Hey Jim - sure did. She's got just half the recommended dihedreal, actually a bit under that even, at 1.875", and I love it that way. There's no effort at all to keep her in whatever attitude, laterally, I want her. Of course, she won't "self correct" like a trainer should but I don't really care about that anyway - been flying too long to need anything like that anymore.
acdii - you're somewhat ahead of me with the aerobatics. I haven't tried inverted horizontal-8's yet, still getting used to lower level inverted flight actually - I'm somewhat more "conservative" than most in my flying (yeah, you can read that "chicken") and it takes a bit for me to get into inverted stuff. Shoot, I've been flying my Sr. Falcon (also built, back in 1974, with the wing nearly flat, just .75" lift at the tip) for 40 years and I'm just now getting truly comfortable with her down low on her back.
I've tried outside loops and she ALMOST makes it through them - not enough down elevator yet. Actually, the controls are mostly set the way the plans called for - ailerons have more throw though - and I'm pretty happy with that so far. I'm sure they'll get more throw as the summer goes on. Hmmmmmmm, hold one ...
Yeah, thought so. I just went down to the shop to see if my suspicions were right, and they are. My elevator trim (transmitter) is set full forward and she's flying like I want most of the time. Need to adjust the rod, a fair amount shorter to I can "center" the transmitter trim, then I need to move the location on the horn. Elevator & rudder horn are both at the center hole - need to bring the elevator in one hole closer for more throw. Both elevator & rudder have the servo-side of the rod at the outside hole already.
That's a problem of getting older, no memory worth speaking of. I'll see something at the field that needs to be addressed and by the time I'm home, I've forgotten it completely. Just now made a note to myself to correct it tonight.
You're right - for a "supposed" basic trainer the Kadet is amazing when you tweak things a bit. She CAN be flown by a rank novice, and yet she can also do the most amazing things. Love the plane, love the design (which is why I just retired my original 1973 plane this past winter).
Hmmmm, you've got a definite issue with the sticking rudder control-rod. I'm assuming you're using something like the Sullivan flex rods - you might try what I did with the Sr. Falcon some time back. I had an issue with the rudder sticking and I rolled up a bit of 400-grit carburundum paper and pushed it through the rod at each end a few times. Worked like a charm - haven't had a problem since. Must have been a burr somewhere in there that was catching.
My wife was at the field this weekend (a true rarity) and, while I was doing the hair-pin horizontal-8 turns, she made the comment that it'd be interesting to see just how slow the plane could go. She was wondering if it could do things like her favorite plane (the USMC Harrier) can do. I told her this one couldn't but another might be more able to - and she was actually receptive to that (which came as a bit of a surprise to me). I'm actually thinking about the Sr Sport EG - with interlinked flaps & slats, & barn door ailerons, powered by something like an inverted OS FS-62V four-stroke. Set-up right, she should be a definite STOL, maybe getting into the Fiesler Storch class of performance if I do it right. Might actually make a great winter-build.
Any thoughts?