RCGuys Pitts Finally flies!!!
06-17-2008 | 01:01 PM
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From: Billingsley, AL
RCGuys Pitts Finally flies!!!
Well, I finally got my 33% pitts ready to fly. TOC53 gasser for power. Good vert. and not leaned out all the way yet. The RCGuys Pitts is a pretty nice plane with the usual ARF problems. The cowl is too big for the fuse. I had to put shims on all the mounting pads to take up the slack. The cowl trim doesn't line up with fuse trim lines. Had to install the firewall(which is pretty thin for a gas engine). Added a doubler to fix that. Put triangle stock in all the corners. The cowl paint is so brittle that the edges crack if you don't handle it carefully. Construction is decent but I put Gorilla glue and sticks wherever I could reach. It doesn't add much weight but adds strength. You have to install the servo tray which is weak lite ply. Had to reinforce that. I am not complaining just commenting because I expect those types of things in an ARF. I feel like I am just paying for the basic construction not something ready to fly. I expect to do some corrective work. Everything lined up pretty good. SAE hardware. Came with some cutout type stickers.
It flew well right from the git-go. Little or no trim needed. Climbs a little on throttle so I might change the top wing incidence or thrust angle but not til after I get the engine broken in. I'll just fly it and make a to-do list for a while. It is a little aileron challenged(not sealed yet). Roll rate even with 100% throws is not like my extra or Cap but then again, it isn't in the same class of performance.
The CG range in the manual is about right. Suggested control throws are pretty conservative in my style of flying and the CG about neutral. Lands nicely with no bad habits. Gear will need to be replaced with TNT gear at some point due to soft metal in the stock gear and tailwheel.
Still, it is a good looking biplane on the flight line, and something different to look at that isn't one of the cookie cutter edge/extra/cap/yak/sukhoi aerobatic types. I have enough of them. Overall I'm not disappointed with it for the price(I got in on the $299 sale last year). I would give it about an 80 out of 100 on the ARF rating scale.
It flew well right from the git-go. Little or no trim needed. Climbs a little on throttle so I might change the top wing incidence or thrust angle but not til after I get the engine broken in. I'll just fly it and make a to-do list for a while. It is a little aileron challenged(not sealed yet). Roll rate even with 100% throws is not like my extra or Cap but then again, it isn't in the same class of performance.
The CG range in the manual is about right. Suggested control throws are pretty conservative in my style of flying and the CG about neutral. Lands nicely with no bad habits. Gear will need to be replaced with TNT gear at some point due to soft metal in the stock gear and tailwheel.
Still, it is a good looking biplane on the flight line, and something different to look at that isn't one of the cookie cutter edge/extra/cap/yak/sukhoi aerobatic types. I have enough of them. Overall I'm not disappointed with it for the price(I got in on the $299 sale last year). I would give it about an 80 out of 100 on the ARF rating scale.
