Hi Brian,
I just joined this group last month and will step to the plate to fill you in on what I have been so generously advised! These guys are great here and I owe them a lot. If I happen to miss any marks, I'm confident that they will step in and correct if necessary. But for now, I will do what I can to help. I have the UCD 46 as well as the EP. I have been flying the EP for several months now and the 46 is in progress. It would've been in the air by now if it hadn't been for the guys here in this thread. Their suggestions will give me much more pleasure when it comes time to actually fly this baby!

I'd say the general set-up around here is the Saito .82 4-stroke. I had bought the Great Planes suggested, OS Max .50 SX (not much bigger than a .40 size but with 1.8 bhp!) and I am told that it won't be enough, so it goes on my son's Four Star 40. Also popular is the Saito 100. I will most likely go with one of the four strokes, either the .82 or the 100 (not much difference in size, they will both fit inside the cowl) and they are able to produce their power at lower rpm's.

As for the dual elevators, I don' see why you couldn't link them together and avoid the two servos, as long as you have at least a 90 to 100 oz. torque servo. I haven't found anyone who has done it, but anything's possible. Otherwise, use two 50 oz. servos and a y-harness. I am going to go "full house" with mine howerver and use my Optic 6's Ailevon mixing ability (elevators work as normal but will also copy the ailerons when I do bank it). I have an Extra 300S with dual elevators and it's way cool! You can do killer torque rolls and flying/harrier rolls with both the ailerons and the elevators working together. I can do awesome rolls with my 300S and it never leaves it's line. It flies true and I don't have to mix rudder in or "two-thumb" it to get it to track straight.

Also, I was told that the stock pushrods are way too flimsy for this bird. Either upgrade to CF or larger wire rods or do what Raideron did and slide some CF tubing over the stock rods and CA them in place, he flies his with no problems at all. This will help to avoid flutter from the rods flexing in flight. They are pretty wimpy! Keep in mind, these guys are pushing these UCD's to perform at their upper limits. I have also been told that if just build it stock, even with my little OS .50 SX, that it will do most of what the other's will do, just not as easily or as impressively. I have considered going with what I have and getting used to the plane first at that level and then moving up in power (engine and servos) as I get used to the plane. However, I have owned this plane for two years and just started the build last month! After all that time, I figured I might as well get it all done first! I don't plan on doing anything less in the future and I have been wanting to go 4 stroke for a long time now anyway. I can always move the bigger works into another, better (not sure what that might be yet) plane down the road, right?

You might want to go back to about page 185 and on, and look for my first posts and you will see what they suggested I do. There are generous pics posted for most if not all the mods suggested. Some have added tail wires, almost all have reinforced the landing gear. I like the gjeffers method of drilling two holes from the wing opening to the exhaust ramp and epoxying two 4-40 rods there to anchor the gear block in better. Pictures are posted here in the last 5 or so pages somewhere, just follow the thread. This one is a MUST, as I have read about many UCD 46's losing their unmodified gear in flight! (not sure of the giant or the 60) I also have heard that some are placing washers on the left side of the motor mounts to add to the thrust line offset (about 3 degrees) , so that it will hover without the need to kick in the rudder. Other than that, it's just a matter of having decent servos (especially the rudder) and low rev power. Also make sure to seal up your hinge lines to avoid flutter getting into your control surfaces. And take to heart the fact that it is not a speed demon, it is one of the best (almost legendary now) 3d planes out there. I am looking at mine right now, it's all built and modified but I am awaiting a new powerplant (the Saito .82 or the 100) and some more precise and powerful servos (Hitec HS-605's look good to me for all but rudder which must be at least 90 oz.) than the JR 517/537's and Futaba 148/3003's I had laying around.

Like I said, these guys know what they're talking about, just perouse the thread a bit and most of all, have fun! You are bound to have nothing BUT that in the ownership of any U-Can-Do. Take heed in the uncountable years of experience shared in the thread and build it true and you will be espousing your thrill in flying that plane soon enough. I can't wait! I've been flying my Four Star 40, Seagull 300S .60, U-Can-Do EP and various gliders, foamies and 1/2A's for several years now and I have never been so excited about a plane! Nor have I exercised so much patience in getting everything just right, before flying a plane. I want to get everything I can out of this bird.

Hope this helped, and like I said, Ron. Barry and any of you other old farts that have been helping me out with information, if I missed anything or stated anything incorrectly, chime in and straighten me out! I know I don't have to ask, they are all great guys and are very willing to help out. They have so much fun with this plane that they bend over backwards to spread the word about what to do to improve on a plane that doesn't need much improvement! Fly with passion and let us know how things go for you. I hope you decide to get a UCD 46 or a 60 or a giant or an EP! Join the best thread in the RC Universe! Go see how many other threads have almost 200 pages. Not many! I am proud to be a member!

Do the "DO",
Blisster