From: Mark Howard Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 13:32:47 +0000 Subject: [RCSE] monarch 2m - day 1 WARNING - LONG SHAMELESS PLUG FOLLOWS Got my new Monarch 2M done. After yesterday's contest, I finally put her in the air. Test glide showed it needed a bit more aileron than recommended. Up the winch - no camber - no elev. pre-set, but straight; a pretty good launch. Into good air, nice. All trimmed out going UP, UP. Turn tight, tighter - NO tip stall, the nose just falls a bit into the turn. Let's move away from the lift a bit and see how she responds to another therma...here's one... and another... and another. Say, this is like flying a 60" HLG! Way up the wingtips (unpainted) look like vapor trails - Neat! Ok, reflex to build speed for aerobatics - vertical dive (we know the wings are bullet-proof) and loop,loop,loop - great energy retention. Axial rolls are crisp - with full rudder. Inverted flight is incredible if speed is maintained. Skip Miller comes over to try her out. A few minutes later he hands her back - "looks like she's a winner" he says. A couple of more thermals, an outside loop, a couple of cuban 8's. Let Bob Rice fly for a while. It's time to land (my choice). Crow - oops needs more elev. comp but a hand catch on the first flight demonstrates the confidence this ship exudes. Flight time 20+ Dial in some launch elev pre-set, more for crow too, and back up the winch - - oops too much elevator but wow! Another nice flight - just testing crow...close. Missed the catch by a foot too short though - to slow. Third launch was to test the strength - build lots of tension (ford club winch) stand on her hard, ease down stick to keep from stalling, just a little less to test, (veer - yea that was good and hard), catch it - caught it (amazing) -- zoom. I'll never launch this plane that hard again, but I know I could if I had to. I thought I heard her laughing a bit on the way up. Funny, that last jog put her in - yes, great air again! More aerobatics, Yes - you guys can pack up the winch. Half an hour later I'm ready to land - no, one more ride - no, one more ride - OK hand catch. Two out of three ain't bad. Flight time 30+ The last time I was this impressed on a "first day" was flying an f3b Eagle. I am seriously smitten by this airplane. It is the most fun of ANY sailplane I've ever flown. This one's going to be very hard to beat! Pluses - + WIDE speed range. + Thermals in HLG conditions - You can use camber, but I don't think it helps much (doesn't need it). Reflex is like afterburners. + SCREAMS LIFT, LIFT, LIFT !!! in good air. + Stability makes flying "out there" comfortable - a GOOD 2M characteristic. + Extremely responsive - rudder response is GREAT. + Adjustable tow-hook + Winch proof + Translucent Wing Tips Glow in the Sun Minuses - - - Not as loud as a good f3b plane at speed :-) - - Tow hook is too sharp - hurts your finger when hand-launching :-) - - No plans (Joe's working on this) Suggestions: Use a bit more aileron than recommended. Use ail-rud mix - much better response. Recommended CG seems right-on. New FMA/Volz (s100?) servos are great for ailerons - FAST!, center well and (sanded) barely stick out. I sanded the tailboom a bunch to make the tail lighter - It could possibly use a lighter lay-up. Thanks, DJ Aerotech ! Mark Howard markho@tobindatag.com || RC Soaring Exchange - list facilities provided by Model Airplane News || || Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to soaring-request@airage.com || ------------------------------