In the early 80's, my father bought and built a kit from Midwest Products called the "LiveWire Champion MkIII". He didn't like that long name and shortened it to The Yellow Peril. I typically call it the "Champ".

He flew it successfully for a few years. After one pretty serious wreck, the tail was severed. It was shelved away for a few years until I came along and rebuilt the tail. I flew it for many years with an O/S .20 engine. About 4 years ago I threw on an old Master Airscrew brushed motor that 'barely' got it airborne. Due to the weight of the battery and the poor performance (both motor and flight characteristics), I too, shelved it.

My father has been gone for 10 years. I miss him a lot. He got me in this hobby over 20 years ago and every time I'm in my hobby room I feel his presence (and sometimes his instructions!). Something made me look at the ol' Champ in the closet and dust it off. Maybe it was time to install some new electronic goodies and fly her again.

The monokote on the wing had aged badly. It had several holes and tape patches. About a month ago I removed all the covering (took a week), repaired several broken ribs and sheeting areas, and recovered it with TopFlite Monokote Cub Yellow. Looks good!

I then purchaed a new Himax 3618-2300 from Esprit Models (50% off) to replace the brushed motor. After quickly installing it, I decided to give the plane a 'test flight' just to see how well everything was...Continue Reading