sagitta fever

[flybaby2000]

hi guys just wanting to know if anyone has built a sagitta 600 or 900 in thier time or done any mods to it as this is my current project and i would like some advice as i want to use it in the local competitions here in oz

cheers

dug :cool:

[BobRCnut]

Gidday, Dug... I've built both the 600 and 900.. sold the 600 a few years ago after many successful flights (that one was built strictly by the book), and I'm currently flying the 900 (see my icon). I'm not a competition flyer (not with gliders, anyway), but the 900 also seems to fly well in its stock configuration (R/E/S). I've seen a few people recommend slightly increasing the vertical tail area and eliminating the counterbalanced rudder. My 900 is a bit on the heavy side because of the slightly overdone color scheme, but it does well in breezy conditions with no external modifications at all. The only internal change I made was to slightly lengthen the wing rod carriers inside the wing roots.. the hardwood blocks that hold the brass tubes just looked a bit too short to me on the 900. I built the 900 from an original Airtronics kit I discovered in a dusty corner of the warehouse at Sheldon's Hobbies in San Jose, CA long after it was out of production, so it's the all-wood version, not one of the newer copies I've heard about.

[Ollie]

Here are a few suggestions. Build the fuselage sides from rock hard 3mm balsa instead of 3mm poplar plywood. The fuselage will be both stronger and lighter, especially in front of the tail, which is a weak spot. Put 1.5mm birch ply doublers on the inside of the fuselage at the wing rod and tow hook to reinforce those high stress areas. Don't put the extra hatch over the wing where it would weaken the structure. Instead, put micro servos in each wing to operate the spoilers. Move the spoilers aft to about 60% of the wing chord to make the spoiler fit less critical to smooth air flow over the wing. Sheet the top of the wing all the way to the trailing edge with very low density balsa and leave out the diagonal bracing.

Bob's suggestions to eliminate the rudder overhang and lengthen the wing joiner are very good. Also, wrap the joiner box with kevlar thread.

Another possible modification would be to widen the aft end of the fuselage and fin enough to mount a micro servo in the fin to drive the elevator directly with a short coupling.

You can increase the bending strength of the wing 80% by replacing just the upper spar cap on the root panels with ramin instead of spruce at very small cost and weight increase. You can save a little weight in the tip panels by replacing the lower spar cap with rock hard balsa instead of spruce without decreasing the wing bending strength. These spar substitutions are possible because the tensile strength of wood is so much greater than its compression strength.

You can replace the music wire wing joiner with a case hardened injector pin with the head cut off. The injector pin joiner is stiffer, stronger and won't take a set as easily as music wire.

[sailhigh]

Dug,
I know what you mean as I had the same fever many years ago. I built three 600s in my time, every time I modified them a bit. Here are some of them, I eliminated the balanced rudder, ran carbon tape along the eniter sides of the fuse and glassed over them. Wrapped the wing joiner box with kevlar tape and then capped it. Bonded graphite strips on top and bottom spars. On my third Sagitta, I eliminated the polyhedral and added ailerons and and modified the center sections for flaps.
Remember Sagittas (speically 600s) need to be flown fast to really perform.

Good luck,

Sean

[flybaby2000]

good advice guys, if you have any photos of your sagittas and mods post them here id be happy to see some of them and get ideas , i like ollies suggestion on using rock hard balsa sides with that said would it be a good idea to bond some 1/16 ply along the whole balsa fuse sides therefore giving the fuselage lightness and strength as i was going to use some birch 3.5 mm ply but i think that ths will be too heavy and ill have to put lightening holes into the tail section so im not adding more weight to balance the glider.... my plan is to have this glider lighter stronger better so any photos even feild shots would help

cheers dug

[Ollie]

If you use rock hard balsa fuselage sides you don't need ply reinforcement except around the high stress areas of the wing rod and tow hook. 1/16 birch play fuselage sides will be way too heavy!!! The ply doubler need not extend more than a couple of inches fore and aft of the wing rod and tow hook.

[flybaby2000]

good idea , but i would like to use ply sides as i dont put my trust in balsa fuses as one bad landing usually results in splinters for me , so im seeing about getting some 2.5 light ply and reinforcing the inside with some carbon tape. with cross bracing at the rear eliminating stresses usually common with hard landings also to eliminate stress at the wing rod area i will be using some 1.5mm ply along the top and omitting the extended hatch and have a door to access the spoiler servo, when i get started ill post some photos.....

cheers

dug

[flybaby2000]

pleasre dont be afraid to post some pics it helps me understand the mods better

[BMatthews]

Dug,
....Remember Sagittas (speically 600s) need to be flown fast to really perform.

Sean

A lot of that requirement came from the D tube design with the sheeting cut off at the critical high point. Michel Selig mentioned this in Soartech 8 in connection with his testing of the Eppler 205. Ollie's idea of sheeting the whole upper surface, or at least extending the top sheeting back to the 50 to 60% point, will let the airfoil perform as it was intended rather than as the Saggita limits it. I tend to lean towards the 50 to 60% option so you can still have the transparent covering that shows light through the panels. Call it a small nod to the artist in me...:D

I had a Top Flite Metric that used the same Eppler 205 and D tube style and it also needed to be flown fast. I partially cured that by adding turbulators to the section. The same turbulators added to a S600 or even the 900 should show much the same improvement. But it's better to attack the problem at the source.

[flybaby2000]

good stuf , but if you have any photos of this type of mod it would be appreciated as im a what you see is what you do person,thanks for the suggestion

dug

[Mechanic]

[You can increase the bending strength of the wing 80% by replacing just the upper spar cap on the root panels with ramin instead of spruce at very small cost and weight increase.]

What is ramin??

Steve

[Ollie]

Ramin is a blond, tropical hardwood that has a compression strength of 10,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) compared to the very best sitka spruce which is only 5,610 PSI. 10000/5610=1.78, so ramin is 78% stronger than the best spruce, to be more exact. Ramin is more than 80% stronger than run of the mill spruce found in the local hobby shop. Because the cambered airfoil of the wing can produce more lift upright than inverted at a given airspeed, the greatest stress is in the upper spar cap. Because wood is more than twice as strong in tension as in compression, the tensile strength of the lower spruce spar cap is already more than strong enough to match the compression strength of the ramin.

Ramin seems to be only imported into the USA in the form of dowels. For a source see:
http://www.midwestdowel.com/ramin.htm
For spar stock, a large dowel can be milled into the desired rectangular crossection.

Because the bending load beyond the polyhedral break of the Sagitta is less than 25% of the bending load at the center of the wing, the tip panel spar caps will still over designed even after the root panels have been beefed up with ramin. You could reduce the crossection of the tip panel spar caps to 1/8X1/4 and replace the bottom spar cap with rock hard balsa instead of spruce to save a little weight in the tip panel. The modified spar would have bending strength that more closely matched the bending load.

Ramin is generally straight grained with few defects. It machines and glues very well.

[BMatthews]

good stuf , but if you have any photos of this type of mod it would be appreciated as im a what you see is what you do person,thanks for the suggestion

dug

Sorry the model is long gone.

But if you have the plans for the Saggita already I do believe the section uses cap strips for the rear open areas. SO all you need to do is use wider top leading edge sheeting that extends back to the 50% mark as shown in the sketch I attached. Note how the upper surface has a stong curve back to the arrow at the 50% mark. This is where your covering needs the extra support to better maintain the shape between the ribs. Without it you get a skin sag between the ribs as shown by the red line in the second airfoil. The sudden sharp edge can form a separation bubble in each rib bay much sooner than the speed and loading indicates. This shows up as a mushy high sink rate sort of glide as soon as you try to slow down. Hence the reason so many folks think the 205 needs to fly fast. If you extend the top sheeting back to the 50% mark and make the cap strips that much shorter you will avoid a LOT of this problem and get to see just how a 205 is supposed to perform.

[3810]

Flybaby2000,
I've built a couple of sagitta's both 600 & 900 and on the 900 in built last year I changed the section from e205 to s 3021 version (if its good enough for the Legend).It seams to fly a bit faster that the 205 and I like it alot. I see if I can post a photo.

3810

[flybaby2000]

way cool , post the photo , and how well does it perform , as i gather you can put almost any airfoil onto this plane if your brave enough , lov to see those photos

cheers

dug

[3810]

Dug,
I'm having trouble sending the photo's but I will keep trying!!

3810

[flybaby2000]

k then b good ta see em

[3810]

Dug,
I think I've worked the photo's out.
Scratch Sagitta 900 & Scratch Legend. Sagitta has s 3021 airfoil flys very well, a little bit faster than standard E205.

[flybaby2000]

thanks they look great , are there any changes that you did to the sagitta and what is the wingspan as the one im building is a 2m job...

[solo6796]

Dumb Question.....

Is it pronounced Sag'-ah-ta or Sag-Ah'-ta? Or another way?

Heard it both ways....

[Ollie]

Sagita is Spanish for arrow. It is pronounced Sah-geet'-ah.

BTW, I failed Spanish once in high school.

[solo6796]

Me too, but Jr High, in Ft Myers...

Thanks, Ollie.

AJ

[3810]

Dug,
the one in the photo is the 900 which is 100 inch .The only things i did was to change the airfoil to the s3021 and to not have the balanced rudder.
3810

[flybaby2000]

nice , have you got spoiler on that buety as im adding them to min {looks like i failed english} beuty..

cheers

[flybaby2000]

keep the pics rolling i got my short kit today and somewhere soon there will be a new breed of sagitta in the air , keep your eyes on this spot , ill post pics once i start construction with any mods i do

cheers

dug*-)

[3810]

No spoilers Dug,I'll be looking for your photo's.Where did you get the short kit from?

3810

[flybaby2000]

i got my kit from an austrailain laser cutter , his e-mail is daveb@ix.net.au where if your intersted the kit is 66.00 aud including post but it may be a lil bit extra to ship to the states.

cheers

Dug...

[flybaby2000]

started on the build today , and first i started the fuse , the only mod ive done so far is to put 5mm square and cross-bracing up until where the fin line , which should eliminate stresses on the fuse, all ive got to do on the fuse now is create a hatch and sand to shape , then im off to buld the rudder and elevator

[3810]

flybaby 2000
What do you get in a kit for $66.00

3810

[flybaby2000]

tail bits , wing ribs,fuse sides formers and bottom ply , elevator horn and various other bits , new plans and instructions , you supply pushrods , sheeting ,brass tube and wing spars to complete , if you need more info contact dave on his e-mail above

cheers
dug

[flybaby2000]

just another photo to tease , glassed the high stress points from the inside and have done a thin layer of dope to seal it I love the shape of this bird , so im gouing to add tiplets like the houston hawk when i build the wing , ill keep you posted...

cheers
dug :)

[petefly58]

I have a Sagitta 600 which was built in early 1994. It has been flown many times and has proven to be a first class 2 Meter sailplane. I modified the original disign by removing the polyhedral and installing ailerons and have always been quite happy with the result. The all up weight is about 39 oz. Based on this experience, I would recommend the aileron equipped Sagitta 600. It should be noted that there are 2 areas of caution with this sailplane. The first is that it will not take a full pedal to the metal winch launch, but I have always been able to obtain a decent launch provided I tap the pedal. The second note of caution concerns how well the fuse holds up in hard landings. The fuse of the Sagitta 600 definitely does not like rough landings and tends to crack and break right behind the wing. I have a NIB Sagitta 600 and when I build that one, I will probably use carbon fiber strips to reinforce the inside of the fuse. With this sailplane, try to build the tail lightly in order to minimize noseweight requirements. Good luck with yours!!!!

[Martini]

Built my Sagitta kit a couple years back. I have some pictures of the model before I covered it but I would have to scan them.

The kit was an original Airtronics full-kit and it was a dream to build. I can't think of anything I did to change it from stock.

3810-
That was cool to see a Legend next to your Sagitta 900. I liked the airtonics kit so much that I found a Legend kit on ebay and built it this last winter.

And- these airplanes are a dream to fly!! ;)

[flybaby2000]

hi ,

ive always been a fan of the transperant with white it looks good on the ground and in the air , and Im almost finished my sagitta , minus one wing , and im having issues with my digi cam , so hopefully i get that fixed before im done . also what do most use as a wing joiner rod , im using a copper tube with some carbon rod in the middle of it and im hoping tht it holds up.. suggestions needed?

:) :rolleyes: :cool: :D

[steelhead]

3810- did I read that you had a scratchbuilt LEGEND?

Did the legend have buildable plans?

Dean

[fly1milehi]

Great looking sagitta's everyone!

Im scratch building a 600 right now myself. Like several of the other posts I opted to go with hard 1/8 inch balsa sides for the fuslage. I used 1/64 ply doublers from the nose to former F-5 which is where the plywood bottom or floor ends. Im using 1/8" 5-ply aircraft ply for the bottom to that same point.

I'm also building it with ailerons with servos in the wings, so I will build the fuse solid between the wings instead of the "hatch" that is on the plans. I created a new former between F-4 and F-5 and then shortened the F-4 to just the top 1 inch. Then Im building a ballast box from F-3 to this new F-4(A)? Also removing former F-2 because by the time you put hardwood across the fuse at that point for the servo mounting rails the former is redundant.

Other mods.. carbon strips in the trailing edges of the stab and rudder, sandwiched between balsa instead of the spruce trailing edges. I hate extra weight at the tail of a sailplane. Also will use carbon to cap the spars top and bottom, and will double the shear webs with .007 carbon. Should make a wing that is much stronger,, maybe not full winch strong but much stronger.

Anybody have input on adding a sub spar to make the aileron area stronger and less prone to flutter???

I will post pics as soon as I get my scanner lamp replaced.. LOL
Greg

[flybaby2000]

reply way cool , i have my sagitta 93% done all i need now is the wingtips , covering , painting and radio gea to go in the fuse ,

should be great and in time for summer

cheers
Doug

[xtc]

sorry for the interuption guys but i just had to post my 900 as well

xtc

[flybaby2000]

YUUUUMMMIIIE....... I like the covering job


cheers
doug

[tommyt]

i got my kit from an austrailain laser cutter , his e-mail is dave@ix.net.au where if your intersted the kit is 66.00 aud including post but it may be a lil bit extra to ship to the states.

cheers

Dug...

Doug.... Email link does not work. I'm interested. Please check and repost.

Thermals,
Tom

[3810]

3810- did I read that you had a scratchbuilt LEGEND?

Did the legend have buildable plans?

Dean
Dean,
I got a set of plans & instructions from Dream catcher hobbies.The plan dosent show all the rib but that was easy to overcome with an airfoil program.
I got the fuse here in Australia.
There is a lot of building in that in wing!
Let me know if you need any more info.

3810

[chrisgood]

I built this 900 almost 10 years ago. It is stock all through. I have never had any problems with the stock setup; it flies great. I have pull cables for each spoiler coming to the center and a single servo. That required rubber bands to pull the spoilers closed, and that is the one stock setup I don't like. Micro servos at each spoiler would work fine.

Chris

[fly1milehi]

Awesome 900 Chris!

Makes me even more determined to finish my 600... of course at the moment its a whopping 18 degrees outside with a wind chill near ZERO and a couple inches of snow!

Greg

[flybaby2000]

Doug.... Email link does not work. I'm interested. Please check and repost.

Thermals,
Tom

soory buddy the e-mail is daveb@ix.net.au hope this helps , he also does a spirit kit too if you were interested

[Don Mackay]

I recently was given an older Sagitta 900 that needs a little restoration. The wing tops are totally sheeted, plus it still has the cross bracing. Was this mod on the part of the previous builder a big mistake, (weight). Should i go with what I've got, and just apply the other suggested mods from this great thread.
Thanks
Don

[schrederman]

I believe the short kit is still available for the Legend from Dreamcatcher, until he's out of business for good. I believe he's taking orders until December 31, though he's sold out on a lot of stuff. I stretched my Legend and really liked the way it flew. Nice job on the Sagittas... keep up the good work...

Jack Womack

[flybaby2000]

yeah , Ive got my camera back and this week i will be posting a photo of my near completed bird all i need now is the time to finish the other gliders in my abode...

cheers
Doug

www.darksiderc.tk

[Don Mackay]

Say Jack,
In regards to my original question, do you think that the wing tops being totaly sheeted on this vintage Sagitta 900 that someone gave me will be an issue. (not that I can do anything about it at this point.)

Thanks very much
Don Mackay

[flybaby2000]

I wouldnt think that it would be an issue i regards to weight , in fact it should take the stress off the wing joiner , and improve the flight performance , after all what you put on with sheeting takes off what ballast you put in later. a few sheets here or there should not affect it...


cheers
doug

[flybaby2000]

Shame about dreamcatcher hobbies , hopefully someone makes an offer on his line of kits otherwise they will be lost forever , the main reason i brought a sagitta was to have a classic kit sitting in my abode , I hope that someone has keen interest in these kits and keeps the tradition of wood and spruce , instead of falling to mass marketing and arf,s.

[fly1milehi]

Yes its a shame about Dream Catcher. I made Roy a "sight unseen" offer for the rights to the 3 sagittas, not really knowing what amount of inventory or tooling he had for them. Aparently my offer fell WAY short of what he already had been offered.. so Im assuming that someone has made an offer and will get at least the sagittas..... HOPEFULLY that means the plans will stay availble.
greg

[fly1milehi]

Had this posted in the Sagitta Airfoil thread but maybe it fits better here.

"Thats like the second or third negative post about Sagittas with ailerons..... I am still planning to build my 600 that way but maybe I should reconsider. Is it a question of the flattened wings not having enough dihedral? Or maybe the cord witdh of the aileron itself is critical or wrong no the plans? I had a cumic with ailerons and visually they looked like barn doors instead of ailerons on a glider and to tell you the truth I hated the way that glider flew.
Im planning to do polyhedral on the 600, 2 degrees center and 3 or 4 degrees on the tips.."
Any thoughts or comments?

[xtc]

Had this posted in the Sagitta Airfoil thread but maybe it fits better here.

"Thats like the second or third negative post about Sagittas with ailerons..... I am still planning to build my 600 that way but maybe I should reconsider. Is it a question of the flattened wings not having enough dihedral? Or maybe the cord witdh of the aileron itself is critical or wrong no the plans? I had a cumic with ailerons and visually they looked like barn doors instead of ailerons on a glider and to tell you the truth I hated the way that glider flew.
Im planning to do polyhedral on the 600, 2 degrees center and 3 or 4 degrees on the tips.."
Any thoughts or comments?


i think that of the best things about the sagitta was its ability to almost thermal it-self and the way it did that was with poly!
i think a sagitta with poly and ailerons is redundent,you would be taking a time proven design and ruin it.

i fly the 900 sagitta and i would have to say that its the sweetests combo of great handling,great sink rate but most important is the fact that it can signal lift very well and it has this little yaw characteristic that allowed itself to signal a on -coming tip stall,before a full out tip stall it would just yaw a little to give the pilot warning ,to loose this feature would not be an aid

xtc

[petefly58]

I have a 10 year old Sagitta 600 which is equipped with ailerons. The aileron servo is in the fuselage and drives the ailerons with pushrods and bellcranks. I took out all the polyhedral on this Sagitta and built it with the stock dihedral. It flies very nicely in this configuration. My advice would be to use the aileron outlines as set down in the plans and to keep the ailerons as light as possible. For those who can't get a Sagitta kit, the plans are available from RCM, I've heard of people scratch building them with good results. But if I built another one, I would certainly put carbon fiber strips along the inside of the fuse. Outside of that, the Sagitta is a great 2 meter flyer and still a wonderful design.

Pete

[flybaby2000]

Hi guys I finally decided to get back into the swing of things , as other projects took over during slope season . but lately i have ruined three tails to get the eppenage right as a full flying tail , so i grabbed the elevator halves , cut them to have a sperate ruddervator and mated them at 110* with wire joiner to make a v-tail , this looks reasonably sporty and i wish i had done it sooner makes me keener to get her airborne this summer... :D

see pic for reference

cheers
Doug :rolleyes:

[fly1milehi]

Doug,
Excellent!!! That V-tail looks great back there. If I understood your post you used the stabilator as shown on the plans and then cut and hinged it to have ruddervators? Will you run the pushrods out the very back of the fuselage or up through the top infront of the v-tail?. Also looks like you moved it back on the fuselage which should be helpful to compensate for loss of the vertical stabilizer area. I always felt the stabilator on the 600 was HUGE. Its as big as many of my stabs on 100" thermal planes but I always trusted Renauds designs and it looks like the tail moment is so short on the 600 that it probably needs the larger horizontal stab area.
Looks GREAT!
Greg

[flybaby2000]

Yes it is the ruddervator method and i will be running the pushrods through the top at the rear , I have moved it back a smidge and plan on using ball links to operate it also i will be using a small aaa size pack up front so i can use two standard servos for the ruddervator and a micro for spoiler activation and a small camera on top of he wing ontop a servo for direction for airial shots at a later date, if all goes to plan i should be flying her this weekend. ill take photos as i put the finishing touches on her.. ;)

Cheers
Doug :D

[rogerb]

Any chance of a closeup photo of the v-tail end. This looks really great- have you flown it yet??

[flybaby2000]

Will get a photo later tonight when I go to do some more on a 2metre glider im building for a chrissy present....also i will get some photos of the v-tail to show where ive joined it. hoping to get her finished before january..will then post completed photos

cheers
Doug

[flybaby2000]

Here are the photos of the tail arrangement for you , hope you get the idea

Also

Merry xmas and a happy new year...

cheers
Doug

[Kevin Matney]

What about a fiberglass fuse with the Sagitta moments with slip nose????
Does this make it a Sagitta ??????
This side of the fuse at the wing will flat so any wing can be put on it.

[fly1milehi]

I still love the design of this airplane! It will always be a classic that everyone will recognize instantly in the air.

Rudder is balsa with TE made from carbon laminate sandwiched between balsa so its lighter and still just as sharp and strong as the kits solid spruce trailing edge. Note I did not use the solid balsa shown on the rudder's counter balance. Trying to save some more weight!

The sub-rudder or part that glues to the fuselage and holds the bellcrank for the stabilator is two pieces of 1/32 laminated cross grain on each side and then you can see a 1/16 plywood insert that will carry the load of the brass tubes that the bellcrank will ride on. Also note that I made the bellcrank from 1/16 ply laminated on both sides with carbon.
greg

[fly1milehi]

I couldnt find 1/8 inch lite ply (3 cores laminated) in a long enough length so I used hard 1/8 inch balsa with a 1/64 inch play laminated from the TE of the wing forward through the nose. I cut a diagonal end to it so it should help strenghten the fuse joint just aft of the TE of the wing, which has been reported to be a weak spot in the design. Personally, even if I had found the 1/8 inch lite ply, the quality of it would leave me wondering about the strength of the sides. If this fuselage build seems a little on the weak side I will glass the outside of it when its finished.

Modifications included the built in ballast box that is between former F3 and a new former that I added. This places the ballast box right under the CG. I will install the rudder and stab servos in front of the Rx since they are heavier. This is shown opposite to that on the plans. Ballast (lead shot) will be added and removed from the access hole on the bottom of the fuse, ala RnR's Synergy ballast method.

I will post Stabilator pictures next
Greg

[rubberduck]

hello,
my sagitta 900 (build in Okt. 2004)
from an original aitronics kit :rolleyes: :D :cool:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=382049&stc=1


juergen
Bonn - Germany -

[tommyt]

Juergen,

Your link didn't work. Nice plane though.

Gruss,
Thomas
Newel.de/Homestead,FL

[Esprit2]

This is a busy thread and I've enjoyed reading all the messages. I don't have much of substance to add, but I just wanted to post something about one of my favorite RC sailplanes.

I have a Sagitta 900 I built in 1981. It's been stripped and refinished several times as it needed it and it's still in great shape. It's mostly stock. The only real mod I made was to make the horizontal stab thicker. At the time, reviews were criticizing it's ability to hold a really steep climb for a killer launch. Some said it need a little larger tail, but the real problem was the thin stab would stall and couldn't hold the nose up. A thicker section was supposed to delay the stall and improve the launch. I never flew it with a stock tail so I can't give a direct comparison, but mine makes amazing launches. Maybe the mod worked.

At the time, Airtronics was owned by a holding company called Leisure Dynamics and I worked for a sister company, Lakeside/Cox (Lakeside Games and Cox Hobbies). So I got to know Lee Renaud on a business-casual basis. I can't say we were buddies, but for a young modeler just getting into sailplanes, and a fan of Airtronics planes, the chance to talk RC soaring and sailplane design with "the man" was a big perk. The employee discount wasn't bad either. I'm still hauling around a pile of un-opened Airtronics sailplane kits... my "in-house" hobby shop.

I had two passions then... I guess I still have them... Lotus cars and RC soaring. Within a span of about two months, first Lotus founder, Colin Chapman and then Lee Renaud passed away. So now I have a Lotus Esprit, an Airtronics Grand Esprit, and my user name is Esprit2.

None of that has anything to do with anything being discussed here. But I just registered with this forum moments ago and immediately found this great thread on a favorite plane. Not a bad start. Keep the thread going and the Sagitta's flying.

Regards,
Tim

[eaglechaser]

Nice story Esprit2! If that pile of Airtronics kits ever gets too much trouble let me know, eh? ;)

I've been a big fan of the Sagitta 600 since I first saw it. On the only one I have ever built I changed the tail to a T-tail. It ended up being rather heavy (although it looked very cool). I inhereted a set of wings and tail feathers from a friend and now I have enough parts and kits to build three or four of them, and the tips I've found on this thread will help a great deal.

This is a really great forum.

EC

[Esprit2]

EC,

I'll keep you in mind about the kits, but don't hold your breath.
;-)
My son is drooling over them as well.

The Sagitta 900 is probably my favorite all around sailplane... depending upon the day. It will slow down and float very nicely, but I've had it up in 35 mph winds. It wasn't a very pleasant flight, but it didn't blow away. For those calm, gloriously sunny days, I really like to relax with an Oly II.

When I was working at Lakeside-Cox, I drove a Lotus Europa. I'd have three standard class planes knocked down in the right seat all the time... I've even had an Aquila Grande' in there. Wing bags from footwell to headrest, fuselages and radios underneath on the floor, and Launch Pail (Hi-Start) on the seat. Even some Cox foamy ARF's and fuel supplies in the front and rear trunks... we had to make it look like we were testing something important, donchaknow. We'd always take a long lunch and whip down to the local community college's athletic field for a quick fly. I'd wheel up in the littlest car around and start pulling out airplanes. The clown show drew as many looks as the flying.

Regards,
Tim

[ejett]

Cool story Tim.

Regarding Airtronics planes/kits:

Most of my "favorite planes" are Airtronics. I have 3 std class Aquilas, and AG short kit, a Sagitta 600 partial kit with FG fuse and foam core wings, a stock Sagitta 600 kit and a stock Sagitta 900 kit, 2 Legends and an unbuilt kit, and a Dreamcatcher Grand Espirit short kit.

So I have my own captive hobby shop.

EJ

[Esprit2]

EJ,

That's a cool stable, I like your taste in kits. ;-)

The ones I've got flyable at the moment are a Grand Esprit, 2 Aquila Grande's (one stock and one 12 feet), Sagitta 900, 2 Olympic II's, an Oly 650 and a Super Questor. Oh yeah, and a Gentle Lady... ;-). And a fleet of 5 old Cox/Kyosho foamy Sportavia motor gliders just for kicks... some electric, some glow being converted to electric. I just liked 'em, so I bought a supply before I left Lakeside-Cox.

NIB, I think there's still something like...
1 Grand Esprit, 3 or 4 Aquila Grande's, 2 or 3 Aquilas (wood fuse), 3 Sagitta 900's, 2 Sagitta 600's, 1 Sagitta XC, 1 Oly II, 1 Oly 650, 1 Monarch 05, 1 Super Questor, and (?) a Square Soar?... I don't recall for sure. Plus some strays like Larry Jolly's Electra-Lite and Electricus, a Spectra and a Electra... and some Airtronics glow-power kits. The Sagitta XC is from a small pre-production run before the kits were released for sale.

I probably won't get them all built (I'm not sure I want to... something about having my cake and eating it too ??) but my son is chipping away at them as well. And there are a few he's been told are hands-off.

Later,
Tim

[fly1milehi]

Just a couple of pics of the use of carbon in the trailing edge of my Sagitta 600 stabilator... very stiff, very light

Greg
Wings start this week ...WITHOUT FAIL! lol