I have just finished putting my new vmar Cap 231ex together and are about to fly it for the first time, so I just wonder if anyone with experinece from this model have any last minut tip ?

Please donīt post general complains about VMAR in my thread I know this is a lowcost ARF, but I must say that for that little money its a pretty good ARF, remains to see if its OK in teh air as well.

I had one and if yours is like mine bring a bag to pick up the pieces. The firewall departed about 2 minutes into the first flight.

hmmmm , sounds like I better check the firewall and strengthen it some extra.
When did you buy you Cap ? Is it possible that Vmar have improved some part of the model by now ?

Thoern

I had the exact plane also. It flies ok just make 100% you have the throws set to the manual especially if you haven't flown a cap before. This plane will snap bad with hard elevator input. Do not try and slow it down too much for landing. It's not a plane that you keep flaring to keep the nose up. Get her lined up with the runway and keep the nose on slight down pitch with the throttle on, you'll know how much throttle it needs when you fly it. When you come in keep it level and let it sink by cutting the throttle, do not keep flaring or it will snap on you quick.

The rudder is responsive, and the ailerons are responsive if you use the high rate setting.

Depending on your field( rough or smooth) I had a nasty problem with my landing gear tearing out and my landings are super smooooth! but it didn't matter.
Change the wheels to larger ones, they are too small, and the plane wants to nose over alot.

I still would have had mine if I didn't let a friend fly it who thought he was "a expert" ..
It snapped on him and he couldn't fly out of it. I tried yelling instructions to him but for some reason his ears stop functioning for those 15seconds..


anyways... Good Luck with your cap. They do fly good but watch out for the things I said .

RVD

Thanks for your post, this is very valuable information for me.
Did you have any problems with you firewall like 'OUTCAST' had ?
What engine did you use in your CAP, I have equipped mine with an Irvine 53, seems like a really fine engine so far.

Thank you and watch out for the so called 'Experts' in the future....

I also have the vmar cap231ex. I have flown it about 50 times. No problem with the firewall at all. I used thread lock on the firewall nuts. The plane flies ok. I am still flying mine and havent needed a bag yet.

If you pull a lot of elevator, just like other caps, it will snap. Spins are great. Mine flattens out pretty well.

At first I had a GMS .47 and it flew fine but I changed it for a ST G61. it had great vertical but was nose heavy so I cut a little compartment at the rear underside of the fuse and mounted the battery there. I still had to add some lead to the tail, she came out to 6 3/4lbs. The wing loading was pretty high so snaps were sooner than normal and landings had to be hot.
My firewall never came out, only the landing gear because of the poor glue joints around the landing gear block. I rebuilt the whole landing gear block and she was good.
I had my balance point at 4 inches so it was Very responsive, it would snap with the low rate setting on the elevator (1/4 inch) if you wanted it to.

Build up speed for takeoffs and let it gently lift, and keep a gradual rate of climb. Don't try and muscle it off the deck or you will quickly notice it drop the right wing.

Your irvine .53 will move it around nice. Hope you enjoy it.

I have an OS 46 fx on my cap 231ex. Good power for pattern aerobatics, not enough for hovering however. Hey RVD, can you hover your cap with the ST61??

What other 3D can you do with it??

I have done blenders and flat spins-not very flat however.

I can hover it but it takes alot of throttle even with the .61 (12x5apc) because of it's weight. I weighed it again on a digital scale and it says 7 lbs.. It's a tank for a 40size cap. I have done blenders with it, torque rolled, lomchevak, etc.. Mine tumbled great.
It has alot of coupling in knife edge flight..
It snaprolls like a blur.

The 40size aerobats are not the best choice for 3D.. Start with 1/4 scale planes and up for easier 3D flying.