Keith,

by the way, the answer to your RCG question above on the related thread is in post #24 here... I designed this plane specifically with the new RE offerings on the market today in mind.

Will,

thanks for your kind comments and interest in the Brushfire re-design. I do indeed expect it to loose 8 oz at the very least. My goal is for it to be ready to fly at 7.5 lbs with an additional pound of fuel for an 8.5 lb model on takeoff. I've been concerned with the weight factor to the point where I'm now thinking I have to reinforce the front end for the monster power RE engines available today. I'm thinking something simple like what was often done with the engine mounting in MK kits where two of the formers are tied together with HW beams which in turn extend into the cowl area to mount the engine on. In my case, I'll simply tie two of the formers together with 1/8 or 3/16" ply rails. The engines will be mounted on radial mounts.

I should mention that my re-design included a slight scale up of the model as well as plug-in wings. The model is 60.5" long and has a span of 66.5". This scaling puts the plug in wing panels at the spec 858 squares of the original. Out of curiosity, what are you thinking in terms of span for the Jett 120? It seems that no matter how big I make them, you need them bigger! Maybe you should put that Jett into the MK Chipmunk...

I'm continuing with development and many subtle changes as my thinking of it evolves. One thing is certain though - I specifically want this to be a wood built fuse as it will offer several conveniences that I feel would be hard to achieve with a shell type fuse such as one made of glass. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered with it. I'll have some further news on it before years end.

David