RE: Sig Li'l Rascal wing modification
The prop I am using is the GWS 8060 which is a 8 inch prop. I'm also running larger wheels to get the prop off the ground a bit more since I fly out of dirt lots and short grass soccer fields. The itty bitty stock wheels are only suitable for smooth pavement or a basketball court.
You may notice that I also modified the wing and this has made a major difference in the way the plane takes off, lands and handles at low speeds. It will still spin and tip stall but not as easily.
The plane isn't as pretty at the stock version, but at least the larger wing justifies the $100.00 cost of the factory ready to fly plane.
My latest flying session with the plane was yesterday and with a 12 mph breeze it was just fine in the air and rose from the ground and landed nicely. Climb out with the larger wing and prop is about 30 degrees. Landings are slower with the larger wing which makes the plane less vulnerable to damage as it contacts the ground.
The larger wing improved the center of gravity a bit and that's good because it was very marginal before.
The plane still sounds like a tree chipper with that gear box, but at least it's a reliable flyer now. I have not done too many aerobatics with the Rascal but inverted flight and some snap rolls were easy to achieve, even with the larger wing.
My li poly battery gives me about 20 minutes of activity including repeated landing and take cycles. The stock tail skid on the plane is useless...it broke loose on the 2nd landing. I've made up a stronger one.
I'm willing to bet a dollar that Sig will modify the wing soon in response to user comments. Adding a little more area to the wing could be done without wrecking the nice "look" of this model and customers will be more satisfied.
The landing gear is also rather weak, and I've bolstered that, too. My all up weight is 9.2 oz which is at the top of the published limit by Sig.
I really like the red and white colors...the plane is very visible in the air.