Well guys I have finally got the 1/2a Pathfinder flying to the point where I can compete with it.  First I want to thank Dennis Adamisin for all his help.  With out it I would still be wondering in the desert.  The process involved coming up with a power package that made the project work.  Dennis was a great help in this area, I am using his motor, prop, battery recommendation.  I supplied the ESC and beyond that it was pulling weight out of the plane and getting the line length correct.  Antone Kephart was very helpful in pointing out places to pull weight out and Larry Renger was very helpful in getting the line length correct for Pathfinder.  So what am I using?
1.  Basic Brodak 1/2a Pathfinder built as light as possible.
2.  38amp CC Thunderbird ESC, I originally used a 18amp ESC but it burned out after a few flights.
3.  1300 and 1350 mah Li Pol batteries, by looking around I was able to find batteries that were 2.5Oz's lighter than what I originally used.
4.  45 foot eyelet to eyelet line length.

The all up weight of the plane is 15 Oz's, to put things in perspective just changing the prop hub and cutting the wires between the motor, ESC, and battery to their minimum length reduced the weight of the plane by 1 full oz.  May not sound like much but every ounce counts.  Anyway I had a couple of other flyer's from the club give it a try today they were pleased with how it performed. 

Still have some fine tweeking to do, but things are looking really good.
Andy

THANKS for the shout-out Andy, but there is no substitute for doing the work - and you worked hard to bring this one "home"  The PF is a great bird, and I'd like to try that power system in some other 1/2A's like the Hunter Stunter, Pinto and almost ANYTHING the DesignMan has in mind.

I had not noticed your lightened out fuse before - AWESOME.  I think I should also follow your advice and clean up my wiring and lose all the brass bullet connectors for a tidy weight save.

What I like about the PF is that it really flies like a real stunt model - no need to flog or finesse it - just go fly!  I am hoping my new Wee Duper Zilch offers similar manners for OTS...

Yesterday morning Larry and I went flying at a local park.  This plane only gets better and better with each trim tweak.  I have four batteries and we got four good flights in the plane.  I am continuing to adjust the flight length time to minimize the battery usage.  I watched Larry put in one of the best 1/2a pattern flights I have ever seen him fly, and this is a guy that only flys 1/2a.   Made another minor trim tweak following yesterdays flying and look forward to more fun with this plane.
Andy

OOPS!  It turns out that a 7" diameter LH prop, small cross-section wheels and stock landing gear can cause disaster on a dirt surface.  We were flying off a ball diamond, which is pretty sandy material.  The nose wheel dug in, the prop tip hit the dirt and turned the model about 45 degrees to the left.  Ouch!  Fortunately, it stayed on the ground and tumbled when it hit the grass.  The battery tore loose, so no problem with frying the motor, esc and battery.  Fuselage broke just behind the wing, and one battery hook pulled out.  Easy repairs, and easy to fix the problem.....now that we are aware of it.   

Darn, and the trim was just starting to be REALLY good.

Well it could have been much worst.  If the motor had stalled I am sure I would have lost the ESC and the motor and maybe a battery.  As it turned out the damage was minor and is now all repaired and ready to fly.  Before I fly on the baseball infield again I am changing the landing gear to add fatter tires and longer wheel struts.  The gear is fine for hard surface but not the surface we have at the park.  Oh well live and learn.  Dennis, Larry actually mentioned hand launch the other day and I took a dim view of the idea.  Once again I should have listen to the master, he is right far more than he is wrong.

Looking good guys... what motor and prop are you using?  Have you listed it in "List your setup" yet?

I'll be flying my full size Electric Pathfinder at the Victorian State Champs next weekend... will let you know how I get on.

Cheers