Ben, I will have to let Bryan answer those questions as I do not have any info on the Shinden at hand. I do know that it is taller due to the landing gear and the vertical fin is larger. Measured in a three point stance from the floor, the nose at the spinner is 17", the top of the canopy is 21", and the top of the fin is 18.5." I hope that gives you enough information to help.

Flight report part two: I have only five flights on the plane so far due to having only four flight packs at this time. However, it is really noticeable how this plane locks into a flight path unless you are like me and tend to input corrections that are not needed. If you point the plane and let go of the sticks it will keep flying until you do input some other commands. The vertical up lines are straight, vertical down lines tend to slightly pull out because of the incidence, but I am not going to mix them out, too minor of a correction. I had to reduce the aileron throw, because Bryan flys with the controls much more sensitive than I do. Consecutive rolls are smooth and require very little rudder input as long as the energy is up slightly beyond half throttle. Slow rolls are easy to control and you can get really slow with them. 5-seconds is easily achievable if the power setting is good. Stall turns are unreal and with enough rudder the plane will pivot very smoothly and there is no pendulum as long as you get off the rudder soon enough during the pivot. Inverted flight takes just a touch of down if the CG is set correctly. Snap rolls and spins are not in my sequence this year so I have not set-up to perform those maneuvers. Power is easy to control and I still have to tune the throttle curve as the plane tends to accelerate when I pull to vertical or 45-degree up lines and add full throttle. I may just learn to live with it and not add full throttle unless I need to for some reason.

Landings are generally my weak point. I have been flying two Episodes this last season and the planes tend to float and carry on past the selected touch down point. Other times the plane quits flying when you are not ready and I tend to bounce it pretty good. This plane is completely different and slows down almost immediately when you throttle back to idle which makes the touch down point much easier to predict. I find I am holding more power on final and gradually bleeding the throttle off as the plane nears the runway. Make no mistake about it though, this plane will fall out of the sky (straight ahead, no tip stall visible) if you let it, but responds more predictably when you add power if you are too high. Saved it several times today.I am still adjusting control throws, CG, expo, etc. and generally tend to do that all year depending on the conditions where I am flying. Flew in a rather brisk crosswind today, but rudder held the plane in the box with very little input. I am definitely going to be happy with this plane. I solicit any comments and suggestions that you all have to help improve my flying.

Sheldon