OK guys,
Still loving this bird.... Straightened out the tail a little and the rudder is better in knife edge. Less coupling but still some... Nothing like my Gemini though... Also took away some of the snap too. I have added throw mechanically to all surfaces and we'll see how she does tomorrow. I had to work on her anyway. ... ... ... LOL
After an afternoon at the field with the gang we went to LHS and picked up some parts, and a BNF sukhoi xp..... Then went to a BBQ.
After a few games of volleyball we went to a park that's just up the street ... Wanting to show a friend my planes because he never has made it to the field we fly at, I maidened the Sukhoi and flew the Extra, as my Gemini was out of commission. Well, I learned a lesson... never compromise on your flying sites... I could have gotten away with the bipe cause it slows down nice and floats in like it has air brakes, and I'm comfy with it.... The extra is fast and this place was too small...like 1 ball field size. Normal site is huge and open, and normal park is a square field with a baseball diamond in each corner, It's like 150 yds or more square and is the smallest I will take the Extra to from now on. On a practice approach I decided I needed a longer leg, and misjudged the power line at the edge of the park. Hit it in a shallow left turn with the left wing. Spun in from about 30ft. It hit hard, damaged the spinner and cowl, broke the prop, bent gear and broke the servo arm on the wing ( I think that might have been the power line)
This bird is tough, airframe held up amazingly, I replaced prop. Glued cracks on cowl and spinner, repaired foam where battery enlarged the front of the tray...LOL and happened to have the correct servo horn in my box.... gave her the once over and she appears good to go... and don't look bad either.... YAY.. I don't have to wait till monday!!! I do plan to get another spare prop. and try an 11x5.5 I'd also like a new spinner and cowl... and I think one LHS has most of the parts already...
At the ball fields I usually fly at, if you make the circuit/pattern at just enough power to maintain level, but let the plane descend slowly as you circle, and make your last turn near the far end ot the park. As long as you are down to 30ft or so... there is plenty of room to line up... bring it down to the far edge of the infield and cutt power and land.... if you keep to much speed/power she'll go long... and too slow and she'll pancake into the grass just outside the infield.... but I got 5 perfect landings down the second base line last night...
I'm working hard to learn the approach for all my planes with gear, and to build it into habit to fly em down, and only cut power to glide just at or before touch down.... this makes it smoother for me... and is just good practice.... if you get it down and rolling it'll stop unless you came in really hot, and you can steer it before it hist the fence if you're going fast too.... but I still like the large field better. The Gemini is great here though....... as I can land it just about wherever I want, It will be my spot lander at the fly-in on the 10th&11th if I can get a motor...
Poor Gemini exited an inverted flat spin at 12ft and needed 15...LOL Rusty pilot forgot to roll out and pulled hard elev.... pancaked it into weeds hard at full power. flipped on it's top and screeeeeeeched the black smoke out of the motor..... after I got home I went to check motor once out of the plane and sure enough it was bad,.... smoked my speedo.....LOL I got a new 40A speedo in there and no motor was in stock today.... so I gotta try the HobbyPartz.com Alpha (e-flite park 480 clone) or get ahold of the don for a new KDA as the LHS is only getting Zippy LiPo's lately and I have no Paypal to order from HC..... Elapor was unscathed, the plane would have flown away after being retrieved from the weeds had the motor not siezed..... Gotta love fun down on the deck.... the stryker ate weeds and lost a controll surface as well today.... 3 for 3 except the maiden..... OH THE WONDERS OF FOAM!!!!!

Ended up getting the Micro Sukhoi, so I will be having practice sessions more often now, I wanna make a freestyle routine.
Any song ideas, or input otherwise?

My next bird will be a Parkzone Warbird, or Hobby Lobby EDF (Mig or F-86 PnP for $120), what u all think?

Sorry for the book, just excited and winding down, Happy Landings

CubNPede