Super Sportster
10-22-2017, 03:19 PM
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Super Sportster
A couple years back, a fellow flier moved out of state and before he left, he gave me an already built Super Sportster. I hung it in the shop and pretty much ignored it until just today. I took it down and looked it over and have a couple of questions about it. It has a 72 inch wing span and a Super Tiger two stroke .90 engine in it, and it is HEAVY. My guess is that it comes in somewhere around 15 lbs. Does anyone know who kitted a 72 inch wing span Super Sportster, how much it should weigh, and is the Super Tiger .90 enough engine for it?
I have no clue who originally built this plane, but he was good. I pride myself in building and covering, but this guy covers better than I can. My only complaint is his choice of colors on this particular plane. He covered it in PINK with midnight blue accents, with the dark blue on the bottom of the wing and tail sections. PINK!!!!!!!!!!! If this wasn't such a good covering job, I would rip the covering off and re-cover it. OH, well. I will take it to the field and try to ignore the comments it will draw.
I have no clue who originally built this plane, but he was good. I pride myself in building and covering, but this guy covers better than I can. My only complaint is his choice of colors on this particular plane. He covered it in PINK with midnight blue accents, with the dark blue on the bottom of the wing and tail sections. PINK!!!!!!!!!!! If this wasn't such a good covering job, I would rip the covering off and re-cover it. OH, well. I will take it to the field and try to ignore the comments it will draw.
10-22-2017, 07:13 PM
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Ss 90/120
These were kitted by Great Planes. Yep, they were heavy. Mine weighed about 10 lb. 15 seems a little excessive! I had a TT 120 2-stroke and that was about right. The 90 may not be enough if it is really that heavy. These are nice fliers, but certainly not 3D planes. RCU doesn't want to let me upload any pics ???
Jim
Jim
10-22-2017, 08:51 PM
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I am only guessing at the weight. I have read that these can be weighed by weighing each wheel separately and adding the values together to get the total. Have you ever tried this? The article also suggested to put blocks under the two wheels that are not being weighed to keep the plane level, then move the blocks around as you weigh the other two wheels, until all three are weighed with the plane more or less level. I will try that tomorrow and see what kind of number I come up with.
10-23-2017, 02:37 AM
#4
I flew my GP Super Sportster 60 with a 91 4 stroke. I felt that it had plenty of power for normal sport aerobatics.
The model was designed for a .60, two stroke. Unless your version is seriously over weight, you should be fine with the .90.
The model was designed for a .60, two stroke. Unless your version is seriously over weight, you should be fine with the .90.
10-23-2017, 07:41 AM
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10-23-2017, 11:28 AM
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Weighing by measuring the weight on each wheel ONLY works if the plane is at the same level during each measurement. Simpler to take a piece of cord tied around the wing and hang it from a fish scale. Or, hang it by the prop vertically.
Bedford
Bedford
10-23-2017, 05:15 PM
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I have a 50 pound digital fish scale. I compared the weight of a suitcase, actually several times, of the digital fish scale to the airline weight scale. It was very accurate and good enough for my purpose.
Here is a video that shows how to weigh. Go one step farther and calculate Weight and Balance.
Here is a video that shows how to weigh. Go one step farther and calculate Weight and Balance.
10-24-2017, 10:50 AM
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Well, you guys were correct again as usual. I weighed the plane and it is 10.5 lbs. It certainly feels heavier than that, but I recently went through some rather serious open chest heart surgery after which I could not lift a spoon to feed myself, so I guess everything is going to feel heavy to me for awhile.
10-29-2017, 04:59 PM
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We flew the Super Sportster today and was somewhat disappointed in it. It looks absolutely beautiful in flight, but is a pig in response to the controls. Rolling was agonizingly slow as well as looping, and a climbing, twisting, rolling maneuver was almost impossible. I'm not even sure a bigger engine would make a lot of difference. Some time this week I will increase the throws on the control surfaces and then try again to see how it flies. If there is little or no change, it will become a beautiful decoration.
10-31-2017, 04:46 PM
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Yes, smooth would be a good word for it. But it feels heavy, as if it is a fight to keep it from diving even though it will fly level hands off. Now, that doesn't make sense to me, but that is the way it feels. It is a joy to look at but not to fly.
11-01-2017, 12:12 PM
#17
By todays standards they are slow on control inputs. But they are a great relaxing flyer. I've had 3 and all of them were ST.90 powered. If you add elev throw and yank it hard it will fold the stabs. Flying wires or flying it scale will cure this issue. I still have one and was thinking about a DLE20 conversion. Just need the time.
David
David
