Intrepid XL.........Weight?

[Andrew Tinsley]

Hello All,
   Just wondering what weight I should be aiming for with an Intrepid XL with an OS 40 VF on pipe? I have been a heavy builder until recently, when I have gone the other way and made things overlight, to the extent of adding ballast!
  Seems I may as well get the weight right this time, any suggestions?

Thanks,

Andrew.

[Steve Fitton]

I think the Intrepid XL is almost identical to my Dreadnought, in which case you should be fine anywhere from 62 to 66 ounces.  The plane of course will work at lighter and heavier weights, although by 60 ounces or so you may find yourself adding weight back as tailweight.  I have not yet personally run a VF but the anecdotal evidence is that it flew plenty of planes up to the low 70 ounce range without difficulty.  My Dreadnought weighs 63 ounces with a PA-61 and balanced right in the middle of the suggested CG range.

[RandySmith]

Hello All,
   Just wondering what weight I should be aiming for with an Intrepid XL with an OS 40 VF on pipe? I have been a heavy builder until recently, when I have gone the other way and made things overlight, to the extent of adding ballast!
  Seems I may as well get the weight right this time, any suggestions?

Thanks,

Andrew.

Hi Andrew
My XL weighed 59 ounces with a PA 51 in it, The 40 PA is a ounce or 2 lighter than the OS and I think the 51 maybe a tick lighter but it should be close to balance range with either engine. Mine had no weight in the nose or tail. They have flown very well from 58 to 68 ounces. most finish about 64 ounces

Randy

[Andrew Tinsley]

Thank you both!
    Looks as though I don't have to change very much. With the sub assemblies that I have, it looks as though I should be around the 64 oz mark. Must take care to maybe lose an oz or two.

Regards,

Andrew.

[Allen Brickhaus]

My best SV's came in around 59 ounces.  Flew great.

[PJ Rowland]

Alot of "issues" with weight are secondary if you considered that engine your running.

40VF - maybe 12 oz -
Pipe, tank, prop, spinner.. maybe another 4 oz 

40 - 45 oz airframe only is the goal to acheive.

Depending on Hardware - can make or break your " Mine weight this much" argument.

[john e. holliday]

Keep them light as Sparky keeps stating.   The lighter the better if you don't sacrifice strength.  Granted an individual did add weight to an airplane design to make it fly better in his mind.  It is like my Dad told me about cutting boards to length,  you can always take some length off, but you can't add to it.   I think the same goes for weight, but, it is opposite, you can add but not take it off very easy.  Ask me about getting back to 220 pounds instead of the 270+ I keep carrying around. 

[Roger Vizioli]

Larry Barickman's (may he rest in peace) Intrepid XL, light violet in color, Moki .51 powered, is hanging in my shop. Has not flown in many years, dont remember how it flew but nothing negative comes to mind, flew on 67' lines, as I remember.
Just weighed it. 65 ounces
Roger v.

[Allen Brickhaus]

With a VF 40 mine weighed in at 59 ounces ready to fly.  Hope this helps.

Allen Brickhaus

[PJ Rowland]

There you go - 59 oz sounds like a great weight.

If you turn around and say " well it weights 65.5 oz - but i've got a PA .75", there is still that knee jerk reaction that - ohh its a little heavier than the magic 60 - 62 .

Its not always relivant.

[Andrew Tinsley]

Thanks everyone,
  I now have some good idea of what I should be aiming for. Present trend looks like 64 oz, so maybe a little heavier than some. I don't know what typical stunt weather is in the US, but here in the UK it is always windy, with lots of much higher speed gusting (at least it always seems that way!). This is why I have added ballast to a very light ship that I have built. In normal UK conditions it definitely flies better with some quite hefty ballast. I am not much of a pilot, but even I can tell that the ballast was a good move.

[PJ Rowland]

Andrew : We are having an English Summer right now......

[Andrew Tinsley]

Hello PJ,
  Just come back from the US and they were having English weather too! I have found that something like an old Coasby Taurus flies well for me in windy weather, although the thin airfoil section gets panned in the US as a poor performer in such conditions! Maybe its just me being a mediocre pilot! But then it is getting a bit off topic!

Regards,

Andrew.

[Brett Buck]

Present trend looks like 64 oz, so maybe a little heavier than some. I don't know what typical stunt weather is in the US, but here in the UK it is always windy, with lots of much higher speed gusting (at least it always seems that way!). This is why I have added ballast to a very light ship that I have built. In normal UK conditions it definitely flies better with some quite hefty ballast. I am not much of a pilot, but even I can tell that the ballast was a good move.

    That will probably be fine. It's also very cold (by comparison to the US) even in the summer, so lift and power will not be an issue.

    Brett