flyingluthier

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I picked up a spirit 100 kit last week as a winter building project. I've messed around with helis off and on for a few years and can hover one decently, but have been flying an Easyglider electric and find it much more relaxing. Anyway, I want to make the spirit full house with 2 flap servos and electric too, and was wondering if anyone has any ideas about lightening the spirit without weakening it, and making the tail removable(hanger rash protection/transpotation issues). I've alleady thought of drilling the flap, ailerons, and the fussalage. This is also my first kit build and any other tips will be greatly appeciated, and I'll keep updating.

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

You really shouldn't have to lighten it much. If you keep the electronics forward you will still have to add a little weight for balance, so if you are going to lighten it I would reconsider making the tail removable as that will add weight aft on a long tail. It flies very well with the extra weight. I used to drop in 1lb of lead to the box for sloping and it still flew well on light days. I do recommend strengthening the spar at the center and adding shear webbing in between the spars. They were notorious for folding wings on winch launches. I capped the spars with carbon fiber and wrapped the spar box with kevlar string. Also instead of the squared off plywood shear webs at the center I lengthend them and tapered the forward up to the next rib and the aft down to the next rib. This keeps it from having a shear point at the end of the plywood. I actually cart wheeled it down the cliffs a Torry Pines and had only cosmetic damage to the wing. I also used to winch launch it and the guys would cringe waiting for it to fold and it never did. I flies great though so don't let me scare you off of it. You can throw a little reflex in and it will speed up quite a bit, and throw some crow in and it will come straight down at a walk.