[NSRCA-discussion] New Prestige Flight

[RCSkyraidr at aol.com]

Hi All,
 
I don't usually do this, but I thought, with everyone out at the NATS and I  
can't go, this would be a good time to talk about my first 10 flights on my 
new  Prestige. Ken Velez built and painted it, looks good and he should get the  
credit for this but this airplane's flight characteristics are very special.  
Power is the OS 140 through the ES pipe. Top rpms so far are 8,400 with 8,100 
 operating. Idle is at 1,900 rpm and dropping to 1,700 soon. Propeller is the 
 Dave Lockhart 10" pitch 3-blade.

Right now, it weighs 9.5 pounds. I have 4 ounces of nose weight in it  for 
the first few flights that will be soon disappearing. The all up weight  should 
be 9.25 pounds. Its aerobatic flight speed is about 15 mph slower than my  
10.25-pound Temptation's best operating speed. The climb is so much better as to  
be on the silly side. The aircraft tracks straight and true at the lower  
airspeeds yet the rolls seem to need as little rudder as does the  Temptation. 
 
One big difference is fuel mileage. When flying the Pattern,  the 
Temptation's best flight time is 12.5 minutes, with reserve, on a  20 ounce tank . That 
is 1.5 Master's Patterns. The Prestige flies 16 minutes,  with reserve, on the 
same 20-ounce tank. Why the difference? Level  aerobatic speed is at 40% 
throttle, all climbs at between 50-75% throttle and no  full power ever. The 
Prestige will fly 2 full Master Patterns and still do  a couple of landings. 
 
Airspeed stays the same pointed vertically up or down. The airplane  
accelerates in the downline until about 50 mph then hits a stone wall and stays  
there. With a 1,700 rpm idle, the stonewall should appear around 45  mph. Wind 
handling is excellent as the first 5 flights were in heavy  crosswinds.
 
Most importantly, the airplane seems to fit my style of flying better than  
anything I have ever flown since my own design in the late 70's. The first few  
practice flights were better than any patterns I have ever flown. It just  
seems to fit well with its pilot. 
 
I wonder if anyone else has experience with a glow Prestige? If so, please  
let me know. For my own 2 cents, I am glad that I didn't opt to go electric and 
 make the airplane weigh 11 pounds. I don't think it would have been as happy 
at  that weight as it now seems to be at 9.5. Still, there are many 
e-Prestiges out  there doing well but do they also float through the pattern as my glow 
does.  Would like to know for future decisions.
 
Thanks all and the best to everyone out there competing in the Muncie wind.  
Wish I was there.

Frank G. 



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