Photo of my Super Pacer, landing at my first SPA event. The caption isn't quite correct - I wasn't the winner. The guy who took the photo, and photo-shopped it, got the information wrong.

Plane flies very straight and true, just like a pattern plane should. It's a little underpowered with a .25 in the nose. A .32 with a pipe would pull it along much better. It flies OK with the .25, but requires full throttle nearly all of the time, except on the down side of a loop, etc...

Hitec 225 servos in each wing, and nestled into the fuse sides for the tail feathers. Hitec 205 on throttle. By today's standards, the plane is a little (or a lot) heavy. I could build a second one an easily knock six to eight ounces off the weight. I built it pretty much per the plans, only changing the tail feathers to sticks instead of planks. Could take half the ribs out of the wing and be fine. Replace the spruce spars with hard balsa. The fuse sides could be lightened considerably. Use built-up 'rons instead of solid stock, reduce the length (inside the wing) of the landing gear wire by 3". There's like 6 inches of wire buried in the wing, and 3 inches sticking out. Use lighter wheels.

I would make the wing peg, in the front of the wing, a little larger in diameter, and a little longer, and locate the peg slightly higher in the wing. Fitting the canopy wasn't fun. I think if I built a second one, I would glue the hatch on the front, and not make it easily removeable. I don't see the need, honestly. Would make the canopy fit much better. I used chrome spray paint inside the canopy, but it turned out a primer grey color. I was a little disappointed by that. I wanted the chrome look.

I love the looks of the plane. I covered it in the 1960's scheme, trying to duplicate the box cover. The bottom of the wing is what I call the classic "dave brown" checkerboard with three large red and three large white checks. Very visible, good looking in the air.

What was cool, though, is that I met the guy that built the ORIGINAL prototypes of both the Pacer and the Super Pacer. I wish I had gotten a photo of him, and his name.... but didn't have my camera, and didn't think about it until later. We talked for a good 20 minutes about the airplane, etc...

I had a great time flying SPA. Would like to try it again, if there is an event closeby.

Doug