Warren

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It was my dream plane growing up - Never got around to building and flying one...

Is it SPA legal?

What are it's habits for a Sportsman plane as compared to say a Kaos?

I think I need to build one before I run out of time!

Sport_Pilot

I don't think it is legal for SPA because it is not a pattern plane, but for sport. I am sure it is not as balanced in aerobatics and a pattern plane, but I have never had one so not sure what it can do. I know they are fast!

Warren

My Feedback: (72)

I know my uncle flew his with a K&B .40 down in the contests at Chula Vista here in San Diego early 80's and did really well in all the way through intermediate even against Dirty Birdys, Phoenix 8's etc... Wish he was still around to pick his brain.

Oh and I found out that yes it is on the SPA list of approved aircraft.

It is a little short-coupled but has a fully symmetrical wing - Not sure about the built-in washout it proclaims - Could make for an issue on outside maneuvers...

I guess I'll have to build one and try it out...

dbacque

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I built one back in the 70's and flew a friend's just recently. It displayed the standard Kougar tail waggle, with the short coupling it has a little bit of dutch roll. Yes, it does have a couple of degrees of washout or so in the foam cores but inverted wasn't terrible.

All that said, a Kaos is a much better airplane and a Dirty Birdy even better still. For sport flying or learning pattern style aerobatics, I'd say a Kougar would be fine. If you're any more serious than that, move up to a classic pattern plane. There are many that are available today both in kit and ARF form.

Dave

scottrc

It is on the SPA list of pre-1975. About the only drawback is its size. 50" is pretty small considering how fast it can go. I've seen these scream with a ball bearing .25 and are ballistic with a .40.

carlgrover

I've got a Kougar and love it. Running a Fox .50 in it. I've never noticed the tail wiggle mentioned above and mine isn't really fast compared to other pattern planes. The guy who mentioned it would fly with a .25 might have been thinking of the Kobra. Anyway, mine tracks very well and has excellent slow speed flight characteristics. I've landed it as slow as a trainer.

Sport_Pilot

Well the Kobra is really fast with a hot 25. It's almost a scaled down Kougar so I figured it is also fast. A Fox .50 is not a high revver but has plenty of torque, so you are probably using a larger prop of the same or less pitch than the usual 10x6 or 11-5 used in these. Perhaps if you used a prop with more pitch it would be fast.

Warren

My Feedback: (72)

The Kobra is much smaller - A .25 sized airplane and 2.5-3 pounds lighter...

jcrider

Flew the Kougar in Novice class many years ago. One of my all time favorites. Ran a HB 61 PDP. Lots of fun

wildnloose

I had one, loved it for sport flying. I don't think it would make a good pattern flyer if built spec. For starters, it has a fat wing with dihedral and washout. That alone reduces top speed, but does allow for those really slow landing speeds. Also makes inverted maneuvers difficult. One would need to mix out knife-edge and roll coupling.

I had a Magnum .52. The engine is a screamer but I could only get about 80mph out of the Kougar. Definite tail wag at hi speeds, it concerned me but I never lost control (nor did i slow down).
Loved flying it. Its built like a tank, love the full throttle snaps. Tried my best to break it, but it only laughed at me and kept asking for more.

For a sport plane, hard to find one better. For pattern, there are lots better.

scottrc

My bad, it was the Kobra with the T-38 tail.

Sport_Pilot

Well it would not be fast with a .25 if it was not smaller and lighter, now would it?

Warren

My Feedback: (72)

Yep...

Roguedog

If you moved the vertical stab back and split the elevator in two, that should help with the short coupling and maybe add 2 or 3 inches to the fuse aft on the wing .Since I got back into the hobby I always wanted to bash one into a Classic pattern style version. That wing is fat on both the Kougar and King Kobra. I would have a Don at Eureka cut new cores for it. Thinner and without the washout.

I had the Kobra, T-38 style, with a 28 FSR on a tuned pipe and that thing was fast. Could only do knife edge one way. Built it with the wash out and it flew fine inverted. It was the first plane I had that utilized a tuned pipe.

All that said, I would suggest the Utter Chaos 40, if you want to build, or the Kaos 40 ARF from Tower if you want to get flying fast. Bridi also has the Killer Chaos 60 and a Utter Chaos 60 as well as the Utter Chaos 40. All three are reasonably priced and build very fast.

There's nothing that flies as good as a pattern plane. If trimmed right it goes were you point it.

I just wish I had tried one back in the early 1980s as I probably would have stayed flying. Left the hobby for 24 yrs, got an Utter Chaos 40 in 2008 and could not believe how well it flies compared to what I flew way back then.

Sport_Pilot

For SPA a fat wing would not be so bad. A lot of the older classic's had fairly fat wings including the earlier Kaos, or was it the Sun Fly? But a lot of those pattern planes are not that fast anyway.

wildnloose

Agree. The biggest problem you will have is compensating for the washout. Its not impossible to compete with a Kougar, it takes more work.

The Kaos seems more purpose-built for pattern flying. Takes a lot less work to make it fly smooth versus the Kougar. Same goes for the Dirty Birdy vs the Kaos. I can go on, but you should get the idea.