RE: New Viper 500 RTC
To those considering getting into AMA 424 pylon racing:
The Viper is a PERFECT airplane to start out with! There are a few improvements that could be made, just like there are with every other ARF out there, but making the improvements is fun and just another part of the hobby.
And for those who say they have "moved" past the Viper - HA! We had a local race this weekend and we had Vipers in both 424 and 428 (where the improvements are a must). I have flown Vipers in our local 428 races for the past 3 years, leaving my composites at home (Vortex, VMaxs, Shotguns, Neme-Qs, Slingshot). I would say the Viper, when set up correctly, offers 90% of the flying quality of a composite at 20% of the cost. Most local racers are fine with this!
The ARC will allow me to make the minor improvements more easily, and since I enjoy recovering them anyway, I won't have to spend so much time stripping the covering off. And those who have stripped a Viper all know the red leaves too much adhesive behind compared to the white covering, especially at the wing center section.
Kurt