ORIGINAL: viflyer
I recently bought a Fun Fly -40 from Chief Aircraft and I have to tell you, I can't believe the junk that is on the market these days. From reports from other guys I figure it will fly OK but the design is so poorly thought out, the hardware is junk, nothing fits. I am a pretty good builder and MODIFIER but why should I pay good money for a SO CALLED ARF when I have to spend SO Much time fixing this companies crap!!! Why is it even out there on the market? Why are dealers selling this stuff when they surely know the item is basically DEFECTIVE. I think we are all a bunch of suckers out here. We buy these planes and then we pat ourselves on the back for having the skill to fix all the problems we should never have had to fix in the first place. No tail skid or wheel either!! What trash.
Yeah I agree that the plane will not go together as supplied but if you work through it it does fly pretty nice. Here are the main fixes needed.
1) Engine blind nuts will not go in since there is triangle stock in the way. Fix. Make some 45 degree angle adaptors out of ply that will give the blind nut a surface to sit on.
2) Put the throttle tube right next to the inside wall of the fuse so the tank fits in. Cut a little half circle into the main former so the throttle tube doesn't get pinched by the gas tank. This is a must.
3) Put the rudder servo on top of the fuse. There isn't enough space for the elevator and rudder servos inside the fuse. Plus you get a perfectly centered pull pull system.
4) The fin needs to be raised using 3/16 balsa stock. Glue the balsa onto the bottom of the fin and later sand it to the correct height and glue the entire fin into the fuse. Slide triangle stock balsa inside the fuse from the back on the bottom of the fin to make it stronger. Use epoxy.
5) Cut off part of the rudder so it doesn't hit the elevator control horn and control surface.
6) Use a piece of balsa and CA to hold the tank in place. It just fits and needs to be held in or it will push on the wing.
7) Cut a piece of scrap music wire and bend it into a tail skid. Put a "U" in it and use two screws with CA hardened holes to screw into.
Doesn't stear and I don't care. Works fine.