Rcu Review: Aeroworks 50cc Pitts Python Qb Arf

Transcript

  RCU Review:  AeroWorks 50CC Pitts Python QB ARF   More On This Product Research Airplanes  Research Boats  Research Cars  Research Helicopters   Research Engines & Motors   Research Radio Equipment      Contributed by: Mike East | Published: May 2008 | Views: 59074 | Email this Article | PDF Review by: Mike East Email Me  Flight pics and Video by: Bob Scheppele Introduction Specifications First Look Assembly Photo Shoot Flight Report Summary Contact Information Here we go on to the next chapter the folks at Aeroworks mission to provide us with the fastest building and yet still some of the highest quality ARF's in the business. In this article we will review the new 50CC Pitts Python QB ARF from Aeroworks, and what a QB it is. AeroWorks 401 Laredo St Unit "D" Aurora, Co 80011 Phone: (303) 366-4205 www.aero-works.net Final Approach Window Media Player Aeroworks Pitts Python VIDEO What I could see as soon as I started unpacking was the same high level of quality, yet found that it was possible to have an even more complete QB than the Pythons predecessors. I found an even more predrilled, preglued, precut and pre-thought-out assembly than the last time I put together a QB. Ultracote covering   Sturdy construction  Very complete accessory kit. Pre installed cowl and hatch Pre hinged surfaces. I don't want to give it away too soon and at this point I honestly have not built the thing yet, so let's get started and see if its as good as it looks. Name: 50CC Pitts Python ARF QB Hard to make advertised weight   Price: $729.95 Wingspan: 70 in Wing Area: 1725 sq in (129 sq dm) Length: 72 in total with spinner Flying Weight (advertised): 17-18 lb Flying Weight: (actual)19 lb Engine: 50-60cc gas Engine Used: Desert Aircraft DA50 Battery Used: Duralite Batteries 1-2000mah 7.4V Ignition; 1-4800mah Servos and Receiver 1-2000mah 7.4V Ignition; 1-4800mah Servos and Receiver Radio Used: Futaba 9C with TM7 2.4GHz module Servos Used: Hitec 5955's  Channels Used: 8 total - (2)Elevator, (4)Aileron, (1)Rudder,(1) Throttle with Standard Throttle Servo Props Used:Vess Props , 22B Items Used To Complete 8 Channel Radio (Minimum) w/ 7 high torque metal gear servos and 1 standard for the throttle (7) High Torque High Speed Metal geared servos (7) 1 1/4' or 1 1/2" servo arms depending on your preference. (1) Minimum 2700mah servo/receiver battery packs and (1) 1500mah ignition battery pack. (9) 6" Servo Extensions (2) 24" Servo Extensions (2)12" Y Harness Extensions ZAP CA Adhesives Pacer 5 and 30-min Epoxy Various Standard Shop Tools You can see in the first picture that the commitment to quality was there. Both boxes were lined in plywood to protect the precious cargo within. Upon opening the boxes you find the contents safely tucked away and wrapped in foam. Every piece was totally pristine with not a blemish anywhere to be found. The fuselage is a beautiful work of art and the attention to detail is apparent everywhere you look. All of the pre installation is clean and straight with no loose or missing parts to be found. Even the cutouts in the Ultracote covering are razor sharp and precise. You can see below that as usual this QB comes with a pre installed cowl that requires nothing more than bolting into place. The Pitts does come with a baffle cover for the cowl that can be cut as needed to provide the proper ventilation for your engine. The stabs are not airfoiled but they are beautifully constructed and arrow straight. The Robart type hinges are pre drilled and installed, but must be removed and then reinstalled and permanently glued in place once the stabs have been installed on the fuselage. Through the rest of the first look you can see all of the beautiful hardware that is provided with the setup. All of the hardware is in the kit including a smoke tank, all the foam, Velcro and zip ties. The only thing that I did not find were the firewall bolts for the engine standoffs but that's not a big deal and allows me to pickup the grade 8 socket head bolts that I prefer to use anyway. You can see all of the pushrods and metal control horns that are provided with all the necessary hardware to install. The landing gear is ready to bolt on. All the holes are drilled for you, the shafts are cut to the proper length. All you have to do is bolt it up! The tailwheel is a nice aluminum construction. All of the hardware is provided. As a final touch, Aeroworks provides us with a deflection meter for setting up throws and a large protractor to aid in the setup as well. Manual   In typical Aeroworks fashion this is about as complete of an assembly manual as you are going to see. There is no shortage of pictures and detail in the manual that is provided on Compact Disc. Just pop it in your PC and go or you can go to the Aeroworks site and download the manual in PDF format. Click on the pic above to go to the manual. Let's go check it out! TAIL FEATHER INSTALLATION Time to complete the stab and rudder installation: 1 hour. For this step I will need my Pacer 30 minute Z Poxy. This will be used for gluing the stab and vertical fin in place as well as installing the Robart hinges. The first step is to locate the stab and slide it carefully into the fuselage. You must also install the lower wing for alignment purposes. With the wing installed, slide the stab into place and measure from each wingtip and adjust the stab position until the measurements match exactly for each side. Once you get the stab located dead center and even, use a sharpie or pen to mark the point where the stab meets the fuselage on each side. Then slide the stab out partially and place a thin coat of 30 minute Epoxy on the bare wood of the top and bottom of the stab. Carefully slide into place, realign with the pen lines and allow to dry. Be sure to check the stab to level as the glue dries, it should line up parallel to the wing when viewed from the tail of the plane. Next install the vertical fin. Lightly coat the tail post and vertical fin hole in the fuselage with 30 minute Epoxy. It does not take much, just a very thin coat is plenty. Simply slide the vertical fin into place, wipe away the excess epoxy from the covering with denatured alcohol or 91% rubbing alcohol and allow to dry. Finally all you have to do is install the elevators and rudder using the provided Robart hinges. This is a very simple process. Apply a drop of Vaseline right on the hinge point of each Robart hinge being careful not to get any on the shaft, just a tiny bit on the hinge point is all you need. Work the Vaseline into the joint by flexing it a few times. Then simply apply a very light coat of 30 minute epoxy in each hole for the surface and on the hinge shaft so that a tiny bit oozes out as you slide the hinge into place. Now as the hinges come together push them together as tightly as possible but wipe away the excess glue from the Ultracote with a paper towel wet with Alcohol as it oozes out. Once the hinge gap is tight, wipe the hinge line with alcohol to remove any epoxy until the hinge line is nice and clean. As the glue begins to set be sure that the hinge line remains tight and also that the hinges are moving. The Vaseline that you applied earlier should ensure that you have nice free hinges. Once the glue is almost dry, carefully place a tiny droplet of Acetone right on the hinge being careful not to overdo it. The acetone will cut any residual epoxy from the hinge. Just be certain that the Acetone stays on the hinge only or it could loosen the glue on the hinge shafts in the surfaces. Then reapply a drop of oil and you are ready to go! MAIN GEAR AND TAILWHEEL Time to install all the landing gear 30 minutes. This went extremely quickly. To install the landing gear the first step is to remove the forward cover from the underside of the fuselage. Once I got that done all I needed to do was locate the hardware pack and get my Pacer blue thread locker. The landing gear will only mount one way so it's impossible to put them on backward. Simply line up the bolt holes, apply some thread locker and secure the gear into place. The next step is to bolt up the shafts and install the wheels. Simply bolt the shafts on and alight the outside hub so that the flat sides of the hub are perpendicular to the ground. This will align the wheel pants when the time comes. Next just slip on the inner wheel collar and let it float free. Slip the wheel on and mark the outside edge of the wheel hub so you can grind a flat on the shaft for the outer wheel collar to rest. Finally using blue thread locker, screw the outer collar onto the shaft to secure the wheel into place. Line up the wheel pants, use the supplied hardware and thread locker to secure. That's all there is to it. Now for the tail wheel. The holes are already drilled in the bottom of the fuse and rudder for the tailwheel which is a really cool detail. Therefore all I had to do was harden the holes with a little Zap Thin CA and screw it and the T bar for the rudder into place. The final step is to install the springs in the tailwheel. All you have to do is slip them onto the T and give them a couple of wraps and trim the excess. Then line up the tailwheel and rudder and attach the spring to the tailwheel on one side. When you attach the second spring be sure to line up the rudder with the fuse and the wheel with the rudder. The springs should be just barely tight, not too tight. Here you can see how nice the gear looks. Everything is clean and sharp and most importantly, well constructed. The wheel pants and sturdy but light and should last a long time. Looks great! TAIL WIRE INSTALLATION This plane has a neat feature, it comes with tail wires. They are pretty light and only add about an ounce or so of weight in the tail. As you can see they are functional and provide support to the tail section of the plane. The installation is really easy. The holes in the stabs and rudder are predrilled through and the hardware is provided for installation. Best of all they are already assembled and the correct length! Once the wires are installed you can easily adjust the tension with the turnbuckle adjusters. They are smartly designed so that as you rotate the wire on both ends the wire loosens or tightens without twisting. Looks cool and functional too!! CONTROL SURFACE SETUP Estimated Time: 2 Hours. Here is what the control surfaces assemblies looks like. Everything is good quality, solid hardware that is more than enough to get the job done. The double control horns are nice and light and will provide a nice precise connection to the servo. All the ball connectors are provided as is the hardware for installation. As you can see, the holes for all the horns are predrilled to make the setup as easy as possible and to ensure perfect alignment and geometry. The rudder control horns are held in place by nut and bolt per the instructions I secured each of the nuts in place with a little Zap CA glue. Here is a look at the basic tail layout. Simple but effective should work great! As is true with all the servos, there are pull strings already in place at the exit locations. Just tape the string to the end of the servo lead and pull it on through. Here are a few pics of the installation. The pic on the right above is of the connector for the rudder pull pull. Just thread them halfway into the ball connector and you are ready to install the provided pull pull cables. The elevator setup is very straight forward and just super easy to set up. As with the rudder, during setup tape the surfaces at the neutral position so that they cannot move. Turn on the radio system with the servos at center and adjust the pushrod length and connect to the servo arm using the provided hardware. If you follow the instructions it's pretty much impossible to mess up. Its important that you remember to install the supplied tapered bushings on the servo arm connections as shown in the above right picture to ensure a proper fit and smooth operation of the linkages. Below is a look at the aileron setup. Very straight forward, simple installation. All of the hardware you see is provided and fits perfectly. I kept it simple and got all of my electronics stuff from Duralite. As you can see they don't just do batteries and powerboxes, they have extensions and just about anything electrical related that you can think of that you will need to power up your plane. That's about it for control surface setup. Moving right along. DESERT AIRCRAFT DA-50R INSTALLATION Desert Aircraft 50CC Engine Go to the DA Website   The Famous "DA 50" Engine installation: 2 hours. This installation is very simple since the plane is designed and built around the DA 50. There is a template provided so all we need to do is align the template on the firewall and drill the mounting holes. The DA 50 has become the staple engine for airplanes in the 15-18 pound class. With unbelievable reliability, rock solid performance and incredible ease of operation the DA 50 has rightfully earned its place at the top of the list among engines in its class. Key Features Next, install the DA 2.5" Standoffs on the firewall using 1/4-20 hardware and Blue Thread locker. For 50CC models  Proven Workhorse in 50CC class  Easy to start and run Walbro carburetor Great DA Service Includes everything needed for installation  Displacement: 3.05 ci (50 cc) Output: 5.0 hp Weight: 2.94 lbs (1.33 kilos) Weight w/Standoffs: 3.13 lbs (1.42 kilos) Bore: 1.6771 in (42.6 mm) Stroke: 1.3779 in (35 mm) Length: 6.7 in (170 mm)  Specs Type: 2 - Stroke Displacement:3.05 ci (50 cc) Output:5.0 hp  Weight:2.94 lbs (1.33 kilos)  Bore:1.6771 in (42.6 mm) Stroke:1.3779 in (35 mm)  Length:6.7 in (170 mm)  RPM Range: 1000 to 7400 Warranty: 2 Year Muffler Type: canister or standard muffler Download the Manual in PDF Format- Click Here I used fender washers and lock washers on the inside of the firewall for reinforcement and a little added security without adding any substantial weight. With that done simply bolt the engine to the standoffs using the provided hardware and again some Blue Thread locker. Be sure that you get enough thread locker on the threads and they are properly tightened to ensure they that don't loosen up after a while. The next step is to install the throttle servo. The instructions guide us on how to use the supplied hardware for the throttle linkage but this does require a little silver soldering. If you don't like to solder you can make your linkage up with a long turnbuckle, carbon fiber or your favorite technique. If you go with the ball connectors on each end of the linkage you will have to remove and drill the hole in the control arm on the carb to fit whatever screw size you use, or you can use a clevis. The next step will be to connect the ignition and battery setup. There are places provided for all of the above already setup for us on the plane. Just locate the tie down slots, use the provided Velcro and secure into place!! We are almost done. The last step is to install the choke arm that will extend out in front of the cowl. This is a very simple and easy setup. All you have to do is secure a zip tie around the standoffs and then feed the pushrod in between. Finally tighten the setup against the pushrod by installing small zip ties above and below the pushrod. Snip it off so that when the choke is pulled out it will be just a little short of the backplate and most importantly, the prop!! The final pic above is of the DA50 prop drill guide. They sure do make getting the holes nice and straight a lot easier. FUEL TANK INSTALLATION Fuel Tank Installation Time- 15 minutes. Here is the tank installation. The plane also comes with a fully equipped smoke tank, but in the interest of weight savings I am going to forego using the smoke tank in this setup. As you can see the tank is setup for a 2 line system and so I will be using an Excel Fueler dot from Slimline products. There is really nothing to it, just assemble tank stopper assembly which includes a couple of solder on barbs that need to be silver soldered into place on the ends of the fuel pickup tube. Once you get the tank assembled just slip it into place and secure using the provided foam and zip ties. There are supposed to be supplied grommets for installing the vent tube out of the fuselage but mine were missing. No big deal, I just used a tried and true method of getting the vent out of the bottom of the plane and it was on to the next step. the bottom of the plane and it was on to the next step. JTEC PITTS MUFFLER INSTALLATION For this review I wanted a muffler that was a little quieter and may possibly offer a few more RPM's so I decided to go with the JTEC large inverted pitts muffler from www.jtecrc.com. This muffler has a slightly larger diameter can than a standard Pitts but it should be a good bit quieter and make the plane compliant at field with noise restrictions. The really cool part about this muffler is that it's a custom built muffler made to fit this plane. That's the way JTEC does it. You call em' up and they get a couple of measurements from you and if a standard cut fits then great but if its a little too close they will custom fit the muffler so that it will lay right in under the motorbox with just the right fit. Had I gone with the standard version the regular off the shelf version would have worked but since I went with the large, the fit was a little close so Al had to slightly tilt the header down to clear the motorbox. The nice part was that this only took a day or so which is pretty typical. That's right, even though it's a custom fit it will still ship out about as fast as an off the shelf version. You can see that it's a really nice looking muffler and it fits nicely in this plane which does not have a real large diameter cowl. I did have to trim out a little more to get it to fit, but as you can see it's still a great looking muffler and should perform well. After a few flights here is my take. This is a great muffler. It is markedly quieter than the other Pitts mufflers at the field and it does seem to have less restriction than a standard muffler. Right off the bat I was getting 6900 or so RPM's on the 22B on a brand new DA which is great. So the mufflers does what its supposed to do and that is reduce noise and it looks like it might provide a little more exhaust flow. Time will tell if we steal a few more RPM's once the engine is broken in. COWL INSTALLATION Cowl installation time: 2 hours total. The cowl is already ready to mount so all we need to do is cut the cowl and install the faux radial front to fit our engine. This requires makings a small opening in the faux front and trimming the underside of the cowl to accommodate the engine and muffler. The first step is with the muffler removed to make a template to cutout the underside of the cowl. This is very clearly laid out in the instruction manual and is very simple to do. The first step before you install the engine is to find the center of the cowl and mark it on a piece of tape. This will be used later in the process. Once you get the engine installed there is a simple layout plan for a template that is used to locate the point where the cowl needs to be trimmed for the engines head. After you have plotted out the template just tape it to the underside of the fuse, scribe the outline of the head and then remove the template. Next you draw out a box on the template that will make room for your Pitts muffler. Once the box is drawn you will need to draw lines that intersect with the engine cutout and then cut out for the muffler on the template. Now just tape the template to the cowl using the center reference you made earlier and mark and cutout the cowl with a cutting disc on your handy dandy Dremel tool. Next is the installation of the faux radial engine front. But before you install you need to remove a section at the bottom to provide airflow to cool the engine. As you can see as the pics progress, I opted to create another small opening at the base of the cowl to make sure that the engine gets plenty of airflow. Better safe than sorry. Once you get the cut out done, there is a jig provided that helps to make the lineup a little easier. All you have to do is tighten the jig around the cowl and faux front and center it up. Then I simply All you have to do is tighten the jig around the cowl and faux front and center it up. Then I simply glued it from the inside with ZAP thick CA. Rocco also recommends in the instructions that you place a thin bead of silicon around the inside of the front, but I am going to take my chances and trust that I glued it well enough that I don't need the silicon to save a little weight in the nose. Now you are ready to install the cowl, but as you do you will need to mark a drill a hole for the choke lever to stick through the front. I just drilled a 1/4" hole. Once you get the cowl bolted on you can trim the choke lever to the optimal length and after you grind a flat, install a collar to give you something to hold on to manipulate the choke. as you can see this is a very nice installation that is really simple. Just take your time and there is nothing to it. PROP AND SPINNER INSTALLATION Once again I have gone to my friends at Tru Turn for the perfect spinner for my plane. Not surprisingly they were able to come up with a nice blue anodized P51 spinner to match this plane. All I had to do was tell them what prop and what engine I intended to use and within a few days I had exactly what I had asked for. As usual it was a perfect fit so all I had to do was slide it in place and bolt it up. You just cannot ask for better service or quality than these guys, you really can't. For the prop I decided to go with a VESS 22B (essentially a 22x10) propeller. I have found that these props are reasonably quiet and they turn up very well. Once the engine is broken in we will move it up to a 23" version. KIRBYS VINYL GRAPHICS INSTALLATION While I was waiting on the muffler and electronics to come in I decided to go ahead and install the graphics package that Kirbys Custom Graphics is making for Aeroworks to go along with this plane. The cost of the package is $99, but if you know Dennis Kirby's work this is a steal for the quantity and quality of what you get. Included are an incredible number of single and multiple layer, multiple color, and some reflective graphics that really make the plane look sharp that include your name to go in the pilots name location on the plane. Just so you are not intimidated I thought I would show you how these work. What you get are single colors and where applicable a second color that just lays over the background color. All you need to do is decide where you want to put it (locations are layed out for you in the instruction manual and in the graphics package itself). Next carefully remove the backing and the vinyl will stick to the frisket paper that allows you to place it on the surface. There is a spray that you can get from Kirby's that will allow you to work with the vinyl after it is on the surface. Just follow the instructions on the bottle if you go that route. Okay, the edges of the frisket paper are cut specifically to help you line up the graphic in line with the lines of the plane. So carefully lay the vinyl in place on the plane and run your fingertip or a piece of the backing over the decal to make sure that it is all stuck just leaving an edge loose so you can peel it off. Then start to sloooooowly pull the paper back upon itself, do not pull straight away. As you peel the paper back watch the edges and make sure that as you peel everything is sticking. Once the paper is removed carefully go over the decal again and make sure that it is down tightly. As you can see these are some really spectacular looking vinyl graphics that add a lot to the look of the plane. Remember that you do not have to use them all and even if you do not you are still getting your moneys worth without a doubt. The finished product is really nice. DURALITE A123 POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM www.duralitebatteries.com  Powerbox 40/16 Evolution Key Features This is me taking the leap to A123 technology. Duralite is now selling A123 battery packs. lightweight, 4.05oz, 115g  Compact Design 3.66" x 2.3" x .75"  Can be purchased for Nickel or Lithium Batteries Failsafe switch comes with Powerbox 2 - onboard 20amp switching regulators 16 servo inputs 5 outputs channels Isolates the receiver from possible RF noise Fully Buffered Signal Line for Each Servo 2 remote low voltage warning lights 5 pulse amplifiers Digiswitch (Ignition) Key Features Built in 5.5 volt regulator Will handle up to 5 amps load External LED Voltage indicator Extremely lightweight Fiberglass filled plastic case virtually indestructible Excellent for ignition applications These are really neat packs that have an incredible discharge capability that exceeds what your servos will ever ask for. Plus the packs are stable and do not require the care that other Lithium packs require. You can also see in the pic above that the packs are equipped with a circuit board that will shutoff the charge when the correct peak voltage is reached. All you do is plug it into your 7.4V Lithium charger and let it go. The pack will stop the charge at the right time. Go to the Duralite Website! - Click here Here is a look at my setup. I have 2 A123 packs and a 7.4V Lithium Ion pack for the ignition. The system will be centered around the Duralite Powerbox 40/16 Evolution. This system has 40 amp capability and has room for 16 inputs from 5 different channels. Not to worry, you don't need all those other channels with a Powerbox because you can plug both elevator servos into on channel. Same thing for multiple aileron servos. Left and right ailerons still require separate channels but the Powerbox will allow you to plug in as many as 3 aileron servos and 4 rudder servos to one channel. That eliminates the need for Y harnesses and all that other stuff. That's not to mention that the Powerbox is regulated for "6V" performance so you don't need regulators. Also, these units come with a really neat fail safe switch that plugs right in, you can see it in the pic on the far right. This switch is a fail safe that fails in the on position if something goes wrong. It also comes with LED indicators that can be mounted in the fuselage that will tell you if the system is on and if you are getting below safe voltage. Overall the system weighs about the same as regulators, Y harnesses and all that other junk so there is not much, if any weight penalty. In the middle pic you can see the Digiswitch from Duralite. This is a lightweight, regulated switch that is perfect for your ignition. Once again there are lights on the switch that can tell you whether the switch is in Nickel or Lithium mode and is you are operating in safe voltage range. This switch is great for ignitions as well as models with up to 6 servos. Now for the most important part, the flight report. So let's just start at the beginning. The plane taxi's and handles very nicely on the ground. As is true with most biplanes, you have to be a little careful when you are taxiing down wind as the wind can catch the tail and pick it up. This is especially true in taller grass. Really not a big deal just typical bipe behavior. I put everything in the airplane exactly where the instruction manual said. Because I trust these guys and just to see how good their planning really was, I rolled the dice and did not check the actual CG location before the first flight. Lo and behold on takeoff the balance was perfect for the maiden flight. The plane rolled out smooth and straight and required no elevator trim for level flight. So hats off to Aero Works for getting it right for us! Once in the air I had to trim the rudder and ailerons just a couple of clicks and we were off. As far as just general flight, the plane flies very well. Take off and landing are very easy and the plane has no unpredictable or bad characteristics. The recommended throws are spot on for basic aerobatic flight and the plane handles nicely there. The plane flies really well. I think that my plane is just very slightly nose heavy for my style of flying but overall the plane is very responsive and stable. It tracks nicely in level flight as well as in vertical lines. Rolls are beautiful, nice and straight and very easy to manage. The plane snaps great and is surprisingly easy to stop for a biplane. In my experience bipes can tend to over rotate if you over do the rudder in a snap, but this plane stops wherever you want it to. Spins are awesome, inverted spins are just insane and 3D spins are all pretty easy to get into. The only thing that was not as crisp as I like were maneuvers like the wall and parachute. The plane just would not pop into a wall or parachute, this could possibly be because the plane is slightly nose heavy and I will figure that out in time. However, once I found the sweet spot on the elevator stick I found that the plane harriers nicely and will transition into a hover easily. It was pretty windy on the days I had to do the initial flight testing and so it was a little tricky. But the plane would settle into a hover and just sit there for as long as you were willing to let it. I had a lot of fun pointing the nose up at about 80 degrees and watching the plane slide backward like a harrier in reverse. Finally my favorite, high alpha rolls. I found that the plane rolls nicely in high alpha. Rolling harriers were great but I was surprised that I had to dial up the aileron throw a little to get the roll response I wanted in high alpha. Low rate was not quite enough and of course high rate is lightning fast. Once I got the roll rate and expo where I wanted them I could not have asked for a higher fun factor. Words really can't describe what an absolutely beautiful airplane this is. I have reviewed and seen a lot of airplanes and this has to be one of the best looking I have seen on the ground and in the air. The color scheme really appeals to me and I like a little flash, so with the graphics package the plane is a real show stopper. Check out the video to see her in action!   50CC Pitts Python Flight Video 1 (33mb) CLICK HERE   50CC Pitts Python 3D Flight Video (35 mb) CLICK HERE In summary I just want to say thank you to Aero Works for having me do this review. Again they have put together a high quality package that I can pretty much guarantee you will not disappoint. As far as the actual flying weight being a little over advertised, as far as I was concerned "so what?". At 19 pounds the plane flies great, the DA had absolutely no problems throwing it around even with a 22" break in prop and a brand new engine. Once the engine breaks in and we switch to the 23B prop, look out. The plane flies absolutely great at this weight and did most everything, 98% of what I asked of it in aerobatic flight and 3D. Don't get stuck on the number, just fly the plane and you will see what I mean. If you are looking for a great flying plane, that is incredibly quick and easy to assemble and is absolutely gorgeous then the AeroWorks 50CC Pitts Python is the one for you.. 401 Laredo St. Unit "D" Aurora, Co 80011 Phone: (303) 366-4205 www.aero-works.net// Desert Aircraft Engines Distributed through Desert Aircraft 1815 South Research Loop Tucson, Az 85710 Phone: 520.722.0607 www.desertaircraft.com Duralite Flight Systems Email Address: [email protected]  Web Address: www.duralitebatteries.com Vess Propellers Distributed by Desert Aircraft 1815 South Research Loop  Tucson, Az 85710 Phone 520.722.0607  Website: www.desertaircraft.com/ ZAP and Pacer Adhesives Distributed by Frank Tiano Ent. 3607 Ventura Drive E. Lakeland, Florida 33811 Phone 863-607-6611 Website: http://www.franktiano.com JTEC Mufflers P.O Box 1847 Mooresville, NC 28115 Phone (704) 799-1658 www.jtecrc.com Kirby's Custom Vinyl Graphics 903 Settlemire Road Lebanon, Ohio, 45036 Phone: 513-932-2422 Kirby's Website Tru Turn 100 West 1st Street Deer Park, Texas 77536 Phone: (281) 479-9600 www.truturn.com Comments on RCU Review: AeroWorks 50CC Pitts Python QB ARF Posted by: cosmospho on 05/21/2008 Profile  Ok, all reviews are just perfection to the most here in RCU, but give me a break.... Am I supposed to believe that on a 2000 dollar plus plane you did not even check the CG ?? Either that is outright dangerous to your fellow flyers or plain stupidity Posted by: MikeEast on 05/22/2008 Profile  Well, I have assembled and flown several of Roccos QB planes and they were always really close on the CG. With that experience, I have a lot of confidence in his ability to build the planes so that they balance on the design CG if you install all of the gear in the planes exactly as the instructions recommened so I knew that the CG was right without having to get a good CG check. I would never recommend that anyone test this, but since I pretty well knew what to expect and wanted to empahasize the true consistancy of the construction of these planes I thought it would be fun to emphasize this positive point. Trust me, before I flew the plane I knew that the CG was good.  Posted by: cosmospho on 05/23/2008 Profile  Heh, that sounds better.... If you know and built same planes with same servos, batteries and engines it makes sense. I agree with plans, but sometimes a heavier spinner or heavier servos on the tail can change the CG a lot... But its explained thanks... You should say ("guys don't do this at home, but I flew without checking my CG"). Posted by: bowlzippy on 05/28/2008 Profile  thank you... because of this review i will be buying this airplane next... great flying and proving the quality of the aircraft by not checking the CG was a nice touch.. demonstrates the trust you have in this manufacturer.. aircraft by not checking the CG was a nice touch.. demonstrates the trust you have in this manufacturer.. Posted by: MikeAndersonCA on 06/11/2008 Profile  There doesn't seem to be any provision for a canister muffler. (No obvious tunnel in fuselage) Is that right? Posted by: frednjess on 06/19/2008 Profile  I don't care how good the manufacturer is, CHECK THE CG. Every time! You just spent $2000 and spent a fair amount of time assembling a great plane. How long does a CG check take? 5 minutes, max. Not checking is just dumb. Page: 1  The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review.  EMAIL THIS ARTICLE OR CHECK OUT THESE OTHER GREAT REVIEWS!   Photo Manufacturer Product MOTIV Trinity Summary Reviewed Ok, enough about Paul because this article is “M-Code” Brushless RC Moto about the MOTIV line of “M-Code” line of motors. 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