Jet Legend Viperjet Rebuild/Refurb

[pylonboy]

Thanks Trevor.

Having flown a Viperjet before, I was not surprised at how it flew. It's always a little nerve-racking on the first few flights, and that's what makes it exciting!

This is the first jet I have built with a redundancy bus and a gyro. I still like to fly without a gyro, but it is a nice option if the wind gets a little gusty. The Viperjet is a relatively stable airframe and they do like to fly smooth without any radical inputs. It can fly nicely with a 100N turbine as well, so it is a good frame for 100-120N power. I would not go less than 100N off a grass field though. A friend has one with a JC Rabbit (older 21 lb version I believe), and it does quite well. The newer JC Rabbit and JetsMunt 100XBL are also great choices for lighter setups.

The Jet Legend Viperjet is a nice small size and no gear doors to make things complicated. The C of G did not change much in flight with the smoke tanks used for fuel and only one forward tank. Much better than what I have seen with the stock 2 fuel tanks up front. The only down side is the extensive plumbing and having to fuel quite slowly because of the back-pressure trying to force fuel through so many connections and tubing. Still worth it though!!

Another reason why I bought this particular jet was the Canadian scheme. It really looks sharp, and a great time to do this with the 150th Canadian anniversary!!

[Sterling]

Nice flight Brent! Glad to see it flew well for you....I bet you puckered a little on that gyro pass! Love your flying site, never have flown off grass, always gravel or asphalt. Enjoy it I sure did! Sterling

[pylonboy]

Nice flight Brent! Glad to see it flew well for you....I bet you puckered a little on that gyro pass! Love your flying site, never have flown off grass, always gravel or asphalt. Enjoy it I sure did! Sterling

Thanks Sterling.

The gyro pass was a little unnerving, but not too unexpected. I turned the gyro up just a little more than I thought I would need! Now I know......... LOL!! I think I re-set it to about 25% gain after the flight.

I have played with gyros on small 3D planes, but only been a spectator for others with gyros in jets up until now. Some call it cheating. I call it an option that you can use when you want to.

On a calm day most sport jets do not need a gyro, but I have seen many cases now that a gyro is almost essential for some scale jets and the occasional sport jet. I am starting to believe that it is far better to have and not need than the other way around!! Doesn't mean that all my jets will have a gyro either.............I am not a complete cheater.

As for grass..............I love it!! If it is smooth, it is much easier on tires and brakes. Way better for wingtip scrapes too! LOL!! Pavement is better for low-powered planes, soft landing gear and landing wheelies.