Top Flite Giant Scale Spitfire ARF
#328
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I have about 30 flights on mine. Great airplane flies like it's on rails.
Ground handling is much better than you might expect, no quick turns mind you or you'll be down on a wing-tip, but the tracking with the narrow gear is really fairly easy.
For take-off just slowly advance the throttle until the tail comes up. I'm usually airborne by 3/4 throttle making a scale take-off.
In the air the airplane is just great and does all the expected warbird maneuvers with ease. I'm using a 22/8 prop on my DLE 55 which I like as it provides a good balance between speed and vertical performance. Some guys are using a 22/10 for more flat out speed but they lose quite a bit in the vertical.
The airplane handles slow flight easily, and with these split flaps, you can expect the aircraft to nose down a bit when adding flaps unlike the nose up reaction other planes have.
I've only done wheel landings with mine and they are very easily controlled, just be ready to get on the rudder once the tail is on the ground. I usually use a little power on final easing it off in the flare as the aircraft settles onto the main gear.
Other than that it's just a great overall aircraft that flies as good as it looks in the air. Other than the loose muffler issues that you may have read about in this thread, it's a solid aircraft with no problems and no surprises. It's one of my favorites.
Enjoy
Ground handling is much better than you might expect, no quick turns mind you or you'll be down on a wing-tip, but the tracking with the narrow gear is really fairly easy.
For take-off just slowly advance the throttle until the tail comes up. I'm usually airborne by 3/4 throttle making a scale take-off.
In the air the airplane is just great and does all the expected warbird maneuvers with ease. I'm using a 22/8 prop on my DLE 55 which I like as it provides a good balance between speed and vertical performance. Some guys are using a 22/10 for more flat out speed but they lose quite a bit in the vertical.
The airplane handles slow flight easily, and with these split flaps, you can expect the aircraft to nose down a bit when adding flaps unlike the nose up reaction other planes have.
I've only done wheel landings with mine and they are very easily controlled, just be ready to get on the rudder once the tail is on the ground. I usually use a little power on final easing it off in the flare as the aircraft settles onto the main gear.
Other than that it's just a great overall aircraft that flies as good as it looks in the air. Other than the loose muffler issues that you may have read about in this thread, it's a solid aircraft with no problems and no surprises. It's one of my favorites.
Enjoy
#332
I got the maiden on my tf spit today. I now know yes the 6 oz of lead in the tail was fine. This is a great flying bird very fast and groves in the turns. No bad habits I could see flies like a spitfire..
#334
No issues with over heating that head sticks out a good ways. I will fly this the way it is and I may get another one to strip an glass to make a smaller version of my comp arf E199
Last edited by tfarmer96; 03-30-2014 at 09:07 AM.
#335
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Finally!!!!! Complete success over the lose muffler issue!
Take a hose clamp, completely unscrew it and then attach it to the motor standoff. Get a large enough hose clamp so when you tighten it over the standoff that the excess hose clamp band extends down over the end of the muffler. Then drill a hole for a self tapping screw to secure the hose clamp band into the end of the muffler. This stabilizes the muffler vibration and has completely solved my lose muffler issues.
Enjoy
Take a hose clamp, completely unscrew it and then attach it to the motor standoff. Get a large enough hose clamp so when you tighten it over the standoff that the excess hose clamp band extends down over the end of the muffler. Then drill a hole for a self tapping screw to secure the hose clamp band into the end of the muffler. This stabilizes the muffler vibration and has completely solved my lose muffler issues.
Enjoy
#337
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Finally!!!!! Complete success over the lose muffler issue!
Take a hose clamp, completely unscrew it and then attach it to the motor standoff. Get a large enough hose clamp so when you tighten it over the standoff that the excess hose clamp band extends down over the end of the muffler. Then drill a hole for a self tapping screw to secure the hose clamp band into the end of the muffler. This stabilizes the muffler vibration and has completely solved my lose muffler issues.
Enjoy
Take a hose clamp, completely unscrew it and then attach it to the motor standoff. Get a large enough hose clamp so when you tighten it over the standoff that the excess hose clamp band extends down over the end of the muffler. Then drill a hole for a self tapping screw to secure the hose clamp band into the end of the muffler. This stabilizes the muffler vibration and has completely solved my lose muffler issues.
Enjoy
#342
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this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0_n...GQ6zOhrnz0ZMSw almost done had to use only epoxy glue what an easy build going to put switches in the batery hatch
#344
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i called the president of NASA national association of scale aeronautics an was told the color sceam would be ok since they changed there colors through out the war i painted the spinner red with rustoilem 2x came out great got my decals from callie graphics notice the battery hatch outline just left of the star thats where in going to put my switches need to jazz up the tail wheel an add a rear view mirror
#349
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Do have to say the bird flys really great I had to send in my Robart retracts due to have it just checked out no major issues it will fly nose heavy if you have the gear down but when there up it flys where you want it to go if you do use the electrics from Robart they do just drop in I put some washers for spAcers under the retract rails to give elevation for the wheels you want the to be able to spin in the wheel pockets also run the LIpo battery a 2 cell to retract box I used a 1350 mah thunderpower battery with its own switch for it I have 3 switches in plane I didn't put any lead in this bird I just moved my life battery's to compensate have nano tech 2000 mah 6.6v batteries set up ran reduntent.
#350
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Watch out for the tail wheel control arm mine broke off at the rear connection when I was landing of course had no control and when into our feild fence all fixed now still flying great I just took a metal control arms off one of my winter builds and used it instead