My Wildthing is here!!

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

So yeah, its arrived, only just stepped in from work and could not wait to break the box open.

No fancy printed box, a well wrote set of instructions, some building to do, i feel warm inside knowing i've just bought a british product...hell, Alan even supplies a block foam to wrap your sandpaper around...it's the little things like that.

Seriously, i love this thing already and i havent flown it yet.

One thing to check, i have the 1 roll of cw tape and the 1 roll of (i chose orange) coloured tape, will this be enough to complete the model or should i add another roll? Obv ill add another roll of cw tape to take as spares for any repairs, but just wondered if there is enought in the box to build the model.

Even though everyone seems to have a WT, i think everyone should own one, it's superb!

Thank you Alan Head and thanks to everyone who suggests buying one, best thing i've bought in a long time.

[TheFlyingCrust]

There's plenty of tape of both! Alan supplies enough for a recover or two. What I would do is get another colour (not white - its see-thru) or two and make sure you can distinguish between top and bottom. In the meleé of combat you might want to know which way is up! Have fun.

Ian

Ps. Crossweave tape is available from builders merchants - at least it is around here.

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

yeah i'm only going to make the top orange, bottom will be a different colour, maybe black with white stripes?

I think we have some of the clear cw tape in stock at work so i'll have to have a look.

But knowing there's more than enough to build the model makes me happy, gonna get started on it tomorrow

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

Also how does the rx battery stay in place? is it a push fit in the nose or do i need to try and get in there with some velcro or something?

I'm still waiting for mine to arrive from overlander so don't have a pack to try yet.

Obviously with the bumps this thing will be getting, i don't want the pack moving back and hitting my rx behind.

Looking at the instructions it looks like i could add some double sided foam tape to the end of the pack and push it in to stick at the front of the nose, but am i gonna need to swap out rx packs during a days flying? (mine coming is a standard LSD 2300 nimh from overlander)

[Tim Mackey]

Just push the battery right up the nose, and wedge it in with a lump of dense rubbery type foam.

As you are using a 2300 pack ( you did get the "square" format right ? ) you are unlikely to need to add any weight, but if you do, best bet is to remove the pack, and tape a little lead to the end then push it back in.

No access should be needed again once fitted - you will fly for days on that pack before needing a recharge.

Your receiver would be better placed in the main hatch area, then the servo wires will reach it easily. Simplest "switch" method is to use a short extension lead/socket in the rx, and then just plug the battery lead in to switch on, and remove for off. Alternatively, many of us use a 3.5mm jack socket coneected in line with the battery lead to act as switch and charge jack all in one.

Insert an unconnecvted plug to switch off, remove the plug.... and youre on.

Connect a plug to your charger to recharge through the same socket.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Note that the lead singer of the Troggs who sang 'Wildthing' died yesterday aged 71.

R.I.P Reg Presley.

MJE

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

Yeah i ordered the square pack

Cool, ill put some strong double sided foam tape on the end and push it right into the nose then pack it in and leave it there.

Snap, i was going to stick my orange rx to the top of the body in the main hatch and then just plug the battery in direct, i'll connect it with a short extension lead, hopefully everything will balance nicely without having to add extra weight anywhere.

[Steve Houghton 1]

I found I had to add a little weight into the nose of my WT, so I used the stick on type flat tyre weights and stuck them to the ply sides of the hatch.

As everyone else has said, the battery pack should stay firmly in place no probs. I located my RX inside the hatch and just use a small piece of squidgy type sponge foam to hold it in place when the hatch is shut.

I also fitted an on/off switch in the fuz below the wing, I think as Alan suggests. The only problem with this is that I've had to learn to hold the plane by the nose for launching in all weather conditions, not just when its very windy, as I once accidently knocked the swich off as I launched. The plane just flew straight and level for probably 50 metres before slowly making a righ turn and landing on the slope below. A lucky escape.

This is my WT when I was using the DX6i. I now use the Hitec 7 Eclipse Pro

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

I just can't wait to go and test it out!

Having never sloped before my first flights will be on a steady hill in a soft breeze i think before i work my way up to bigger hills and bigger winds. I've seen some of the hills and winds you lot fly in on youtube and i think if i tried that just now my wt would be flying off somewhere and not coming back haha.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Mark,

You will need 15--20 MPH winds directly into the slope if possible. Don't let the plane get too far out beyond the area of lift and below the top of the slope at first.

Remember it can be a long walk to the bottom of the slope and somewhat wet if there is the sea below you.

MJE

[TheFlyingCrust]

Ian, I like the idea of using a jack plug arrangement but I fitted a swithch harnes in mine. I routed the charge lead out to the tail orifice and cut a slot for it to sit in and glued it in place, making sure it missed the control pushrods. That way I sealed the hatch - once balanced - and simply charge via that socket.

I've flown my WT in less than 10mph winds but at that speed I have to scratch around for lift.15 - 30 is much easier and MUCH more fun.

One phenomenon I had with mine in the early days was it used to nod repeatedly when flying slow. Found out it was hyperstalling, something that can happen to this layout of model. It results from too much up trim with slightly too much nose weight. Solution is to add in down trim i.e. fly a bit faster.

Ian

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

So i'm just looking at the finished wings awaitng the orange coloured tape now.

After covering the first wing i was ready for a beer! haha. 2nd wing i'd got the hang of it and did it much faster, although getting around the curves is a bit tricky.

I've used the white glue supplied to join the wings, dried it with the hairdrier before bringing them together, seem secure enough once wrapped in tape. Maybe i would have felt a bit better using something a bit stronger, but i'm following the manual so the white glue it was.

Yeah i won't try it in dead calm cause i know it will be a long walk to the bottom of the hill and back up lol. Just i haven't long been back in the hobby, and even though i can fly my wot 4 foam-e ok i'm really struggling with my Radian pro for some reason which is knocking my confidence back a little, crashed it a couple of times now in very light wind so don't wanna throw my wt off a hill in a gale and see if fly away haha.

Mark

[Tim Mackey]

The copydex glue supplied ( in a litle white tub? ) is very strong and will present no problems.

[Tim Mackey]

dual post - forum is slow again.

Edited By Tim Mackey on 05/02/2013 17:52:54

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

Yeah it seems pretty strong now its had an hour to dry

Time to start taping again, coloured layer now...here we go!

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

Hi guys, question about setting up the elevons,

by adding three clicks of up elevator and then setting the elevons level with the wing, that means by removing the 3 clicks of up trim i'll then get a bit of down elevator for windier days?

Just wanna double check i have that right.

[Phil Green]

One thing I dont think anyone has mentioned is to make sure you have much less elevator movement than aileron - its very pitch sensitive. I just finished my WT on Friday, with the intention of flying Sunday - but realised at he last minute that the elevon mixer on my old Frskyfied 6EXA is fixed at 1:1 and has no separate rates or end-point adjustment for elevator. Looked at commercial on-board mixers, they all looked very poor resolution (10uS), all seemed to be 1:1 ratio anyway, and would only work on alternate frames with the Frsky D4RII rx which sends channels simultaneously - so I wrote the code for a CPPM (ppmsum) 75:25 mixer Friday night, built it on Saturday and went flying Sunday, had a great day! XC Weather had said 15mph westerlies, in fact it was a measured and steady 45mph and it was hard to stand still!

I'd had no time for anything other than a quick functional check so the first real test was into the howling gale and all I can say is that the Wildthing is brilliant fun, very agile, quick enough, handles a serious blow very well, as aerobatic as a wing can be - just brilliant fun. Hats off to Alan Head at SAS!

I know most slopers are thinking its 2013 and what on earth are we banging on about a WT for in this day & age - but I've always done things A about face and after years of fragile gliders an unbreakable one is a revelation! You're right, everyone should have one!

Cheers

Phil

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

dumb question but is slope flying in wind any different in flat field gliding on a windy day?

Cause it's a bit breezy out there today (has been for the last few days) and i'm too scared to fly my Radian pro, but i've seen people sloping the RP in quite a wind. I realise the WT will handle it a bit better, smaller and heavier but just wondered if i'm gonna struggle on the slope if i struggle out on the field?.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Mark,

There is no lifting air in a flat field so therefore the WT will not fly for any distance in a flat field. When the wind blows directly at a slope then there is normally lifting air depending on the wind speed and various other factors all explained in the book I recommended.

At the Caslte hill site (Detling) in Kent I have flown off, if the wind exceeds say 25 mph or more the lift is blown out I understand.

I would find a popular slope and get assistance from a regular flyer. That's what I did over 30 years ago with my first model a Micro Mold Cub. The expert I met was Alan Head at Colley Hill. He discovered my plane's elevator was wrongly configured so it did not fly on that day. It did fly subsequently and still exists in a very battered but flyable state.

MJE

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

Hi,

yeah I realise the wt won't fly on a flat field, was just wondering if the model feels any different to fly on a windy day on the slope with rising air compared to a windy day out in the field with the air traveling in the one direction.

Mark

[Ian Jones]

Hi Ian,

The current Wildthing Mk4 has the same wing as the Fusion, in fact the only real difference in the two now is the shape of the fin.

I ran a thread a while ago about my initial experiences slope soaring and it attracted a great deal of helpful attention from other forumites so you may find that useful too.

As it's such a long thread this LINK will take you to page 7 where my Fusion build starts. If you follow it through you will see how I dealt with the battery/rx/switch harness which may help to add to the options may like to consider.

Oh and wind - anything below 20mph scares me .

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

How come my WT foam is white but the fusion is black? different foam or the same?

Any tips on how to get the tape neat around curves like the wing tips (havent even attempted the body yet. I know it wont stay pretty looking for long but would like to get it as neat as possible.

Noticed the coloured layer lifts up pretty easy around curves where it creased. A reacover will come sooner than i thought by the looks of things.

[Reno Racer]

I'm following this thread with interest; i too have just ordered a WT as my first slope glider and even ordered it with orange tape too!

Never really done anything beyond mess around with EP gliders. Flying power (pattern, sport and scale) i always found them too sedate, and reverted back to warbirds, or pattern racers. I think i'll get the same experience from a sloper, particulary the WT. It also helps that back home in Wilts i live next too a whole host of good hill sites, so here goes.............

Chris

[I_AM_MARKEVANS]

Chris, you're gonna love it!

Follow the instructions exactly like Alan suggests and you wont go wrong with the build, goes together VERY quickly. Just make sure you use the wing saddles to apply the tape and lay it on loose (it doesnt stretch anyway) so you don't warp the wing. Hardest part about the whole build is getting around curves with the tape.

I can't wait to fly mine!

[Phil May]

Enjoy the build and fly them like you stole them..

Take a look at this, Steve Houghton and  I are flying ours on one of our favourite local slopes.

 

 

Phil

Edited By Big Phil on 07/02/2013 10:20:20