I got the gear set from Mike at Graph Tech ( http://www.graphtechrc.com/Secure/mall/maingear.asp ) . They list weight as 5.5 oz. I weighed mine and they're 6 oz.

The gear look great. Service and delivery was not so hot, though. It took a week and a half for the gear to arrive to me. From a blazing fast internet ordering system, I was expecting faster. But the gear do lookg great.

I'm eager to shed weight off my 300XS and get the CG moved. I'll put in a little right thrust at that time also. With those small mods I will have a great airplane, particularly for it's smaller size and convenience.

Hey there, lynn -

Curiosity - any reason you picked the NiMH batteries?

I've got 2 2700 NiMH packs for the receivers and 1650 NiMH for the ignition, but now rethinking the weight I'm adding. Also, these are the first NiMH batteries I've used and now find myself swapping them out or searching for another charger... ugh!

-shaun

Shaun, I use the NiMHs because I needed new battery packs, and this was the technology available - lighter weight than NICD and no memory problems. I did buy a Dymond Super Turbo field charger to use with them. However, my dual 1650's and single ignition 850 provide more than a couple of hours of air time.

Lynn

Just want to know how all you guys are doing with your extras?
I can't complain with mine at all. I puts alot of flights on it so far with no troubles with anything.



I just put 11 flights on mine today. Man,, 2 gallons of nitro just about.. This 1.60 is thirsty!

Still finishing mine, but decided long ago to go with the 2.4 gasser and since then have seen a Giles with a 1.60 at the field go through a LOT of nitro so I think the cost difference to run my Extra with gas will be another reason to make me happy with the plane.

-shaun

I've put mine up for sale in favor of a 33% Extra. Its sad, but I gotta move it ASAP; spread the word

I just bought mine a few weeks ago in search of a convenient, decent size glow airplane. I am really diggin' this SIG ARF . It's Moki 1.8 powered and is a great plane. Since the last flight here are some things I have done :

• REMOVED the 5 oz 1/4 scale pilot from MGA (on eBAY now, want it? )
• Replaced stock gear with Graph Tech carbon fiber, 6 oz weight savings
• Moved the battery off the firewall and back into the radio compartment
• Switched from "Y" harnessed ailerons to separate channels. Needed differential
• added a little right thrust to the Moki. It needed it.

I'm eager to start flying this new configiuration. I may take it out tomorrow.

Cheech

What prop are you using with your moki ?

I was reading a thread (can't remember where) but somebody posted about the wing bolts failing.. How the hell did that happen? These guys have to learn not to tighten their wings on with johnson bars..

Cheech has helped me decide some things just with that one post. I had been swaying back and forth on the pilot installation issue, but I think I'll go without now. Also looking at the cf landing gear from TNT and Graph Tech.

As for the wing bolts, I installed the originals but after reading probably the same posts as you, rvd, I am upgrading them to the 1/4 20 size just in case.

-shaun

My wing bolts are 1/4x20, going into hardened tapped ply. I think they're strong enough. They are retained in the wing with round rubber grommets on the holes on the underside of the wing and a little O-ring of fuel tubing on the shaft site of the 1/4x20 nylon bolt. I'm running a 19x8 Mezjlik spinning at 7700-7800RPM. That's about about 23 lbs of static thrust, or about a 1.7:1 thrust to weight ratio. This thrust numbers is calculated (using ThrustHP), not measured.

With all of you Sig 300sx fans, a few questions.
How long to assemble?
Any mods?
I plan on reinforcing fuse sides with carbon fiber tape, and using an OS 160

This bird seems to have lots of fans, but this is not suprising as it comes from Sig. I have yet to be disapointed by one of their planes and I have built most of them.

I can't speak for "normal" assembly as I've been dragging on mine forever but as for the assembly process - great directions and it actually works like they say.

I was lucky to have the aluminum-braced firewall so I didn't have to modify that. I did glass my wings together (wishing they were tubed though ).

One thing that caused me to drag on time is that I rebuilt the rudder and elevator(s). One thing I read about the Sig was that while it was awesome at IMAC stuff, it lacked a little surface area for 3D stuff. I already had the Extra or I may have considered the 231. So, I rebuilt the rudder and elevators.

I'm also adding color to the design so that's another contributor to the time thing. I wish the purple color was deeper purple like you see in most of the advertisements. This color is cool, but I prefer the deep metallic plumb rather than this brighter purple.

-shaun

Hello SIG EXTRA 300XS owners,
Hay Smartwork,
Good mod job on the tail feathers.My Extra's is still in kit form too.Im in the proceed of getting all the engine and radio gear and servo's right now.
Can't decide if I want to go with a 1.20 size or put the OS BX-1 2 stroke in it.
Im like you I like the darker plum purple and Im debaiting while mines in the kit form I may take off the puple that on it and replace it with the darker plum color.
Can you give me the mesurements on your modification. I may do the same.
NEDYOB

Well, after taking WAY too long on this model, it finally had its first flight today after going through ground clearance for teting for no RF bleeding from the ingnition... whew!

Sig 300XS
2.4 Brison
20x8 Zinger
wings glassed together
modified covering
S9404 on rudder
S9202s on all other surfaces
148 on throttle
miracle Y on 1 elevator servo
dual Hitech Supreme 8 receivers - split plane down the middle
2 1150 ma NiCd batteries for receivers
1 1150 ma NiCd battery for ignition
built new rudder and elevators from scratch - enlarged all
installed choke lever through cowel
drilled cowel for easy high/low adjustment
3 charge switches/charge jacks installed in fuselage side
quick fueler for gas in fuselage side

Flights today went great. Going to fine tune the engine a little more for the mid transition. Seems I have great low and high, but the mid seems a little rough during transition. After all my hashing out about which prop to use, I started with the 20x8 Zinger and it has great vertical and I suppose even more once the engine runs in more and we get the adjustments tweaked just right. The engine is used but just a few hours on it. About 7400 rpms with the 20x8. I've seen 7300 posted here as the recommended but checked Brison info and read 7500, so everything looks cool.

After all the reading, I was sure to keep those couple clicks of throttle during landing and it was just right with the wind we had today. It settled in really nicely.

One thing I will change though is the spring set-up for the tail wheel. Way too weak. I'll either beef up to strong springs or I'll link them directly with rods. Gets a litle flimsy for runway steering.

That's about it for the initial report!

-shaun

Say, smartwork. Your plane looks great. Congrats on those first flights. Do you know exactly where you're at on weight for that plane? I fly mine on a Moki 1.8 and it accurately weighs 13lbs 14 oz. It flies great.

My mods were tiny. The ailerons needed a little bit of differential for this plane to roll axially. The engine box/firewall has no right thrust and it needs it . I added a couple degrees of right thrust by shimming up the leaft side of my MOKI's radial engine mount. It could use a little more but I'm not going to add it right now. I bought carbon fiber landing gear from GraphTech for a full six ounce weight savings over the stock aluminum gear. And I scrapped the quarter scale pilot figure I had in there. His heavy head weighed a whopping five ounces.

Now the plane flies GREAT. Very smooth, easy takeoff and real easy to land, even on our very very small field.

-Cheech

Hey there, Cheech -

I'll try to grab a weight on the plane later but I think it's over 14 lbs and after reading your posts earlier in this thread (while I was in the final stages) about ditching the pilot and changing the main gear, those are already on my plans. I have a pilot but may leave it out, and then I may drop those 6 ounces by swapping the gear out for the carbon. I checked your type of gear along with some from TNT I think. That'll be next on the list.

I picked up some weight with the addition of the dual receivers and batteries, but that was my own choice so I can live with that.

-shaun

first of all I wanted to tell smartwork that his extra is cool

I had mine out today but it was very gusty, 25mph+ winds. not to enjoyable especially when the wind speeds up and changes direction every 2 seconds.. How do you guys like the hinges that came with the extra? So far mine are holding up good. I though of a little mod to try, give me your thoughts. If you carefully cut the covering away under the rear fuse behind the wing and sheet that weak area with some thin balsa and this ca, this would give it more strength with barely adding any weight.
The plane is surprisingly strong already but that would give her a bit more.

I like that idea, rvd. There certainly isn't much wood there now... ha, ha, and I have to remind myself of that every time I grab the plane to move it. And assuming that your current wood in still in tact, it wouldn't take much sheeting to add the strength. I would 1/16th sheeting at most - perhaps even 1/32nd. Oh, and I would be sure to run the sheeting across and not down the fuse to give it the strength. More cuts, but probably worth it.

25mph winds.... ah... no thank you. Bring out the straps to tie down the plane!

-shaun

Will be flying my Sig Extra 300XS this Saturday in Las Vegas at the Nellis Airforce Base (along with some other flyers)! I'm pretty jazzed about the whole thing. First time they will be allowing this. Move over Thunderbirds........just kidding.

I have a Sig SU31 that I can tell you something about.

Vince

Calling all you Sig Extra owners!! Everybody who has pics of their 300's email them to me. I'm setting up a new addition to my website for the 300xs..

by the way... hey smartwork I think i am going to sheet the bottom. It scares the crap out of me everytime I transport the plane from my house to the field.. It's easy to puncture the bottom. I am VERY carefull with my planes and luckily I haven't got a scratch or tear in it yet(knock on wood). Adding the sheeting will be good.


[email protected]

thanks

Ok, after a few trips to the paved runway with the new Sig 300XS, I've determined that the factory foam wheels have GOT to go. All of them - main and that thing they call a tailwheel. Sheesh... they didn't stand a chance on the pavement.

Oh, and cheech - how does that carbon gear rank in "spring" compared to the stock aluminum gear. I am surprised how much spring the factory gear has.

-shaun

How many degrees of right thrust(and down thrust if any) did y'all put in. I'm using an FPE 2.4. Thanks.

So far - zero thrust adjustments, but I'm fucusing on the engine tuning so far , so thrust adjustments may come later but it pulls really nicely already.

-shaun

Three, I wound up putting one degree of down and one degree of right thrust to correct tracking in the verticle pull straight up and inverted level flight using the FPE 2.4 on my 300XS with a 20x10 Zinger wood prop.

Lynn