RE: Brodak Pathfinder- Any Lessons Learned Out There ??
Steve,
I've been flying a Pathfinder in P-40 and PAMPA Advanced and Expert on the Midwest contest circuit for the last four years. I use an LA .40 and have flown in all kinds of weather conditions. If your Pathfinder weighs under 50 ounces then the LA .40 should be enough power.
The center of gravity on the plans is a little conservative. I use some tail weight. The amount you need will depend on your flying preference.
I use 2° thrust wedges under the engine lugs. To eliminate a tendency to be a little loose overhead I added about 1/4 inch rudder offset and that fixed the problem.
The control thows for the flap/elevator are set per the plans and work fine. The leadouts are adjusted to exit the wing where they are shown exiting on the plans.
Mine doesn't exhibit any hunting tendencies but you need to make sure the controls/hinges/etc are free from any binding. I also sealed the hinge line gap on both the flaps and elevators with UltraCote (the plane is covered with UltraCote and the fuse is painted with LusterKote).
I know you mentioned a preference for running a 4-2-4 type engine run. However, I've found my LA .40 runs best just leaned out from a 4 cycle into a two cycle. This normally yields an rpm about 11,200 with an APC 10.5 x 4.5 prop.
Hopefully this information will be of assistance. Enjoy your Pathfinder.
DennisV