I understand the Stinger 1.20 ARF weighs considerably less than the kit version. I was wondering if anyone who has built the ARF, has an accurate weight of this version, and if so, what equipment do you have on it?

Thanks!

Well, since there have been no responses, I decided to weigh everything myself. Perhaps this will prove helpful for someone.

I weighed everything in the box, which, in the ARF, includes all Sullivan hardware, wheels, tank, etc, plus a lightweight pilot I will be using, and it all came to 123.9 oz, or 7.75 lbs. I'd be interested to know how this compares to the foam wing "Kit" version of the Stinger 120.

Weight of my servos, extensions, RX, battery and 2 switches (RX and ignition) came to 20.4 oz.

Therefore, the plane comes in at 144 oz, or 9 lbs even, not including engine stuff or glue.

I plan to use my Wolf Predator 1.8. This engine, including the 10-32 mounting bolts, ignition, prop (Mejzlik 19x8), spinner, nuts, and ignition battery, comes to 58.6 oz. Naturally, the engine is only about 3lbs without all that stuff you need to make it fly! Have not run it on this prop yet, but not yet broken in, it turns an MA Scimitar wood 19x8 at 7400 rpm. An 18x8 was 8100 rpm.

Not including glue or servo screws (but pretty much everything else!), this comes to 203 oz, or 12.6 lbs.

Might add an RCATS ignition kill switch for emergency engine kill from my radio as redundancy, in case the throttle servo were to fail. I have the RCATS switch on my C&H converted G23 and it works as advertised.

Did you ever do a comparison to the kit version? I know the Lanier Laser 200 ARF was another rare example of the ARF being better than the kit. It had all fiberglass parts, and the wings were built up! not foam. Are the Stinger 120 ARFs wings foam? Is the turtledeck fiberglass too? They mention fiberglass wheel pants and cowl, but they dont' say anything about the turtledeck or hatch area.

The cowl and wheelpants are fiberglass. By turtledeck, do you mean the removable hatch that the canopy is attached to? That's balsa. The front and rear curved turtledecks in front of and behind that are built-up balsa sticks and sheeting. The ARF wings are built-up, not foam.

Total weight actually turned out to be 12lb, 4 oz with Mejzlik 19x8, but then I reinforced the firewall and landing gear plate, which gained 2 oz. I understand that the ARF is quite a bit lighter than the kit, but I'm not sure by how much. Perhaps 2lbs or so.

2 pounds is alot.....plus the ARF is actually cheaper than what you could build the kit for considering that Lanier does not include hardware. I'll not even get into covering a 1.20 size plane.

I've built three of them. I built one as a "stick" and the other two as slightly modified standard stingers (I never use the ABS stuff - replaced with a shaped foam block covered with balsa).
Both the regular stingers weighed about 11 pounds without the engine. The one I fly most weekends weighs 16lbs due to the 3.2 sachs up front. The other owned by a friend weighs 14lbs with an OS 160 up front.
Your two pound comparison seems very close.
Dave

Mine is 12lbs, 6 oz with a 30 cc Wolf gas engine w/C&H ignition, 2 batteries, etc. The weight difference might be even a little more than 2lbs, given that the OS160 glow version Kit Stinger weighs 14lbs.

I have been keen on getting a big plane and everyone flies an Extra 300 etc. My idea was to get a simple looking plane that is big, so size is everything! The Stinger came to mind, how does the plane handle? I am looking at the 120 for sure.

Handling.....jury is still out. Was windy on Saturday when flown and plane did not feel locked in properly. Felt like it was not staying in trim, handled a little tailheavy, but CG is at 4-3/4". Flew my Jerry's Big Boy, same size and wing area, but is lighter, and that flew excellent. So, something about the plane, I think is not quite dialed in yet properly.

ARF CG is stated as 4.5-5" so I aimed for the middle. Kit is 4.5-5.5. People seem to be flying the kit at 5-1/8". No idea why the CG and throws are shown differently, unless the airfoil center of pressure is slightly different on the ARF, resulting in the need for a different CG.

KIT
CG 4.5-5.5" (5" nominal)

Lo/Hi rates
Elev - 1.75"/2.25"
Ail - 0.5"/0.75"
Rud - 3"/4.5"

ARF
CG 4.5-5" (4.75" nominal)
Lo/High Rates
Elev - 1"/all you can get
Ail - .75" / all you can get
Rud - 1.5"/all you can get

Well, I gotta finish packing for Toledo.

I have a older kit 120 that's been flying for years, the turtle deck, cowl and wheel pants are glass, (Stan's) the tank cover I made out of balsa, all monokoted, 24oz tank, Supertigre 3000, 18x8, 12 pounds 3 ounces RTF, goes vertical on takeoff and accelerates vertical too, if the Arf is lighter it will fly great. Lands as slow as my 1/4 Cub. that's my 2 cents worth.