Pike Precision first flights

NW means it's on West Lomond up here in this neck of the woods. That's good news as it's a great hill. My mind is less decided on the 3+ mile walk each way! Although it did give an hour whilst I walk back to write and post this update by mobile, which is one less thing to do when I get home. Anyway... The Precision...
I need to add a bit of context to these remarks first. Over the 15 or more years I've been flying F3F I don't change models much. Sure I try a few but in competitions I normally average a new design every couple of years. Recently my heart has been true to the Ceres; for nearly three years now I've rarely flown anything else in a competition that I really want to win, it's my banker.
Maybe it's the exhaustion and dehydration talking but I think the Precision might be the next two year step for me. Why?
1.
It is really easy to fly. At my age and lack of practice that's important!
2.
As well as being easy to fly it's also gorgeous to fly. Very precise without being fidgety. Such a crisp roll. Sooo grippy in the turns. With a hint of reflex it'd neutral when inverted, which is great for aeros.
3.
It is easier to get on step and stay on step than anything similar that I've flown. The Cyril and the Freestyler are amazing when they are in the zone but to me it feels like the Precision has a bigger zone!
4.
It reminds me of my old foam Brio prototype which retired almost undefeated largely because it felt on step in such a wide range of conditions.
5.
Fill her with ballast and she loves it. Take it out and so long as it's not stupid crossed or stupid windy she loved that too. Clearly some proper aerodynamics has going into this plane.
Am I going to regret saying all that, only time and a bit of luck will tell.
I'll try and get the video up soon.
From iPhone

Ready to go... So what's it been like so far...
The more you play with it the more the fit and finish impresses. The moulding for the connectors is the best I've ever seen - just perfect.  The tail cone is equally fab.
This is an early plane and the fuz snakes need a little thinking through. I secured them front and rear but a production solution will follow.
I have fallen deeply in love with MKS servos.
After lots of cycling and testing Eneloops still make me feel good whereas others less so.
Only 60g to balance, amazing.
Weather willing I'll be test flying tomorrow.
   

Pike Precision

A few more photos.  It's touch and go but hopefully we should see some air time this weekend.

Pike Precision

Samba have just sent me a little something to cheer me up... and it's gorgeous.
The quality is top notch.  The fuselage is incredibly light yet the boom is ridiculously stiff.  The tailplanes are the same.
The wing is pretty light and awesomely stiff. As you'd expect from Samba the leading edge is perfect.
The RDS is nice and tight.  The MKS servos are fitted before the wing is closed and there are no hatches.  It looks gorgeous but I'll be a bit nervous when I plug the servos in and power up to see where the neutral is.
The inner nose has a clever 'flat' in it so that you can lay your 2.4gHz aerial in it without it rubbing on the nosecone.
More soon... or visit the Samba site and see a lot, lot more detail.