Hello all! After a lot of research I just bought my first rc plane, a Graupner Tipsy. I have a background in aviation and I am a pilot, so I understand the basic concepts of flight rather well.

I decided on the Tipsy because of its ability to glide, it's long duration flights, and because it looks like a very stable platform for me to learn on. I understand it has some flaws, such as the wings bending up under stress, the Speed 280 motor is underpowered in some conditions, and if I hit the ground nose down it could break the tail boom. I have already addressed the underpowered problem by ordering the Speed 280 Sport, which is said to provide 5 ounces of thrust instead of the standard 280's 3. I understand this increase in power will apply more stress to the wing, so I would like to reinforce the wing. I've heard some people say to run some tape from one end of the wing to the other, but I fail to see what that would do to reinforce the wing. Personally, I was thinking of running a thin strip of balsa wood along the top of the wing, at least up to the dyhidrals. I'm also thinking of reinforcing the tail boom. However, I would only want to do that if it was extremely light and not interfering with the planes sleek aerodynamics.

Any insight on how to achieve my goals would be greatly appreciated!!!

Jay