Howdy
I brought the prototype 260 back to NZ after the Shootout. Have managed to get out and fly it a fair amount over the last month. After 8 years flying our own 260, I can say this one is awesome !!
So good that I ordered another.
Tracks better than my big 260. [X(] Snaps better than my big 260. [X(] What I noticed straight away is the way it exits the snaps. As soon as you let go of the sticks it stops instantly and gets right back on line. WHAM. No over rotation or wing wobbling afterwards, sometimes my bigger 260 does this if you don't quite nail it. Its got 3 x 8411's per ailerons. My big 260 only has a pair of 8511's per ailerons. This maybe why. Even half snap's are easier.
Knife edge is great. Yes it needs some mixing to stop it pushing to the belly, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm yet to measure the amount of up elevator I have in on the mix. Its probably about 10mm.
(Ha, couldn't resist that one, just for you imperial guys).
But what I really like is the minimal rudder to aileron mix it needs. Only 1% or 2%. My big 260's for some reason have always needed a lot of rudder to aileron mix to stop them rolling out of knife egde. And worse it needs more one way then the other. So when you try and do a really slow circle, like a one roller, this is a big problem because the rudder mix takes over in parts of the circle and you have to sometimes have to give opposite, or no aileron, to keep the roll rate constant. NO MORE OF THAT !! WOOHOO
After flying it for a while I felt the CG was slightly rearward. One day I was out flying and it was bloody windy, this is where rearward CG shows up. So I've moved the CG forward to 30% MAC (same as my big 260). This has made it even better all round.
3D stuff is great. The 260's mid wing means when you are hovering you don't need up elevator in all the time to keep it vertical.
I've got the DA-150 in it on a pair of MTW-110 cannisters. Power is good. I brought home a 3 blade 30x12.5 Mezlick prop to try, the noise level is amazing. So good that I'm able to fly it at my "noise sensitive" local club flying field 15 mins drive from my home. In the past all my TOC practice had to be done at a full size aerodrome miles and miles away because of the noise.
I expect to run the two blader in contests though. Remember I'm at sea level down here, so we always loose a bit of power when we come over the Shootout. For now I have enough power on the 3 blader to get through unlimited pattern.
The headers it had in it were a bit too short according to the measurements I got from DA. It was a bit peaky at the bottom end which was making 3D stuff and hovering a bugger. So I took the headers out last week and put in a set of cross over headers. Made a huge difference. Nice and smooth around the bottom end now. Much better in the hover.
So new 260 I ordered is now called the "Kiwi" scheme, and with a bit of luck it will get to NZ in January sometime. I have a set of full length Greve Pipes to go in this one.
If it went pissing down with rain today [>:], I'd be off to the field now to fly it some more.
Later,
Frazer