G'day

I have four Kadet Seniors and am currently building a fifth. I guess you could say I like them.

One is an ARF and has ailerons. All the rest are kit versions and do not have ailerons. All are build according to the plan with only minor mods.

All have four stroke engines ranging from a Saito 56 (probably the most sensible) to a Laser 70 (insane overkill but a wonderful engine and a good match too).

The kit is not impossible to build but you do need some space and time. Space to lay out all the bits and time to let the glue dry. You need a nice flat table that you can drive pins into. I use a piece of MDF fibre board with a sheet of half inch soft fibre material on top and lots of pins. I pin the plan over the board and then put "Glad Bake" cooking paper over this to protect the plan.

You need sharp knives and razor saws as there is lots of cutting when building the fuse and tail feathers.

My first one (which I have since sold) is now about 20 years old and still going. It has been repaired many times but still comes back for more. It has been flown with an OS FS40, Enya 46 4c, Saito 45 (probably the best match), ASP 52 and most recently ASP 61. All four strokes. It was converted to a tail dragger at some stage and this worked fine but the tail dragger is a little harder to take off. It is, however, tougher. My recent builds have had modified firewalls. The supplied 3/16 ply is just too light and is often broken by the front wheel mount in bad landings. These days, I replace it with 1/4 ply or at least I reinforce the wheel mount area. My current project will be getting a false firewall arrangement so I can change engines easily.

The non aileron version is very easy to fly as it really flies its self. I use it to teach older learners as it is very good at recovering its self from strange attitudes. The ARF files more like other trainers and can also do proper (if untidy) rolls. The quality of the ARF is not all that good. The build is OK but the covering has lifted all over the place and I am constantly repairing it.

I like to use Solatex iron on cloth on my Kadets. It is a little heavier and costs more but it is very easy to use and it lasts and lasts. The little extra weight also helps in windy conditions. I will happily fly my Kadets in quite windy conditions BUT you do have to take off directly into the wind. All that dihedral (which it needs) can tip the plane over in a side wind. To land in side winds is no great problem so long as you turn into the wind once you slow down.

A friend has recently built one from a plan I gave him. He put a 46 two stroke in it. It is nowhere as good to fly as my four stroke powered models. The four stroke's ability to run for long periods at reduced power is a great advantage in a Kadet.

I also have a Sig Kadet LT-25 and an LT-40. Both are great trainers too. The 25 was from a kit and the 40 an ARF. I prefer the kit versions. Both were easy to build and both fly really well too. The 25 has had a 30 four stroke, and some two strokes of various sizes and the 30 four stroke was the best. The 40 started with a 56 Saito (excellent) and has also had a 72 Saito (way too big but fun) and now has a very old Saito 45 which has been given a new lease of life with the hotter cam from a 56 and flies the model really well. It even had an Enya 40SS two stroke at one stage and this was also very good and not underpowered as everyone told me it would be. So if you don't want the complexity of the Senior build, the LT series are great also. I have also had a Seniorita which was wonderful with a 30 four stroke but flew equally well with a 2.5cc (15) PAW diesel.

I think I had better stop at this point but am happy to go on in later posts if you wish.

One last thing. The Kadet is so good a trainer that I have been able to teach a local radio crew how to fly it on air. They were not bad either.

Cheers

Mike in Oz

Photo is of my 2009 built Kadet with its Solatex covering and Laser 70 engine.