Walt has just started my Carden 300.
I'll post pics as I get them from him. He is watching this also so if anyone has questions about how and why he'll hear you.
Plane will be set up exactly how my 260 is as far as equipment.
24 oz's removed from the motor box so far.
This is posted later in this thread but its probably best read here as well on the first post. (Thanks Lew!)
There has been a lot of talk on these internet forums lately regarding Carden kits.
People are changing things, modifying the kits, lightening them etc..
This has been the rage over the last 2 or 3 years.
Ivan Kristensen and Brian Huffmeier probably being some of the first ones to really "change things"
There may have been some other guys going to those extremes earlier but, Ivan's and Huff's planes are very visible in the RC community so we equate that with them being the first. (May or may not be the case.)
The result..... Very light airframes that not only fly REALLY well they will still last for several seasons.
For me, these planes are what I compete with. Competive edge is part of the game so if I know we can make it lighter or modify something I am going to want to do it.
Walt fits in perfectly for me because he is at the stage with his skills that he is constantly wanting to challenge himself, try new things and make the next plane better than the last.
When we talked for the first time about doing a 260 I told him I wanted it between 37 and 38.5 lbs. I am not sure he thought we could get it there but he was definately up to the challenge.
At that point he had been building Carden's for years and "they weigh what they weigh" was pretty much the guidline he went by. They were built stock and flew awesome!
I have seen things people have done, looked at some crashed airplanes, watched people I respect and this plane is a complilation of what I think will be the best plane for me. Period.
My point in this post is that the mods you see Walt doing in this build are NOT required to have a great flying plane. I think you could build one of these stock, lighten the motor box with the holes that are on the plans and have a 40 lb plane that will fly as good or better than anything out there and last forever.
I hope people who have never built a Carden, that may be seeing this thread dont think all these mods are required.
Its simply not the case.