I would be stunned if the lifting area of the fuse isn't taken into account for the wing area of the plane. It actually is wing area, as it is doing work. Also, bathroom scales are very inacurate at the lower end of the scale. What battery pack are you using? Joe is right above, taking just a little out of the tail will help with the balance and allow you get a lot of that weight out of the plane. I'd believe a few ounces over with choice of equipment is possible, but everything I've ever seen from Piedmont is the highest quality and I think every Focus 2 I've seen has come out right at the weight they suggested. I think you will be very happy with the way the plane flies. I would switch to an APC prop though. It will give you significantly better performance, and also would add useable weight to the nose.

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