I'm truely amazed how you guys can build the Northstar at 6 1/2 lbs. I'm not a Northstar expert but I'm on my 2nd season with one and having a great time with it but mine weighs 8 1/2 lbs dry. The only additional weight I can think of was the 1/16" plywood on the bottom after I tore open the bottom on a hard landing. Surley that doesn't weigh 2 lbs. I too put my tank on the C/G with a mini servo in the tail for the throttle. All other servo's are as far forward as possible. I had to add 1 1/2 lbs of weight in the carved out nose to get it to balance on the correct C/G. Mine is powered with an OS SX 50 swinging a 11/8 prop.

As for flying it requires a long take off run, but once airborn its pretty fast and pretty much a handfull to fly : ie very touchy on the roll axis. My greatest joy is touch and go's on water thats glass smooth. Its an easy plane to land and when you greese them in, its a real crowd pleaser.

K.O.