AGR26

A buddy of mine linked me to this plane. I was jut wondering if anyone had flown it.

[link]http://www.hobby-lobby.com/wingdragon4.htm[/link]

Thanks!

Leo L

One of the fellows at my field has one and I have seen him fly it a couple of times. His experience with it indicates that its probably a good second or third plane. The simplest progression would be to start with a Slow-V or SloStick, then move up to a 3-channel pusher like the Aerobird Challenger, T-hawk, SkyFly or EasyStar; and then move up to the 4-channel.

BendR

I have one of these and have flown it quite a bit. The one I have has the more squared off wing. It is my opinion that it is a good plane for the money. While I was learning it, I nosed it into the ground hard a few times and it took it better than expected. Minor wing damage that was easily fixed and thats about it. I had to set the controls so they were not as sensitive as I have read from others that did the same. I beefed up some of the weak areas (tail) with popsickle sticks and epoxy. It is an easy flyer and handles the wind pretty good. I know a lot of people start with 3 channels and then go to 4. My train of thought is start with 4 and learn it and you don't have to learn to fly twice. Just my $0.02.

nelsenk9

hey ,, i have the wing dragon 3ch and 4ch,, thet both fly very well,, very easy to learn how to fly and tough,,, they are very stable and cheep when it comes to x-tra parts.

mrodgers88

Since the Wing Dragon comes in both 3 channel (rudder) and 4 channel (Ailerons), couldn't you get the 4 channel and an extra replacement wing for the 3 channel and fly it as 3 channel at first? Then toss the aileron wing on later to expand your training? Or would you not be able to switch the rudder only control to the right stick for the initial 3 channel training? If this would work, then the Wing Dragon sounds like a great beginner to start with 3 ch and switch later to 4. That may change my decision on going with an Aerobird Challenger when I get my first plane.

JustUnicycle

Depends on what you mean my "switch". If you mean buy another kit then yes. If you mean doing a mod to the 3 channel I would say forget it. I have the 3 channel and let me be the 1000th to say DANG that thing can take a beating! I have done a few cartwheels with it but nothing compared to what my dad and friends have done to my baby! 3 completley severed wings! All on the SAME side. Some nice packing tape and it's all good. Also the elevator connetcor to the rudder breaks. (Just a nice tail tap on a hard surface, almost like harriering in and its gone. I did a simple hack with some thick string and it works great. Also I can't count the number of time mine has "power-bombed" as my friends call it, into the ground, a fence, or a wall. So long as it doesn't hit a wing you're ready to fly. Just bend the soft fuselage back. I did have a problem with the screw coming through the soft plastic and the servos moving. I opted for the $.60 fix. Walked into ACE and said I need 6 of these and 6 washers that will fit it. BAM! got longer screws and just replaced them and added washers. No pulling though now. Ok well that is all the I have had to deal with yet. Oh, and the front of my plaen broke open when it hit a fence; I stapled it closed and then used pliers to secure the staples. Oh, BTW do NOT get the impression this is not a GREAT flier. The crashes were almost all due to user flaw or wind conditions, t handles it well but crosswind next to trees and such is bad. It flys very well and it a JOY to land. It just gets into ground effect and just coasts for WAY too long. It sweet waching it come in as you apply 1/3 up elev. to make it coast smoothly to the ground. I fly on a baseball field and have no problemd getting it in the space between 2nd and 3rd, with a good approach. Well I hopefully convinced you that this plane is a great flier and an easy fix. It's a good plane to start with so long as you know the basic theory of flight (Pull up when in a bank to account for loss of elevation, thats about it but my friends can't grasp the concept). I will post another on how durable the WD 4 is when my friend gets it (because he will crash a lot because he hasn't mastered mine) Ok well I'm out. High school papers call!

Flyer 1

Personally I consider the Wing Dragon the most under-rated park-type flyer out there. It's an exceptionally easy to fly, durable, and affordable trainer. It's got a higher power to weight ration than almost any plane of it's type.
Flyer

Falmax

I started flying 2-channel planes from Toys "R" Us, but all of the planes suck except for the Aero Ace but you cannot have any wind to fly it without fighting it. I want a plane that could fly with more wind than 5 miles an hour winds. I looked for a 4-channel plane at a 3 channel price, I found the wing dragon 4 got it at Hobby-lobby for $110, 20% off Christmas sale. I could not pass it up; a 4-channel for that price. I read no bad reviews on it. it's very easy to repair, it has a low stall speed, it sounded perfect for me. When I got the plane it was very easy to fly, very forgiving and you can do a lot of stunts. It's a really great plane although not well known. For a trainer or for someone who wants to fly without paying an arm & leg, it's a great plane at a great price!

blueprint012

I have this plane but the parkflyers.com version known as the Begin Air. It's a great plane for the money and can take quite a beating from a beginner. Here is the rcuniverse.com review.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=443

Falmax

I liked the Begin Air plane too. I ended up chosing the WingDragon 4 becuase of the price. When doing research for the planes, I had a hard time finding information on both. For those interested, here's some additional info.....

Wing Dragon 4
-orange plane
-7 inch propeller
-landing gear wheels have plastic covers over them, although I'm not sure that this was such a good idea though. I've had problems with these covers.
-new wing which has a slightly heavier wing load. I emailed Art-Tech which gave me that information and they say that this new wing is a little faster and a little more agile. Don't know how much different this makes it from the Begin Air.

Begin Air:
-red plane
-6 inch propeller
-has a wind shield
-Looks tail heavy while turning (in videos), I think I've heard this before (possibly through RC Universe review), but I'm not sure about this.

That's about the only big differences I saw. Othewise, two really good planes for the money.

I mounted a small (5 oz.) digital camera on the Wing Dragon 4. It has great space to do this. Looks like the Begin Air has adequate space as well. Great way to check out the land!

SUPERGONZO

I have flown both, almost identical planes, they are OKAY in my opinion, a little weird looking, and the center fuselage under the large wing is too thin, and the wing will see-saw back and forth unless you do some mods to prevent it. The battery is in the nose tip of the plane not secured very well and makes for nose heavy tendences, consequently the plane tends to fall if you try to bank a turn too hard. The plane tends to pitch from side to side as the ailerons are very sensitive to input and mine were not completely straight out of the box. This plane does fly however, and can be enjoyable, but its got a few issues.

It flies similar to the Aerobird Swift which is another weirdly built 4 channel trainer that also flies but also has some probs.

coolkev99

Anyone else have any thoughts on the "Begin-Air" vs "Wing Dragon 4"? It looks like the wing span is different. I also noticed there is a "Wing Dragon Sportster" out there as well. From what I can tell it looks to be the same exact plane as Begin-Air. I was going to start a new thread on these planes but noticed this one and thought I'd ask. I have never flown an RC plane before (except in simulators) and wish to get a good 4ch beginner plane! (yes 4ch!) Thanks for any info!!

Falmax

You're right....the Sportster and the Begin-Air are the same plane. The Begin-Air is Park Flyers name for the plane and the Sportster is Art-Tech's name. The big differences between the two are prop size, color, air foil, and $20.

I looked into the Aerobird swift as well. It's a 3 channel plane and I was hesitant on its high stall speed. The Wing Dragon 4 has a great price and it's a 4 channel. It has a low stall speed (which is good for beginners) and glides well. Most 4 channel planes are a bit pricey...that's when I found the Wing Dragon 4...couldn't pass it up for the price. The Wing Dragon 4 is very forgiving and easy to fly. I've had some "bad" crashes and the WD4 has been able to recover with minimal damage and easy fixes. With the WD4, flying with the ailerons can be a bit more tricky, other than just flying with the rudder. Once you get the hang of the ailerons, it's more fun to fly and you can do more things with it.

My first Wing Dragon 4 had some electrical problems. Hobby-Lobby (where I purchased the plane) exchanged it for me. After a two month wait, I finally just received my new plane. The new plane is has some different parts: 30 amp speed controller, 6 channel receiver, and the battery leads look pretty similar to Dean's Ultra connectors. See attached picture. I ended up having to order new connectors as these are now different than my first plane. I also purchased a high mag motor from Park flyers, which will be installed soon. This motor has stonger magnets...can't wait to see how it runs!