I have a question about the focus. I am thinking on getting the arc. How is the elevator servo mounted? i heard that both the rudder and elevator are mounted side by side, and that doesnt sound very good. Is the elevator just set up with a rod with a y at the end? any ideas of using mini metal gear servos on each elevator half in the tail, and pull pull cable on the rudder? any info would be great, and those who run the YS engines, which header and pipe and mounts did you use? how does the plane balance with the YS engines vs the 1.40 2 strokes? thanks!

I'm just finishing a focus.. The elevator is an arrowshaft pushrod that is supported by a bushing in the tail, and a bushing about 2/3 of the way to the servo. Has a Y in the back. Makes for a pretty good setup for minimal cash outlay (all is included). You probably could put 2 smaller servos in the tail, but you'd have to stand them up somehow, b/c the fuse is pretty narrow back there. The plans call for the elevator and rudder servos to be next to each other, but I mounted mine inline, with the rudder servo deeper in the fuse than the elevator. Both are on center. Rudder is pull-pull per the instructions (which can be downloade on the website).

As far as balance, I have an OS 1.60 on mine (33 OZ), roughly the same weight as a YS. The Focus is pretty flexible on CG, because the engine box is a slip fit into the fuse, so you can set the balance pretty well by shifting the engine forward or back when you are gluing things together. Lee Davis (of Piedmont) told me to shift the engine box back about 3/4 of an inch from stock to compensate for the heavy OS. He was just about right.

Kit quality of the ARC is pretty good. I went over mine with some 400 grit and a tack cloth and started covering.

I have a Focus ARF, and I assume the servo setups are the same as the ARC. The elevator has a pushrod with a "Y" at the end, and the rod rides in a bearing at the rear of the fuselage - not a bad setup if you get it aligned fairly well - pushrod needs to be just under the pipe tunnel. The instructions suggest putting the servos side by side, but I like both of them centered so I put the rudder servo under the elevator servo and they're both centered. I used a wheel - pull pull on the rudder. The system used for the rudder control horn (a bolt through the rudder near the hinge line) results in some slack in the cable during deployment, so a cable ty on each side of the wheel to hold the cable in place keeps it from jumping off the wheel. As far as using a servo in each stab half, I don't think they are thick enough to house a servo. Maybe you could put one on each side of the fuselage under the stab for each elevator. I've done it both ways on different airplanes and I like them in the stab.

Actually, the setup as decribed in the instructions is pretty well thought out and isn't too bad. The only change I made was centering both servos, one over the other.

i appreciate the info! so would you rate the plane as good? any wing alignment issues others have spoken about?

I give the Focus ARF a hearty thumbs up. For the money I think it's the best deal out there. It's apparent that a lot of thought has gone into it, and there isn't anything "wrong" with it. We all have our favorite ways to do things, and so do the guys who designed and build the Focus. This is my first venture into the 2 meter arena and so far I really like the Focus.

Mine right wing was misaligned slightly. It was about a 30 minute fix to straighten it out, though. Not a big deal at all. Just cut the fuse socket loose and re-glue if you have to. Don't let that stop you from buying one of these.. It's a great kit.

I have a focus with a YS FZ2 and a hatori pipe.

Why don't you use a MK Bellcrank?? This give all the support from the rear with no give in the evevator halves... best solution I think..