I have a Flight Model 28% 50cc Katana S thats ready for maiden. Peakmodel sells an updated version of this plane currently, however I bought mine several months ago from another vendor. I love the looks of this plane, .. but the manufacturers have to be absolutely retarded for doing this: .... Instead of writing their own manual for the kit .... they simply photocopied the manual for World Models 29% Katana! Now, .. mind you ... mine is a 28% Katana. 80" span versus 84" span. Absolute nothing ... not one thing in that manual they supplied applies to this airplane. I equate this to going to the Jeep dealership and buying a Grand Cherokee ... and the dealer hands you a manual to a Ford Explorer![:@]

Anyways ..the World Models Katana has fairing fillets on both the leading edge and the trailing edge. The manual clearly illustrates with arrows that CG is measured from the beginning of the leading edge fillet where root meets fuselage. Well ... the Katana I have doesn't even have leading edge fairing fillets! The 7 7/8" that its calls for would give me an extremely uncontrollable model!

So, ... I went back to my scratch building days and plotted and calculated my own CG range by finding the Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) and then measuring back from the leading edge to find 30 -33% of the chord for a balance range. I double checked my calculations and found them to be accurate by using 2 different online CG Calcualtors. I wanted a rearward CG, and was shooting for 33%. 33% represents 6.18" measured at root rib from leading edge. I am actually at 34% ... a little over what I wanted. Everthing is very neatly locked down. Everything I fly, I try to target 33%. I'm skilled and I don't see a real prob with a maiden at 34%. .. Your thoughts?