Whipit DLG setup, trimming, and flying.
I am a fan of the Horizon Hobby Eflite Whipit “discus-launched” glider.
The Whipit launches surprisingly well for such a light little glider, IMO. The glide is better than my Free Flight catapult-launched gliders which have won multiple contests, even though the Whipit has a slightly higher wing loading. In almost 2 months with the Whipit, I am surely over 500 hard launches, perhaps approaching 1000, and the Whipit is still going strong.
My calm air launches are about 60 feet high, and launches in wind are a little higher, and launches in lift or sink are correspondingly higher or lower. My flight times are about 35 to 40 seconds or a bit more in calm, smooth dead air. In turbulent air that is not lift, my times are much shorter—only 15 to 25 seconds long—because I’m not yet a great flyer. In lift, the flight times are limited by the longevity of the thermal, my ability to stay in the thermal, or visibility.
Here are my suggestions for Whipit setup and flying.
Assembly
1. Make sure the wing mount holes line up adequately. Mine were pretty far off, but I was able to force the screws in.
2. Use a lubricant on the screws.
3. Check the integrity of the stab and rudder mounts to make sure they don’t come apart at the lightest touch. Mine were fine.
4. Review other posts to see what others had to do. For me, assembly was the hardest part of getting the
...Continue Reading
Archives