review #2

[George Kennie]

Here we go again.
Things are a little dead so I'll submit a little input.
Last fall I picked up a Focus from a local hobby shop.I had other
construction projects underway at the time so it went into storage
for a time.I finally started putting it together in the late spring
and had it ready to go early summer. Due to problems I was having
with the power system and it's management things really bogged down
and I had other stuff to utilize so I didn't feel any drive to
press. Well I finally resolved the power issues and yesterday became
"D-day".I had spent one whole afternoon on set-up sometime back in
July or August so I expected this thing to be pretty close. After
arriving at the field yesterday and assembling everything and doing
a 200 foot range check and taking a few pictures for posterity, I
fired it up using my trusty Kavan(on 24 volts, I might add) and
adjusted the high speed needle and taxied out to the center of the
runway and pointed into the wind, which was almost straight down the
runway(almost never happens at our field) and let it idle while I
took my position on the center pilot station opposite the center
pole.After pushing my glasses back up on my nose and making certain
my hat was on tight I gradually advanced the throttle. The bird
started to roll, slight rudder correction, then dead straight for
about 100 feet breaking ground in the longest lowest shallow ascent,
still dead straight, slow climb to approx. 50-60 feet and into the
procedure turn to the right.............WOW!!!!!!!!!! "is this thing
tracking or what?"  270 left and straight back on my free pass.
Hmmm, funny, "this thing doesn't need any trim!?!"  Turnaround and
back for the stall w/ 1&1/4 up and when reaching the apex it was
like somebody drove a stake throught the C.G. and rotated the fuse
right in place. Man, it did a stall turn just like the ones Kenny
Lauter does. Well anyway I completed the pattern with solid control
throughout. The slow and 4 point were extremely easily accomplished
with the slow seeming to be about 6 seconds in length(probably my
imagination)."O.K, let's check the coupling on this buggar!" Roll
left, "Aha!, just the slightest bit of adverse roll(probably going
to take about 2% correction, maybe!)", roll right," hmm,.....a
little pitch to the belly(probably somewhere between 3 and 4%
correction, not bad!)." O.K., time to get this bird on the ground.
Slap switch "C" for idle-down and air-brake and she's climbing just
a whisker,"hmm, gonna hafta add another 2% down elevator on
air-brake", complete the landing pattern and line-up for approach
and she landed without bending the grass(although those wheels make
a wicked racket rattling around inside those pants, could be a
problem).
O.K., the conclusion, this is one awesome airplane! I've had a few 2
meter birds previously but nothing to compare to this thing.Never
touched a trim throughout the flight and the stability has to be
experienced to be believed. Maybe I lucked-out and just got a really
good one, but Anthony and Bill have been on here also declaring it's
merits.Bob P., you've got to get one of these, you'll think you died
and went ...............    If these things are still available
after the first of the year I plan to pick up a back-up. Why would
anyone want to get anything else when you consider the risks. I know
so many guys that have these and are extremely happy with the end
results, it's almost like a guarantee.
Get a life, get a Focus!!!!!!!
Georgie

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