I've had two Sig Ultimates, and this weekend got to fly the one I sold last winter. The new owner went with a Saito 56 and lost the two ounces of tail weight I used to balance out my Saito 72. I was test flying it for him, and it felt really good. I pushed it and pushed it, and all it didn't want to do is pull from a hover with authority. It was climbing, but slow. Knife Edge was coupled pretty bad, but I managed it. Near the end of the flight, I said something like, "But it won't harrier". I pulled about 45 degrees of up elevator and went to just above idle. Would you believe that the freakin' thing harriered like a SOMBITCH. Don't get me wrong, it's no Sledge, but way better than I remember. Either the 4 ounces it lost were the critical ones, or I finally learned how to do a harrier.
Either way, there is most likely a Sig Ultimate in my future, again...
Now, if OMP of someone with some real 3D designers on staff cranked out a good looking bipe, I'd probably go that route. I'm thinking an Ultimate, Weeks Soultion X, Pitts challenger II, Christensen Eagle, or something cool like them.
What I really should do is get the Sig kit, and increase the span from 43 to 50. Then make the bottom wing straight, and also 50 inches in span. Stick build some oversized ailerons. Next, build a stick and sheet fuselage using the Sig plans as a basic guide, but mimicing the Pitts Challenger II (like Bill Hemples plane or Sean Tucker's). After that, stick build a tail. Maybe if I went a hair larger, that would be a good home for the Saito 91. With servos in the tail, I believe I could balance the 91, if I move the top wing forward about 3/4 of an inch. That would also activate a little more wing area in high alpha.
So, someone come up with a killer 3D bipe kit, so I don't have to go through all of that crap, OK?
