nacho

My Feedback: (11)

Hey is there something wrong with the Kyosho Pitts ARF? It looks great in the picture, is a reasonable price, I love Kyosho but it seems like several early adopters are selling them all of a sudden. There are three already on the New Kit forum. Has anyone seen them and have an opinion?

Ignacio

deputydog

I thought you preferred Mustangs! Quit looking at that Pitts..... Pick up the h-9 stang.

Warmonger

Can't imagine what could be wrong with it. Mine should be finished this week and it looks great. The kit is very good and instructions for Kyosho's get better each time I build one...

I found the right spray color for the blue used (sapphire blue from Top Flite - TOPR7226) and have painted the landing gear and struts/cabanes... Looks very good.

The only flight test I've read here makes it sound like a squirelly little bipe... but that's exactly what a bipe is I just built and flew the Kyosho Super Stearman and am hoping for similar flight handling (maybe more radical).

Hope to have first flights this weekend... We'll see.

bluemax1

I've had mine for about a week. Working on it slowly.

So far I have found the following issues. The cowl has no cooling holes cut in front where they should be and are shown in the pictures in the plans. Two, the bottom wing doesn't sit in the saddle at all, the hold down tab and receiving slot in the bulkhead are nowhere near the right depth. The wheel pants are doomed for disaster the way they are mounted, no ply reinforcement and no bolt to keep them from rotating around the axle. None of these is a show stopper but I have come to expect better from Kyosho. Then again I went through the wild ride with the Gee Bee Z, with the CG way too far back and the very expensive wheel spats that lasted one landing, guess it is a less than perfect world. But, if you read MAN article on the Z they think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, that is a whole other story. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or expect too much?

Other than that it seem ok, haven't figured out the clear coating film on the covering, it separates where the masking tape used to hold the wing halves together while gluing came off.

Anyway planning on using the OS 46 with Pitts muffler that came out of my Super Stearman and modern mini servos instead of the relics they show in the instructions. Hopefully it will fly this weekend.

timmymac

My Feedback: (7)

I am slowly working on mine also. My wing fit like a glove in the saddle so no problem there. I agree with the wheel pants they need ply re enforcement and anti rotation screws. Yeah that clear film over the covering is starting to bother me , but it looks like taking an iron to it where it lifts up from masking tape glues it back down . I may go over the whole model with the iron to make sure it is all glued down securely. I am planning on using a Saito 65 on mine . BTW did any one have a problem joining the upper wing? On my kit it seems the center section is just a hair thicker than the 2 outer panels. I am kinda disappointed at this kit . Compared to the Super Steraman and Cap 232 I have , I wouldnt classify this in their " SQS" series.


Tim

Warmonger

Lower wing saddles up fine, but does sit below fuse line in the front (no biggie for me).

Already re-ironed the clear covering over mainly the blue stripes. Since it was lifting I was going to just remove the blue altogether, but the red didn;t continue on to the ailerons so I just re-ironed and it seems to stick okay...

The wheel pant setup is exactly like the stearman and cap I've done from Kyosho. No surprses there...

Good catch by bluemax on the cowl though. I'm ready to mount mine and just realized there's no front opening. That's pretty cheesy...

Also: Wooden dowls for control rods were about 3.5" too long. If you do them per the instructions the end of the wood is directly over the servo...

Still a cool bird

Warmonger

46FX w/Bisson muffler

Very quick rolls and lomcevak's really well. If you like aerobatics, its a good choice. It rolls so fast though you have to anticipate the end and counter so it doesn't go 1/4 past level....

In the end the only real complaint is that this and other Kyosho bipe arf's just tell you to wood-screw the center wing strut to the fuse (not much meat there). They need to at least put plywood there for blind nuts as the wood screws will pull out very easily.

Pleased overall

bluemax1

Finally got to fly the Pitts today, the rain has finally stopped after 4 days, but a pretty good wind.

I'm using an OS 46 with Pitts muffler with a 12x6 APC. I didn't weigh it yet but it did balance right on with nothing added.

Take off is easy. It is quick, ailerons are very positive, fast. Rolls are very axial, can do about 5 or 7 with practicaly no elevator input before heading starts to change. Loops very true, there were no adjustments to trim at all. I did later crank in some considerable expo on the ailerons and elevator to smooth it out, make it more relaxed around neutral. Inverted is as easy as upright. Most flying was done at 1/2 throttle or less. Full power causes it to nose down a bit, need to play with thrust. Even on reduced power I got 4 or 5 rolls on a vertical line. I almost had it hovering but the wind was a bit much. Lands a little fast but 3 points and cross wind was no problem. Only real problem is it won't outside loop, falls out and looses heading very quickly, I have to think about that. It is a Pitts, snaps, both inside and outside very quickly, then crank in elevator and it goes end over end. Takes a few feet to come out of it but not dangerous. Just do it one mistake high.

It is a good airplane to take the winter rust off the reflexes and fingers. All in all it's a keeper.

KingAirJockey

My Feedback: (-2)

I've got a lot more flights on mine now and am very happy overall.I sealed all the surfaces which made a huge difference in the control response,much crisper.I moved the Cg farther aft and added some down thrust to the motor and things seem good now.It's actually very easy to take off,and landings are also nice.The wheel pant mounting stinks but thats easily fixed with some ply,blind nuts and another bolt drilled through the gear leg.I've got a saito 56 and it will hover.

lanpc

My Feedback: (18)

First the model does not come has show on the pictures. At least mine did'nt come with the wires as shown. Additionally I have had nothing but problems with my PITTS. For some reason my model has uncontrolable yaw to the left. This is present on the ground roll, right rudder will not hold against the left torque, and in the air, aircraft makes flat (REPEAT FLAT) left turns.

I have had several advanced modelers look at the Pitts to determine the problem, I thought it might be my construction of the ARF. However, no problem was found.

I have been in contact with Kyosho regarding this problem. At first they recomended increasing the engine offset, they thought it might be the torque of my OS 46FX. This made takeoff easier, normal right rudder input, but the aircraft still made flat left turns, especally at high rpm.

At Kyosho's request I have cut up my ARF and sent it back to there review.

Anyone else have the same problems? I would like to know.

aerobat82

My Feedback: (1)

Yes I had the exact same problems and it eventually led too its doom for which i am cutting it up and sending it back as we speak.
I also had a problem with the cg. I used a great planes balancer and it was way off.... so bad that i added to much tail wait (1 ounce) and it was uncontrollable


I am very unhappy, I am normally impressed with kyosho but this plane if you ask me Just SUCKS

Calflyer

Whats with Kyosho quality, seems like they are following in the footsteps of other ARFs. Recently picked up a Kyosho Sukhoi. The fiberglass cowl was so thin it literally started microcracking before even the first flight, just by handling. Secondly the Breitling flame pattern of the color scheme started to peel a thin layer of fuel proofing film and the decals underneath just came off on a mild cleaning wipe. What a mess. Returned it, thanks to Tower Hobbies.

gjmjoe017

My Feedback: (1)

I have one with a Surpass 48 and it is awesome. It is a great looking plane and fly's just as great.

william hartman

I have built and flown the Kyosho Pitts. It goes together easy and flies great. Looks super in the air! Another friend that I fly with also built one and we try at times to fly them in formation. This is hard to do being that it is not a very large airplane. The trick to getting this airplane off the ground is not to come up slowly on the power for takeoff. You need to punch it from the start and then the airplane seems to track very straight. The Pitts also slows down for landing much better than I thought it would, having more than 1000 hours in a full size Pitts I was expecting the worst. Both of us powered the Pitts with the OS46FX and an 11/5 prop. This prop/engine combo allows the Pitts to slow better for landing but it still has massive vertical performance. There are three things I would recomend. The tailweel assembly as supplied is week, a few bucks spent on a CB or Dubro tailwheel assembly is a great investment. The covering is not Monocote or any other popular brand. Its just stuff, grant it its good looking stuff, no wrinkles and holds up, but if you need to repair it you will have to take it to the hobby shop to match up a color, and you will find the color, we did. The last thing is the plans are unclear as to a spacer at the cabane struts (upper wing, to center fuselage attachment). Both of us found that a small spacer was needed. I hope this helped, I am digital camera challenged but hope to have a friend that will show me how to put these ont the site, when I learn I will try to send some pictures of ours. We have a few shots of them in the air reallllly close... Bill Hartman