I maidened my 66" Extra last week and was pretty pleased with its performance with a Saito 100. I believe I was a bit tail heavy but that has been fixed with the 5-cell NiMh battery almost up to the firewall beneath the tank!

Takeoff was great and I did a little flying around on low rates. It needed only a click or two of trim on the elevator and ailerons. Slow speed performance was good and the plane did not snap when it stalled. I haven't experimented with high-speed snap (using hi-rate on elevator).

Landing - The plane was easy to line up and control on landing. Dropped the throttle and it came in nicely. Apparently, I did not have quite enough speed and it simply stopped flying (stalled) about a foot and a half above the ground. It just dropped out of the air without dropping a wing and thumped down right on the landing gear. These things seem to need a little more speed on landing and have to be flown into the ground. I'm sure that the slightly tail-heavy condition of the plane didn't help!

The main landing gear splayed out a bit and the tailwheel wire snapped. Also broke a wood 15 x 6 prop. The gear bent back easily and I already have replaced the tailwheel. Haven't had a chance to fly it since then.

I think it will be a very good plane once I get it set up properly and get used to it.

Ross