This is what I get for taking advantage of a good deal. I bought a Global RCM Trainer a few months ago, and it came with the Magnum Engine. I am a pretty handy guy, mechanical engineer, I can handle putting this thing together right? Well, first the fuse had a bad engine mount (they sent me a new fuse), the covering is bubbling off everywhere, I am missing 3 screws, a nut, and a nylon spacer, and to top it off the vertical stabilizer, when I go to put it in the slot, the covering interferes.. I hate this plane. I am this close (picture fingers spaced 1/8" apart) from throwing this thing in the trash and ordering the Sig Kadet Senior ARF in Blue like I originially wanted...

Anyway, does anyone have the Sig Senior ARF (the blue or red Kadet) and how do they like it? Good trainer?

I dont have one, but a couple guys at the club do. They fly GREAT!. Ive had a fellow on the buddy box and cant help but take over now and again. Recommend a 60 up front though...the other has a 46, its ok but the 60 is where its at, believe me

That is why I let other people put my planes together!

The Sig Kadet Senior ARF flies awesome! I might get one and put it on floats. Just a great, slow-flying plane!

The ARF is a lot heaver than the kit built one, I fly a kit and it is awsome and a friend flys the arf and its a little on the fast side for us begginers.
But hey, if its fun you want than go for the Senior,either way its a great bird.

Just my .02
Have fun

Esanger:
When I saw the ad for the RCM 40 with the Mag 40XLS at no extra cost, I too got on the phone. I was number 281 on the backorder list.

It finally came, and my engine fit down between the beams with no problem, so long as I didn't try to push the front down into place. Had to open the hole in the front panel, it was too small. Other than the totally crappy spinner, that was the only problem. The wheels weren't the best, but I used them anyway.

Good flier, good engine, EXCELLENT value at today's prices. I'd buy another without hesitation.

If you dont want yours box it up and send it to me. We will, of course, adjust the price if you keep the engine.

To fly a twin takes a real man.
. That means we all are, since anyone can.

Bill.

You get what you pay for , and get what you finish. Thay say ARF on the box That does nodt mean throw in air and fly.

Esanger, no more coffee find the hardware locally, its not heavywater or anything. You'll have tons of piece parts before you are through with the hobby. I would imagine the covering should simply be trimmed away of the fin's slot and glue joint-not uncommon. Use a heat gun to carefully shrink the bubbling covering (I use a wagner powerstripper on LOW), it will be good as new. Enjoy your baby. Don't rush if you can help it. It won't fly itself, it won't build itself. Good luck.

Greetings and welcome to this wonderful hobby and sport. You will find in most ARF's the hardware leaves a lot to be desired. Most include metric hardware and it isn't compatable with the imperial products avaialble at the LHS. I normally will replace hardware in the ARF's with better pushrods and connectors. The Sig ARF's do have better hardware than most and I used it when setting up a new club trainer (Sig LT-40). I did make many changes to this plane however including triangle stock on the fuselage to stab and stab to fin joint; changed the landing gear to Dubro main and Fults double fork nose gear; fiberglassed the center section of the wing: added graphics to the bottom of the wing for visibibity (solid white is difficult to see in a clear sky). The covering used on many ARF's leaves a lot to be desired. Sig uses Ultracoat and Great Planes uses Monokote. These coverings will outlast most other covering materials. The floats will be mounted next for flying off water.

Check out your local club for help. You may want to check out DC/RC in Maryland (field is in Gaithersburg) as it may be closer than other clubs to you from Arlington.

EXCAP232

Well, I guess lady luck is shining on me this week. A member of the forum offered to purchase the kit from me so that I can buy what I really want, which is the Sig.

I have noticed, that in this hobby everyone is very nice and is more than happy to help you.

I have a blue sig Senior and love it.......It is not a bird that likes wind but anything less than 10 mph and not gusty is just fine.
I have an OS 46 on mine and that seems to be a good combination........This is considered a giant by AMA and is legal in those catagories.....The ARF is easy to put together with no known major problems although most people that i know had to put approx 16 ozs. of weight in the nose to get it to balance correctly.
Last but not least if you have a wing that is slightly twisted and lots of wrinkles, a heat iron will take care of that but care must be taken not to over do it.
Varmit

I got one last April, but with a Thunder Tiger Pro .46BB engine. Only complaint I've had is with the nose gear being chronically loose and the strut too bendable. I replaced it entirely with a DuBro mount and strut and am much happier. The klunk came off and I found the clear, in-tank fuel hose had lost flexibility, so I replaced it. I also replaced the odd little 3mm wing bolts with 1/4-20 Nylon in brass threaded liners after my "instructor" cartwheeled her in the maiden check-out flight and yanked out the hold-down blocks(boy, did I get mileage out of that). I have flown mine weekly in season and at least every other week all winter on skiis (found out last Sunday that at 6º a two-cycle is very reluctant - but I still got three flights in). My best friend flies a Hobbico Superstar with an O.S. 40 and I can eat him for lunch. The RCM is about 30% faster and can fly inverted indefinately. I take off with a 40 ft roll out.

It has survived several pancakes and one dead stick that I ended up flaring and hoping as it went below line of sight behind a knoll (no damage!). I also brought back and successfully landed with an 8" twig stuck through upper and lower wing skin when I kissed and pinballed through a notorious plane eating tree at out winter field to the amazement of other pilots, and myself. I would buy another if this one becomes kerplunkt. It is a blast on skiis, and I plan on adding floats next summer.

Bought same global/magnum package, and couldnt be happier.

Sorry you had such crap luck. I don't like the weak nose gear, about the only thing really crappy, oh and the spinner too, mine exploded.

The wings sure are tough though, mine went THROUGH a fencepost, snapped it in half, and wing just needed duct tape.

Magnum engine is strong, very strong, much, much stronger then my buddies OS .40 LA.

His hobbico superstar I like the flying better because it doesnt seem to float quite as much. Mine just does not want to land.


Happy. things they could do to make RCM trainer better?


1. Lose the wood engine mount, get clamp type like hobbico.

2. strengthen nose gear.

3. replace spinner.


doh, charlie, just read yours, thats funny, my buddy with the hobbico avistar/40 LA eats my dust too. club was laughing at my magnum untill they flew my plane. I bought a magnum .46 for a kyosho spitfire, hope it has the same strength.

Old Mill,

I thought it was just me! Mine floats forever, too. I have to fly it into the ground and then cut power. It has a better glide ratio than my Sig Riser ever had. I have been thinking about adding a second wing servo and using the flaps feature that my radio has, as spoilers. I tossed out the spinner after I buggered it up with my starter (first few starts) and added an aluminum spinner nut.

Charlie P.,


could you reccomend a spinenr nut? I am a true newbie, and do not know the bst stuff, was thinking about aluminum spinner/nut for my engines because plastic cones always seem to strip screws and stuff.

Thanks,

Mill

Oh, my buddy crashed avistar, so put on semi-symetrical wing, and a tower hobbies .46, looks like I have some competition now!

I chose a Du-Bro 1/4-28 red aluminum prop nut because that is what they had at my local RC/hobby store. It is a bit less "fancy" than a full spinner, but I think it looks more authentic for a Cessna/Piper type high-wing model. Costs a bunch less than a spun aluminum full enclosure spinner, too.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXE165&P=M

Very easy to tighten; just stick a screwdriver shaft through the holes.

I'm pretty much a newbie to R/C. I flew control line and free-flight 30+ years ago, then briefly got into R/C in college in the late 70's (three channel glow & two channel gliders). I'm building a Contender at the moment, which is the plane I wanted back then (that landing flap was the cat's a** in pre-computer radio days). I'm having a ball getting back into it, now that I have more time/money/patience. I think the RCM 40 was an excellent choice for a trainer.

Thank you very much, was exactly what I was looking for.


I built a kit about 15 years ago, broke in engine, covered it, everything with no help, and it was a disaster. One landing, ever, three crashes, last one fatal. I gave up disgusted.

Now have more money and the patience that comes with age, taught by a great instructor, myself, and my buffy were both soloing in one gallon of gas between us both, including about 4-6 tanks to break in our engines. Realflight helps a great deal I think.

Good luck to you, and thanks again for the advice, this forum is top notch.

Mill the newb

Hey esanger,

A guy in our club has gone through two of RCM trainers. The first one went together great. I did the test flights for him and everything went fine. It's a hair faster than a typical trainer, but still flew nice. He ordered a second one and that one was a total pain! He also sent the fuse back and almost didn't get a new one back. The horizontal stab was so off it wasn't funny and the engine mount didn't even come close to lining up with the holes. You're not alone.

I think the ARF kits are all that way. You will have to do some work to put them together. They shouldn't all be missing parts, but they will require you to cut covering here and there and finish them. Remember, have some patients with it or you will hate the next one too.