I just finished my first 2m pattern plane after studying the subject a while.... Here is my delima. I decided to go electric. The electric package, engine 5330, speed control 100A and batteries (2x5S/5000) weighs 4.77 lbs. Built the plane (Fortuna) up in mock-up and it comes in at 13.95 lbs with all the stock gear. My goal is sportsman class with the 11.27 lb limit if i read correctly. Granted some of my stuff is not F3A comp stuff, but i have bought all weight comparable stuff, some even lighter. I have no real heavy hardware, comparable weight servos to what the f3a guys are using. I have calculated that i can go to carbon wing spar, and landing gear, spinner and 4000mah batteries but im still going to be 12.5 to 12.7 lbs. Where am i going wrong? I weighted my initial airframe and its comparable to the stuff for sale on the F3A unlimited site (although its not clear if the are including landing gear, wing tubes and spinners which come with some of the kits). I also cannot afford any of the redundancy or bells and stuff i like (voltage regulator and redundant rx batts, beef ups in landing gear or twin elevator servos).

No that i have honed in on this problem and have researched it, i am afraid i made a mistake by going electric. I find an underground cult that says the AMA and FAIA rules are badly in need of revision due to the new electric wave. THEY say keeping electric 2m new wide body style planes under 11 lbs equates to about a 6500 dollar (carbon everything) airplane. Making this a rich mans sport. (Rules as i read them do seem unfair to me that a gas planes is weighed without fuel while an electric is weighed full of batteries. I have calculated that this plane would be right at 11.75 lbs with a YS170 and carbon wing tube and landing gear, still minus a header. Are my assumptions correct or am i missing something....... Also confusing is i have run across some club guys competing in local AMA club events and asked about weights on planes and i get answers like 12 to 14 lbs. When i ask about the 11 lbs limit the just say no way to get there without spending a fortune and risking your plane to zero redundancy and substandard light-weight hardware and the people throwing the event know that don't go by the weight rules knowing its messed up and they would be seriously limiting the number of competitors or making it a 110 size max plane event.

Please advise....

A couple notes to help with advise....

Engine Hi Max 5330 675 grams
Batts Tunigy 10S 5000 (2x 5s) 666 grams each.
Plane, Fortuna 2m - Foam Balsa sheeted wings, stab and tail, balsa ply fuse with monakote.
Carbon pushrods, nylon/aluminum horns
Plane came with aluminum wing tube and gear. Can save .6 lbs by changing them to carbon....
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