<span style="font-size: larger;">Yeah, understood about the BoT problems. However, y'gotta remember that this bird was originally designed for competition (I remember when she took the soaring world by storm) ((yeah, I'm THAT old)) and she's not a REALLY hard build but she CAN be touchy. Set up properly though, she's a wonder in the air.

Naw, I'd definitely keep the stab/elevator as designed. Just gotta get it to work right.

As I stir the gray crap in my noggin I remember another thing I spent a lot of hours thinking about as I was re-doing the horizontal stab - the placement of the drill holes as shown on the plans. That hardwood block that the stab anchors onto - I drilled it in the exact center as the plans show. IF you were to drill it back about 1/4" and lower about 1/4" (also moving the belcrank hole the same amount and direction, back and down) the interferrence problems with the vertical stab leading edge would go away. You'd also have to carve out a bit of that solid vert stab interior but you could increase the throws without re-building that leading edge. Just a thought.

Hey! Found several BoT videos you might be interested in. First is from a guy in Wyoming, shows his electric BoT flying and gives an awful lot of info on how it's powered. This particular one is the best of the bunch for <u>how</u> it was done. Here it is: </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8uwc_Z9kmw&amp;feature=related</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

Also found one of the South American videos - was from Chile. </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvmI5v9a-7g</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

Several others showing BoT's - one's as a slope soarer and you can see what the ailerons do for performance. It's first: </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KswkuUhZER0</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

Electric BoTover Arizona - not half-bad music too: </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edh1poKpvu0</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

There are a whole lot more videos out there that I haven't included here. You could watch u-tube with BoT's exclusively until you retired and not see them all. There are also an awful lot of BoT forums right here with some <u>GREAT</u> info on them (many/most of which I'm subscribed to). The Big Wing Build-along is one of the great ones; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9347511/anchors_9347511/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#9347511</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> even though the original point of the thread is another, much larger, sailplane. Definitely worth going through.

Good discussion of building a BoT for electric; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10397114/anchors_10397114/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#10397114</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

Another BoT with flying problems. Goes a lot into "how to do it"; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9674275/anchors_9674275/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#9674275</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

One of the more "entertaining" BoT threads, includes pics about 2/3 down the first page of a "Super-BoT". This plane's BIG!</span><span style="font-size: larger;">http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4715082/anchors_4715082/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#4715082</span><span style="font-size: larger;">

Anyway, there's a lot out there, info-wise. Amazing what you can learn via u-tube and right here on RCU.

BTW, early-on you mentioned that "</span>It was difficult for me to fly the Bird. I'm above a beginner but not a top sailplane pilot. I intend to try again."<span style="font-size: larger;"> You're definitely not alone!!</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> Note my signature here. I've been flying since I was 7, RC since the early 70's, and I don't consider myself anything more than "able to do it - most of the time". My technical expertise is minimal, at best. I like to build them - sometimes incorporating my own ideas into it, love to fly them, and don't mind repairing them, but to ever think about designing one myself - I know about 1% enough to do it. That's why I clued you into some of these other threads. Some of the guys out there have already forgotten more than I've ever heard of, let alone what I might be able to learn about it. I can show what's worked for me, but it's not necessarily right and it's definitely not all there is.

Should have brought this up before - don't know why I didn't - - why not just start with a new kit and go from there instead of scratching from plans? IMHO, in the long run it would be cheaper, you'd get a better bird and you could incorporate the mods right from the building board. You'd also have the advantage of already having a ready-built wing as a spare (not a bad thing at all). Just a thought.

Dave</span>