I'm in the process of building a Sig Somethin Extra and have a couple of questions. I've only flown electrics so the nitro engine is new to me.

First question (and a stupid) - When you measure the C.O.G. do you leave the tank empty or full?

Second question - I've narrowed down engine selection to Irvine .53, O.S. .70 4 stroke, or Saito .72? I would rather spend less than more obviously.

Thanks,
Chris

When balancing at CG, the tank is ALWAYS empty.

Can't help you with your engine question. I have an SE that I built a couple fo years ago (and still haven't had it in the air) and haven't decided on an engine for it yet. I am leaning towards a GMS .47 or maybe a Magnum/ASP .52.

I'm sure other will be willing to jump in here and make engine suggestions.

Good luck,

Had a SSE with a Irvine 53 flew great till I crashed it. Got another with OS46 flies good with that also.

Michael

I am thinking myself now about Saito 56 or saito 72 or Saito 82 and don't know.

I have one with a Saito 82 and it is Great. just am very scared of it. I do not want it to crash and fly it very easy....


LATER

cwhite: This is a thread I started a couple of months back when I did some research for which [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2286194/anchors_2286194/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#2286194]engine [/link] to get for my SIG SE.

I still haven't decided actually, but I'm leaning towards the Irvin 53 or the MVVS 49.

-tycho

i think either the ervine or saito.i had a saito .91 on mine but had to put taller gear and bigger wheels for the 14x6.but it flew great.i never have owned a os but i think the 70 is much to heavy.with the .91 all i had to do was move the batt back to balance.but i lost her due to a tx failure.now the .91 is going in a ucando.46 as we speak

cwhite,

The two four strokes are too much engine for this model, IMO. Not from a power standpoint, but size. My current SE has a Saito 56, and it is large enough to make mounting a PITA (and it sticks out quite a bit beyond the cowl cheeks).

This is easily rectified if you're building the kit, as you can move the firewall back. Not with the ARF, though.

I considered the Irvine 53, but now that Sig is no longer the US distributor, availability is somewhat spotty. And I wonder what one would do if the engine required warranty service. So I passed.

send it back to Paul at Just Engines in the UK... turnaround was quicker then tower hobbies, 10 days or so and I had my repaired engine in my hands! shipping costs are about the same.

I have owned 2 and had OS 46FXs on both and its plenty of power. Will it hover? Probably not but I don't hover so I'm not sure. I have flown one with a Saito 72 and had tons of power, but even with taller gear still had problems with prop clearance. Unless you are wanting to hover a 46 - 50 size 2 stroke is plenty. Mine will climb straight up from take off until it hard to see. Plus it flies forever on a 10oz tank. My 2 cents
fossil

Thanks, Ryan. Approximate same shipping costs, eh?

I'll keep that in mind for my next one. I'll eventually kill this one too, and I'll always have one handy. Of the 30+ ARFs and dozen or so kits I've built since starting this hobby, in addition to the planes belonging to other modelers I've been priviledged to fly, the SE is the hands-down best general-purpose "beater" plane of the lot.

I have an OS 46 on mine and that is PLENTY of power.

You're going to love this pland

Carl

Four stroke is wat better for a plane like the somethin' extra. I would go with the saito .72. (if your building a kit you can eaisly make it fit. if not i think the saito will fit in the nose on an ARF but it may be tight.) even if you are unsure about hovering, put a saito .72 in the nose, and you can have the power should you ever be curious. Also, with a 3D airplane, it is very easy to get into a tight place where you will need the power, believe me!! a if you definitly planning on hovering then go with nothing but a four-stroke!! the torque is un matchable. and you don't have to wait for the power band to kick in as you do with a 2 stroke. the power is always there. even at 1/8 throttle as oppose to 1/2 with a 2 stroke. True, 2 strokes are cheaper, but you get what you pay for! However this is just my opinion and is only to be taken for what it is worth. I hope this helps you out a lot!!

Brian

Edwardsville, Illinois USA

I had a .46 FX and a Webra .50.. I bet the OS .50 would rock in it..

Thanks guys. I would also like to throw the .61 Magnum into the mix. I like the price and weight of this motor. Has anyone tried it??

To make this plane fly at its best you need to keep the weight down. I fly mine with an Irvine .61 for unlimited power, but had to add tail weight. I also had one with an Irvine .53 and it would hover also and I'm at 6000 feet above sea level. If you don't have servos yet, get the Hitec 225's. They are .5 oz lighter than the 422's and put out 54 oz of torque. Stay in the .50 two stroke range and I also changed my landing gear to Graftech gear that saves weight. You will have excellent verticle performance and a very light plane. I also ran a YS .45 on one that works great if you keep it light.

Four stroke is wat better for a plane like the somethin' extra.

se's might be the one exception. it isn't a full 3d plane anyway, more of just a nice flying fun fly type plane. the gear on the plane barely allows for a 12 inch prop, anything larger without different gear is not going to work, and the plane just looks ugly with larger gear on.

as others have mentioned, it also is best to keep the entire plane LIGHT! this isn't one to massivly overpower, since the fun factor in the plane just kind of leaves if you have it heavy. I've had two se's with various powerplants ranging from a 40 os LA to a .72 saito and also a OS 60 size in there. best combination was an irvine .53. (there is a reason everyone raves about this combo!!)

Here is a photo of the carbon fiber gear. Not painted.

like i said in a eariler post, If your building a kit, that can be worked around. also i stated that these were just strictly my opoinons and only to take them for what there worth. I am more than happy to accept others as welll

Respectfully,

Brian

I fly mine with a super tigre 51 and a three bladed 10X7 prop, it'll almost hover!

I have a ST .51 on mine with a 12x4 prop. It will hover.



David

I just saw one go in hard due to low battery voltage!! check you batteries!!

How do you guys mount the canopy on SSE?

Mounting the canopy is not too difficult (I just finished SE #2, Irvine 53, maiden this weekend weather permitting)

Carefully cut the canopy to size along the guidelines and it should fit neatly to the fuselage top cover. Use canopy glue to stick it to the sloping former at the back, then run a thin line of glue along where the canopy meets the cover. Masking tape will hold it in place until the glue dries.

Did mine this way and it seems pretty secure. (Canopy is still in place on SE #11, pity about rest of the fuse!)

regards


Terry