GP Fundango - Any comments?
I had one and gave it away. I bought a Zagi, and it blows the wings off the Fundango. If I did another one, I'd try the following:
1. Use the lightest covering possible. Ultracote was too heavy.
2. Reduce the size of the vertical stab to about 75% of plans. WAY too much drag!
3. Get at least a cobalt, maybe even a brushless motor. Gear it no more than 3:1. Not 4:1 like recommended. and fly a 9x7E or the like. (call motor manufacturer to find out current draw with that prop to choose ESC)
4. Adapt servo mount to fit Cirrus CS-21 servos to save weight.
5. Try to find lighter batteries. Maybe even lithium. At a minimum smaller NiCads or Nickel Metals.
The plane was just too heavy. I used a 4:1 geared Graupner Speed 400 6v. Everything else was GP stuff. The only weight in the thing is really the covering and battery. It went together in a single building session. I'd have to guess frame time was only a few hours. The tail is laminated balsa (1/16) strips wrapped around a stick frame. It is very strong and light. The wing is as simple and light as can be. The fuse is a glass tube that needs only a touch of work to have ready. I would like to experiment with the heat shrink window film as a covering for this plane. It's not real tough, but it is light. Just an opinion.
Hope this helps.