RCU Review: Great Planes Micro Wizz


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    Contributed by: Erick Royer | Published: April 2005 | Views: 32041 | email icon Email this Article | PDFpdf icon
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    Stock Number: GPMA1102
    Wingspan: 32 in (813mm)
    Wing Area: 352 sq in (23 dm2)
    Weight: 18oz (510g)
    Length: 25.75 in (654mm)
    Wing Loading: 3 oz/sq ft (9g/dm2)
    Requires: 3-channel radio w/mini receiver & 3 micro servos, 10A electronic speed control, 6-cell 650mAh battery, charger
    My first experience in the world of ARF?s was with a Great planes ¼ scale Spacewalker; I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of workmanship that went into the construction and covering of the plane. Four years later I am still flying the plane. When I was asked to review the new MICRO WHIZZ ARF electric park flyer by Great Planes Model Manufacturing Co, I knew I was in for a treat. This is my introduction into the world of electric park flyers.
    First impression:

    The Micro Whizz comes in a white 33? x 14? box. All the components are individually sealed in clear plastic bags for protection. The first thing that stood out when I opened the box was the one piece wing and fuselage - thus making for a quick build. The second things that caught my attention were the large control surfaces, necessities for quick responses in aerobatic maneuvers. This is a plane that can be stored fully assembled in the back of a vehicle for that quick flight on the way home from work.



    Instruction manual:

    Black and white photos precede each numbered step in the assembly of the model. There was an addendum to the manual for clarification and improvement on several steps. Overall I found the photos to be very helpful and the manual easy to follow. After going through the kit contents list and making sure that all parts were there and damage free, I was eager to get started.


    Tail Surfaces:

    This model starts construction at the tail. Cut a piece of 1/16?scrap balsa ¾? x 4? and 2 squares 3/32? balsa 1? x 1?(not included with kit). Slide the 4? balsa through the pre-cut slot in the carbon fiber tail boom where the pushrods exit. Next place a square under each side of the 4? balsa to prevent the tail boom from rocking from side to side. With medium CA, glue the tail bracket to the boom with the slot facing up and to the rear. I was a little nervous using CA, however without cause as the drying time allowed me to make minor adjustments. Drill a 3/64? hole through the tail boom at the forward end of the pre-cut slot in the bracket. I was unsure if the hole should go right through the carbon fiber rod or just half way. On closer examination of the tail skid I determined that the hole only goes half way through.

    The elevator comes attached to the horizontal stabilizer thus eliminating hinges to contend with. Next I measured off the width of the stabilizer to arrive at a center line. With the horizontal stabilizer placed on a flat surface and the large gap hinge surface facing up, I placed the tail boom and bracket on the stabilizer. Using a large square with one edge running along the hinge line I made sure the tail boom was at 90 degrees. To double check, a measurement was taken from the tip of the boom to the outside edge of the tail on both sides. They must be equal. Once satisfied that the tail boom was at 90 degrees, using a felt tip pen, I carefully outlined the tail bracket onto the stabilizer, and using a sharp hobby knife, proceeded to cut the covering away just inside the line. Take care not to cut into the balsa as this will weaken the structure. While being careful to maintain the 90 degrees, the bracket and boom were glued to the stabilizer with medium CA. To install the elevator horns, I cut a slot into the elevator with a sharp hobby knife, and then I widened the slot with a small flat screw driver to allow the horn to slide in. CA was used to glue the horn in place, at the same time making sure the holes in the horn lined up with the hinge line. The tail fin fit snugly into the precut slot on the horizontal stabilizer. After marking the covering with a felt tip pen and cutting the covering away, I again used CA to secure the fin. Before the glue dries make sure the tail fin is at a 90 degree angle with the stabilizer using a square.


    FUSELAGE and WING

    Cut away the covering where the tail boom slides into the fuselage, slide the boom in place and mark 11 ½? from elevator hinge line to aileron hinge line. Next I used 6 minute epoxy to glue the tail boom in place. Be careful not to block the hole on the boom with epoxy where the pushrods enter. The manual says to install the two control horns on the side of the aileron by cutting a small portion of the aileron away and gluing in place. I decided to install the horns in the same manner as the rudder and elevator horns. This I felt would be stronger. To install the landing gear, I secured the wheels to the wire with a wheel collar. Use a little blue thread lock on the screws. Incidentally the wheels measure 2? across and are made of light but sturdy foam. Next I slit the covering on the fuselage to enable the wire to slide into position and used a few drops of medium CA to hold the gear in place. The tail skid was the last thing to secure on the tail. I pushed the small L bend into the hole drilled earlier. Once satisfied with the fit, I glued the skid in position with CA.

    MOTOR and GEAR BOX

    Motor/gearbox supplied for the review: Great Planes ELECTRIFLY S-280 7.2-8.4 Ferrite BB Motor and an ELECTRIFLY S280 Gearbox 5:1 Ratio STD.

    The brass pinion gear is not attached to the motor; it has to be glued in place with the adhesive supplied with the kit. Test fit the gear onto the motor shaft. I found the gear to be loose, but once the adhesive was applied and allowed to cure, the pinion would not budge. The hole in the firewall for the gearbox had to be sanded to allow the gearbox to slide in. Satisfied, I proceeded to drill four holes for the screws and mounted the gearbox.
    Because the wires to the motor restricted it from sliding through the firewall, I inserted the motor from the rear without incident.

    SERVOS AND PUSH RODS

    Servos used: FUTABA Micro Servo 3103.
    Torque: 17.3 oz-in at 4.8 V
    Speed: 0.11 sec/60
    Dimensions: 0.86 x 0.43 x 0.78? (21.8 x 11 x 19,8 mm)
    Weight: 0.34oz (9.5g)

    Installing the three servos was straight forward. Pre-drill the holes for the mounting screws. Keep the two outer servos tight against the fuselage and screw them in place.
    Lay out the four pushrods, threaded couplers, clevises and clevis retainers. I used a small adjustable wrench to hold the threaded coupler while I silver soldered the pushrod in place. Slide the rudder and elevator pushrods through the slot in the tail boom. Snap the clevis onto the elevator and rudder control horns. Align the rudder and tail fin. Next I made a bend in the pushrod about 1? from the end of the boom at the fuselage and a Z bend in the pushrod where it meets the centered servo arm. I repeated the same procedure for the aileron, however the pushrods needed only Z bends.

    SPEED CONTROL

    Speed control supplied for the review: Great Planes ELECTRIFLY C-20 Mini High Frequency Electronic Speed Control w/BEC.
    Input: 5-8 cells.
    Output: 22A continuous max.
    Operating frequency: 1.5 KHz.
    BEC: 5V/1A.
    Low voltage cutoff: 4.8V.
    Dimensions: 0.95 x 0.65 x 0.35?. (24 x 16.5 x 9mm)
    Weight: 0.60oz with wires.

    Apply a thin coat of CA to the fuselage where the Velcro will attach. Allow the CA to dry before you do so. Stick a small piece of Velcro on the speed control, battery and receiver.

    The day came for the flight test and I was really not sure what to expect. The plane looks like it could be a very docile flyer or an extreme aerobat. So lets find out. With a fully charged battery, I tried to ROG from the grass, but it was too tall for the small wheels. The grass had not been cut in a while so I am not sure even a larger glow powered plane would have been any different. So I decided to hand launch it with the help of a fellow club mate. With the stock power plant, the plane did not have a very high thrust to weight ratio. You had to give it a pretty hard toss and be quick on the sticks to keep it from snapping.

    Once airborne, the plane was a handful at first. It was very pitch sensitive and seemed to want to fall out if you relaxed your hands on the sticks. I landed and verified the CG placement. It was right within the manufacturer specs, but I decided to move it forward about 1/2". On the next flight the plane was much easier to control. A few laps around the field and I had it all trimmed out.

    This plane with the stock setup will perform basic aerobatics (loops, rolls, and some sequence maneuvers), but would not do any 3D flight. The motor/esc/prop combo did not have the high thrust to weight ratio that is needed for 3D flight. I think that upgrading to a brushless/LiPo system would prove much better performance if you intention is heavy aerobatics and 3D flight.

    Slow flight was good and proved very stable. Stalls were mild and noted by the nose dropping slightly forward. One thing that was impressive with this aircraft is its high roll rate. I would suggest using a radio with dual rates so that you can fine tune the high and low rates to your flying preferences. The Wizz would snap well and with the CG at the proper location, inverted flight required very little down elevator to sustain.

    Landing was very easy and predictable, Just be sure to keep some power in reserve to make it to your threshold as I found the Wizz to slow down a lot when the throttle is decreased. The plane will remain stable to a walking pace.

    The Micro Wizz is a very good park flyer that will maintain good slow flight characteristics for the newer pilot with the ability to kick it up and perform many aerobatic maneuvers. For the best performance, I would consider a brushless motor and LiPo battery power system.

    Great Planes
    P.O. Box 9021
    Champaign, IL 61826-9021 USA
    Phone: 217-398-3630
    Fax: 217-398-0008
    Website: www.greatplanes.com
    email: productsupport@greatplanes.com
    Comments on RCU Review: Great Planes Micro Wizz

    Posted by: caltrop on 07/23/2008
    I like the looks of this plane, too bad Great Planes has discontinued it.
    Page: 1
    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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