Shayne, hows the Long EZ coming? Mine is just about ready to fly. I have everything in place, and I did install a nose gear retract. I studied up on the real LongEZ on a few web sites. Hoped it would give me something to help understand the plane more. The only thing that stood out was an article on the stance of the aircraft at takeoff weight. I have noticed that when balanced at the point shown there is a lot of weight on the nose gear. I suspect it takes some airspeed to get the canard to lift. The article I read on the full size LongEZ said it should sit slightly nose high or it may result in an exsesively long TO roll. I'll try and get some pictures posted of the retract intallation . It realy was quite simple and I used a mechanical nose gear and standard servo to retract it. I just had to cut out some belly material to clear the strut and wheel. Heck it needs nose weight anyway may as well be functional. I have an OS FX46 in it and futaba super 8 radio. I bought a Pitts style muffler that fits the Magnum 46, but it also fits the OS perfectly. Its small and the can rotates so the exhaust outlets can be pointed to the rear. Most Pitts mufflers angle the exhaust to the rear of a nose mounted engine and that points them forward on a rear mounted one.

Keep this thread going so we can exchange ideas. One i have is to replace the rear steel wing rod with a carbonfibre one to reduce a little tail weight.


Pete