Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Well, the maiden flight was today. She trimmed out nice, very touchy on the controls, that was with minimal throws and 20% expo on ailerons and elevator. Will bump it up to 40 % expo and fly again tomorrow...I guess I just need to get used to a very responsive plane after flying a scale for a while. The Saito 91 is a great engine for this plane, very smooth and great vertical....more to follow..Bill

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Glad to hear that the maiden went well!

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Excellent! I have been eyeing this plane for a while as well. Can you tell me of any problems you encountered during assembly? Anything to watch out for? Also, do you think a 61 2 stroke would fly this plane well? Post a few pics of her if ya get a chance, I bet she's a beauty!

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Luke, I can't remember any problems when I assembled mine.....everything seemed to go together nicely.....I did change the tank, though, too small and cheap quality. I also changed the other usual stuff, hardware, wheels, etc.

Mine has unlimited vertical with a GMS .76 A .61 should fly it very well...but might not deliver unlimited vertical. It's not a very heavy plane.

I did something a little different with the scheme on mine....I didn't like the blue decals with the black wing striping, so I added my own decals and used black striping tape on the fuselage also.

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Post flight checkout - the engine mount was already installed. After the first flight, the engine mount bolts were all backed out...could have been a disaster if I had flown much longer...I ca'd and threadlocked them into the blind nuts on the firewall...I am getting leary of the clevis's after reading some of the posts about them failing. I am thinking about replacing them or at least making sure I have good fuel tubing locking each of them closed. Someone wrote about the nylone pin breaking off at the control horn causing a crash on his maiden flight, it was on a Seagull Zero even with fuel tubing on it. The covering had been tightened up with a blower before the flight but became very loose after being in the sun and flying. Hope I don't have to use the blower every day to tighten it up again.. I also added some contrasting stripes to the bottom to make the difference more visible in the air....Bill

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Chopper... I ran my iron over the entire plane and the blower on the open spaces right after... Mine sat out all day this weekend and NO more wrinkling....


On the CG... what is everyone have CG at? 4cm from at the wing tips doesn't do me any good... What's a good number back from LE closer to the fuse?

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

4cm back from the wing tips put me at the back of the wing spar, if I remember correctly, so I used that as a point of balance at the fuselage sides. (since the spar is straight).

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

I put mine at 4" next to the fuselage and it seems right on...I will try the iron on the covering...Bill

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

I'll drop it on the CG machine at 4" and see where that comes in on the spar..... Mine was a tad squirly this weekend... Granted we had 20MPH winds. Thanks for the 411.

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Thanks, let me know also as mine was a bit squirrely also...I increased the expo to 45% for the next flight to see what that does...the throws are also at 60% travel on ailerons...Bill

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Well what did we decide on the center of gravity? warp did you put it on the machine?

I just pick this ARF up at the LHS

I have a ST .90 that is going in it. Which weighs the same as the ST .60 but just with lots more ass.....

I noticed when I pulled it out the covering had lots of wrinkles, Did everyone else have this as well, I will try to go over the plane with a gun and iron to work these out, Not sure if this one has been sitting around for a while but I hope the cover job doesn't give me problems.

I plna to get this kit togehter next weekend and in the air the following week, Any tips and tricks you have thought of along the way, let me know!

Later

RE: Seagull Extra 300 Maiden Flight
 

Mine flew great at 4" at the fuse...it also had lots of wrinkles but they came out easily with a gun..Bill