SIG Tristar - Canard Pusher

By Russ Tront, Canada.

My RTF weight is under 50 oz. with an Astro FAI-15 and 8x1700 cells. I used no landing gear because it was too flimsy.I made the canard removable and adjustable in incidence. I found the stock incidence too high causing the canard to stall too soon (which of course is not serious, except it didn't slow down as much for landing as I wanted).   Decreasing the canard incidence too much though, risks loosing the safety of a canard because the canard will not then stall before the main wing.

Note the FAI-15 is very similar in all ways to the Cobalt-05. Except it is lighter and better balanced. I use a Graupner 9x5 folding prop on a Sontronic hub. 28 amps static.  What also works for me is to put the cooler 10Turn cobalt 15 armature in the FAI-15, and use a Sontronics 11x7 prop. But be careful to follow through with your launch hand so it doesn't get sliced.

The Tristar is very tail heavy. I had to move everything as FAR (!!) forward as possible even with the light 5.5 oz FAI motor.

I love the plane. I can fly by real slow with full aft stick and 1/3 power and the plane just slightly porpoises as the canard goes in and out of stall. And it will do nice loops and rolls. Oh yeah, I folded the wing on a rapid pullout from a dive. Please fiberglass the wing out 6" inches either side of the centerline. You can use very light glass <1oz.

Email Russ Tront

• Webmasters Notes: I have heard from several flyers of the need to reinforce the wing center section.  There has been some postings that suggest newer Tristar kits do not need the wing reinforcement.  Also I second the need to exercise great care to avoid that pusher props if hand launching.