I'll open it up with my original maiden flight report. Ahhh, the memories!

"10\24\2004

I took my recently completed VF Edge 540 out for it's maiden flight yesterday afternoon. The weather was absolutely perfect and the wind was an easy 5-10mph straight down the runway from the south. After solving a minor problem on the ground involving the fuel lines, I was able to get the Saito 120 started, and minor adjustments to the mix had it purring like a kitten (only it had that funny little blurble that a rich 4 stroke is famous for). Vertical test showed no hesitation, and transition in both axis was flawless.

Takeoff - Easing into the throttle the tail lifted easily and a smidge of right rudder had her tracking straight and true. The grass runway was no problem for the supplied 2.5" foam wheels during this phase of the flight. Liftoff was within 100' at 3/4 throttle using the 15x8MAS prop. The aileron trims were a bit further out of line than one would like, but it was manageable and under control in no time. Elevator trim was a mere two clicks down from neutral. All in all, an easy takeoff and trim session. Most of the flight was kept at 3/4 throttle or less due to the power of the 120. All throws were set to recommended, and low rates were used for all but a short period (more on that in a moment).

Flight - After the trim session was completed I remained on low rates and tried a few simple maneuvers. Loops were a bit large but stable on the recommended low rate throws. Elevator sensitivity was noted in all maneuvers. Rolls were very axial, even on low rates and very little altitude was lost during the 3-roll run. High rates were tested as well on the same tricks. On high, the loops got very tight, btu the elevator is extremely snappy. Rolls were awesome and stable throughout. No altitude loss was noted on high rates during the 3-roll run. At this time, I tried my first Cuban-8. WOW! Easy as pie! Both sides were completed in the same manner and right on target for entry and exit altitude. Back to low rates now, as my heart needs a break from the excitement. Satisfied with my first sortie, I decided it was time to bring her in.

Landing - Hmmm....Where to start? My first approach proved unusable and was aborted. Glide path was extremely long as the Large Edge floated by at a blisteringly high speed, even at idle. Second attempt proved much better than the first. I extended the final approach, and cut the power sooner in the landing pattern (about halfway through the downwind leg). The turn onto final was completed at a lower altitude as well. And, although the landing still felt a bit hot, it settled down on the grass runway and eased to a stop before reaching the end of the 300' strip. No tendency to tip was noted as I used full up elevator (low rates) to taxi back to myself through the 1-2" grass.

Conclusion - I am impressed! Vectorflight has done thier homework, and produced a spectacular airplane. For those of you who don't like ARF's, I challenge you to try a VF plane. For the unheard of low price, the supplied equipment is very usable, and the kit is extremely well constructed. After only a few flights now, I am convinced in the quality of the VF products and will be saving for another ASAP! "