My BVM F-100 flew well without the tanks. I know not having the drop tanks is annoying, but why would that prevent you from maidening the plane? I've seen crashes from tanks coming off on maidens, so I wait until subsequent flights before loading up. Of course it's your plane and you can do what you want.

Regarding SM, have you tried contacting John, Skymaster's main customer service point of contact? His email address is: [email protected]