<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Chuck-</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Balance – depends on where you want to balance it.Based on the description in the Waco kit’s documentation (nothing shown on the plans), it sounds like they’re saying to balance just in front of, or on, the rear cabane struts.To balance at that point would require about a pound of weight at the tailpost.However, that point seems a bit rearward to me (tailheavy).Based on the ‘old school’ method for figuring the CG of a bipe – well explained in this link
http://www.modelairplanenews.com/blo...cing-biplanes/ that point calculates to a CG at about 38%.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> I checked at about 30% (using the method in the link) – that’s about 2” in front of the rear cabane mount.Balance just barely tail-down at that point.Compared that point to the CG noted on the Pica plans for both the 1/5<sup>th</sup> and 1/6<sup>th</sup> scale Wacos – their CG is in about that same relative location.Same with the GP ARF Waco…. And all of those fly fine.So for now, it’s balanced at that point… worst case it’s a little nose heavy (compared to the documented location), so I programmed in a 3<sup>rd</sup> flight mode with a little extra up-elevator – just in case.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">WacoNut –</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Thanks – I like the panels too!The new “glass panel” Waco’s are fine, but I wanted to model mine more like a 30’s-style Waco well taken care of and still flying today.So the panel design I came up with is kind of a composite of several different older Waco’s I found photos of.Scratch built.Instrument faces came off of Chief Aircraft’s ‘full scale’ side of the business – lots of nice HD photos of available instruments – everything from modern to classic – picked the ones I wanted, reduced to the size needed, and high-resolution printed on photo paper….. sure beats the “old days” of a few years ago when a Xerox was about the only tool we had to work with!The rest is sheet plastic, some plywood, and a bunch of ‘fiddly-bits’ from around the shop.Fun stuff!</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Peter –</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">No, the tail feathers are not removable.Although I don’t think it would be that hard to make them removable.I did modify the attachment method some, and the means of setting the incidence….. basically I’d add/remove shims to adjust the incidence, but I figured once it’s set and ‘verified in the air’, there really shouldn’t be a need to change it.And instead of using 2 ply ‘retainers’ for the rear of the stab I madeup a single laminated retainer the full width of the fuselage at that point…. So make that ‘bolt-on’ instead of glue on, and the stab would be removable.As far as how to get it out from under the fin…. Fin and rudder would also need to be removable, but that wouldn’t be that difficult to do either.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Dash7ATP –</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Vinyl graphics are from Kirby’s Kustom Vinyl -
<font color="#0000ff">http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/kirbysgraphics/index.html</font> - Been in the business quite a while and is awesome to work with.Pinstripe – yes and no – Kirby does his vinyls in layers, so there were black vinyls to apply first, then the slightly smaller red was applied over the black leaving the ‘pinstripe’.Color ‘bleed-through not a problem as Kirby had a “special Red” that basically has a white underside/base….. still thin enough to pick up some of the Solartex fabric look through the vinyl.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> Cowl blisters – not too bad to apply, patience and practice.14 needed, I ordered 20 to have a few spare to practice with….. not too bad at all once a ‘method’ was established.Graphics I got were $85 – wheel pants, side stripes, cowl blisters (plus spares), N-numbers, Waco logos, plus a few “No Push”, “No Step”, etc…. seemed very reasonable to me.Plus Kirby is great to work with as far as sending a ‘proof’ with all color and dimensions clearly laid out to look at before cutting anything.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> Guess that’s about it – Thanks guys!</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Barry</div>