Great Planes Kaos 40 ARF
06-22-2006, 11:45 AM
#2
RE: Great Planes Kaos 40 ARF
For the price, flying charachteristics, and overall quality, you cannot go wrong with this ARF. I have built and flown many Kaos's and have two of these ARFs. A few things to replace / change.
1. Covering, both of mine, the covering peeled off like a banana peel within the first few flights. Monocoat Missle Red and White looks identicle, or cover it to whatever you want. This plane is really easy to recover. I used Balsarite first and the covering hasn't moved since.
2. Pushrods, the chrome plated pushrod assembly for the dual elevator cannot be safely soldered or brazed. I replaced mine with carbon rods and bent Z ends.
3. Bellypan, I put a layer of thin fiberglass tape in the belly pan. The balsa is really soft and the pan shatters with the slightest pressure against it.
Many of my screws and other hardware was either too deformed or brittle to use, so I replaced it all with Dubro and Goldberg hardware. Still, not bad for a $89 airplane.
If built per instructions, flown with a .40 to .46, including adding wieght to the nose, this plane should fly and track without any, or very little trim adjustments. Mine flies much easier then my trainers. They just fly a little faster, but also are pretty forgiving at slower speeds as long as the wings stay level.
The grade of balsa and overall construction was superior.
Have fun,
Scott
1. Covering, both of mine, the covering peeled off like a banana peel within the first few flights. Monocoat Missle Red and White looks identicle, or cover it to whatever you want. This plane is really easy to recover. I used Balsarite first and the covering hasn't moved since.
2. Pushrods, the chrome plated pushrod assembly for the dual elevator cannot be safely soldered or brazed. I replaced mine with carbon rods and bent Z ends.
3. Bellypan, I put a layer of thin fiberglass tape in the belly pan. The balsa is really soft and the pan shatters with the slightest pressure against it.
Many of my screws and other hardware was either too deformed or brittle to use, so I replaced it all with Dubro and Goldberg hardware. Still, not bad for a $89 airplane.
If built per instructions, flown with a .40 to .46, including adding wieght to the nose, this plane should fly and track without any, or very little trim adjustments. Mine flies much easier then my trainers. They just fly a little faster, but also are pretty forgiving at slower speeds as long as the wings stay level.
The grade of balsa and overall construction was superior.
Have fun,
Scott
06-23-2006, 03:13 AM
#3
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RE: Great Planes Kaos 40 ARF
Plan to recover it. Every time I flew, another piece of covering came loose.Eventually I used trip sheets to seal the leading edges. Unfortunately one day the covering peeled back on the tail, and impeaded a control surface. You can guess the rest. It was very well constructed, and flew great. But they really cheaped out on the covering. I complaned to Tower and they sent me free covering and pin striping to re cover the aircraft. How nice. Buy an ARF, and get an ARC.
I was deeply disapointed.
Bob
I was deeply disapointed.
Bob
06-30-2006, 04:04 PM
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RE: Great Planes Kaos 40 ARF
Have built and flown both BYI Kit and ARF. They fly the same. Just for drill, on most of my ARF's I use a sealing iron on low heat to re-seal the trim and edges. I have had the ARF for about 4 months and have had NO problem with covering coming loose. I powered with Thunder Tiger Pro .46 and didn't have to add any wieght for balance. The set up for elevator works just fine if installed as per instructions, dual push rod makes for more positive control. This thing sill slow down to a walk and go like..... Good flying airplane, big bang for the buck.....
