WOT 4 AR(T)F

[Braddock, VC]

John Wheeley, the Ripmax Exclaim is about as near as you can get to a wot4 without copyright infringement, if you get one be very careful about overpowering it as they seem to suffer from flutter (at least the two I sw fly did)

[Danny Fenton]

Hi John, I think Chris Foss offers an ARTF Wot4 on his web site, if you really want one
http://www.chrisfoss.co.uk/business.htm

[JOHN W]

Thanks for the ideas, I'll give the Xclaim a miss because a review elswhere also highlighted build quality & tail problems.

I'll go for a Black Horse Twister. The price is very good for this plane as well.

[Tony Patman]

Well, there's been the Wot 4 and the Wot's Wot and the Uno Wot. Has he done a Wot Ho yet? Or a Wot Eva? Wot Now? Wot Erunderthebridge? Wot next, that's wot I want to know?

[Danny Fenton]

I was toying with a 2/3rds electric Wot4 - "Watt 4" but can't figure out all this leccy stuff LOL

[Peter Roberts]

I know this clearly an WOT4 ARTF thread but I do like the idea of UK build ARF's. I haven't gopt a WOT4 I've got a Flair Kite which I think is just as sturdy (if not more so) than the WOT4. It did take (me) a long time to build and cover but id an amazingly durable plane. I recently swapped my OS46AX for a J'EN .57 which has added a new lease of life to the Kite.

The point - well I too asked what it would cost to build and was quoted £200 a day!! Took me a long time but did it myself. Good plane. Should be more widely used. They too have been around a while. they were the ATS Kite if anyone remembers.

[Lue Sobanski]

Hi About the wot 4's veneer on the wings.Foam wings are almost A.R.T.F. (arty farty) any way,why not buy the built up wing kit? Problem solved!As you have probably guessed I'm an old time modeller being now 56 I started the usual way with lots of cuts from dad's old razorblades!them were the days. By the way whoes' with me to say bring back the S.M.A.E.???

[Mike Stevens]

I have just finished my WOT 4(see avatar) and is my first I/C model - all electric until I smelt the brew. I didn't have any issues with my kit and the quality of the wood/die cutting fits etc except, yes I had to put my own fillet up on the top of the firewall to stop fuel creeping back.
I have noticed the splits occurring in the veneer under the profilm but my Middle Phase - some 25+ years old is still fine.
Now all I have to do is work out how to wrap the cowl round my OS46AX.
Mike

[duane wallace]

I learnt to fly on a uno wot and still have it now . I got it from my club when my pippercub decided it didn't like heights and wanted to get back to earth the quickest way pos . Talk about the best buy ever. every time she flys it's with confedence.


more ARTF's in this country is a must.

When i win the lottery I'll start a company LOL

Duane

[Myron Beaumont]

Why don't you like the creative half of our great hobby .Is it a time factor(in which case I sympathise) or that you can't be "bothered" Rather sad I think 'cos Ive always got as much out of creating a design,building it & then going through the trimming process etc.radio or not.Good luck with the lottery I've never been known to spend (waste) a £ on it? - rather buy a sheet of balsa anyday & get real fun out of it!

[Peter Roberts]

I think time is one of our biggest enemies - either we follow the hobby and enjoy flying planes (which is what I want to do primarily) or end up not getting onto the strip but spending the time I would have had on the strip in a workshop.

I agree there is a lot of satisfaction in finishing a plane but to some of us who are time challenged even completing an ARTF can be a challenge especially when the instructions in the kit are lousy as some of them are. In such cases you are forced to try to alter the model, repair your mistakes (because you were taken down a blind alley through poor instructions or old illustrations) and generally spend time you wanted to spend flying in frustration. The frustration is partly because we dont have the skills or possibly materials and want to be flying. If we then can't spend any time on the strip its the biggest dis incentive to following the hobby.

My greatest satisfaction was to build and cover my own model from an ARTF kit. My attempts were careful but took an inordinate amount of time - 40 to 50 hrs on a laser cut kit and it was supplied with with good instructions! Great when finished but so frustrating when doing it and not flying. I also agree that this kit is the strongest I've ever built and has survived things some artf's I've smashed would have been written off by. Suppliers wouldn't find me a good customer either if I built each kit because I would build and fly so few.

ARTFs do get and keep people in the hobby who may not otherwise enter or stay. We should demand good quality and instructions and that's where RCM&E and trade mags can honestly review and expose poor build and poor instructions and we should tell them likewise when our experiences in building even an ARTF kit are not good. I'm sure we have all had times when we've read a good review, bought a kit and then cursed the reviewer for saying life was easy when we found it anything but.

[duane wallace]

I love Balsa bashing but at the moment it's getting time. With working and my nine month old daughter i don't get much of it.

Have just puchased a sea fury from seagull ok not best of ARTF kits but still looks nice. Am planning on stripping and recovering it as this is the only thing that has let it down.

[chris brook]

Any one have the u/c from flair thats sprung for sale?

[Danny Fenton]

Just to bring my wot 4 up to date, I struggled with IC for a while, having real engine reliability issues. Eventually I opted for a 600 watt motor, propped to give over 800watts (peak) using 6 A123 cells. It will prop hang for as long as I can twiddle the sticks (not long admitedly, but flies easily as well as IC, in fact it is smoother in power delivery, and you have the bonus that when I move the left stick forward it never falters, and I have instantaneous power. I love IC but this is such easy flying. I have posted some photos and the first flight video if curious.
http://www.modelflying.co.uk/gallery/image.asp?sp=&v=5&uabn=218&uin=584

http://media.putfile.com/First-flight-electric-conversion-Wot-4

Whatever happened to the electric Watt4 article we were promised?

[duane wallace 2]

where has everyone got their Rx arial. I got my uno pre built and found the arial running down inside the fusalage.

Everything I have built I have always put it out side normally tethered to the fin. what you folks think.
do i move it or leave it ?

[Danny Fenton]

I have not really experimented with internal aerials but they are often fed through bowden cable outer glued along inside of fus. Not sure if range is ampaired or not

[Mike Stevens]

I buoght mine straight out the side of the fuse and have fixed it along the sides with small strips of Profilm ironed on and taped the last little bit across the horizontal stab/fuse joint with the rest dangling.
Mike

[Peter Roberts]

I always thought that the aerial was supposed to have a minimum vertical component to be effective too?

Peter

[Allan Bowker]

I fly my 17 year old Wot4 more than any other model.

Perhaps I should get a new one?

 

[ed, eddie]

Just to confirm we should buy british,I have just bought a Chriss Foss ARTF Trainer.

This is my first go at R/C and must say I am not impressed with the quality.For those of you reading this then please excuse my ignorance on naming some  parts.

Admitted assembly is easy and quick rapid, even for a beginner like me.

Starting inside the fuselage I found that once assembly was complete and I had installed the radio gear I  had to make some adjustments.

The plastic tubes that carry the control wires to the servos from the tail were too far back and the rods jammed up, same with the throttle linkage.

I have an Irvine .46 mounted on the supplied mounts, these I had to file away a small amount to allow the engine to seat properly.( the rounded part of the engine below the mounts was too fat )

Finally the covering film has lots of little bubbles in it especially on the underside.

Apart from that this is quite a smart looking aircraft. It has not as yet taken to the air but the engine is running and it has done a couple of lengths of my garden.

I am more impressed with the engine than the actual plane, starts first time every time.

[Tim Mackey]

Although not against the idea in principle...I fail to see why you encourage / endorse the idea of buying british, then go on to complain about the kit? As for finishing by saying the engine is better than the 'plane, - the irony continues as the Irvine are nowadays chinese made engines. The points you raised are fairly minor really, and some of the far eastern stuff that we can buy these days is actually very very good - especially the czech stuff.

[Tony Richardson]

Ed the "problems " of which you complain are pretty typical for an ARF.  Was the engine mount a complete unit or two seperate arms if two arms the solution is to knock out the blind nuts and relocate them as required by the engine used, the bubbles in the covering can usually be removed working slowly and carefully with a cool "covering" iron, all part of the hobby in most peoples mind, stick with it and the rewards are endless, build from a kit or plan and the feeling you get when that pile of sticks takes to the air for the first time is a feeling that cannot be desribed.

[Russ Hazelwood]

I am thinking of building a wot 4 as my second aircraft, any known problems or advice? Would be gratefull for any relevant information.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Hi Russell amd welcome - have you read the review  here?

[Tim Mackey]

Hi Russell and welcome to “The Friendly Forum” You will enjoy the classic WOT4 - just about every RC modelller has had one or more at some time in their life.

If you have not already done so, could I ask you to have a read of these few guidelines we have listed to help you with using the forum.

Here’s a few other links which may be helpful.

Perhaps this in particular may help

And this.

For a list of clubs in your area try this…. http://www.bmfa.org/clubs/index.html

Finally…..please consider filling in a little about yourself on the profile page - that way you will be sure to get more response to your questions!

You don’t have to go overboard - take a look at a few others and you will get the idea.

Once again, welcome on board and have fun! Timbo.