Just finished a Gene Payson foam Monte (Troy Built Models) What a beautiful flyer for even an inexperienced pilot like myself. Easy to assemble and I'm already on high rates doing axial rolls straight up and all the basic aerobatics. Flies as slow as you want for such a heavy foamy. No tip stall. Motor is a Himax 2025-4266 with 6:1 gear, Apogee 2080 liop 3cell (flies all day)and Phoenix 25 Esc. Prop 12 x 6 and pulls 17 amps for max on motor of 20. This has more power than you can beleive. Can't hover yet but working on it. You want go wrong with this set up. Have built two shocks but this puts them to shame. The Monte takes wind as the Shocks take very little and are hard to build. Would include a picture but can't figure out how to do it.

How durable is the Monte compared to a shock flyer?

I am finishing up my Monte and am suprised where I am having to put the battery pack to balance the plane. The instructions say to balance the plane on the spar at the wingtips. Using a new ETEC 3cell 1200 8.5c pack I have to put the battery right behind the motor. Did you use the spar for your cg and where did your battery end up? Thanks Steve

The Monte is really brittle, one easy doink and the fuse WILL break just aft of the wing. Gene said the fix is a 1 inch piece of fiberglass, smoothed over with foam safe CA...I have 2 Monte's, had to do it to both.
So after the fix, both Monte's weigh 16 oz....kinda piggy, but with the Himax 4100, still flys well...great in any wind, steady eddy KEpasses down low.
Be sure to tape the rudder hinge line before it breaks..and it will break after 4 or 5 tail touches...happened to both of mine, too.
The only somewhat derrogotory thing I can say about the way it flys, is heavy. Not that that's a bad thing...it just is what it is.
I just gutted mine to get the Extreme Flight Yak in the air...but I'll keep it as a quick fix backup...I'm using the optional landing gear from Insane Foamy's on mine..love the way it holds up..and installs.
My Battery (Kokam 1250hd) is right on the LE...half on and half forward.
Hope this helps..

Here are some videos of me flying Mike Boghs Monte.

http://www.dweiland.rchomepage.com/video/Monte.wmv

http://www.dweiland.rchomepage.com/video/montepart2.wmv

http://www.dweiland.rchomepage.com/video/montebonus.wmv

Photoman it is as weak or maybe a little stronger.

I'm building mine now. It's heavy for sure.. but it goes together in VERY short order.

Oh yea...'bout 2 hours from box to air...

Flew mine this afternoon. Very solid flying airplane. I put a Typhoon 15 on it on 3 TP 2100's turning an APC 11x4.7 SF. Really nice flying airplane.

Originally Posted by dcronkhite

Flew mine this afternoon. Very solid flying airplane. I put a Typhoon 15 on it on 3 TP 2100's turning an APC 11x4.7 SF. Really nice flying airplane.

Shoot Doug, mines damn near ballistic with the 1250's Hd's....yours outta 'splode under full power. Dija try them solid to the ground KE passes yet?
Does a nice violent blender/panic full speed, too. 8^)~

Here is my Monte. What a sweet bird! Hovers a little less than 3/4 throttle. Rolls extremely fast. My bird weighs flyable at 20.8 oz. A little heave but very satisfying. My setup is this: E-flite 400 with a Pheonix 25. a TP 3S 2100mah,
a GWS Gearbox with a D gear 6:1 ratio, swinging a 11X8 prop. 4 HS-55 Servos, a Berg 6 reciever. The Landing gear added 1 oz. to the airplane, definitly worth the weight.

The Monte is a very solid flying plane, a little heavy but that is what makes it fly good in the wind. very crisp turns and rolls hovers at half throtle, knife edge all day and repeted knife edge loops. For power MP jet outrunner blue,3s TP 1320, 10 amp CC esc,4 hitec 55s and a Plantracto 4 ch rec. AUW is 15oz. It's my favorite plane-3D is new to me but I'm having a blast learning it,