RE: 40% 260 on a Diet
First of all thanks 260 Man for starting this thread. Also thanks Sensei for sharing your ideas and talent with the modeling community.
I started a 40% Carden Edge over three years ago. It was my first sheeted foam airplane and yes I did build one of the wings upside down, something about putting the top down or the bottom up, what ever, any way I didn't follow the instructions where it is plainly marked "Place top down". I was very upset with myself for the mistake and straight away ordered a new wing kit from Dennis. New wing arrived and the replacement balsa was so much heaver than the balsa that originally came with the plane that I lost focus on the build. I couldn't make myself use the replacement balsa so I set the project aside. After about four months my ambitions again arose so I decided to purchase new balsa and get along with the project.
I'll be the first to admit that a Carden flies great at 38 lbs but as I built this plane in the back of my mind this little voice keep saying “Build it to fly. Don't build it to survive a crash." As I completed the wood work I still couldn't make myself cover the plane. I kept thinking this thing has got to go on a diet. Not knowing what to do next I put it aside once more. And there it has sat for three years. I have been content buying and flying ARF until I stumbled across this thread.
Because of 260 man's thread and Sensei choosing to continue sharing his ideas when others may have "taken their ball and went home" has caused me to dust the old Drimel tool off with a renewed want to complete this aircraft. It won't be as light as Sensei's but it will be lighter than 38 lbs.
This thread hasn't been posted to in almost five months. So if you are reading this and you know 260 Man or Sensei please tell them thanks for the information that showed a fellow modeler what he needed to do to complete his well over due project.