Mini Wot 4 or something else?

[Andy C]

I've got the opportunity to get myself something small to take in the caravan when we go away and want peoples views please. General rules are that it needs to be fairly easy to fly (I'm at Cert A test level) and 4 channel. The mini WOT 4 has just hit the shelves, so like the idea of that one (as about to start flying my new Foam E WOT 4) but disappointed it is not foam. Someone at the club recently bought a mini Spirit, but I am guessing that may be a step too far for my flying capabilities.

The alternative is to build something, but with a Black Magic on the board already and a junior 60 waiting for a restoration, I'm a little reluctant to start another quite yet.

Any thoughts?

[iqon]

mini spirit looks easier to fly than a mini wot 4

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Ben B]

I'm surprised there isn't more "noise" about the mini wot 4. I just bought one and 6335 as3x rx and hopefully will be flying by the weekend. I'll post a review here!

[Phil Olson - Model Technics]

does anyone know what motot they use in the mini Wot 4 ?

[Frank Skilbeck]

Andy, will something with an undercarriage limit where can fly it from, what about an electric glider, e.g. Multiplex Funglider, you could even do some soaring with it and folds down to a very small size for storage.

Edited By Frank Skilbeck on 27/07/2017 13:34:45

[Andy C]

Frank. I had offered up the mini spirit as an alternative to explore that angle. Still swaying towards the mini Wot 4 at moment, but would love to here if anyone has got one yet.

[Rich too]

Can't you take the Wot 4 foam e with you? That's very easy to fly and what I would recommend if possible.

Edited By Rich2 on 29/07/2017 05:53:32

[buster prop]

I have a Mini Wot 4 although it’s a bit early to comment on what it’s like to fly because it’s only had about 3 flights due to battery problems. It went together easily although I found that the connectors for the 3 wires from the ESC to the motor were very tight. Naturally, when I got them plugged in the motor ran backwards and I had to get 2 of them apart again to be reversed. The instruction specify a 2S 800 Lipo but the only 2 cell LiPos I had were old ex-indoor 450’s and the model needed some weight in the nose. Down at the field I found that they wouldn’t run the motor at more than half throttle so a club mate lent me a 500. With that the Mini Wot 4 climbed away nicely from a hand launch. With the recommended 10% expo on low rates and 20% on high ones I found the ailerons too sensitive. After a shaky start I switched to low rates but was still over controlling on my first flights. It only managed a few flights with the 2S 500 so the next outing with a 2S 850 and more expo should be much better.

[Andy C]

I haven't forgotten this thread, but still yet to make a decision. I'm now wondering whether an Eflight or Parkzone micro / ultra micro might be a better option. Main issue though it seems is that the 4 ch options all seam to be warbirds or modern fighters rather than anything slightly slower or easier to fly.

Any thoughts / experience of these?

[Ben B]

I had my second mini wot 4 flight today. I agree about the motor connectors - I couldn't get them to fit at all so gave up and used some different 3mm solder bullet connectors. I'm running a 6335 as3x receiver on mine so I'm still getting it tuned in. I think presently the CoG is too far back for my liking (it's at the furthest back of the CoG range even with a 850mAh 2S as far forward as it will go and I tend to like a very forward CoG point).

It doesn't seem to lack punch on the stock motor and 850 2s battery.

I'm hoping for some calm air tonight so I can get the control deflections right and then at a later stage tune the as3x in some windier weather.

There seems to be a slighty double neutral with the rudder and elevator- can't decide whether it's the pushwires flexing or just stiff servo-end connections.... It's not a major issue but doesn't help the handling.

I think once I've got it tuned in it'll be a nice little plane....

[Ben B]

So it looks like one issue is that the undercarriage is made from litho plate! It's ridiculous. Even a greaser of a landing requires the undercarriage re-bending. Grrrr. I see a nice market for CF mini wot4 undercarriages. I thought it looked a bit lightweight when I stuck it on!!!

Perhaps it's actually only just a former for your own CF replacement!!! :D

[Ben B]

Last night's flights with the mini wot4 were short and terrible- the plane was all over the place- it was like riding a rollercoaster. It was also diving terribly on a hand launch (wheels too small to take off from even freshly cut grass).

Overnight I had a think and worked out what it was. The double neutral wasn't a servo issue- it was a result of the little connector that attaches onto the servo arm and connects onto the pushwire being a very tight fit in the servo arm. I knew it was tight when I built the plane but assumed it would free up in use- turns out it didn't. The little black clip that attaches to the screw connector is tricky to get it off so I was going to struggle to drill out the servo arm. In the end I just held the screw connector in my power drill and spun it up- the slight friction disappared after about 30 seconds- no more double neutrals!

Clearly what was happening was the plane was struggling due to having two neutral positions which was causing some oscillation, this was then being aggravated by both me and the as3x compensating but of course not returned to neutral properly. So it was zoom / dive / zoom dive.

Test flights today were much better. The weather report said 10mph gusting 15mph but it wasn't it was easily more like 20mph gusts as times on the exposed flying site.

It's slowly turning into a nice plane. Flight times are 7 minutes on the stock motor and prop and an 850maH 2S zippy compact with 33% left at the end.

So my tips on the build would be

1) drill out the servo arms first

2) ignore the instructions and put the ESC in the area directly under the canopy (rather than in the battery bay- leaves lots of room in the bay for the lipo)

3) somehow make the U/C stronger- I'm trying to decide whether to just re-enforce the replacement with some CF or just use the replacement as a mould for a full CF u/c.

4) use a big battery- even with an 850mAh cell as far forward as I could get it I had to add noseweight.

[Andy C]

Well, its definitely not selling it to me Ben.

I'm all but certain its not what I am looking for now and so will look for a small foamy I can stick in a rucksack and fly in a small park or field.

[Ben B]

Don't be put off- once you've got it tuned in at a bigger flying site it's great on a small site. I think I over-complicated it by going as3x and not trusting my judgement re the servo arm connectors. The only thing I have noticed (with lots of smaller planes) is you can't slow down too much in the turns otherwise they sink. It's a shame they don't make the Britflight Breeze anymore- that was just the perfect size for my flying field despite being fairly small. Smaller planes somehow feel bigger by needing more space (IE to fly faster) to keep airborne. My Miniwot4 and the clipped wing cub have one thing in common- a bit short on the wingspan. The Breeze had a nice big wing which never seemed to suffer the "small plane" phenomenon.

[buster prop]

Flown mine again with a 900 35C. I agree about the bendy u/c, Lithoplate seems to be what it's made of. Even with the 900 my plane flew as though it's tail heavy, it dragged around turns with just aileron and needed some rudder to help. I marked the balance point under the wing and my Wot 4 balances just behind it so next time out I'll try some weight in the nose. Flying came to an end when the prop broke after an off-strip landing, replacement is on order from BRC. BTW, its a 5.5 x 4.5 APC. Getting there!

[andyh]

the Mini Spirit is a doddle to fly - it's not nearly as fast as it looks & anyway, that's what the stick on the right is for

you're welcome to have a go on mine if you're who I think you are - didn't I offer you a go last weekend & you turned me down?

[ken anderson.]

sounds like the end user's are the test pilots for the new! mini Wot.....bad crack....

ken Anderson...ne..1.... bad crack dept.

[Andy C]

Posted by andyh on 30/08/2017 16:09:57:

the Mini Spirit is a doddle to fly - it's not nearly as fast as it looks & anyway, that's what the stick on the right is for

you're welcome to have a go on mine if you're who I think you are - didn't I offer you a go last weekend & you turned me down?

Haha. Hi Andy. Yes it is me. ad yes you did offer. The luck I was having on Sunday I was definitely not best placed to fly someone else's plane but thank you anyway.

The mini spirit is looking like a good option though for the park.

@Ken. Yes, unless we have a very fussy bunch. lol. There was a lot of delay in getting the planes out and I believe CW rejected them originally as not good enough. Still get issued too soon perhaps?

[Robin Kearney]

Where can I find more info about the Mini Spirit? My Google fu is failing me!

[Keith Berriman]

Try Spirit Mini ??

[Robin Kearney]

Aha, the HK thing? Found it now! 😀

[Andy C]

Evening all. I ended up buying the mini spirit and tonight took it for its maiden flight. Was a bit (lot) nervous having only flown the trainer so far, and never hand launched as well.

So went up the local park, gave it its final checks and chucked it! Well, apart from requiring a lot of down elevator to trim it, it (I   flew well. Obviously a lot faster than I was used to, but it and I survived and I brought it in for 2 perfect landings onto the short wet grass during the 5 minute flight. Looking forward to (many) more flights with this now.

Thanks

Andy

[Anthony Pattison 1]

Well after flying all sorts and sizes of WOT 4 since my first one around 1983 I imagined the Mini Wot4 would be more of the same - generally stable and well mannered but capable of some aerobatics with enough power....

How wrong I was. Two test flights last night were as bad as i can ever remember in 45 years of flying. The model survived but was a nightmare to handle - yes the u/c is utterly useless and a nylon one would be infinitely better!

CofG seems pretty good but I will add some nose weight for now, massively reduce throws in order to gain some control and it seems to need lots of downthrust - reaches for the stars with power on and dives with power off. Also suspect I too may have dodgey linkages with false neutrals. All in all very disappointed but hope I can sort the problems before it gets the better of me. If my experience is anything to go by, this model needs a lot of care on test flights and it really isn't one for the inexperienced.....

Anyone else tried one yet? Any suggested checks/mods?

Tony

[Denis Watkins]

Agreed Anthony, the throws should be minimal, and no where near a conventional Wot 4.

The C of G is achievable using the recommended lipo up front, and it does fly well at cruise speed.

As you say, it is not a trainer