Kwatz

The Kwatz was a free plan in one of the model magazines a couple of years ago. So Simon built one...to learn to power-fly with. He had done some gliding previously, but for his venture into the world of model planes with engines he couldn't have picked a more unsuitable plane. Basically a Fun Fly without a Tailplane, it at first was a struggle to fly...a dodgy rearward CG, MASSIVE control throws, and a piddly little engine. Oh Dear.

I eventually plucked up courage to have a look at the model and give it the once over, bung some lead in the front, reduce the movements, and tune the engine in to get as much power as possible. As it was, nearly everyone used to cower behind the benches on the site whenever Simon flew. After all this set up work, I had to give it a try, then give Simon a few pointers as what and what not to do. I have never flown a plane so unpredictable. When doing looping manoeuvres, after letting go of the controls it would carry on looping as if the wing was just tumbling end over end. Very strange. But with minimal movements it became more reasonable to fly, and became more fun than terror.

Eventually, Simon wanted something more from this design, so he built a new one, the yellow and orange one seen here. With the same wing pattern, but with a new design fuselage, constructed with the hope of being able to knife-edge. Powered by an ASP 52 it is not short of Power either. The test flight was carried out on a cold day in February 2003, my birthday! What a treat!! No, really!! Well, it does knife-edge, kind of, although a tailplane would help the tracking of the model, it has a tendency to wander, much like the first.