I'm new to this thread, but I just built a UCD 60 powered by a Saito 1.0--definitely NOT overpowered. I have about 70 minutes on it. I don't fly it "fast," not the purpose for this bird, but I WAS hoping it would be as acrobatic as my Twists (one with a .45 Super Tigre; one with a Saito 82a, love them both). The UCD is NOT that acrobatic, my opinion, but I'm still learning from the new bird. Admittedly, there's a different grace to it. And I'm learning to overcome my prejudices for the Twists. I flew all three of them tonight.

My question is how do you QUIET the damned thing? The resonance off the UCD's monokote wing sounds like someone beating it with a cat o' nine tails. All of my birds have unique sounds in the air: the Dart whistles, the Uproar and Big Stik whisper, and the Twists sometimes reverberate almost as badly as the UCD 60, but NONE of them is as noisy as the UCD. [I've put heat on the wing to tighten the monokote, no help. And it is NOT a problem of vibrating control surfaces--it happens on the table, where I can see it. The space between the ailerons and the wing is the thickness of one sheet of paper.]

The prop (14 x 6) and spinner are well balanced, and checked again. Any ideas? I CAN learn to live with the sound, but I'd rather not. It gets between me and the beautiful sound of that Saito.

Question #2: anyone have over-heating problems with a Saito and the UCD's cowling? This Saito 1.0 was previously on a Hangar 9 P-51D. In the 5th flight the Saito, with cowling, quit as I was about to turn upwind on approach. The lost power did me in: no speed, and not enough altitude to recover. That was the FIRST time that Saito quit in the air. My only reasoning was it overheated. I have YET to put the cowling on the UCD because of worries re: overheating--and when I change to a 15 x 8 prop, probably tomorrow, I STILL won't have that cowling on--and when I DO put the cowling on, I'll richen the mixture--to probably 9300 rpm. It's now at 9500-9600. Any comments?

About the UCD landing gear: I can see how they might come off if you landed badly--and it would mean rebuilding the whole front fuse if you did. So... what's so bad about learning to land with grace and aplomb? The UCD lands (and floats) like a dream. I flew tonight in 23 mph gusts--no problem. AND I had one flame out--when I got so excited flying I forgot about looking at my flight clock. Ran out of fuel! 'Twas the best landing of the evening. If you can't land the UCD without taking the wheels off, you've done something very wrong with the CG--or you are beyond your skills. Someone else said it: if you have a problem, look in the mirror. And there's your teacher, too. In the mirror. The teacher MUST be honest. As for me? I try not to use the wheels at all. Flying is not about "rolling," hm?

But we make mistakes, I know. So, if we can't learn from our mistakes, why make them?

Jack