Covid created serious material shortages that are finally starting to resolve. Material costs have more than tripled and show no signs of relaxing.

One of the casualties of the covid material shortage was joiner material. My suppliers have been out for years but finally got material in. Due to the extreme cost of materials, heavy JW kits will now ship with chromoly joiners while light kits will continue to use aluminum joiners.

I have built a ton of foam.

I have been busy working on the Super Scooter to bring it back to market. At this stage, the fuselage programming and tooling is complete and I will start on the wing program tomorrow.

The Super Scooter will remain true to the original planform and will utilize the proven airfoil from the original. The kits will be cut from 1.9lb EPP foam for durability and ease of assembly. The kit will ship with coroplast tail parts that can be used as is or can be used as templates for making wood tail parts. Spars and longerons will be upgraded for additional strength and stiffness. Hardware will be upgraded as well.

Many people have been asking for the Super Scooter so the wait is almost over! Keep an eye on www.jwglider.com and get ready for the return of the Super Scooter!

***EDIT: The Super Scooter is available and many are flying already. ***

Josh is a certified Comanche junky and was instrumental in bringing the plane back to market. The Comanche is a very significant model in the history of EPP planes and dynamic soaring. When Pat bowman discovered EPP would work for planes, the first EPP plane ever built was the Ruffneck. The Ruffneck was also the plane that Joe Wurts was flying when he discovered dynamic soaring. The Ruffneck was refined into the Comanche.

Many pilots learned to DS with the Comanche. But it is a very fun and aerobatic slope plane that also does well in combat. The design of the Comanche gives it a bit of a PSS look. It is easy and fun to build too.

The Comanche is now available at http://www.jwglider.com.

I have been toying around with the idea of making a 30" JW Tweety and have cut a few parts. It looks like it could be a fun entry into the Tweety 200 contest. I will update with progress as it happens.

UPDATE:
The Tweety JW is born! Kits are available and several have been built. Bruce got his Tweety JW to 167mph! It is a fast little plane.

Build log and more information:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-JW-%28JW30%29

I have been spending considerable time developing, building and testing ultralight EPP planes that excel at both frontside sloping as well as high performance DS acro. The latest entry into this developing category is the new JW 48 UL.

Testing is now complete and I am in the process of kitting the first batch of planes. I have created new instructions specifically for the type of build required to get the most out of the plane.

The JW48 UL has flying characteristics that fit between the smaller JW Mini and larger JW60. Compared to the JW Mini, the larger plane is easier to see and has a bit more stability through chop. Compared to the JW60, the 48" model is easier to transport and has a faster roll rate for frontside aerobatics. The single spar system is quicker to build than the double spar on the 60" and helps to keep the wing loading down.

I have also been testing a heavy 48" JW called the JW48X which has a double spar and wider chord. This plane is intended for high wind and high speed in contrast to the JW48 UL which is specifically intended for "regular" wind at normal slopes.

I expect the JW48 UL to be one of the most popular models I sell because of the broad audience it appeals to: slopers, DS junkies, beginners, veterans, thermal, racing, combat and possibly even the electric crowd.

EDIT: The plane is available now at www.jwglider.com

The Sonic wing is coming back. I have the production tooling and will be making kits available shortly. Many of you miss the Sonic so the wait is almost over!

The Sonic is not a combat wing but rather a very fast front side ripper that is also a fast DS'er. The unique platform and airfoil put the Sonic in a class of its own.

Stay tuned!

While experimenting with an idea Stu had, I made a prototype of a combat style chevron wing from JW cores. It turns out the plane flies very well! It is fast in light wind and can even DS with speed. It has fast recovery due to the wing sweep so I expect that we will be having some fun DS combat furball pretty soon.

If the feedback from other pilots is good, I will kit the plane and keep it in stock.

Some notable features:
-Strong spar system
-Excellent inverted performance
-Fast in light wind
-Stable in extreme turbulence
-Builds quick

The Mini JW is back! It is a fast little plane that has the trademark JW durability in a smaller and easier to transport package. It is easy to take with you as it fits in your trunk and can be strapped to a backpack.

I am in the process of creating digital skins for the Mini JW and hope to have them on the website soon.

The Mini JW is available at http://www.jwglider.com now.

Well, the JW is not a new product but it is new in the sense that I am now producing the kits. The JW is one of those planes that you don't quite understand until you fly it, and then it instantly becomes your favorite plane. I am proud to continue the JW project. I am not making any changes to the plane (i.e. airfoil, materials, design etc.). I have updated some of the production equipment to increase the quality and consistency of an already superb kit.

Some production improvements include a new high-end digital power supply. This supply ensures that all cores are cut consistently regardless of ambient temperature or input voltage fluctuations. I have also made hardware upgrades to the CNC and made additional jigs to ensure spar slot depth is correct at any location in the wing.

Distribution of the JW is now through a new, improved website: www.jwglider.com. I am also evaluating having kits at local hobby shops. Currently the kits are stocked at Marty's Hobbies in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Perhaps the biggest JW news is the addition of digital skins. These high-end printed and laminated digital skins have passed months of rigorous testing and are nearing their release date. The skins make any JW look incredible, they increase the visibility of the plane and they are very easy to install (and fast to install!). These skins are a durable way to finish your JW and look as though the plane was painted in a mould.

The website offers 4 versions of the JW. Rather than one version...Continue Reading

I noticed I have been busy coming up with different DS glider designs. Here is a list of what I have so far (as of 10/2012, listed from smallest span to longest span):

Harbinger 16 - Maiden completed. Smallest DS plank? This will be my entry into the Nano DS segment. **UPDATE** The Harbinger suffered catastrophic hangar rash and is no more. Once my new shop is set up I intend to build another one to get the Nano DS craze started!

MiniDS 28 - 2nd fastest "tweety" in the world! 167mph top speed!! First tweety to break the 150mph barrier! It was destroyed, may redesign to take back the Tweety record.

Vole 33 Cheap, quick and dirtly little homebrew plank. 132mph and only 15oz! This plane represents perhaps quickest way to build a rapid prototype glider that has both exceptional flying characteristics and incredible durability at a near-zero cost in materials. **UPDATE** The Vole is still flying, the RP construction method used has proven to be exceptionally durable, more so than many "normal" planes.

Weasel EVO BSP Special - Fastest Weasel in the world! 179mph top speed! It took some damage at BSP, but still flies great. 200mph seems realistic.

Rotor Eater 48 - Development cycle has resumed. Cutting edge fabrication makes this the most advanced production EPP glider kit ever. This plane will usher in a new generation of high performance EPP planes on par with precision moulded composite airframes. **UPDATE** Shopping for new suppliers of critical components, project will get back on track soon.

Daisy Cutter 60 - Current max speed 282mph. 300 mph is realistic and may have been exceeded on previous flight without radar.

Daisy Cutter 2M Any future development of the DC series will be centered on a 2 meter span with the same fuselage shape. Airfoil will be refined to reduce wing loading requirements. Aspect ratio will be greatly increased.

Daisy Cutter 110 - Project cancelled.