Anyone here have an opinion on sheeting in top and bottom of leading edge on a Four*60? A friend of mine has one and it seems to me that this area could use strengthening. I have just opened the box on my kit, and am ready to fly at it. Looks like it will build just as nice as my SE.

While I didn't sheet the wing, I with I would have. If you fly off grass fields, chances are you'll poke some holes from twigs and the like. What I did do is clip the wings by one bay, enlarge the rudder (alot - tapered 1" to 2" extension) and used wheel pants and canopy from a Venture 60 - they just look better imho.

Good luck,
Harold

Rudder

I sheeted the top leading edge and trailing edge and capped the ribs in between. Looks much better in my opinion and hopefully it is stronger. I added some "wood" on the fuselage near the trailing edge because I heard of this being a weak point where the fuse breaks in half just behind the wing. Now that it is built, I believe the rudder could use some strengthening. I used Robart hinges and threw away some of the screws.

I would sheet the turtle deck as well, the stringers crack pretty easily and it will look better when its covered.

I didnt sheet mine and I dont think you need the strength. I fly off grass too, and I have never had problems with twigs or anything poking through. But that dosnt mean others havnt. The wing is very strong, so strong when my fifty pound toolbox tipped over and smashed on top of it, not one spar broke. The Ultracote didnt even rip either, it did dent a little but that was curred with a heat gun. I built the wing flat and clipped the wings one bay on each tip. I know it looks flimsy when its just bones but youd be surprised how strong it is.

Thanks for the input folks. I fly from both grass and dirt. As of 8:00 PM last night I am committed to sheeting the leading edges. It is a bit more work, but I think the results will be worth it. I will take some notes, and photos and keep you posted.

I have built a 4*120 and a 4*40.

These are the modifications that I made to both planes.

Built wing flat and clipped one bay.
Strenghen landing gear area with light ply behind and lots of triangle stock.
DOUBLED the size of AILERONS and ELEVATOR.
Added a COUPLE of inches to the RUDDER.
Twin elevator servos in the tail.
Rudder servo in the tail, mounted on the bottom of the fuselage. You can then run a seperate linkage to the tailwheel, off the other side of the servo horn.
Klett tailwheel
Twin aileron servos, mounted in the wings.
MDS 1.48 on 4*120
OS 61 FX on 4*40
Mount tank over the wing and run a 2 oz header tank behind the firewall.
Canopy shortened untill it just reaches past the instrument panel, make the nose look LONG and MEAN.

I absolutely love the way these two planes fly. The 40 size weighs 5pounds 3 oz. The 120 size weighs 8 pounds 5 oz.

It is not necessary (even though you are already committed) the wing is plenty strong as is, and you are adding weight ahead of the cg. The turtle deck, on the other hand, needs work....the top stringer almost always breaks from general handling.....

As if I don't have enough unfinished projects already, I've decided to build a 4*60. I have a couple of quick questions:

1. What is the largest prop that will clear the ground with the stock setup? I should mention I fly off pavement, since that does make a difference.

2. What is your all up weight with your choice of engine?

Thanks.

With my saito .91 the total weight came out at just under 6-1/2 lbs. I run a 14x6 on it with plenty of ground clearance to spare.

Hi all ! I am also thinking of mods for my 4*60. What thicknesses of balsa sheets do I need for the leading edge and turtle deck ? Assuming the sheets are 4"x36" in dimension, how sheets would I need to purchase to complete this sheeting work ? Thanks and cheers.................

Hi 4*, I am planning to beef up the same area behind the wing. Could you give me some details on your reinforcement design and materials, hopefully some pics too. Thanks..........

Hi Mendes, what was the size of the balsa stringers you used for the turtle deck ? Thanks..............

Rajul:

I couldn't possibly go into details on the reinforcement. It doesn't come up to your standards. All I did was epoxy some lite ply horizental strips on the sides and top/bottom inside of the fuselage to try to strengthen it. My philosophy is that once it is covered it won't show so anything goes.

I should have gone most of the way down the fuselage because where I stopped is where it broke when I went into the weeds on an aborted take-off. The fuse is very weak. It appears it will take the flying loads but don't even look at it sideways on the ground and it may snap in half!

Hi 4*60, seems like what your reinforcement did was just to shift the problem to another location. I am wondering if the reinforcement is worth doing

Do what you want. I should have said "the first time". With the fix I have now added additional reinforcing to the rear, but I haven't had the opportunity to test it and hope I never do!
It flies great!