RE: 157" Discus Glider
Very Difficult to balance on the center of lift. Canopy is not scale and is flimsy. Tail-post was not epoxied in well and had to be re-done, adding weight to the tail. Wing tips are not a good fit. Very strong Fuselage and wings, nice fiberglass fuse, wings are true and resilient, but the airbrakes are not flush in the surface of the wing. Flying stabilizer pivot block was crooked, and the stab had to be shimmed. Design calls for a servo in the tail to acuate the flying stab, should be a cable or pushrod to keep the tail light.
Overall, a very pleasant looking and airworthy plane, but some flaws in design and manufacture. An experienced builder would find this ARF a great project starting point. I have yet to fly the Discus 4 meter ship, since my field is too small. I think the airbrakes need work, operation and also in that the profile doesn't seem to have effectiveness on a ship this size and weight. They may not slow the ship much. I may incorporate mixing on the ailerons to provide flap or "crow" deflection of the ailerons to slow the ship for landing. This plane could be difficult to land, and landing fields are few and far between, and a modeller on the ground must usually land near himself, just to be able to see the plane well enough to maintain the ships attitude close to the ground, considering ground effect, and it's my opinion that the approach may have to be very, very long. [sm=thumbup.gif]