Top Flite Staggerwing
10-04-2006 | 11:11 AM
#102
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From: Denton,
TX
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
ORIGINAL: CRAZYRYAN
or make cuts on the cowl for the three cylinder heads that will show some class with the gold look to it i think ill get this one instead of a piper arrow. after flying the super cub for a while and really good with it, will this plane be good as a second scale flyer?
ORIGINAL: pettit
According to Don Anderson at Great Planes, at the IMS Show last week, the Staggerwing will be red with black trim.
It is designed for a 120 sized 4 cycle or a 160 sized twin four cycle.
And look for it in April. Maybe at the Toledo show on display.
The OS 160 twin fits in the cowl, so maybe a Saito 3 cylinder will fit too.
The OS 5 cylinder is "...much too big, size and power-wise..." according to Great Planes also.
According to Don Anderson at Great Planes, at the IMS Show last week, the Staggerwing will be red with black trim.
It is designed for a 120 sized 4 cycle or a 160 sized twin four cycle.
And look for it in April. Maybe at the Toledo show on display.
The OS 160 twin fits in the cowl, so maybe a Saito 3 cylinder will fit too.
The OS 5 cylinder is "...much too big, size and power-wise..." according to Great Planes also.
I think the key words that most of us missed the first time around are "second scale flyer". The Staggerwing will not fly anything like the cub. But if you have experience with a su-31 on high rates, the biplane should be no problem ... EXCEPT ... for landings. When Birddog said the Stagger would not be a floater ... that statement is in a different zip code than saying a SU is not a floater
In general, most biplanes tend to become large bricks when the power is chopped. They like a little more speed on landing than even your most "portly" mono-wings. You literally fly a biplane to the ground .. and then some. Heck, I have one bipe that I have to fly all the way back to the pits while taxiing 
Short coupled heavy biplanes are some of the nastiest animals on this planet ... and they are the most fun to fly 
10-04-2006 | 12:56 PM
#103
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From: Snohomish, WA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
ORIGINAL: Bax
The Top Flite Beech Staggerwing ARF is expected to arrive sometime in the next calendar week or so. Backorders should start shipping a few days after that, once they get checked-in and gone over for Quality Control.
The Top Flite Beech Staggerwing ARF is expected to arrive sometime in the next calendar week or so. Backorders should start shipping a few days after that, once they get checked-in and gone over for Quality Control.
I'm going with my Magnum XL-FS1.20AR for power, and don't anyone try to talk me out of it!
d.
10-07-2006 | 01:48 AM
#108
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From: Etiwanda,
CA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Well Boys...
I just recieved a notice from Tower that they in fact have some in stock. Let's see who gets one first! 
(as I wring my hands greedely)
My card info has already be given. [>:] Hmmmm...... I'll have to get the retracts down and polish them up. Ugh... tough dirty work. Oh well.
I just recieved a notice from Tower that they in fact have some in stock.
Let's see who gets one first! (as I wring my hands greedely)My card info has already be given. [>:] Hmmmm...... I'll have to get the retracts down and polish them up. Ugh... tough dirty work. Oh well.
10-07-2006 | 02:07 AM
#110
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
I "tried" to be smart about it and got the retracts over a month ago. Figured that there will be more kits than retract sets in the early weeks.
Retracts are here, and I placed the order on the plane a few hours ago.
Now I'm holding my breath, hahha!
Retracts are here, and I placed the order on the plane a few hours ago.
Now I'm holding my breath, hahha!
10-07-2006 | 10:30 AM
#111
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From: Houston ,
TX
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
ORIGINAL: fgpierce
WOW
I just found out my Staggerwing has shipped
WaHooooo
Guys I can't wait!
WOW
I just found out my Staggerwing has shipped
WaHooooo
Guys I can't wait!
10-07-2006 | 05:55 PM
#112
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From: Etiwanda,
CA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
crazyryan
Yeah, I have to agree. That 3 cyl would be awesome. But I also have a project waiting to get going. A 98" Do 335. I have about $1200 in it now and the plans haven't even hit the build table yet! I figure all in all it'll be about $4000 when done so I'll have to go another route on the Stagg. It would be awesome though.
I have all I need , I believe, for the Stagg. I'm waiting to get her to make sure what I'm going to use for power. I'm also considering a Saito 300 twin but I don't think it would be a good match with weight, dimension and would rather not use glow . Like I said time will tell.
I'll let you guys know what I come up with.
Good luck to all getting yours!
Yeah, I have to agree. That 3 cyl would be awesome. But I also have a project waiting to get going. A 98" Do 335. I have about $1200 in it now and the plans haven't even hit the build table yet! I figure all in all it'll be about $4000 when done so I'll have to go another route on the Stagg. It would be awesome though.
I have all I need , I believe, for the Stagg. I'm waiting to get her to make sure what I'm going to use for power. I'm also considering a Saito 300 twin but I don't think it would be a good match with weight, dimension and would rather not use glow . Like I said time will tell.
I'll let you guys know what I come up with.
Good luck to all getting yours!
10-07-2006 | 09:17 PM
#113
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From: Reading,
PA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Tower says mine shipped today with the combo engine and gear....I'll take my time and wait for all you guys to test fly it for me! No really, I'm concerned with gear doors catching on grass runway. I bought the Ziroli Staggerwing kit and he mentions to leave bottom hinged last section of door off if in tall grass. If you watch the TOPFLITE video real close they have the doors off during the roll portion anyway. It is short coupled and I do think it will be a handful on landing.
10-08-2006 | 12:36 AM
#114
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From: Etiwanda,
CA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Hey greenl3vf
Glad to hear you have one on the way! Did you get the retractable tail wheel? It didn't come with my gear set. Only the mains.Here's the info Hobbico sent me on the tail wheel:
On our prototype the tail wheel that we used is the #121 (ROBQ2210).
The servo that we used is the FUTM0035 it is a car servo but it works
nicely. If you do not want to use the same servo be sure that it has at
least 90 oz of torque.
I don't fly off grass. Sometimes I wish I did but we have concrete, blacktop and various types of compacted dirt. I need to watch for rocks. I won't fly it on less than good runways. I usually decide where I'm going to fly that day and select aircraft that can handle the particular surface of the field.
We had a full scale stagg at an air show our club did . It was cream with red trim. A truly immaculate restoration. The low pass he did for us was spectacular. I may have more pics I'll have to see. The weather was poor that day in the morning and early afternoon. That did not stop the festivities though.
Glad to hear you have one on the way! Did you get the retractable tail wheel? It didn't come with my gear set. Only the mains.Here's the info Hobbico sent me on the tail wheel:
On our prototype the tail wheel that we used is the #121 (ROBQ2210).
The servo that we used is the FUTM0035 it is a car servo but it works
nicely. If you do not want to use the same servo be sure that it has at
least 90 oz of torque.
I don't fly off grass. Sometimes I wish I did but we have concrete, blacktop and various types of compacted dirt. I need to watch for rocks. I won't fly it on less than good runways. I usually decide where I'm going to fly that day and select aircraft that can handle the particular surface of the field.
We had a full scale stagg at an air show our club did . It was cream with red trim. A truly immaculate restoration. The low pass he did for us was spectacular. I may have more pics I'll have to see. The weather was poor that day in the morning and early afternoon. That did not stop the festivities though.
10-08-2006 | 12:26 PM
#116
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
So, I hope we all will post as eagerly as the guys in the H-9 P-47 thread did??
That would truly help with the build. Cannot wait to hear from all of you, seems like most beat me to the order, mine won't ship until monday.
That would truly help with the build. Cannot wait to hear from all of you, seems like most beat me to the order, mine won't ship until monday.
10-08-2006 | 10:36 PM
#117
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From: Reading,
PA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
EXCELLENT PHOTOS!!! A very nice looking Beech, I ordered from Kit Cutters the Ziroli Staggerwing and am searching for a paint design that suits me. I wonder if TOPFLITE will ever offer a different color model of the Beech.
I worked at an operator that had 2 Staggerwings based in the hangar in the mid 70's, a red and a blue one, standard bird stripe designs.
I did order from TOWER the retract tailwheel they listed, hope it's right.
I worked at an operator that had 2 Staggerwings based in the hangar in the mid 70's, a red and a blue one, standard bird stripe designs.
I did order from TOWER the retract tailwheel they listed, hope it's right.
10-09-2006 | 05:22 PM
#118
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From: Etiwanda,
CA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Hey Guys
I Got Mine!
It arrived around 2:15 P.M. without damage by UPS!
It was worth the wait . I'll grab a few pics later on. So Far it's a real beauty. The doors for fixed and retracts are both included. The retract door are about the best I've seen so far on any arf.
The windscreen and side windows are already neatly installed.
More later.
I Got Mine!
It arrived around 2:15 P.M. without damage by UPS!
It was worth the wait . I'll grab a few pics later on. So Far it's a real beauty. The doors for fixed and retracts are both included. The retract door are about the best I've seen so far on any arf.
The windscreen and side windows are already neatly installed.
More later.
10-10-2006 | 07:43 PM
#119
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From: Algonquin,
IL
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
I got mine today. It looks very nice and no wrinkles, so far, on the covering. However, I do have some scratches on the bottom of the fiberglass fuse. I was thinking of using automotive Polishing Compound to clean them up. Does anyone know, if this is a good way to remove them?
Jim K.
Jim K.
10-11-2006 | 04:20 AM
#122
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From: Granger, IN
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Hey Hey
Picked mine up today from the LHS Its been on order since June I think. I haved loved this plane since the first one I saw at Oshkosh years ago. I have not unpacked everything yet but so far it looks like it was worth the wait. Can't wait to get started but with winter almost here it may not fly untill spring anyway, but that won't keep me sitting in the shop and day dream about it. ( Maybe we will have a mild winter) NOT !!!!!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BUILDING
Picked mine up today from the LHS Its been on order since June I think. I haved loved this plane since the first one I saw at Oshkosh years ago. I have not unpacked everything yet but so far it looks like it was worth the wait. Can't wait to get started but with winter almost here it may not fly untill spring anyway, but that won't keep me sitting in the shop and day dream about it. ( Maybe we will have a mild winter) NOT !!!!!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BUILDING
10-11-2006 | 08:09 AM
#123
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From: Lexington,
VA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Got the notification from Tower that mine shipped yesterday! Been on backorder since Toledo. Have had the retracts since May/June and the engine -- OS 1.60 -- for a couple of months. Can't wait to get started!
Al
Al
ORIGINAL: Der Goetz
Sweet..cannot wait for the pics..mine is coming in tomorrow!
Sweet..cannot wait for the pics..mine is coming in tomorrow!
10-11-2006 | 10:44 AM
#125
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From: Republic, WA
RE: Top Flite Staggerwing
Hi Guys,
I too got word from my LHS that it is being shipped today. Still planning on the Saito 170 Radial or maybe a Zenoah 23. It looks like the radial will fit but will be pretty tight. It looks like this forum will now get pretty active and that will be good for all of us.
I too got word from my LHS that it is being shipped today. Still planning on the Saito 170 Radial or maybe a Zenoah 23. It looks like the radial will fit but will be pretty tight. It looks like this forum will now get pretty active and that will be good for all of us.
