You've been most generous and I've copied your instructions.<div>
</div><div>The problem isn't with my Spectra per se - indeed Im doing my best to spare it the fate of the Odyssey. It was my first and only attempt at balancing an airplane. May I share my horror?</div><div>
</div><div>My Futaba is a fine thing. Just under $400 about 6 years ago. Its sat idol since "the horror". The Odyssey is a cheap constant chord wing junky thing. You don't have to have any appreciable experience to realize its junk and it was reflected in the price.  Nevertheless I took it to a park realizing it'll be a simple matter - just toss it and see what needs trimming. Oh and if its having trouble - well just pour on the power!!!! I was extremely impressed with the howling wind it created on my test-bench dining room table. Infact it was scarey powerful. </div><div>
</div><div>What a relative term.</div><div>
</div><div>So I put my thumbs under the wing roughly where the spar is - yeaaahhhhh - that'll do.  Afterall if its off Ill just elevator my way out of the mess one way or another! </div><div>
</div><div>Right?</div><div>
</div><div>I test all my control surfaces - the rudder and elevator whir with response . This is going to be good.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>With that I level the elevator out and toss it...</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>I gave it a healthy throw and it soared up a few feet the came crashing down.</div><div>
</div><div>Huh?</div><div>
</div><div>Ok ok a little down elevator thee wings obviously have a lot of lift!</div><div>
</div><div>Crash. Ok it went a but and again nosed in.</div><div>
</div><div>Oh to hell with this. Ill power through it...</div><div>
</div><div>I had it at full throttle whereby it was tossed and made a nice angled line straight into the ground. There was no pulling out of it. </div><div>Elevators didn't do anything.</div><div>
</div><div>Ok Ill toss it up a little more maybe it needs a little angle help on launch.</div><div>
</div><div>It popped up and peaked about ten feet away then went straight down again.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>At this point Im wishing two things...</div><div>
</div><div>1. I had wheels for a rolling take off and to hell with tossing it.</div><div>2. I shoulda got an RC sailboat and screw flight.</div><div>
</div><div>I tried a few more times but I realized I hadn't a clue as to what was wrong and power and elevators were no save wharsoever. I ended up breaking my motor mount and folding propeller. </div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>I bought a new prop a month later after the disappointment wire off. This time I thought I had it balanced in my kitchen. Someone told me your finger tips at the right point will let you know if its balanced. It looked fine to me.</div><div>
</div><div>I went to the park again with the same results though this time I folded the enterprise in half and shoved it in the local garbage can at the park and swore off the endeavor. </div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>To this day I have no idea if it was nose heavy or tail heavy. No clue. It'd either shoot up and stall then auger in or do a powered flight line into the ground 30 feet away despite up elevator and full power. </div><div>Because of my brute ignorance the Spectra I built from a kit has sat idly on a shelf. I can't throw 80hours of work into the local garbage and with nary a clue as to what the heck was happening.</div><div>
</div><div>I still don't get it. If its tail heavy it'll pop fly and stall every time. But under power it drills a hole into the ground in a straight line  30 feet away. It can't be tail heavy and not climb. But if its nose heavy how could it pop up and then crash sometimes? I'd feel better if I could say the battery was shifting but it wasn't the case.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>So here I am my Spectra afraid of me and me afraid of it. </div><div>
</div><div>So there you go - my horror. Fueled with arrogance and naïveté . </div><div>
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</div><div>Pete</div>