Roughneck solution

[easytiger]

I was looking at the evil RCU and saw some guys were having a hard time with the Sterling Lil Roughneck. I have a few hundred flights on mine...
Well...something was lost in the translation from the magazine design to the sterling kit, and I have heard from SEVERAL people who flew it back in the day that it was unflyable in stock configuration...as mine was.
Firstup, an 01 is just not enough. A tee dee 02 is what mine took. Secondly, I TRIPLED the rudder size and took out some of the dihedral. Like that, I put perhaps a hundred flights on it, great model. With the regular rudder, it would spin at the slightest provocation, it was totally unflyable.
Now mine sports ailerons and TWO tee dee 01s...flies just great.
So...just do that, reduce the dihedral and massively increase the rudder, and there you are. I also took off the landing gear right away, over grass, it's worse than useless.

[Tim Wiltse]

easytiger,

RCU is only evil because that wack job MF posts over there! Can I share your comments about your Roughneck with the guys over there?

Later,
Tim

[easytiger]

Most of the guys over at RCU are great, that certain whackjob excepted! Sure, share away...

[BMatthews]

Normally taking out the dihedral in a rudder controlled model is counterproductive.

But just so we know where you're starting from how much dihedral was in the model when you flew it with the enlarged rudder?

[easytiger]

Started with whatever the kit called for. Don't remember what worked, but it was less. Now it has none, and ailerons. I would guess that the excesss dihedral made the rudder overly effective.
At any rate, you are hearing it from someone who has been there, done that, so try it.

[easytiger]

PS...this proves that just because something was kitted does not mean it will fly at all. There are considerable differences between the kit and the original design.