I finally finished assembling my Sky Raider Mach I ARF. I spent 30 plus hours on the assembly of it and getting everything set right (still working on the CG). The hardware package that comes with is pretty inclusive but the instruction manual is not worth a darn which is fairly typical from what I have heard. The control rods and servo horn attachements were junk, so I borrowed my Dad's z-bend pliers and installed them using z-bends and clevises. Seems like everything fought me along the way in that this didn't fit or the holes that were pre-drilled were a little off. Nothing that I didn't expect going into the build, but still frustrating nonetheless.

I had planned on maidening her this weekend but the winds around here didn't cooperate with that. I broke-in the engine yesterday and I have got to say, that I will never go back to electric flying again! I am hooked on glow/gas and that feeling of knowing that I assembled it, is hard to beat. I can only imagine what that will feel like when I start buidling in kit form, my next plane which will most likely be a Sig Somethin Extra. I

I hope the winds cooperate this weekend so I can maiden and enjoy my Mach I.

BTW, thanks to the guys who recommended the Dead Center tool for engine mounting. That solved my problems in about 15 minutes of time!

Will post pictures of completed plane here in the next couple of days.