Originally Posted by IMK

Groovejet, is there much difference with KE and harriers without SFGs?

These comments apply to the MXS since I have never tried SFGs on the Extra.

There isn't much difference and you soon get used to it. They still knife edge very slowly and harriers are rock free once you adjust to the slightly different feel. The knife edge coupling changes a bit once you remove the SFGs; just a little.

The SFGs are like training wheels in that they make it easier to harrier and knife edge, but you soon get used to the feel without them and can fly the plane just as smoothly if you have plenty of harrier and knife edge experience. It's probably better for people learning knife edge and harrier to use the SFGs.

I suspect that the planes roll a little faster without the SFGs and they are easier to load into my car. I use these Skywing planes as balsa trainers and balsa replacments. To me, that are too easy to fly with SFGs so the slight extra challenge of flying them without SFGs suit me fine. The planes are still ridiculously easy to fly but have a balsa-like momentum due to their weight. Some days I actually prefer to fly the Skywing planes instead of balsas since they are just so rewarding to fly. Even on days when I take both a Skywing and a balsa plane, it is not unusual for me to use more batteries in the Skywing plane.

Thanks for the detailed reply Groovejet.

No worries IMK.

Nac and I flew Skywing planes this morning. Nac flew his MXS and I flew my Extra. The wind was funny as it seemed to be changing direction and strength from time to time, so we didn't do our smoothest flying today. We still had fun and nac filmed my Skywing Extra. Here's a video of a complete flight, with a small bit removed near the end to get the video to better fit the duration of the song I chose to use. I thought I had trimmed this plane out really nicely the previous time I flew it, but I had some rudder and aileron trim issues that were hard to resolve in the strange wind conditions we had today. Nac did his usual high quality filming and I did my best to fly without crashing .

Watch it in high definition for best results.

http://www.vimeo.com/29177009

Nice flying Groovejet. That color scheme looks great in the air.

Originally Posted by IMK

Nice flying Groovejet. That color scheme looks great in the air.

Another terrific video from Groovejet and Nac! Thanks!

There is a new color scheme available for the Extra. I call it blue.

Enjoy.

Thanks guys .

The new blue Extra looks fantastic .

Nac and I are loving our Skywing planes so much that we are buying a few more. Once these planes arrrive, we will have the following Skywing 48" kits:

nac:
- MXS in red and blue scheme
- Extra in blue scheme
- Sbach in yellow scheme

groovejet:

- MXS in orange and grey scheme
- Extra in yellow scheme
- Sbach in red and black scheme
- Yak in curved scheme

Great video groovejet! I've been waiting for this one and as usual, was not disappointed.
Max, the blue scheme looks wonderful. If I had to buy the Extra, this would be it.

I flew yesterday without the SFG's and liked it much better as the response seemed to be crisper and the roll reponse was much better.
I'm not sure this plane really needs them to be honest as it is very stable without them.
Bleary

Thanks asad.

Here's another video from the weekend. This video was shot by nac using his iPhone. His iPhone doesn't have a zoom, so I tried to keep the plane in close. The video is currently viewable in standard definition but in a few days my Vimeo quota will reset and I will be able to replace it with a high definition version.

http://www.vimeo.com/29210771

I just updated the video in the previous post to a high definition version.

I like the size and weight of this plane. How would you rate it on durability and repairabilty, say compared to one made from solid EPP?

Not as durable as a solid EPP,nothing is I suspect.
However it is significantly stiffer due to the construction and all the Carbon through it.Essentially it is a hollow EPP shell with structural support from ply and CF.I haven't crashed mine yet,touch wood,but Nac has shown above how easy it is to repair.
If you really pile it in it may take a bit of effort to repair it,but that is the beauty of EPP,it is easy to glue it back together again.
Compared to balsa,there is no comparison,it is much more durable,plus this foamie fly's closer to balsa than any other foamie I have tried....it is pretty bloody rigid.
You won't regret it.
Bleary.

Well said Bleary.

I cartwheeled my Extra today and all it did was crease an aileron tip and break a prop. Every crash is different, so it depends on how you crash. High speed ground impacts are not healthy for any plane of this size and weight. I have personally found the Skywing MXS and Extra to be very easy to live with. I don't crash as often as I used to when I started out flying 3D, but I still have crashes now and then. The crash in my video a few posts earlier simply broke a prop and bent the landing gear. If you view the crash frame by frame, you will see that the landing gear took most of the impact. This is why it's very important to mod the landing gear as suggested a few times on this thread.

I personally feel that the 3D foam planes that satisfy me the most offer a good balance of:
- rigidity for crisp flight characteristics
- durability, so that I can pick up the plane after most minor crashes and keep flying
- repairability, so that I can spend less time fixing and more time flying

I have found that Skywing's planes offer a very good balance of these things.

The planes have sufficient durability for me but in general do not have sufficient durability for a complete novice who is likely to crash the plane hard over and over. A more experienced pilot is likely to take action to minimise the impact forces once they realise that an impact is inevitable. eg. cut the throttle, pull up in the hope of minimising the stress on the nose and try to get the wings level if you can.

The repairability is also fine if you remember this important information. First you fix the internal problems like broken wood, CF etc. and then you patch the EPP skin. Never be afraid to cut into the EPP skin to give better access to damage underneath. Repairs are very easy if you approach them in this way.

Stiffness is great on these planes. They hold up very well to balsa-like flying. I find that I can perform many full throttle moves and they don't wallow around like some other large EPP planes that I have tried.

The Skywing 48" planes are the best foamies that I have ever flown and I have flown dozens and dozens. I haven't flown everything that's available, but then, who has?

I love the Skywing 48" planes so much that I have all 4 types; MXS, Extra, Sbach and Yak. The Sbach and Yak are currently in the mail and due to be delivered any day now. The Extra and MXS get a lot of flight time. Today I spent much more time flying my Skywing planes (48" Extra and 42" Sbach) than the EF 48" Edge EXP that I also took along. Nac has 2 more Skyiwng planes on the way; a Sbach and an Extra. Today he had his 3DHS 48" Edge and his Skywing MXS at the park and he spent more time flying his MXS than flying his 3DHS Edge.

I think I can sneak one more in the hanger,so will be very interested in your perception of the Yak and SBach...Sbach is all cool "new school",but I just love Yaks.
I agree on the quality,top notch stuff,the foamie you have when you don't really have a foamie I think..
Love the rigidity.
Bleary.

Hey Bleary, look what arrived today. I think they both look great .