Wilga 2000- The Repair

The Maiden

Right now in North Carolina it is snowing and the water is freezing. I thought that this would be a great day to maiden my Wilga. The maiden did not go as planned, so I needed to make some repairs. As I was flying, my Wilga tip stalled, sending it into the hard, frozen ground. The crash broke the elevator and motor mount. I was determined to repair it using the skills and techniques that I had learned from Flite Test!

Before The Maiden

After The Maiden

Repairing The Wilga

The crashed Wilga needed a new elevator and motor mount, I turned to my scratchbuilding bestfriends- Adams Foam Board and Hot Glue. The elevator bent and ripped during the crash, so I needed to make a new one. I used the broken elevator to trace out a new one on foam board. Then, I cut the new elevator out and beveled the hinge line. I punctured two holes in the elevator, for the screws, to secure the foam board elevator on the plane. I then installed the foam board elevator onto the Wilga. I also needed to make a new motor because it was damaged during the crash. Using Flite Test techniques, I made a motor mount consisting of a series of B-Folds and A-Folds, and of course a lot of hot glue. The motor mount is a large square, but unlike normal FT Power Pods, the motor is inside of the pod. After installing the motor inside of the pod, I glued it to the front of the fuselage.

Second Flight

After repairing the Wilga, I wanted to take it out for a flight. I took it off and did some figure-8s and some loops. I then landed the plane after a good 8 minutes of flying. As it is my first 4 Channel plane, I am still learning how to use rudder while turning. Overall the Wilga flew very well, and I am happy about how smoothly the repair went.

Tips For Flying The Wilga

1. Keep your speed up! The Wilga has intense tip stalls!
2. Use minimal throws! During my maiden, I used very high throws, causing the plane to be uncontrollable.
3. When in doubt, throttle out!
4. Never fly the Wilga in winds of more than 3 MPH. 
5. Always fly 3 mistakes high!

Conclusion

This experience has taught me so much about flying and repairing RC Planes. While flying the Wilga, I learned the importance of using the rudder and maintaining speed throughout the turn. I also learned that it is necessary to take off and land into the wind. While repairing the Wilga, I was able to fine tune many skills that I had learned from Flite Test. I learned the importance of using A and B Folds and keeping measurments consistent throughout the build. I also learned that you should always trace out flimsy parts, like the elevator, before they brake. Tracing out the flimsy parts will allow you to easily replace them with foamboard. I have learned so much from flying and repairing the Wilga.

Thanks For Reading!

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