Went great tonight. I went ahead and gave it a hard toss on both flights. It dipped down some, but not too bad.

There is no need to move the TP PL1320 all the way up in the nose if you configure the other components to help the CG as shown below. The first pen mark was the lipo placement for the 1st flight, and the 2nd balances right on the spar. I wanted to make sure it could be adjusted both ways. Thanks for all the help. I can't believe how well this thing tracks

ROG tomorrow!

Regards,

Tom

Can anyone compare this to the multiplex minimag with floats? Quality, build, and flying? Never had a great planes product. I have always be impressed with the multiplex planes.

Originally Posted by tekajo

Can anyone compare this to the multiplex minimag with floats? Quality, build, and flying? Never had a great planes product. I have always be impressed with the multiplex planes.

I never had a minimag but I do have the EZ Star, the EZ Glider, the Acromaster and the Funjet from Multiplex. In my opinion Multiplex kits are much better overall in regards to the quality of the kit and the foam. With that being said the GP Seawind flys great and was very easy to build. It would be hard to compare a minimag on floats to a GP SW. It is not really an apples to apples comparison...In my opinion,of course.

Tom

WOW, just WOW

I got my Seawind Saturday evening, spent a couple hours on assembly then, and then about 5 hours on Sunday.

I added the lexan wing tip mod using the plastic from the Rimfire package
This mod helped, but did not eliminate the use of excesive elevator needed during take off from any surface.

I went with 3 Eflight S75 Sub-micro servo's.
A Berg Microstamp 4 reciever.
A Castle 36amp Esc.
And the Rimfire 28-30-1250kV
The kit recomends the 28-30-950kV

Mine is the "hotwind" of the 950.
I am VERY glad I choose it
Mounted battery all the way against the rear servo tray area, using my Tp2100. The plane balanced slightly rear heavy on its included stand, but very slightly.


Maiden flight=

Rog-

Took full up elevator, rapid full throttle and full grass, patchy grass was bad.
took off in about 25ft.

Landings were plagued with stalling, coasted in no power and the plane would try to rise, and stall. No wrecks, just not smooth.
Grass was dry, but cold. This option works well, and I'm very pleased.

Never had a wing drag in 6 take off and landings.

Row-

Tooks it to a new flood pond nearby my work. easily 100ft across, and then some. Not what I would call a small pond, but by no means a lake.

Water rudder is all but useless unless I extend it to lay all the way in the water, stock, only the bottom quater of it reaches the water and below.

Carefull use of the throttle and rudder alows stearing but it took a few to get the hang of.

By this point I have moved the Tp2100 to about 1in from the servo tray as I need more front Cg. Plane would Row with 50% throttle and about 50% elevator. You must use elevator or the plane begins to porpise, or bounce as it rides along on plane at this speed, taxi'ing and even driving at about 40% is smooth and almost boat like.
This 50% Row takes a good 45ft or so on a glass smooth pond.

Full throttle take off is also fine but used full up elevator or the boucing becomes dangerously violent. Row is about 15ft tops.

Coasted in landings were smooth though she does like to "drop a wing" if you don't come in nose down. I only attempted 1 10% throttle landing, it was sketchy to me but landed fine with a couple of small bounces, coasting it seems best.

Landing is best coasting, beware of "droping a wing" and if you don't set her down just right she will bounce-skip across the surface, but nothing to bad in my flights today.

Never had a wing drag on take off. Also the landings where I droped a wing to much the tip mod helped it skim across the water and negated it being a bad experience.

Flight-

WOW, did I mention that?

This plane ZOOMS.
I almost went with an Eflight 450 or 480 motor, glad I didn't
This thing is fast!!! for a sea plane. I say fast in relation to my other planes.

Gp lancair EP ARF, Eflight 400 direct, Tp2100, Eflight 22amp esc, weight about 29ounces, she's a heavy bird, but my quickest. Limited short vertical.
Parkzone Typhoon 1, Tp2100, Hitec HS81 servos, stock motor/esc. Unlimited vertical.
Eflight Mini Pulse XT PNP, Tp2100, castle 36amp esc. Unlimited vertical.
120 size Suhkio (old plane from my father) Saito180 4stroke. Does anything I tell it to with ease.

Back to the Seawind......
She is fast!, did I mention that?
Does not self right while banked very much at all, she must be flown unless level and trimmed. Slow speed flight is sloppy, she likes to drop those little wings often if your not paying attention under low power.

Flies smooth, unlimited vertical better then my other planes
Rolls pretty good, almost on axis. Inverted is fine, hold some down elevator....

Outside loop, cake, no snap.
Inverted loop same, smooth and no snap roll.
Forgot to try knife edge but don't expect it to do well rudder is not so great.
Hammer head stall turns were ok, again rudder not so great.


Bottom line.....
This is a nice seaplane that flies VERY well but is not a beginner plane.
Quality was descent but a better type of foam would be nice, factory pinstripe stickers come apart in water Never bowed the wings from what I could tell even in full power dives.

I love this plane and it is EASILY my favorite plane in my hangar
Go get yours today!

LOL.. it's easy to get excited about this little gem isn't it?... I love mine as well and it's my favorite "toy" when we are out on the lake in our full size boat.. I get so many questions from other boaters about it that my wife thinks I fly it only for the attention... Problem is it seems to draw a crowd and then my landing zone gets smaller due to too many full size boats trying to get closer to the action... Many excited people ask where I got it and how much it cost... I try to warn them that you can't just buy one and fly it, that you have to know how to fly first.. Some take that to heart, others want to know the website where they can order it, convinced that it looks "easy" to fly.. Imagine the poor bastid that buys one of these as his first RC plane... I fly mine off grass at home too and it's fun but nowhere near as fun as shooting touch and goes off water.

Tic your are so right

I can't wait to convert my Typhoon to pontoons now

And I see a PBY Catalina in my future next year, but for now no more planes lol I bought 3 in the last 3 months. Time to spend some money on others for Christmass

I think you'll be dissapointed in the typhoon conversion.. I may be wrong, but part of the reason the seawind is such a good flyer is that it doesn't have draggy pontoons dangling precariously below it.

Your probly right, but I want another water plane and my Typhoon only gets flown when it 15mph+ winds so I don't damage my good planes lol

Beats selling it I guess, we shall see lol.

Originally Posted by tic

Imagine the poor bastid that buys one of these as his first RC plane...

LOL

Freakin' hilarious,

Tom

Originally Posted by Lancair 888

Does not self right while banked very much at all, she must be flown unless level and trimmed. Slow speed flight is sloppy, she likes to drop those little wings often if your not paying attention under low power.

Move the CG back to the spar (you can even go slightly more) and the slow flight performance will improve significantly.

Tom

Originally Posted by tdab

Move the CG back to the spar (you can even go slightly more) and the slow flight performance will improve significantly.

Tom

Thanks for the advice but this is what made it bad in the first place.
I'm running Tp 2100 lipos

Started with the battery all the way back like everyone here recomended but the plane was twitchy. and caused it to stall on glide in landings, my balance on the included stand was slightly rear heavy.

I've got the battery about 1in forward of the servo tray and I might move it a bit farther foward.

Your idea doesn't work with this big battery for me, the stock location forward probably is to far but somewhere in the middle is good. You have to remember with more weight my stall speed is higher, and rear cg makes the plane climb and stall so this is obviously bad.


The wing dropping is from the small wing area, (almost to small if you ask me) and my higher weight battery.

It flies great anyway, and I'm super happy

Hi guys!

I already have a bunch of seaplanes that I need to finnish but I was just wondering if this is actually a very good plane. I mean every plane has their plus and minuses, but overall is it really worth what people say. I live on a lake and I am building 3 flying boats from wood and have a Aventura that needs to be rebuilt, and I am considering this for x-mas. Like a grab n' go seaplane type thing when we go camping or something.....
Is it worth $100?
Thanks for all of your help.


~Matt

Originally Posted by redjem13

Hi guys!

I already have a bunch of seaplanes that I need to finnish but I was just wondering if this is actually a very good plane. I mean every plane has their plus and minuses, but overall is it really worth what people say. I live on a lake and I am building 3 flying boats from wood and have a Aventura that needs to be rebuilt, and I am considering this for x-mas. Like a grab n' go seaplane type thing when we go camping or something.....
Is it worth $100?
Thanks for all of your help.


~Matt

Yes, Yes, Yes...
This is the only ARF I've ever had that needed NO trim on it's maiden. Rolled off grass perfectly first time. It's priced a tad steep for a foamy and they could have used better foam i think. But considering it's a quick build and the finish is great, and it flies wonderfully, it's definitely worth it.
But nothing's perfect so.......
I'm not crazy about the wing mount arrangement. At the least, the mounting screw should be replaced with something that fits better, and the tip floats need to be shaved down a little if you do a lot of ROW. Also, the area around the water rudder is not too strong and should be reinforced some. I removed the lower mounting bolt so it tips up for grass landings.
But that's about it. Quite a short list for a plane that flies this well and doesn't leak a drop.
This plane is a real winner. Get one, you won't regret it. Trust me. I'm a veracitarian after all.

Matt,
I have to agree with sailorman, the Seawind is the perfect take along, throw-it-in-the-car/boat airplane. I live on a lake and if I look out and see calm water, I can grab my Seawind and be flying in less than 5 minutes. With the start of Deer Season here in Texas, our club has a flight moritorium till after 8:45 in the morning - it keeps the hunters on the adjacent property happy. Several mornings a week I'll fly the Seawind at the house a couple of times before I grab my stuff and head for the club field.

I've been flying the Seawind for quite a while now and my only complaints have to do with the water handling. I'd like it better if I didn't have to hold full up to take off and I'd like the water rudder to be more responsive. My Seawind is completely box stock. I have not tried the wing tip mods yet nor have I lengthened the water rudder. I use 1250 and 1350 mah battery packs and balance the plane on the wing spar.

Is it worth $100? Yes! Would I like for it to go on sale? Yes! I'm looking for Tower to have some specials over the holidays and maybe have a discount for larger purchases.

Mike McD

My only complaint is that I crashed my first one trying an outside loop from too low of a starting altitude... I think tower hobbies should have sent me a replacement for free but they didn't.. There should at least be a warning "be sure to have sufficient altitude before attempting stunts" or something.