Quicker

I'm still around here, too, just not as much. As for my relationship with Accel, I'm just a designer and they bought some of my designs...nothing more.

OK, for my take on the Kat 70, V1 and making it stronger.

1: if you have a truck or SUV and can handle the wingspan, epoxy the wing on and make is a single pice plane. A lot of guys have done this. Is it needed? Not really, but it does add strength.

2: get some CF tape and some 1/8th thick hardwood or ply. Strip the covering off the bottom of the fuse and sandwich the tape between the fuse bottom and the new wood strip. Wick in thin CA. Do this from the tail to the wing cutout. If you glued in the wing, then do it to the nose.

If you can't get CF tape, then the extra hardwood alone is going to add a bunch of strength. Now, all this being said, I still have my Kat 70, which was prototype #1 of version 1. I was lucky enough to get to test one of the original 2 prototypes. I've dorked it a few times and it is holding up.

Q

bigal422

My Feedback: (50)

Looks like I've found a home for my YS 110. I was looking at the Kat 70 GS but was thinking it might be a little weak around the wing area. This plane looks alot stronger.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

YS 1.10 is going to be a screamer with this motor Al, maybe too much in 6 lb range.

You should go with 65" Yak ARF?

AFSalmon

My Feedback: (3)

Yes, I'd say it is way stronger and right in line with the 90 size models I've experienced. Should be a good candidate for 61-91 2-strokes and 90-110 4-strokes.

bigal422

My Feedback: (50)

OK guys which is it, yes or no. I think its going to be yes. I really don't like the looks of the 65" Yak. It just doesn't do it for me, but the Katana looks great. I can do a lot with a white base color. I had the Kat 40 GS. Sold it to get the 47" Yak. I've almost finished it. Is this 6 week thing anywhere close to being a real release date. I think we had to wait about 6 months on the 47".

dhooks

My Feedback: (24)

I wouldnt use the 1.10 on something thats 6 lbs....Its just going to destroy the airframe.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

We'll I don't know about it destroying the airframe because there is one flying with an .91 2 stroke and it's been flying just fine and flown very hard. This new version of the Katana is very strong, but the 1.10 is very powerful and will come in at around 6ish pounds ... that's just a lot of motor.

If you like the Yak 47 the trim scheme is not that far off from the 65 Yak and if you want you can add some white like the Yak 47 for a couple bucks.

The last order of our ARF's we had no control over the shipping. This time we will be using UPS for overseas shipping and our containers will now clear customs before they arrive from UPS. Also we will be handling all shipping direct, no brokers, so we will have all the info to us real time. Now we don't have the exact date as of right now, but 6 weeks is the soonest they will be in.

Nitehawk

My plane is just sittin, with the aft portion hanging by the servo wires. It broke at the trailing edge. I'd like to know your technique for applying the 12k strand CF to the fuse. I'll have to do it after the repair.

thx

AFSalmon

My Feedback: (3)

DHooks, that's odd coming from another bro! Heck most bros put twice the motor on profiles required. Now I hear about some folks putting Saito 180s on the 65" yak! Yep it's insane isn't it.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

We got our first flight video back from our first happy customer Spacey. Sorry but we still don't have them for sale yet, we had gotten some from the factory that we sold to a couple people around the world in hopes of feedback. Here is a short video demonstrating some of the handling. Thanks Spacey!

[link=http://www.flybuder.com/aeroflyvids/kat70.wmv]VIDEO KAT 70 V2 - 10 MB WMV[/link]

bigal422

My Feedback: (50)

Is this plane going to be preslotted for hinges. I hope so. I bought one of the 47" planes thinking it would be a 3 to 4 hour build and have 8 in it now and still not finished. I really like this plane but for the money you charge for an ARF it should be prehinged. I bought a Kat 40 from OMP and it took about 3 hours to complete. Thats the way an ARF should be. If I had 8 to 12 hours to spend on building I would just build a kit, but I don't. I love to fly but just don't have the time to build a kit and fly too, thats why I'm glad that companies are building ARF's now. Not trying to bust your chops, just trying to do a little research on how long it is going to take to build this bird.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Yes the Katana will be pre slotted.

Also Al, a must for every modeler is a hinge tool. I've only built 5-6 ARF's in my life, and can slot them in 10 minutes with the tool.

srg123cohen

My Feedback: (13)

That being said there still is a superior advantage to having everything pre slotted so it fits together.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

I agree and it will be done in the future.

bigal422

My Feedback: (50)

srg123cohen, Thanks Bro, I was beginning to think I was the only one thinking this way. To STLPilot, I don't have a slotting tool because as I stated in my last post I don't have time to build a kit. It's build or fly. I would rather fly.

srg123cohen

My Feedback: (13)

Its not a bad investment though. What if you have to do repairs and you need to cut off an ailron? If you have a slotting tool it makes it much easier to put it back on.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Big Al I don't know if you've been 3Ding for a while or not ... but you need some sort of slotting tool for your box like Srg said. The better you get at 3D the more you'll be re-attaching your control surfaces at the field. You'll know what I mean when you start dragging your control surfaces all over the runway. The slotting tool is one of your best friends because in many cases you have to cut all the hinges just to replace one.

But like I said, the next ARF's will be slotted and maybe hinged on one side. I know some people like to use Robart hinges and we may not attach them on 1 side.

bigal422

My Feedback: (50)

In an emergency I just use a hobby knife. I guess I do need to invest in a electric slotter. I have one the manual type and I hate it.

Spacey

The hinges are pre-slotted. And they are tacked in place on one side. So no ligning up or anything. Just push the surface in and have fun with the CA. It took me from friday night around 20:30 to Saturday morning 01:00 to build it. Only had radio programming to do saturday morning before flying. Oh and I was watching Blade and Napoleon Dynamite while building it.

Spacey

No problem..More video to follow next week if my buddy with the better camera remembers to bring the memory sticks for it. Then I'll try to do a loop and a roll or something

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

VOTE FOR PEDRO!

Spacey

How can anyone not! I mean you must be insane to consider doing otherwise! LOL That Lama thing should get an award for best supporting actor.

dhooks

My Feedback: (24)

Ive hovered planes almost that heavy on a .46 so yea the 1.10 sounds a little extreme to me. That big of a moter does hammer the airframe.

Ive saw one of your 65 inchers with an OS 1.60.......hovered at like 3 clicks over an idle?[&:]

AFSalmon

My Feedback: (3)

I'd agree with ya on too much motor. Personally I like to fly as big a plane as I can on the given motor simply because bigger does fly better. But I'm just saying there are a growing number of folks totally "biggee sizing" their planes these days.

Hey Bigal, I'm with you on the prehinging the surfaces. We actually expected them to be prehinged like the other Accel Katanas we got but for some reason these were not. We are going to have much better control over our arfs in the future and work directly with the factories versus a broker. So thanks for your feedback and please keep it coming. I also use a hobby knife probably 90% or the time when making slots. I'll use the hinge slotter on new builds unless the battery is dead....then I just grab the trusty xacto knife and get it done.

fasterthanlife

My Feedback: (2)

Would a .61 FX hover this thing? the .61 hovers my mayber 7 lbs. Ultra stick 60 with limited pull out