The ICON lite that crashed at Nats took a huge pounding, went straight in after a full F3J launch and zoom. Jim McCarthy repaired the fuse with his magic in one evening and I have it back now, it's not all green now but it's as strong or stronger. I don't think he added much weight either. The stabs and all radio gear are OK, so the only thing that was really totalled was the wing, even the joiners were cracked. I am impressed I have so much model left after a crash like this. So I have another wing on order and that ICON with return.
I finished my new ICON lite that I acquired before Nats, I had the fuse with me but not the wing, it wasn't finished yet. It was a good thing I had the fuse, I used it mated to Jim McCarthy's F3J wing for unlimited, a one time pieced together model just for Nats (and the reason I didn't make the second night of HLG Golf, because I was assembling it)
http://www.jimbacus.net/soaring/nats2003/after_hours/pages/DSC00135.htm
http://www.jimbacus.net/soaring/nats2003/after_hours/pages/DSC00134.htm
http://www.jimbacus.net/soaring/nats2003/unl/pages/DSC01371.htm
I think Joe flies a similar combination of ICON Lite fuse and F3J ICON wing that he calls "stiffy", it's an interesting combination to fly as far as ICON's go.
I knew this new fuse was special after I finished it, it was the first ICON that I had built that required no nose weight to balance. It also has the pin hinge rudder, ala MK II.
After I finished the wing late last night, I knew the model felt real light, but I didn't put it on a scale because I was tired. Went out to the field early this morning and met up with McCarthy for some soft air morning flying and to get my other fuse back. He was very happy with the way his new Tragi 705x was flying and said it was at 68oz, hefted my ICON and gasped, instantly claimed the ICON was lighter. I told Jim that Don Peters had predicted 69oz, and that I had carefully built it and used every technique and trick that I have learned, by far the best one that I have every built.
So we flew in the light morning air off of a bungee, and tested our new models out. Both of us had big stupid smiles on our faces, and we both wish we could stay longer but we both had to leave by 11am so we were getting our flying in. I am really happy, this is by far the best ICON I have ever owned, it feels like my old ICON lite, but it is flying just awesome in the light air, just dancing and reading, ever so nimble.
Don Smith showed up and heard about the new light ICON, and pulled out his digital fish scale and said, "lets weigh it"
4lbs, 1oz... 65oz fellas... BIG S.E.G. 8-))
So just to check the scale Jim puts his Tragi on it and it weighs 67oz and he thinks the scale perhaps is a little light compared to his, maybe by one ounce.
Even if it's 66oz I am really happy. I have a meanie greenie again. 8-)
Jim Downers Grove, IL Member of the Chicago SOAR club, AMA 592537 LSF 7560 Level IV ICQ 6997780 R/C Soaring blog at www.jimbacus.net
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