This was yet another fantastic flyer - but it started out very "iffy" indeed.On its third flight flutter removed the whole of the tail and vertical stabiliser (in fact it blew-away and was never to be seen again). Cutting the engine and "raising" the flaps (to act as elevons!) saved the model and its engine from complete destruction . . . . but the landing was still quite fast and heavy. During the re-build steps were taken to strengthen the tailplane and its anchorage point, and also to "straighten out" the elevator pushrod
My favourite manoeuvre with this model is actually the take-off. I open the throttle to around three-quarters, wait until the tail has lifted and the model is well above flying speed, pull "far too much" up so that the model has lifted-off and is standing on its tail and going slowly skywards. I then chop the throttle to tick-over and wait for it to stop climbing. As soon as this happens I flip the throttle open again and prop-hang. Then I do a couple of torque rolls before powering skywards or, with the model's underside facing me, pull through into inverted flight, flying away in the same direction as the take-off run
I just love doing this "trick" as it's an immediate attention-grabber (first seen it looks as though the engine has cut and a big crash is just a split-second away). One day the engine "will" cut, there will be a big crash, and the model will be no more. But for now it just seems to ask me to do it more and more
The engine is a personal import from the USA, a K & B "screaming" .48. It's the most powerful engine, for its size, that I've ever had. Originally I fitted an 11 x 6 prop but the engine revved far too much at full throttle so I propped it up to an 11 x 8. This was perfect for normal sports flying but left me wishing for a little more torque in the "take-off-prop-hang" trick, so I fitted a 12.25 x 4.75 which provided all the torque I could ever need
Flight 159, on 31st October, 2002 ended rather less than perfectly:
This was the cause of the crash:
The Rx battery pack's negative lead was held in place only by the pack's shrink-wrap. The wire had corroded right-through where it had been bent back over the solder!
The model has now been re-built and test-flown:
I may be able to detect battery problems in future by the installation of a battery condition indicator in a prominent position:
Green eye = fly, red eye = no-fly!
Model sold to make room for next project 29.09.03
This model was eventually sold because it was just a little too large to get in and out of my car with its wings on.
Things (and my car) have changed now, and I really wish I still had it.
No other model I've had has flown quite so well as this one flew.
It would do "everything" I asked of it - the knife-edge was brilliant and it would even do a climbing k-e loop!
Happy Days (apart from the crashes of course!)
2008 Update:
After getting rid of this model I really missed flying it, and eventually I just had to build another one, but the kit was no-longer available.
After several months of searching I finally found and obtained an original un-started kit.
My new Xtreme has turned-out to fly every bit as good as this original