Mike James
Posts: 2472
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage,
AK, USA
Status: offline
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Hi everybody!
Your answers are below, but bare with me for a moment while I share something with you that I'm really excited about...
I'm thrilled to be working full-time as the designer with Fusco Aircraft (Val'a Fusco) and I promise you it's going to be exciting for all of us! Fusco Aircraft is determined to stick with the philosophy of "Dare to be different", and provide giant size, precision scale, great-flying kits that you've never seen before. (not "more P-51s and Extras"  This year's new catalog will include the 33% Berkut, a 1/6th scale King Air B200, a 1/6th scale Piaggio "Avanti" P180, and a slick new trainer with slotted flaps and aerobatic capability. All of these projects are well under way, with the documentation and CAD work done, and the plugs under way. Later, there will be even more surprises, all equally unique. For me, that approach is what makes it a "dream job", rather than a drag. Future kits will be ARCs, ("almost ARFs" rather than ARFs. I promise you that this is a positive step for modelers and for Fusco Aircraft, and here's why... $$$
First, in general... I think you all know that (because he's just that nice of a guy - really) the introductory offer of an ARF of this quality at this price is a nothing short of extraordinary. Look around for comparable offerings, and you'll find that they're in the $2000 range. (!) Val'a took a huge leap of faith to launch the new kit line, and thanks to the RC community's overwhelming support and response, you can rest assured that we will follow through with a much broader and creative plan.
We want to keep the prices down! Look at what Byron used to do, or what Bob Violett and Yellow Aircraft do today, and you'll see what we're aiming at. It's our promise... New and unique kits, High quality, Precision-engineered, Reasonable prices. We do the research, build the CAD models, create the plugs, create the molds, create the parts, test the models ourselves, and provide the service.... All in the USA. When you receive a kit from us, it will have only the amount of work remaining that allows for "builder options", and we know this is important. We all have our preferences on radios, hardware, engines, etc.. Typical kits will include molded composite fuselages, cowlings, etc., clear molded parts for canopies/windows, and depending on the particular design, foam cores or molded wings. Any wood required for sheeting will be included, other internal wood parts will be laser-cut, and every kit will include more quality hardware than you're used to getting.
The issue of the Berkut, in particular, is that since it's a homebuilt, and they vary wildly in paint schemes and options, many of you have requested them not covered or painted... either so you can document and reproduce an actual aircraft for competition, or simply so you can create your own design. That makes sense. Another Berkut-specific issue is that the huge engine compartment can accommodate a wide variety of engines from 1.2 up to medium-size gas, and it's performance can vary just as widely. It can be built for scale-like performance with the smaller engines, or you can use whatever you want to cram in there, and fly it like a Reno racer. (A Berkut won the silver class race in 1999 with a speed of 261.7 mph, while stock Long EZs were flying at 160 or so.) It's a very slippery plane, and continues to accelerate for a longer period of time than more draggy planes. For the same reason, it takes a while to decelerate, and we're providing the Berkut speedbrake option. (Recommended, but not required)
To help you shop for engines:
The firewall is 14 inches wide, 10 inches tall, and the engine compartment itself (depending on how users mount their engines) can be as long as 11 inches from firewall to spinner backplate. (Some modelers will want to build an "extension" onto the firewall, to allow smaller engines.) Keep watching the Fusco web site for updates, as testing continues, and we know more about which gas engines work best. We're testing several glow sizes first. (The scale prop size, if you go that route, is 22 inches!) Typical spinner diameter (can vary, as on real aircraft) is 4".
Landing Gear:
The Berkut retract angles are a little odd, and we're working with the geometry to fit both Robart and Spring Air types with 75-degree retraction cycles. We'll have some specific model numbers for you to look at within a week, or sooner. You get two things, in regard to the gear doors... All doors are scribed into the fuselage, for use as a guideline to cut them out, but all the doors (including the speedbrake panel and landing light panel) are also molded separately and supplied in the kit. That means that when you cut out those doors, you simply Dremel the opening to the right size, then use your "fresh" door in that spot. They're molded from the same plugs, so the fit will be perfect.
Canopy:
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1/3 Long-EZ ARF... Good deal? - 
1/3 scale Berkut questions... - 
