ORIGINAL: Poffit

A Midwest Extra was my project this past winter. It was an airfoiled stab kit. I didn't actually build the kit, but used the kit parts as templates to make my own parts. That way, if or when something happens to this plane, then I still have the templates to build another one. As fun as this plane is, I will always want one around. It is just one of those planes that makes me look like a better pilot than I really am. The plane has a very mild stall and flies very precise.

As with every kit I build I scoured the internet looking for all the tips and tricks everyone used on this plane. The weights that people were talking about ranged from 12lbs. all the way to 18lbs.
Mine ended up at 14lbs., but then I added another 8ozs. of smoke equipment that I am going to play with.

As far as engine, a ZDZ 40 was going to go on this plane. But then I found out a DLE 55 was only a few ounces heavier than the ZDZ so that is what ended up on the nose. Talk about Crazy Power, it has unlimited vertical at 3/4 throttle.

As far as major mods that I remember making, a few more and bigger lightening holes, replaced spruce wing spars with 1/4 x 3/8 balsa carbon fiber and 1/8 x 3/8 balsa laminated together, replaced stab spruce spars with hard balsa and since I cut all new ribs I left stand offs on them so I could build the stab in one piece with sheeting that spanned the complete stab, instead of making two stab halves and then epoxying them together. The spruce bottom stringers were replaced with balsa with a few more formers for support to make them a little more durable. The fuse top and bottom as well as all the formers aft of the slant former made out of 1/8 balsa instead of lite ply. The front and rear turtle decks were made out of balsa instead of ply. Thats the biggest changes that were made that I can think of right now. Most of these changes were made just to save weight. I wouldn't make any changes to the overall design of the plane, because as I say, it is a great flying plane as is.

You should consider using your kit as a template to cut another as I did, because I think you will love this plane and want to build another someday.


Pat

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