RE: New Dragon Lady ARF
Greetings.
I agree with all the positive comments made of the DL.
Mine is ARF #39, purchased from Aero-tech hobbies in North Canton, Ohio for $155 + $8 shipping.
I ripped off all the covering, re-shaped the tail feathers, sheeted the aft deck with balsa, added a blackened canopy and SIG wheel fairings, then re-covered in monokote. Main wheels are Dubro 3", tailwheel GP 1 1/2" with a Dubro bracket and my own 3/32 wire.
I used a 3/32 wire to connect the elevator halves after lengthening the fusilage 1 1/2". Both the elevator and rudder servos are located at the rear, almost opposite one another. One Hitec 475 servo is used for the ailerons and works beautifully. The engine is an old Magnum .91 with a J'Tec pitts style muffler ( a mistake-- I should've bought the Bisson) a SonicTronics 310 plug using 7 1/2 % Morgan Omega fuel. This swings a MA 14 x 6 or APC 13 x 8 prop at 11,400 to 11,700 rpm. That's too fast. I'll try the APC 15 x 6 tomorrow.
Total weight came to 9 pounds 6 ounces and balanced both ways with a 1100 mAh battery along the left side of the fuel tank. Incidently, the fuel tank is 14 oz. from a Kyosho 232 Cap 60.
Notable is the fact the wing weighs 2 pounds, 11 ounces!! And it is not sheeted with balsa as the ads state; it appeared to be Obeche, but the product manager at Global tells me it's a wood native to southern China...Monokote will not readily iron onto it. The airfoil design is symmetrical at 16 1/2 %, and except for the "hook" mount, it is the same as the GP Big Stik 60 which I'll use as a replacement and save 1 1/2 pounds.
All in all, it is an exceptionally good model with excellent performance and will knife edge with no roll coupling! After the wing change is made, I may go to a GMS .76 ($82) with a Bisson Muff and save even more weight. The GMS will swing a APC 11 x 8 at 10,700 on my test stand, and I expect even faster once it is fully broken in.
Regards,
DrGO