Wild Thing (oz15214)

About this Plan

Wild Thing. Radio control sport / combat model. Wingspan 36-1/4 in, wing area 362 sq in. For .10 - .15 engines.

Quote: "The Wild Thing is designed to be easy and quick to build, light, and inexpensive. A stock OS 15 FP engine, with 8x4 or 7x6 prop, is the ideal powerplant, providing more than adequate speed and vertical performance.

Attempting to modify the engine, increasing the pitch of the prop, or using a larger engine will be pushing the structural limit of the design. This increases the chances of in-flight damage (ie flutter) and possible loss of control.

With a streamer attached, the resultant drag will widen the safety margin. Without the streamer, high speed / power-dives should be avoided, even with the stock engine. Use the throttle!"

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Note instructions includes parts ID sheet on page 2.

Update 17/4/2024: Added kit review from Model Builder, March 1993, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Products in Use: Precision Aero's Wild Thing, by Brad Von Grote.

This basic all-balsa sport aerobatic model, originally designed for RC combat, takes on a whole new personality when equipped with its optional dress-up kit.

Wow, wow, wow! This plane is easy to build, easy to transport, and flies great. Everyone who enjoys building and flying small, stable, highly maneuverable planes should have one of these.

Precision Aero has truly epitomized a span plane for a sport pilot like me. The Wild Thing is not a specialized, expensive or complicated pattern or fun-fly airplane, but it could be used to enjoy either of these disciplines outside the heat of competition.

Now that I've spilled my guts about how I feel about this airplane, I suppose you'd like to hear about some of the details. Yes, it came in a box. In fact there are two: one for the basic plane (retail $39.95) and one for the dress-up kit (retail $19.95). Packaging was excellent, with all major sections and hardware individually bagged. This careful packaging helps protect everything during transit, but I am sure that Ron Eigenschink, the owner of Precision Aero, did it to keep me from screwing things up. Don't open a bag until you're working on that section. It worked - I didn't mess up even one part of the assembly.

Construction went very easily. There's not only a parts list but a diagram to go along with it. Every piece is cut (machined) and sanded so that it falls into place. Even the cap strips for the ribs are cut to size. A lot of labor goes into producing a kit of this quality, and considering that all the necessary hardware is included, it is a real bargain.

Every screw, nut, bolt, engine mount, clevis, control horn, pushrod, fuel line and even the four-ounce fuel tank is included. All the hardware is first rate, including a Hayes tank, Dave Brown Lectra-Lite wheels, Williams Brothers pilot bust, and bent aluminum landing gear. A complete kit like this may cost a little more than the barebones econo kits, but when you add the cost of hardware, econo isn't very economic. With a complete kit you don't have to run to the hobby store every couple of hours.

I know there should be something to rag about here, but all the parts really did fit perfectly. All the parts that had to be stiff were, and the ones that could be light were. I was very pleased with the quality.

The wing is standard built-up construction. The lack of shear webs surprised me; this being such an aerobatic plane, I wasn't sure the wing would be strong enough. With a wingspan of only 36 inches, the C-tube structure turned out to be quite adequate without the shear webs. One thing to remember: keep the leading edge round. This will cut down pitch sensitivity and improve stability.

The fuselage is a basic box, very simple to build straight and strong. There are two access hatches - one for the fuel tank, one for the radio compartment. As this is a one-piece plane with no removable wing, the radio hatch is necessary. The fuel tank access is just plain convenient. Every time I permanently build a tank into a plane, something kinks or leaks and I have to tear it out at least once.

After finishing the basic structure I added the optional dress-up kit, consisting of cowl, landing gear, wheels, pants, pilot, canopy, rudder and tail wheel. Plans showed a fixed tail wheel, but I made it steerable to aid takeoffs and taxiing..."

Supplementary file notes

Instructions.
Review.

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