Just did the Madden flight , straight out and down the runway little rudder , and off she goes ....
3rd flight I tried a elevator then a hover , hovers @ 1/3 stick , Harriers nice and straight , very little wing rock , the ailerons correct verry quick when doing a elevator or harrier , invert is also nice very little push. Nice flyer..
nitrous pete

I also just did my maiden and what a nice flying machine. With the 16lbs mine came out at the Fuji did as well as can be expected. I did 4 13 minute flights on it and the engine was getting better with each flight.

During the first flight, completing a loop from a slow horizontal line and adding full power at the start I coulld not quite get over the top of the loop without staying level for a few feet to get airspeed back. By the 4th flight the engine was running better (no other tuning) and was easily pulling it through a nice big loop but at full power.

4 point rolls were a breeze, inverted needed just over a breath of down stick, full aileron rolls at book low rates were quick and medium rates were blinding and at both rates were very axial. Landings were as slow as one would expect for an Ultimate. In Knife Edge I needed just a touch of down elevator and it showed no tendency to roll out until I went to a hi alpha knife edge then it rolled in the same direction of the rudder.

All in all a very nice plane. I definitely ended up FAT but it performed exactly the way I expected it to. Now I know I said I was going to wait and toss in a bigger engine but I took it to the field with me along with two other planes and it kept calling for me. I ended up only flying the Ultimate so now my others are mad at me

Now for the single downside to today. You will notice in the last 2 pics that my left landing gear started to crack. All the landings were glass smooth but the field was a little rougher than usual do to the frost heave so it's a lot of little speed bumps out there, not big ones mind you.. I'm sure it's delaminating. I did not take any other pics but on the bench you can see that the left side is bowed more than the right and the left wing is lower than the right.

I agree with the others that a 50cc is what is needed if you really want to see what this machine can really do. I'll bet it will continue to get better with the Fuji but the Fuji will get replaced.

Here are all the specs

Fuji 43cc
20X8 APC standard blade
Hitech 5645's on all ailerons
Hitech 5945's on the elevators and rudder
Hangar 9 Titanium Pro-Links on everything but the rudder with Hangar 9 ball-links on servo side and Dubro 4-40 safety clevises on the control horn side
Stock control horns all around
1 Fromeco Lith-Ion 2400Mah battery in the stock location
1 Fromeco Lith-Ion 4800Mah battery mounted to the former just behind the rear wing mount
2 Fromeco Super Reliaswitches with the built in regulator set at 6 volts
1 1400Mah 4.8 Volt Sanyo MPI battery for the ignition mounted under the cowl opposite the muffler
Tested with a JR549 FM receiver to verify that there were no RF interference but flown with a JR649 SPCM receiver
All thows exactly by the book for low, high, and 3D rates
Stock spinner was way out of balance to the point it needed 3oz's to get it to balance so I replaced it with a 4" Tru-Turn Menz cut Ultimate spinner
CG right on the stock location (6 3/4 inches) with no added weight and only one rudder servo in the tail
Lateral balance needed nothing which was really surprising which also showed in the straight tracking through a very large slow loop

Total AUW dry was 16 pounds verified using 3 scales, my trusty fish scale showed 16.5lbs, so I guess it's not trusty anymore

Also I did not get a video since I could not get anyone to do it. sorry

Hey, Bubbagates;
I believe your Fuji is far from being broken in, correct? It takes two to three glallons of fuel before the motor will reach it power peak. I noticed you are using an APC, if I am not mistaken. Those props are heavy and not necessarely the best for a motor that's running on the top of its powercurve. Have you considered to try a Mezjlik 20x8? I believe that prop would give you a little extra puch. Also, once your Fuji is really broken in try to run Amsoil and mix it either 1:80 or 1:100. I am running that pricey Fuji oil at 1:100 and in my Fuji 50SB and can only tell you it makes quite a difference, believe me. BTW, is that "Three Mile Island" in the background on one of your pix?

Yea, it's TMI in the background. We are about 2 miles from it.

Yep, the Fuji has a little over 70 minutes on it and I can already see it improving. I'm a little confused on your statement about the Amsoil versus the Fuji oil. Which one are you using currently?

I was using the APC since fuji suggested it and am getting the RPM's they said I would (7900 on the ground totally leaned and 7700 richened for flight) but you must've been reading my mind as I already have another broswer open looking to order the Mezjlik. I have 3 of those n different planes and they easily outpull an APC and give way better spool up as they are way lighter plus quieter.

Fuji says that 50:1 for the first gallon which I'm halfway through the first gallon now counting the 30 minutes running and tuning on the ground and now another 40+ minutes flying. I am using the really expensive Fuji oil (250cc bottle at 45.00 buck YIKES) but was planning on changing that after the breakin was done. What Amsoil are we talking about here and a link to it would be great so I can see the bottle. I use Motul 600 synthetic on my Zenoahs but I've heard the Amsoil is supposed to be better at the ratios we can use on the Fuji

Hopefully I cna get a flight or two more on it before the cold and snow starts making it to hard to fly.

Hello, Bill!!!! Congrats on the maiden. Now you and I both know how sweet a flying plane it is, and that it DOES need more guts.... Ain't that roll rate something to see???

Happy the engine is coming in for you so soon; sounds like it's turning up pretty good, and putting out about what the Brison 2.4 was. Definitely confirming my choice for the BME 50 now...can't wait till wx permits.

Sorry about the gear - guess that is something we ALL better watch, 'cause this ain't gonna be a light airplane!!!! Thanks for the heads up. You gonna contact GP about it?

Bubba, Is it just the laminate that is cracking, or is the gear cracking all the way through? I was hoping so much to maiden mine today, but the rain and wind put a nix to that effort.

Hoping now for a better day.

Thanks aerobob. The roll rate on middle rates is about what my Sig Something Extra used to do on high rates. Truly unbelievable but I cannot stress how well this thing flies, even on the Fuji. I did not 3D other than atempting a hi alpha KE and it did hold it but at full throttle. All in all, I'm pretty pleased and it flies just as well as my Wildhare Ultimate that is 1 pund heavier than the GP and uses a DA-50 which sends it vertical without blinking an eye so a DA50 or any 50CC engine would be amazing on this plane, especially if I can lose about a half pound or more and up the power.

I just looked up the part number on Towers site for the gear and it says they are 1/4 inch aluminum so what I am seeing cracking is paint/primer. I did not really look that closely at it but you can bet I will but not tonight. I will contact GP and let them know about it and report back here on this thread

Here is the link to the gear. They are awfully light for aluminum and lots of rebound but once the plane is on them they do absord shock nicely. I will be adding some light ply to my wheel pants. I did not cut the axle when I installed them and drilled a hole through the other side of the pants so that is where I will add the ply to the inside of the pants and boy do they vibrate on a fast taxi/takoff/landing on my somewhat rough field

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?&I=LXLGN4

That's weird. I think mine are not aluminum, but ARE some kind of who-knows-what-kind of "composite" (probably rice glue with bamboo strands???). How can I check if it's alum or not?

The Tower page on the gear is confusing the stock gear is composite. They might be selling aluminum ones for replacement that is what Hangar 9 does for the Extra 260 because so many people complained about the landing gear delaminating.

They certainly had me fooled also.[X(][X(][X(][X(]
I was thinking "carbon fibre" here from the "airfoil" shape. If it's truely aluminum then someone done a lot of machine work.

Bob, scrape a tiny bit of the paint away at an obscured place.

I think the only way to really tell is to remove them and scrape away the paint in between the mounting holes but not on the side that goes against the engine box, to see. I agree, they are WAY to light to be 1/4 inch aluminum and fully beleive they are fiberglass or C/F. I cannot take the time tonight to really look at them tonight but I will post what I find probably tomorrow

I have filled in the aircraft form on GP's web site and mentioned about the gear and specifically asked what they originals are made of.

The last time I used this form it took a few days to hear back from them

Crap.[]
Just scraped some, and they are some kinda-white hard stuff. Who knows WHAT? But it AIN'T aluminminium, folks.
And who wants to bet that the replacement gear is probably 3 - 4 oz. heavier?

Nothin to do but watch 'em like a hawk, I guess. Or install cross-tension cables, as ugly as that is....

I saw that in the big 260 thread

Here is what it says on the Tower site for the plane itself for the landing gear specs

Landing Gear: 3/32" (2mm) thick pre-bent steel with steerable tailwheel. Steel my butt...NO way, they weigh next to nothing

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXKJB5&P=V

But in my earlier post where I had the link to the replacement gear it shows as 1/4 inch thick aluminum so the replacement is thicker

extraddict - gotta tell ya - if you're correct, here is yet ANOTHER example of the manufacturer using YOU and I for their "field testing".... Man, this sucks the big one.[sm=devious.gif][sm=disappointed.gif][sm=thumbdown.gif]
You can bet if Bill's delaminates, ours are gonna - fer shure.

This is SO lame of Great Planes. What were they thinking?
(Guess the point is, they were NOT "thinking", huh?)

And here's what it says a little further down the page.... "INCLUDES: Pre-built fuselage, wing and tail sections, pushrods, fiberglass
main landing gear, tail wire, ..... "

Yet again - vague and inaccurate descriptions mislead the consumer.

OK everyone. I could not stand it anymore so I went and took a look and it's not good

Mine is HOLLOW fiberglass. There is NO steel/aluminum anywhere. Here is 2 pics for ya. I hope you can see it they are kinda fuzzy. I'm emailing Tower right now

Holy crap. HOLLOW ? Easily visible, Bill. Holy rice-juice - this ain't good, Batman.

No kidding. [:@][:'(]

I just ordered the replacements and sent all of these pics to both Tower and GP and requested free replacements after I ordered the new ones. Kinda did it backwards but what the heck

If they agree and send me the aluminum ones that Tower shows I'll end up with 2 sets so I may have a set to get rid of.

Believe me, I will be on the phone to Tower and GP in the AM!!!!!.
You are right Bob...we are their testing ground??? I prefer "suckers" for their product. This is sure-fire evidence of it.[:@][:'(][sm=punching.gif][sm=thumbdown.gif][sm=thumbdown.gif][sm=thumbdown.gif]

The way I see it, GP was expecting trouble out of the gears and was making up the aluminum ones as replacements.

There goes our "on the money" CG's as the aluminum gears will be heavier.

looks like a job for graphtec..

Maybe, but I think it's a job for GREAT PLANES first..... since they didn't do it right from the git go.

Please let us know and if I can I'll be on the phone with both also tomorrow

towers 800 # is 24 hours isnt it? ive ordered stuff at 3:30 in the morning

Well it sounds like the same crap I and so many others went through with the Hangar 9 260[:@]

Bubba...did you open up the gear all the way? I was wondering if there might have been a 3/32 steel rod in the center of the leg. If there is, then they can say that they are right in their "tech notes" if not, then they they are being untruthful.[sm=pirate.gif]