Classic Remote Control Airplanes Kits Reviews – Sig Ultimate Fun Fly
by Eldridge Annan
Specifications
- Wing Span: 42 in (107 cm)
- Wing Area: 798 sq in (5148 cm²)
- Length: 43.5 in (110 cm)
- Weight: 4.5 lbs (2.0 kg)
- Engine:
- .40 – .46 2 – cycle
- (6.6 cc – 7.5 cc 2 – cycle)
- .40 – .50 4 – cycle
- (6.6 cc – 8.1 cc 4 – cycle)
- 5 Servos required
The Sig Profile Ultimate was patterned after one of the best known airplanes on the airshow circuit. The colorful box art is impressive and promotes the desire to start building this fun-fly airplane. The kit is packed tightly so that parts can not shift during shipping. The kit consists of full size plans over which the model is built. Most of the parts are laser or router cut. All the hardware needed for assembly is included. The only things that are required to complete the model are the engine, radio, glue, covering and wheels.
As with most modern kits, assembly starts with the tail group. This is a simple task with this plane due to the fact that all of the parts are laser cut. The entire plane was assembled on a magnet building board. All charring that results from the laser cutting must be removed before the parts are glued. Doing this will give a much better glue bond. The tail feathers were placed on top of the plan sheet and simply glued together. It only took about 30 minutes to frame up the tail surfaces. The boxes in the instruction manual were checked as assembly progress in order to keep track of the assembly steps.
The next phase of construction involved the wings. The wings on the Ultimate are the familiar D-tube type construction. Again, the magnet board was used and the entire wing was assembled minus the sheeting. When all of the parts were held on place, all of the joints were glued with CA. Being a biplane, there are two sets of wings to construct and it only took about 2 hours to frame up both sets of wings.
The fuselage is a plank of balsa that has been routed to the outline of the Ultimate. For strength, plywood doublers are epoxied to the front sides of the fuselage. These doublers are shown to be tapered on the plans. Using a belt sander, this was easily accomlished. To finish preparing the fuselage, the edges are rounded and the rear is tapered to match the width of the rudder. Also, the engine mounting area is fuel proofed at this time. The engine that was chosen for use on this model was an MVVS 40. The supplied fiberglass motor mount was drilled and the engine was installed to test the fit. It was then removed until final assembly.
Before beginning the covering phase, the radio installation must be planned. Each aileron on the bottom wing requires its own servo which must be installed at this point so that the wiring can be routed through the wings. Radio installation is a little tight in the bottom wing but with a little tinkering, everything will fit.
Once the radio was installed the model was covered with Monokote. Decals are included with the kit and they greatly enhance the appearance of the finished model. The provided wheelpants were installed for a final touch. The wheelpants make the plane look so much more aesthically appealing rather than looking at tires just sticking out in the wind.
With everything completed, it was now time to put this model in the air. The model was fuel and the MVVS40 started on the first flip. The engine was adjusted for maximum performance and it was taxied around to get a feel for ground handling. After that, power was applied and the Ultimate lifted off the ground in little over 30 feet. Only minor trim adjustments were needed and the plane was soon flying hands off.
This model will do just about anything that any flyer could want it to do. Maximum enjoyment is achieved by using a computer radio. This comes in handy when doing knife edge manuevers. In knife edge this plane tends to roll out so to counteract this tendency, programmable mixes must be used with about 10% opposite aileron. One other note, it is best to land this plane with the motor running. The glide characteristics are not like a trainer. Basically, this kit is an outstanding value. It is highly recommended to any advanced flyer.