Not sure how many of you guys have heard about this bird, but I was SOLD when I saw it in action in all the videos. The Hi Def Video is by far the best example of what the plane can do.

Mine should be here in a few days, at which point I'll start taking pics, etc... For now, here's a couple reviews to wet your appetite!

http://www.flyinggiants.com/forums/fg241/28740-great-planes-electrifly-reactor-bipe.html

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=996

So... it begins....

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/l8ight/FirstDay.jpg?t=1212613020

CAREFUL WITH THE SHARP TOOLS

WHO OPENED THE BOX FOR YOU ?

Yeah yeah yeah... I even drilled all the CA hinges out by myself... no additional holes in my hands this time.

I got some more done last night:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/l8ight/CabaneTestFit.jpg?t=1212676483

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/l8ight/WingsON.jpg?t=1212676611

Now I have the tail feathers attached:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/l8ight/TailBuilt.jpg?t=1212682441

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/l8ight/TailBuilt2.jpg?t=1212682465

NICE PLANE
DID THE CG RIG COME WITH ?

Yup, CG'd right on without any added weight. I was really excited to test it. Had to eat out with the wife, shoot the breaze with friends at B&T, and got back to the shop to finish the plane around 6:30. Had it ready by 7:30, and went for a test flight.

It flew great until I got near the power lines, glitched, and crashed. I'm so bumed I prolly won't rebuild it.

Well, between the wife and my good flying buddy, I was convinced to order a new one...

It'll get here next week, and now that I have so much practice building, I bet I'll have it airborne in a day.

Postmortem:

The nose is crushed, but repairable( I don't like to fix crashed planes, I replace them)
3 stripped servos, and a broken prop, that's about it. The rest of the electronics are all in good shape, and the bulk of the airframe looks perfect(it should I flew for like 5 minutes)

I really impressed the 10-15 onlookers that happened to be there. I prolly scared the hell outta the poor guy walking his dog... it splatted right next to him on the street.

It was flying very well, I really enjoyed it. I decided it was time to land, and on approach, I came really close to the power lines. That's where it glitched, nosed straight down, and went in.

HOW BOUT A PICTURE ?

I can't get the pics to work here, so here's where they DO work:

http://z6.invisionfree.com/Bug_Bite_Racing/index.php?showtopic=92&st=0&#last

I finally got the guts to maiden my new bird. I was shaking like a leaf! I guess I was still traumatized from the last "Incident"...

Went off without a hitch! Flew perfect, just like the last one. This time I kept it brief, so my heart wouldn't jump out of my chest! I had to say to myself out loud... "You're just flying a little airplane, Calm Down!" and then I did. I stayed FAR from them pesky power lines, and had zero glitches. I landed with the throttle chopped, this thing comes in like a good 3D plane should, nice and easy. I didn't really try much, a brief hover, some loops and rolls(so I wouldn't feel I wasted my time), all rewarded with excellent performance.

This is a keeper, it does everything I want it to. It feels like a larger plane, tracks very well(sept I could tell my rudder hinges still need a little break in). I managed to trim it out pretty quickly, hands off all the way across the field.

I'm glad I replaced it, Worth Every Penny. I'll take a few pics when I get back to my shop tomorrow. If you've been tossing the idea around about getting one... stop wasting time!