10 February 2010

Witblitz meets Wipeout


Through no fault of the Witblitz concept, we Springfield Chickens never saw through this form of racing past the Gromor event. What did impress us was the comparative simplicity and effectiveness of the pusher Velocity 2 craft on the same course. The rowdiness of the pusher configuration (also tried on a Mini Swift pusher) suggested that simple wing style tractor propulsion on the same ten dollar Suppo motor might be the answer for us.


Then I acquired a lightweight depron Parkshark, which has given me hours of pleasure and displayed a remarkable benign behaviour and stability, even when playing around at few inches above the ground or batting around an imaginary pylon course on its teeny little Emax peanut motor. The only hooligan induced dramas was the motor torn from its housing by gyroscopic forces on full chat inverted spins..... ;-)


Mark had in the interim blown up the magic little Frazzle plank wing plan by 1.5 to achieve a gasbag option, something too nice to be subjected to Witblitz style dangers but a useful option for the dinky little Suppo motors.


I also looked at the Parkshark and pondered the potential of something like that, suitably beefed up with carbon spars and EPP.


So, one can imagine how stunned I was to trip over exactly that on the net, made from EPP foam and fitted with leading and trailing edge carbon - plus a far better idea for a protective fuselage than the Parkshark. Otherwise pretty much the same design and all for the paltry sum of GBP20.00! Having the exact same Witblitz 1800 KV and wattage motor specification as well as being touted as a combat flyer was hardly a downside.......


The supplier kindly cut the wing dead down the middle to ease the post cost and all arrived fine. The cutting so neat that resting the fin on the fuselage had it sitting exactly vertical, impressive. Included were horns, kwik links, motor mount and correct length carbon for the pushrods plus correct length leading and trailing edge carbon strip.
The model an absolute doddle to put together in an evening with my now favourite tube of Uhu Pohl (thanks again for that tip, Andre Killian) and I felt like a kid all over again, armed with my childhood tube of Britfix - the Uhu elevon hinging also still amazes me. The fuselage is one piece and slides on from the front, enveloping the electronics at the same time - ingenuous in its simplicity.


The hazy cell pic shows the new sunset Wipeout in front, against the previous brightly coloured Parkshark - a dead ringer if there ever was one.

MAIDEN FLIGHT REPORT
Way exceeded my wildest expectations and a quick and cheerful beaut learner base for newbies contemplating Witblitz - not as out and out quick as the Witblitz but you could teach your maiden aunt to fly on it (a good attribute for a pylon racer). Absolutely viceless on pitch, although I will concede it was in perfect sundowner conditions. The instructions strangely call for quite a bit of elevon reflex but mine flew just like the Parkshark on zero-zero elevon trim.

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