I just picked up the LX Wildcat and have put several flights on it over the weekend. I figured I would post a review and try to address the positives, negatives, and mods required for this plane. With its unique retracts and folding wings it is certainly an interesting subject. It is available in 2 different paint schemes, a prewar and the standard Navy paint scheme.
Price: $206.90 + $24 Shipping
Specifications:
Assembly
Everything on the Wildcat went together pretty smoothly. All you have to do is put in the wing hinge pins, epoxy the tail surfaces and canopy, and install horns/linkages. The plane was ready to go in about 2 hrs. Be sure to balance the prop. The stock prop was pretty far out of balance for me. Also, no pilot is included. I bought one from the spare parts section and repainted it.
Paint and Finish
The paint scheme for this model is certainly not the most accurate or well done. It is adequate from stand off, but it the color is off and markings are missing. Not sure why the stock one says "Junior" either.. This is what it should look like:
However, a modeler could fix this with an airbrush and some Callie Graphics. The other thing to be aware of is that the paint does flake off. I highly recommend taking a wing by Home Depot or Lowes to get it paint matched before you start assembly. In high movement areas like the wing joint the stock paint will come off immediately, so its good to have some touch up paint laying around. Also, the radial comes painted in light blue. I repainted my engine with some model master paints to better its appearance.
Retracts and Wing Fold
These are the two most interesting traits of the model. So far, they appear to work very well. The gear are driven by two micro brushed motors and a gearbox that make them retract just like the full scale version. They work very well, and are capable of taking even not-so-great landings without a hitch. They are also extremely fast in deployment /retraction speed. This cannot be slowed unless you add very strategically placed resistors in the retract control board, which I am not inclined to try for now. Also, if you do ever have to replace the retracts, it will involve a lot of foam surgery as the mechanism is glued deep inside the fuselage. The wing fold works by utilizing a folding hinge similar to the full scale, and a small spring loaded door to cover the bottom of the hinge system. A small sliding pin locks the wings in the folded and deployed positions. The grip on the pin can then be tightened to prevent any unintended movement. This is shown in the pictures. Both sides of the hinge joint are large pieces of molded plastic. I suggest giving these a shakedown as part of the preflight. The last thing you want is to have that joint fail in flight! However, with the gear up and the wings folded it is very transportable! It is one of the only models that can fit in the passenger seat easily.
Battery and RX Compartments
There are separate battery and RX compartments on the model. The RX compartment is the black grate on the bottom of the plane. It works fine, but the black grate detracts from the scale appearance of the model. The battery compartment on this model is right in front of the canopy. You will not get anything larger than a 4S 2200 in there at all. In fact, that can even depend on your brand. My Admiral Pro 4S 2200 fit fine, but my Turnigy HD 2200 4S did not fit at all. Some slight widening with a razor should fix that though.
Flight Characteristics
Overall, this plane is a real joy to fly. I flew 4 flights in gusting 10-15 mph winds and it handled them without any issues. Power is very good, and scale maneuvers like big loops are no problem. I was really surprised at how well the stock system performed. Flight times are about 5 min with 14% remaining. Stall characteristic in level flight were very nice, just simply dropped the nose. Speed is pretty good as well. I did not have a radar gun, but it was very comparable to my Durafly Spitfire MK1's top speed. Just keep your wings level for landing, or you might ground loop with the narrow gear. Also, I suggest keeping a limit on high-G maneuvers to keep the stress off of the wing fold. The mechanism seems sturdy enough, by I personally wouldn't tempt fate too much. Here are the settings I used for flight:
CG: 65mm(2.5") from LE
Aileron:8mm Low, 14mm High
Elevator:10mm Low, 17 mm High
Rudder:14mm Low, 18mm High
20% Expo on all surfaces
Overall
In my opinion, this is the best foam rendition of a Wildcat out there. It has very nice handling, and can be transported very easily. The scale retracts are works of art, and it has good stock power. Just be aware of the issues with paint, and keep an eye on the wing fold mechanism. It is an LX model, and they almost always demand more work and attention than other brands like freewing or FMS. The price is a bit high for the quality compared to a FlightlineRC or FMS model, but it is worth it for such a unique airplane in my opinion.
Price: $206.90 + $24 Shipping
Specifications:
| Wingspan: | 47.2" (1200mm) |
| Weight: | 60 oz. |
| Length: | 35.6" (903mm) |
| Servos: | 4 17g Metal Gear servos |
| Battery: | 4S 2200mah |
| Motor: | 3748-700Kv Brushless Outrunner |
| ESC: | 50A |
| Prop | 12 x 6 3-blade prop |
Everything on the Wildcat went together pretty smoothly. All you have to do is put in the wing hinge pins, epoxy the tail surfaces and canopy, and install horns/linkages. The plane was ready to go in about 2 hrs. Be sure to balance the prop. The stock prop was pretty far out of balance for me. Also, no pilot is included. I bought one from the spare parts section and repainted it.
Paint and Finish
The paint scheme for this model is certainly not the most accurate or well done. It is adequate from stand off, but it the color is off and markings are missing. Not sure why the stock one says "Junior" either.. This is what it should look like:
However, a modeler could fix this with an airbrush and some Callie Graphics. The other thing to be aware of is that the paint does flake off. I highly recommend taking a wing by Home Depot or Lowes to get it paint matched before you start assembly. In high movement areas like the wing joint the stock paint will come off immediately, so its good to have some touch up paint laying around. Also, the radial comes painted in light blue. I repainted my engine with some model master paints to better its appearance.
Retracts and Wing Fold
These are the two most interesting traits of the model. So far, they appear to work very well. The gear are driven by two micro brushed motors and a gearbox that make them retract just like the full scale version. They work very well, and are capable of taking even not-so-great landings without a hitch. They are also extremely fast in deployment /retraction speed. This cannot be slowed unless you add very strategically placed resistors in the retract control board, which I am not inclined to try for now. Also, if you do ever have to replace the retracts, it will involve a lot of foam surgery as the mechanism is glued deep inside the fuselage. The wing fold works by utilizing a folding hinge similar to the full scale, and a small spring loaded door to cover the bottom of the hinge system. A small sliding pin locks the wings in the folded and deployed positions. The grip on the pin can then be tightened to prevent any unintended movement. This is shown in the pictures. Both sides of the hinge joint are large pieces of molded plastic. I suggest giving these a shakedown as part of the preflight. The last thing you want is to have that joint fail in flight! However, with the gear up and the wings folded it is very transportable! It is one of the only models that can fit in the passenger seat easily.
Battery and RX Compartments
There are separate battery and RX compartments on the model. The RX compartment is the black grate on the bottom of the plane. It works fine, but the black grate detracts from the scale appearance of the model. The battery compartment on this model is right in front of the canopy. You will not get anything larger than a 4S 2200 in there at all. In fact, that can even depend on your brand. My Admiral Pro 4S 2200 fit fine, but my Turnigy HD 2200 4S did not fit at all. Some slight widening with a razor should fix that though.
Flight Characteristics
Overall, this plane is a real joy to fly. I flew 4 flights in gusting 10-15 mph winds and it handled them without any issues. Power is very good, and scale maneuvers like big loops are no problem. I was really surprised at how well the stock system performed. Flight times are about 5 min with 14% remaining. Stall characteristic in level flight were very nice, just simply dropped the nose. Speed is pretty good as well. I did not have a radar gun, but it was very comparable to my Durafly Spitfire MK1's top speed. Just keep your wings level for landing, or you might ground loop with the narrow gear. Also, I suggest keeping a limit on high-G maneuvers to keep the stress off of the wing fold. The mechanism seems sturdy enough, by I personally wouldn't tempt fate too much. Here are the settings I used for flight:
CG: 65mm(2.5") from LE
Aileron:8mm Low, 14mm High
Elevator:10mm Low, 17 mm High
Rudder:14mm Low, 18mm High
20% Expo on all surfaces
Overall
In my opinion, this is the best foam rendition of a Wildcat out there. It has very nice handling, and can be transported very easily. The scale retracts are works of art, and it has good stock power. Just be aware of the issues with paint, and keep an eye on the wing fold mechanism. It is an LX model, and they almost always demand more work and attention than other brands like freewing or FMS. The price is a bit high for the quality compared to a FlightlineRC or FMS model, but it is worth it for such a unique airplane in my opinion.
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