I don't know about you, but sometimes I just want to fly. I don't need a certain type of aircraft - just a plane that will get me in the air! Sport planes are great for this purpose. They don't have to look scale, they just have to fly great. This is when I like to get out the new Acro-Wot MKII from Flyzone.
Molded in Aero-cell foam, the Acro-Wot MKII is durable yet lightweight. A wingspan of 49" makes it easy to see in the air, and the four color trim scheme helps with orientation while flying!
I saw the Acro-Wot MKII when I was at Watts over Owatonna this summer, and my friends from Hobbico even let me fly it! I was immediately impressed by the plane, so when the opportunity to review it arose, I jumped in with both feet!
But enough of me talking - Let's open the box!
AeroCell Foam Construction
Brushless Motor, ESC, and Servos Pre-installed
Great Color Scheme for Easy Orientation in the Air
Removable Hatch For Battery Installation
Pre-assembled Landing Gear
Tx-R Version Includes Tactic TR624 6-Channel Receiver
The Acro-Wot MKII arrived in a nicely adorned box with all the specifications and requirements printed on the outside. I opened the box and found all the large pieces individually bubble-wrapped and taped in place to prevent damage during shipping. I removed the contents and found no damage, and a low parts count - she should be together in no time!
This review is based on the Transmitter-Ready (Tx-R) version of the Acro Wot MkII. The Ready-to-Fly (RTF) version includes the all the items included with the Tx-R, plus an 1800 mAh LiPo battery and charger, and a Tactic TTX404 transmitter with batteries.
There were some nice features that I liked about this plane! I really liked the pre-installed servos and receiver, the three-piece tail wheel assembly, and the battery hatch!
The four color trim scheme is not only very cool looking, but it should make the Acro-Wot easy to see in the air! I also liked the pre-assembled landing gear and spinner/prop.
There is NO glue used to assemble the Acro-Wot - the last picture here is all of the screws required to assemble the plane!
Manual
The manual is very informative - the illustrations are clear and the written instructions are so well done that almost anybody can assemble the Acro Wot MkII.
There were a pair of addendums included in the manual. One was information regarding the AnyLink transmitter adapter, and the other was a small update for installing the landing gear.
Wing Assembly/Installation
Assembly began with the main landing gear. This is where the addendum came into action. The manual stated that there were a pair of machine screws to install the gear. An update had been made that required just a pair of regular screws to secure the main gear in place. As was expected, this was easy and took just a minute to accomplish!
Tail Assembly
The pre-assembled horizontal stabilizer was slid into place, followed by the fin/rudder assembly. A single machine screw held the tail assembly in place!
I then installed the tail wheel assembly . One screw attached the tail wheel bracket to the fuselage, while the two-piece rudder control horn captured the tail wheel wire. Two more screws secured the control horn to the rudder.
The last item to complete, on the tail, was to attach the pushrods to their respective control horns.
Finishing Touches
Believe it or not, we're almost done! Since the aileron servos and pushrods were pre-installed, the wing was attached to the fuselage with a single machine screw. I then installed the prop adapter, propeller, and spinner. The assembly was complete!
The last thing I had to do was check the Center-of-Gravity (CG). For this task, I used my
Great Planes CG Machine - it's a great tool that makes balancing most aircraft easy!
Tactic AnyLink
Do you have a 72 mHz transmitter laying around? Is it collecting dust since you switched all your aircraft over to a 2.4 gHz radio system? I have great news for you! With AnyLink, you can transform that FM radio into a 2.4 gHz transmitter! How? Read on to find out!
This is the new Tactic AnyLink transmitter adapter. It is a small device that is attached to the back of your favorite (most Futaba, Hitec, JR/Spektrum) transmitter. For the purpose of this review, I used my older Futaba 7CAP. I have been flying with 2.4 gHz for a couple of years now , but I didn't want to get rid of my first computer radio. I'm REALLY glad I didn't let my old 7CAP go!
Product Spotlight: Tactic AnyLink 2.4GHz Universal Radio Adapter
A transmitter alone can only do so much. But a transmitter with AnyLink can do wonders. It's so revolutionary that a patent is already pending, and so simple to use that it takes only seconds to add.
AnyLink works with virtually any transmitter,regardless of brand, band or modulation. AnyLink enables your transmitter to send out a true, 2.4GHz signal - and operate with all of the interference-free dependability of a frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum system. AnyLink offers all of the convenience, versatility and benefits listed above for far less than the cost of a new 2.4GHz radio system.
As I mentioned in my introduction, I got a chance to fly the Acro-Wot MKII at Watts over Owatonna. The flight video and pictures were taken during this event. After flying the 'Wot' there, I knew I had to have my own! After assembling my review plane, I headed to my local field to have some fun.
I taxied the plane out onto the runway, noting how effective the steerable tail wheel handled on the ground. I had no problems keeping the plane going where I wanted it to go!
After one last control check, I pushed the throttle stick fully forward. "WOW!" I thought, as the plane jumped off the ground. I think it took about 12 feet to get the wheels off the runway - there's plenty of power to go around!
I flew a couple of circuits around to get a feel for the 'Wot' - nothing out of the ordinary, just point it where you want it to go. Trimming was needed on my plane, but just a couple of clicks of down elevator.
The motor/prop setup is designed for power, so top end speed was not blazing, but still quick enough to cross my field in a few seconds. She'll slow down to a crawl and still hang in the air, too!
The Acro-Wot MKII was designed as a sport plane, and it really excels at aerobatics! I tried every maneuver I could think of, and the 'Wot' handled them all! I really loved doing Cuban eights with this plane, and the color scheme really makes it stand out in the sky!
At the 8 minute mark, I decided to bring her in. Like the rest of the Flyzone lineup, landing was a non-event! I have yet to have a less than desirable landing with the Acro-Wot, but the main wheels didn't like the taller grass(3") at the end of my runway. A little nose-over occurred, so I had to walk out to the plane.
That was it! The maiden flight of my Acro-Wot was done - I had so much fun that I was glad I had three more
Flyzone 3S 11.1V 1800 mAh LiPo 20C batteries in my truck! Four flights later, I loaded the fully assembled aircraft in the back of my '97 GMC S-15 Jimmy and headed home. I had a blast!
Check out the video to see
the Flyzone Acro Wot MkII in action!
Flyzone has added a great sport plane to their lineup. Quick assembly (mine took around 30 minutes), great flying characteristics, all wrapped into a good looking package. The Acro-Wot MKII gets two thumbs up from me! I'm guessing that there'll be a lot of these at your local flying field too!
The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review.
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