i just purchased a harbor freight wild hawk last week. with employee discount, i got it for under $60. well worth it imo.

problem. my second flight, i clipped a power line with a wing tip and it did a nose dive into the ground. it was a slow crash but the nose still crumpled beyond repair.

has anyone ever tried to put some kind of 'bumper' on this or any other plane?

i was thinking about attaching a tube to each side of the fuse with springs inserted toward the rear end (capped rear end of course). insert rods into tubes and connect them a couple of inches out in front of the plane with some type or rigid but light weight wire in an arched shape. this way, when the plane noses in, the wire will hit compressing the rods back on the springs.

the 'bumper' out front or course could be expanded to protect more of the nose.

any ideas or suggestions? also, what is the best type of glue to use on these foam planes to connect things such as light weight tubes to the fusealage?

i'm new to rc planes so excuse me if i sound inexperienced... i am! i have been a private pilot for nearly 30 years now but these rc planes are totally new and foreign to me... but a blast!!!

btw... hello all!!!

A Buddy was given an EasyStar by a fustrated new flyer. The nose was in pretty bad shape, so he cut off damaged section back to good straight foam. He then made a new nose out of a scrap EPS packaging and glued it on with 5min epoxy. (Yes the ES is different foam, but it worked fine).

Welcome to the forum!
I went through a divorse a few years ago and married again, forceing the sale of my Cessna Areobat. So I've been build RC planes till I get finances back up.
I learned alot flying RC planes.
I've had/have over 250 planes. The repair depends on what type foam it is. If its real EPP, you can dip it into boiling water for a couple seconds and it will swell, but it will also leave bumps on the surface, but they can be sanded off after a day or so of drying. Butch

from what i've gathered online, the foam on the wild hawk is inferior to most foam planes. i would like to get an entry level airplane that has great durability and is easy on a beginner like me. it must be able to withstand horrible crashes such as the ones i am sure i will perform.

btw. i mostly fly 152's and 172's and the ocassional j3 when i can get my hands on one. my father was a marine corp pilot and flew a f4u corsair so that is my fantasy plane. hope to own one one day... when i grow up!!

Can you post a link to the plane??
I have a Harmon Rocket 2 kit and a Stewart S-51 fuselage for sale if you know anyone interested. Butch

The best mod by far is to use strapping tape (or clear packing tape if you must) and run a strip along the entire bottom of the fuse, on either side of the nose, and a couple of strips down the side of the fuse near the tail. This stiffens it up greatly if done correctly. You will no longer notice the wiggle when applying rudder inputs and it makes it much more durable. The best part is that it will come off with little/no damage if you have to remove it. It will take the paint off the wings though. I also ran a strip of clear packing tape under each wing where the carbon rod is inserted and beyond the end of the foam plug. I did this because the glue holding the plug and the rod in place was giving way, but it also stiffenned up the wing greatly so high-G. loops are more stable and less hectic.
When broken..just piece it back together. I use a hot glue gun sometimes and it holds up very well. The best glue I've used on foam so far is Gorrila Glue. Only use a little, tape it together till dry and follow the instructions. GG is very strong, weighs next to nothing, and fills in cracks and holes as it expands.
Barlowe, I think you are over thinking it a bit, and the weight would be significant. Just glue a new chunk of foam on it if it's really that bad. The best thing about foam parkflyers is that they are easy and cheap to fix (usually). Sorry for the LONG post. I hope it helped a little. Good luck!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94774
this is the link for the plane.

also, everyone seems to prefer packing tape for reinforcement. i have some chrome duct tape that i think would look good on the leading edges, underbelly, etc. would it be alright to use duct tape instead of packing tape?

and i agree... i am indeed overthinking the modifications. i realize i paid less then $60 for the plane but i did want to try to take care of it.
hey, if it crashes, it crashes. it's gonna happen!

take care and thanks for all the help y'all!!

Packing and Stapping tape are just lighter. I agree that the chrome duct tape would look cool, but It would most likely be heavy and the glue would make a mess if you ever needed to remove it. I have seen chrome mylar tape, and I bet that would be pretty cool.
btw... I don't think the landing gear are worth using. Just belly land in the grass.

thanks skunk. i see what you're saying about the tape.

concerning the landing gear... i think you're right. i did a take off with the gear and it was very smooth but the landing really sucked.

i watched a video on a website of a guy flying a wildhawk and he was taking off without gear and with the plane on its belly on the grass. the takeoff looked as smooth as any other.

is this a good idea? if so, i was thinking of placing a strip of tape on the belly to help with friction.

Yep, run a piece of tape down the entire underside of the fuse. Give it a good level throw at full throttle and belly land in the grass when you come down. I've been doing this with mine and have no signs of wear on the fuse. Plus landing in the grass can be easier on the occasional "oops" when landing.
I've used the gear a few times, but it has to be VERY calm for me to do it. The WH glides so well that it is easy to over shoot the runway. In a big soccer field it isn't a worry. You can focus on easy landing instead of exactly where to land. Don't try to use the LG on grass!!! it can cause damage when they catch.

the saga continues. took the wild hawk out this evening and crashed it real good. first two flights (hand launched for the first time) went great. confidence built and i did a loop. no problem. second loop, i went to level off and i guess i didn't pull up in time. seemed to me the the elevator response was slower because when i pulled up, it didn't level out fast like the first loop. it went almost straight into the ground. nose broke completely off behind the landing gear slot, tail came off where it was taped together, and both wings have small stress cracks just under the wing mounting rod. it hit hard!

anywho, i was looking at the Hobbico ElectriStar (link below) last night and it looks really nice and sturdy. do any of you have any experience with this plane or know much about it? this is about the price i would be willing to put into a decent trainer.

if there are other trainers out there in this price range that anyone would recommend, please let me know.

thanks!

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXNVC0**&P=0

I've heard that the ElectriStar is a good trainer. However there's no reason you can't put your WH back together. Remember..."ALTITUDE IS YOUR FRIEND!!!" If you're just learning take it easy and don't get too excited about doing tricks until you've got some time in. And you WILL crash, we all do. Doesn't matter how long you've been flying, everyone crashes sometime. That said... do you want to crash a $300 plane or a $60 plane that you can glue back together yourself?
Go here for some good advice about starting:
http://www.rcgroups.com/beginner-tra...ea-electric-8/ and check out "Six Keys to Success for New Pilots"
I taught myself to fly, but it takes most people some time to get good. Don't jump ahead too quick and then regret all the money you spent on a pile of parts

I forgot to mention...
If you really want to get a different trainer and you want something scale, check out the HobbyZone Super Cub. I have one and LOVE it. Most guys who have been flying for years and those who are just getting into the hobby all like it a lot.
http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_h..._super_cub.htm