Pete n Poke anyone with experience on this one (.40) from Great Planes? I Just got it as a second airplane. Warnings, take offs, landings, building, engine?

I haven't started mine as yet but from what I've researched (I do far too much research), you will require an incidence meter when building the cabane struts.

I picked up a Saito .56 for mine.

Nuker

The textbook answer is to use an incidence meter -- and I do use one. On the subject of the incidence meter, however, I build a lot of airplanes (not just one or two a year: sometimes more than a couple a month) so to me the incidence meter is worth way more than the $3 I paid for it at a swap meet. For a beginner who may only build one or two planes in the next year or two, the $25 to $35 retail that the meter will probably cost may be a bit expensive.

As it turns out, a bullet level ($2 to $4 from Sears or any home improvement store) is not a bad tool to have. Geometry will tell you that to get the 1 degree incidence needed, you can support your fuselage such that the stab is level, then set the wing support rails so that they're level side to side and dropped about 1/16" in the front (check the plans for an exact measurement: you should be quite exact on this one). Not really too much magic involved at all... just make sure that the fuselage is held in place firmly when you do this (regarless of whether you use an incidence meter or a level).

Hey Al,

that's a pretty neat idea. I sure don't build 2 models a month (not and stay married anyway ) To help defray the cost of the meter a good buddy and I split the cost. Once folks found out we had it, we end up sharing with other club members. We don't all need it at once anyway. I'm sure if obstretix asks around at his club, there will probably be someone there glad to lend one for a weekend. Just one of the benefits being in a club I guess and the worse that can happen is that no one has one.

Just another option (though I had never considered the level before, sounds quite easy; might play with that this weekend now that you got me curious )

Nuker

Borrowing is a good way to go... My incidence meter does spend much more time sleeping on a shelf than it spends measuring airplanes. Probably everybody knows somebody who's got one and rarely uses it.

They do come up at swap meets for cheap fairly often. I saw one this spring for under $5 and I'm sorry I didn't get it (two would be great for checking wash-in/wash-out and twist between wing panels). They're like building jigs -- most people just never get into using them. (I got great prices for my building jigs at swap meets, too!)

Great!. My brother is an engineer and so we spent a couple of hours making geometrical calculations and we ended up building some kind of trapezoid that will do the job (or so he believes, I am an obstetrician, not at all good in math). Anyone has flown this one besides building it?. I will use a OS .46 LA. But I am considering buying a 46FX or something else (bigger perhaps)

There was a review on it 2 months ago; I believe in was in RCM. Test flights were with a .46 FX. From what I remember they can be squirely on the ground but fly rather docile. You might want to see if you can get a copy from a club member to read.

Nuker

I flew mine off grass so ground handling wasn't a problem.

It is a very gentle flying bird that doesn't like the inverted position

Lot of building if I remember correctly.....also R/C Report had a review of it about 2 years back...

Jerry