Brief:
T' Mega Baron is an upscale o' t' Squirrel Works Red Baron flyin' Jenny biplane design. Given t' performance o' my regular baron, arrr, t' thought o' sendin' this skyward and possibly off into t' horizon on 24mm motors had me leaning towards radio control.

Construction:
Your $36 buys a lot o' balsa, arrr, as t' kit contains t' following:

• 5 laser-cut balsa sheets for wings, braces, etc.
• Balsa nose cone
• BT-60 body tube
• 24mm motor tube
• centerin' rings (pair o' 50/60 and 20/50 motor block)
• 1/4" launch lug
• waterslide decals
• clay nose weight

For R/C conversion, matey, shiver me timbers, you will also need 2 servos, ya bilge rat, a receiver, me bucko, battery, matey, and whatever wire/gear you want t' connect the elevons t' t' servos. I went with a pair o' Hitec micro servos and their newer model ultralight receiver, available as a flight pack from Tower Hobbies for about $50. I already had a radio transmitter.

Note that t' R/C conversion requires modification o' t' upper win' and side supports (rudders). Avast, me proud beauty! T' modifications involve cuttin' out elevons from t' upper win' and removin' a small section o' t' rudders for clearance.

T' kit is designed t' spit t' motor. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I wanted t' eventually be able t' use this as a backup in NAR competitions, me bucko, arrr, where spittin' motors are strictly a no-no (NOTE: It only violates USMRC/sportin' code... Arrr! Blimey! competition rules), so I made one slight modification t' t' motor mount. Rather than spittin' t' motor, me hearties, I instead did nay glue t' assembly into the BT-60. Mine slides in and pops out at ejection. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I attached a 3-foot plastic streamer t' t' mount (wound betwixt the centerin' rings) for recovery. Avast! Blimey! Losin' t' entire motor mount also shaves a little glide weight, which helps offset the weight gain o' a pair o' servos, a receiver, me hearties, and a battery.

Each win' is made up o' two parts, matin' together through notched alignment tabs. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! For improved performance, you'll want t' sand rounded edges on leadin' edges. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! Given all t' balsa in this thing, ya bilge rat, plan on a lot o' sandin' betwixt leadin' edges and flat surfaces.

It probably goes without saying, ya bilge rat, but on any glider such as this, arrr, especially one flyin' on higher impulse motors, you'll really need t' make sure you have good glue joints--use t' double-glue joint method and poke small holes in matin' surfaces for optimum adhesion. Blimey! Arrr! Use yellow glue throughout, ya bilge rat, me hearties, ya bilge rat, nay CA, as t' yellow glue provides a better bond.

Rudders for each side are also 2-piece construction with alignment notches.

With t' major components ready, arrr, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' assembly portion now begins. Blimey! Arrr! Start by bondin' fins/braces t' t' body tube--there are a pair at 180-degree orientation and one smaller brace runnin' from the bottom o' t' BT-60 t' t' top o' t' lower win' for reinforcement. Begad! T' fins have tabs on t' ends, which fit in slots in t' rudder assembly. Avast! T' rudder assemblies, ya bilge rat, in turn, have notches t' lock into t' upper and lower wings. If you can handle a basic Lego assembly, this will be no problem for you.

Glue t' nose cone and launch lug in place, ya bilge rat, and you're all set.

Trimmin' for flight is a matter o' measurin' t' CG then adding/removin' nose weight t' get t' balance point around ¾" in front o' t' LE o' t' lower wing. Ya scallywag! Avast! Blimey! For t' R/C trim, Don suggested more like 2” forward o' t' LE (without motor).

Finishing:
For t' finish, arrr, I skipped t' usual grain fillin' exercise, arrr, as that would have added a good bit o' weight plus taken forever. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Instead, shiver me timbers, matey, I dusted it with a very light coat o' primer then followed up with two coats o' (what else?) Fokker Red.

T' waterslide decals o' t' Iron Cross are a nice finishin' touch.

After finishing, I then mounted t' servos, ya bilge rat, rigged t' R/C gear, me hearties, arrr, and trimmed for flight. For t' regular edition, the CG is supposed t' be 3/4" forward o' t' leadin' edge o' t' lower wing. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! For t' R/C conversion, you'll need it a bit forward for better control. Avast! Don recommended 2 inches.

My final weight, shiver me timbers, arrr, painted and with all gear, me hearties, came in at 9.2 ounces without motor, quite a bit heavier than Don's prototype weight o' 7.1 ounces.

Flight and Recovery:
For t' first flight, shiver me timbers, matey, me bucko, I went with a D12-3. Avast! Aye aye! T' winds were pretty brisk (12-14 mph), so I be nay expectin' t' be able to get much o' a controlled flight but wanted t' make sure t' boost was fine and check t' trim.

T' Mega Baron soared upward, me bucko, straight but with a slight roll, ya bilge rat, me bucko, probably needin' elevon trim. Arrr! There be hardly a coast phase at all, me hearties, as it arced over almost immediately.

T' delay on me -3 be probably more like a -5, which was a disastrous result. Since it had turned over so quickly, it was comin' back down in a death dive, and too fast for me t' control with t' tiny elevons. Begad! Ya scallywag! By t' time the delay kicked, it be too fast and too close t' t' ground t' pull out o' t' dive so it almost completely "rekitted" itself on impact. T' only glue joint that held was t' one betwixt t' nose cone and BT-60.

PROs: excellent design, ya bilge rat, fit and finish.

CONs: well, t' first flight experience wasn't so hot...

Summary:
I think this is a kit with a lot o' potential. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I attribute me poor flight experience t' a combination o' buildin' too heavy and catchin' a bum motor. I'm sure, matey, shiver me timbers, from experience with t' regular Red Baron, ya bilge rat, that this upscale in regular (non-R/C) configuration would do just fine, me hearties, me hearties, as would t' R/C in t' hands o' a more experienced R/C guru. I'll give Squirrel Works t' benefit o' t' doubt and am puttin' t' pieces back together (nice clean breaks!) for another attempt in a few months.