid $5 you just got the deal of this century as most Pilot kits go for a lot more. It should build good and be a hoot to fly so I would dig in and go for it, if you don't then I will buy it from you for $20! 
02-16-2003, 07:29 PM
#3
PILOT CUTLASS .40 ANYONE BUILDED IT?
happy to know I made a good deal, this box was laying between a broken wash machine and a bycicle.
My wife said I that I have a real radar in the head to find planes where they are not suposed to be
I made a research on the net using google and the words "pilot cutlass", no results.....
Seems I found a rare kit....
My wife said I that I have a real radar in the head to find planes where they are not suposed to be
I made a research on the net using google and the words "pilot cutlass", no results.....
Seems I found a rare kit....
02-18-2003, 01:54 AM
#4
PILOT CUTLASS .40 ANYONE BUILDED IT?
Hi SALMONBUG, I got your PM... I'm afraid I can't help you with your Cutlass, as mine was a "pattern" type plane from the early 70's. I agree with Art though, you got a good deal, and Pilot kits/ARFs are generally good planes. My Cutlass was (is) a totally differant design. Good luck with your project! Tom.
10-10-2012, 06:29 PM
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RE: PILOT CUTLASS .40 ANYONE BUILDED IT?
Hi SALMONBUG
Better late than never !!!
Sorry been out of the hobby a long time, so searched the plane name for old times sake and found your post... ;-)
The recommended CofG was nose heavy. I just had enough control to land my first test flight as I found out in a loop with low elevator set, took me by surprise as it was not until G loading that the issue was really apparent! Don't go too far back as it is sensitive.
I used an OS 45 FSR ABC at first. Much later I put a Webra 61 RE heli engine on a full pipe (a special Custom version for the Excel heli which had a very long shaft for a heli engine hence converting to plane use was fairly easy).
I did not have retracts and I did a dope and nylon finish with Acrylic paint so that still added weight. I found it a little under powered with the 45 and over powered with the 61... A lot of fun.. YMMV...
Spin recovery is very slow. Do not spin this plane or get into a spin.
Weather vaining spin is also possible in some windy conditions. I had it pirouette into a flat spinning landing once undamaged I was very lucky. It was blowing a gale though...!
Best not fly it in a small field, it needs space like a pattern model...
Given the spin risk, best not fly it where loss of control could cause injury... It is one of those planes, when you fly it you will know what I mean ;-)
The best quality kit I ever built. If you still have it in the box, then double check the ribs, a pair of mine were short and almost messed up the build. The rest of the kit was perfect, top quality wood and finish, as you know by now..
It's a delta so the spin risk does limit some types of maneuver, but it was still a joy to fly... I don't know if it was the finish I did or the shape, but it seems to draw a crowd unlike other planes.
The spin behaviour is possibly why they recommend a forward C of G. I got on better with the C of G back, but if you can live with it forward depending on your flying style, it may make it less sticky in a spin. It is a balance between elevator control and that.. Choose wisley ;-)
A newb switched on behind me on the same channel, by the time he realized the plane spun and it was too low to recover. I still had many years of great fun with it, so for me, worth all the effort...
I hope this helps someone
All the best Bernard
