Hello GWS fans:

After building and flying two GWS models, the GWS ZERO and the GWS Pipo J3 Piper Cub, the Beaver was finally all finished last night around 2:30AM on Friday morning!

The maiden flight was at the Kennedy Space Center (FLORIDA) flying field. After flying my ZERO twice, I then took my time to preflight check the Beaver and I finally launched it at 8:25AM EST.

The Beaver was hand launched at 3/4 power setting. This Beaver has the GWS EPS-300C-CS (5.33:1 reduction gear) and I used the same kind of battery of that in my ZERO (8 Cell, AAA, 9.6Volt, NiMH, 720mAH, Sanyo Flat pack).

After flying a couple of laps around the field with authority and very stable turns (it seemed like it had ailerons!!!), I then managed to do a loop. Well, sort of......

At the bottom start of the loop I thought I saw something fly out from the plane, I didn't think anything of it since the plane managed to complete it's loop very nicely. Then it seemed that I had an early cut-off. Well, I noticed that none of the controls were working!!! You guess it !!! The dang battery fell out during the hard loop. The little plastic holder/cover for the battery is not meant to hold a 3.7oz. battery pack during hard loops so, I will use rubber bands in the future just like I use them in my "SUPER" Piper!!!

I could not beleive my eyes, the Beaver just floated in a nice large spiral turns until it hit very softly on the ground with a almost complete gentle wing tip to tip landing. Wow!!! no damaged done except my pride and red faced pilot!!(Thank goodness the elevator got stuck in the up position!)

I was able to recover the battery pack and it was okay considering the most unceromonioust ejection from the Beaver!

Will fly it Saturday morning as well with the rubber bands in place.

This is a very nice model, slow and very graceful turns and it looked like it had ailerons but, yet fast when you need it!

I will post the pics soon!!!
Regards,
Carlos.

guapoman2000,

Cool name.. My mom's dialect, guapo has a meaning in Visayan language.

Dear Carlos, glad to hear that you flew GWS Beaver and safety landed without battery pack!

When over power with 8 Cell, AAA, 9.6Volt, NiMH, 720mAH, Sanyo. I like to suggest you to add on second wing support strut on both sides of wing.

I guess your hard loops really "hard" enough to sweep battery out! Very possible to cause the wing bent!

Wish you can fly her safe! GWS will have a pair of floats for her soon!

Originally posted by GWS4CEO
Dear Carlos, glad to hear that you flew GWS Beaver and safety landed without battery pack!

When over power with 8 Cell, AAA, 9.6Volt, NiMH, 720mAH, Sanyo. I like to suggest you to add on second wing support strut on both sides of wing.

I guess your hard loops really "hard" enough to sweep battery out! Very possible to cause the wing bent!

Wish you can fly her safe! GWS will have a pair of floats for her soon!

Dear GWS4CEO:

Modifications to all my slow flyers including the GWS Beaver consists of adding a 1/4" hollow Alu. Tube throughout the model's wing span. I will add a second wing support strut for looks but, it really is fine since the Alu. spar holds the wing very well and securely. My GWS "SUPER" Piper has this strut and I am able to do snap rolls and multiple loops from straight and level flight (I modified my GWS Piper J3 Cub with the EPS=300C-CS).

On both the Beaver and Piper, I also added a more robust (Heavy Duty Landing) gear with double strut support. Minor safe guards to the foam at the wing attachment areas has been by adding basswood on the contact points.

That's the best part of your GWS products, the modeler can add significant safeguards and scale like appearence to the R/C model without affecting it's original flight design characteristics.

Way to GO GWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,
Carlos.

p.s., here's a picture of my Piper and I, showing the ALu. Spar under the wing. As you may notice, the Piper took a similar loop but, the rubber bands held the battery in place and I flew the Piper with the Battery pack dangling from the wires! I had to make a smooth emergency landing. Wow!

"I could not beleive my eyes, the Beaver just floated in a nice large spiral turns until it hit very softly on the ground with a almost complete gentle wing tip to tip landing"
The FF guys would call this DETHERMALIZING. They do it all the time...

Dear Carlos, Wow~! That's SUPER!

Don't forget to get the GWS P-51 and E-Starter both come with aileron!

Dear GWS4CEO,

Thanks for your replies, if AEROMICRO has the GWS P-51D then, I would order it in a heartbeat. Hopefully, the P-51D will fly much better and faster than the GWS ZERO because of it's streamlined FUSE?!?!

Okay, will call AEROMICRO for availability on the P51D!

Thanks,
Carlos

I was out at the field when Carlos looped the Beaver and the battery parted company with the plane....at first he said it wasnt responding,then realized it was now in freeflight mode!Funny thing,we were discussing the fact that the plane didnt need him to fly it,only to keep it from getting lost......then it made a smooth, flat,spiral landing with out a scratch.I said, "See? A well designed plane doesnt need a pilot after all!" It is a lot more fun when you have control......Mark

Mark, Thanks for your help in recovering the battery pack! It's really hard to see a green battery pack on a nice green field.

Yes, it is better to have control of this nice new Beaver so, I will use a better securing method to keep that battery pack in the plane next time. I am looking at the WindCast Weather Forecast at intellicast.com and it really doesn't look good for light Park Flyers!!!

Go to
www.intellicast.com

then, upper right corner type in your "ZIP CODE"
then, place your cursor over to "Forecasts"
a drop down menu will appear and select "Windcast."

a neat "Wind Forecast" will appear for the location you indicated with the local times throughout present day and the next.

I'll keep you posted when I will bring my Park Flyers in at Kennedy Space Center to fly at the Flying Field as soon as I get a good Forecast. It may be not until Wendesday or Thursday of this week.

Take care,
Carlos

Originally posted by guapoman2000
Mark, Thanks for your help in recovering the battery pack! It's really hard to see a green battery pack on a nice green field.

Carlos

OK, I guess in the future, GWS should order Ni-MH cells from SANYO with tube other than dark green! If SANYO refuse to do so, I will change covered by bright colors.

What color you like most?

I reviewed the Beaver for Ezone and had the 600 mamp six cell nicad fall out a second or so after take off and the Beaver nosed in without any real damage. After that I always taped the battery door closed with white 3M plastic tape. It worked very well. The Beaver is a very good plane and flies great off the water on floats. What surprised me most was that I didn't notice any real change in performance from flying near sea-level at home or flying off of Lake Tahoe at 6,200 feet elevation. Just slightly longer run on the water before lift off. Someone else is now flying my first Beaver but I am building a second one for night flying and will install a Curtek navigation light system in it. It will have both solid and flashing lights on the wing tips (green on the right and red on the left) with clear strobe on the tail and solid white on the bottom of the fuse and two landing lights on the leading edge of the wing. All powered by the same battery that powers the motor and radio system as the voltage draw is very low. The hair thin wires will be hidden in the fuselage and under the strengthening tape added to the wing. The landing lights have remote on/off. The Beaver is a great platform for adding LEDs.
My next GWS plane will be a A-10 or Corsair which ever comes out first. Seems like I have been waiting forever for the GWS A-10 but it is nice to know that when it comes out they have worked hard to make sure it will fly. Mike

Hi there GWS4CEO!

You are too much! I don't think color of battery pack shrink warp material is a problem but, if you are serious then, a bright yellow like your GWS Piper J3 Cub will help in finding a lost battery. The chances of finding it undamaged over a hard parking lot would be very slim.

Again, thanks for your assistance! If costs $$$$ would be a factor in the color change then, I LOVE GREEN $$$

Regards,
Carlos

Here is a picture of someone's Beaver with a Beta test system of Curtek navigation lights. Note navigation lights on the wing tips and power of the landings lights which are directional.

Originally posted by Michael Heer
I reviewed the Beaver for Ezone and had the 600 mamp six cell nicad fall out a second or so after take off and the Beaver nosed in without any real damage. After that I always taped the battery door closed with white 3M plastic tape. It worked very well. The Beaver is a very good plane and flies great off the water on floats. What surprised me most was that I didn't notice any real change in performance from flying near sea-level at home or flying off of Lake Tahoe at 6,200 feet elevation. Just slightly longer run on the water before lift off. Someone else is now flying my first Beaver but I am building a second one for night flying and will install a Curtek navigation light system in it. It will have both solid and flashing lights on the wing tips (green on the right and red on the left) with clear strobe on the tail and solid white on the bottom of the fuse and two landing lights on the leading edge of the wing. All powered by the same battery that powers the motor and radio system as the voltage draw is very low. The hair thin wires will be hidden in the fuselage and under the strengthening tape added to the wing. The landing lights have remote on/off. The Beaver is a great platform for adding LEDs.
My next GWS plane will be a A-10 or Corsair which ever comes out first. Seems like I have been waiting forever for the GWS A-10 but it is nice to know that when it comes out they have worked hard to make sure it will fly. Mike

Oh...Hi there Michael !

Please not to steal your idea but, I too have been thinking of adding lights to my planes or at least one.....so, can you please tell me what kind of lights/LEDs, where, and how you connect these lights!!!!!

Oh, great!! Thanks!!
Carlos.

Curtek is a new small business in Canada and you can check it out at: www.curtek.com. I saw the three light system on a Tiger Moth and thought they would be great for the Beaver. When I found the site I learned someone else had the idea before me and I learned about the landing lights as an add on to the basic system. Mike