About One pound per 10" of wing span is how it worked out for me on my 109!


Kyosho 56" ws BF-109. Mfgr suggests 4.5-5.6 lbs all-up wieght. I assembled this one and flew it right out of the box with no extras at 6.5 lbs on a Saito .62 4c. Decided later to add struts, flaps, radiators, new paint job and other details and came up with 11.25 lbs on the same motor. (Almost 2 lbs more weight in the nose as penalty for stuff done at the tail and a larger battery pack)

The plane was squirrely and unpredictable in marginal winds and tracked like a drunken sailor at 6.5 lbs. It was quite prone to ballooning on the landing flair as well, more so even than my J3 Cub.

After the kit bash, and the near doubling of weight, it flies like it's on rails and heavy cross wind landings are a pleasure. "Feels" like a comfortable landing speed as well...not like I have to "rocket" the approach.

I have found that adding a bit of "ballast" has helped the flight characteristics of most of my planes. In fact the 40 size GP Cub flewso much better with the floats that I made up a 2.75 slug of lead and a mount for it right at the CG for when I'm flying it with the wheels on.

Here's the slug next to a 4" wheel for reference and a bad video complete with a botched landing of the 109. but it does show that the approach speed is actually pretty slow with a 7 mph direct X-wind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74oRv...eature=channel

P.S. The guy who shot this vid is also named Lee. All other references to "Lee" in his other vids refer to him, not me!