Moonraker
12-30-2010, 10:14 AM
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Moonraker
Has any one had any experience with Balsa Usa's re-released Moonraker. I've been told by someone who's opinion I value that their Smoothie flys very nice. Both designed by the same person long ago
12-30-2010, 10:51 AM
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RE: Moonraker
I have the Smoothie. It lives up to its name. Very stable and predictable. It builds fast, however there is a lot of shaping of Balsa blocks.
You can see it in MY Models.
Ed
You can see it in MY Models.
Ed
12-30-2010, 02:32 PM
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RE: Moonraker
I built the older Moonraker a few years ago and was the best flying plane I ever had till it went in due to a bad cell in the battery pack, bummer. I would buy a new one in a heart beat. Tracks nice and very fast with my os 46 ax in it.The only other plane I have thats close is my Kaos 40.I built it stock except I built the top up with bulkheads and covered it with 3/32 balsa, so it dosen't even look like a Kaos now, but still screams with the 46 in it.
12-30-2010, 03:34 PM
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RE: Moonraker
I haven't built one for a few years now but the Moonrakers we had were great flyers. A Moonraker was the first plane I ever flat spun into the ground while under full control (I was enjoying it so much I just never even attempted to pull out of the spin - suddenly it met the ground 
)
As was stated, a lot of carving required. If the new release uses the same instructions and parts as the old ones had, Make sure you read the instruction and "dry build" everything before going anywhere near it with any glue. They build pretty easily but there are a couple of traps. The first one I built had the firewall thrust facing the wrong way (because I didn't follow the instructions implicitly
).
There are a few mods you can do to make them a little lighter and easier. Such as make a "stick built" tail instead of the solid pieces. and a "Framed up" wing tip instead of the solid blocks.
) As was stated, a lot of carving required. If the new release uses the same instructions and parts as the old ones had, Make sure you read the instruction and "dry build" everything before going anywhere near it with any glue. They build pretty easily but there are a couple of traps. The first one I built had the firewall thrust facing the wrong way (because I didn't follow the instructions implicitly
). There are a few mods you can do to make them a little lighter and easier. Such as make a "stick built" tail instead of the solid pieces. and a "Framed up" wing tip instead of the solid blocks.
