There were some minor fit issues with the canopy and cowl, but nothing that couldn't be worked around.this plane flies great at high speed, not so much at slow speed. you do need to be experienced if you plan on flying this one.

Great racer, I didn't know what to expect based on the reviews provided. I can honestly say I did not see any of the issues listed. The quality of this kit is right there with the POGO. This is a great plane, it looks cool and flies awesome. I can't wait for upcoming EF-1 contests. I do wish it was offered in a single color to allow me to customize it.

Great Job, E-Flite.

Nice quality ARF. Ultracote is the best plastic covering material available, bar none The finish on this plane is truly top quality. Fiberglass cowl and wheel pants are very nice. All hardware necessary including motor standoffs are in the box. This plane has been reviewed by RCGroups, M.A.N., Fly R/C and probably others. I agreed with the reviews I read. I took my time fitting the cowl to the canopy and it looks good if you ask me. It's a solid attachment. The canopy will not blow off. That being said, I I think the canopy could have been better engineered. I used a three cell for the maiden, and stayed around 3/4 throttle. It took a bit of rudder and aileron trim which I attributed to some torque. I flew for about five minutes with a 9 X 7.5 APC, and spent the last couple of minutes trying to land the plane at less than 30 miles an hour. Finally figured out I had to cut power completely on the down wind leg, make a nose down almost flat turn to final, and drag it across the runway until it settled. It lands at a quick speed, but it maintains its posture right to the end. No noseovers yet. Set the rates to low, whether it looks right or not. You can always put in more later. Subsequent flights were with an 8 X 8 APC and four cell, and the plane really came to life. Huge loops, bullet fast figure eights, fast passes, really cool stuff. I can't fly it without a 10-15 mph wind however. It just keeps going and going on the landings. Be ready for it. It's a great rush flying it, better and faster than my EDF jets, except the Evader which remains #1 for all out speed. For $150 or so you should have one of these in your hangar. I really like this one. Get the correct spinner for it. It adds a lot to the looks.

I was skeptical about this ARF after reading the posts on RCGroups.

I found most to be unfounded after I finally bit the bullet and bought one of these planes!!
I have no idea if the batch mine came from was a different one from the original ones. I do know that mine is amazingly well made. The fit and finish was outstanding.

The kit is beautifully finished, is straight as an arrow and the finished result flies like it's on rails! There is nothing to complain about with this kit! Compared to the Pogo (I have built 4 of those), the fit is far better, the finish is light years better, and it's lighter!

I am in love with this plane! I'm getting ready to buy another, to strip and recover/repaint for racing.

The only request I could ever have is for these to be available RTC (Ready To Cover). It's a shame to have to strip off such a nice finish to have a different colored racer!
Kent

I had some minor fit issues with the Shoestring. The cowling is way too tight for the canopy to slide underneath the lip, which required some careful trimming and sanding to get it to work. otherwise, you will not be able to remove the hatch to change out the battery. The aileron control horn location is not hard enough, which caused my ailerons to crush down a bit when I tightened the horns. The instruction manual is a black and white photocopy, and it is lacking in some detail. Pay very close attention to the control horn screws for the ailerons, because two of the screws are just a hair longer and should be used for the thicker part of the aileron. The wheel pants require a little bit of readjusting the screws to get the wheels centered just right without rubbing. Once built, this plane is beautiful, durable, flys amazing, and is fast! I posted an open-box review as well, to help show exactly what comes in the box.