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The Stinger, designed and kitted by Adam Pequette, is one amazing little glider (45" wingspan). The 1st thing that struck me was the workmanship and quality of this model. The wing is in 2 pieces and has a foam core covered top and bottom with light ply (vacuum-bagged) that tapers to an almost razor-sharp and flawless trailing edge. The ailerons are already cut out and hinged with Kevlar, again a perfect fit. The tail feathers are of the same quality, with elevator cut out and Kevlar hinged. I opted to go with the tail surface completely fiberglassed with my choice of color already mixed into the fiberglass. This option costs a bit more, but it is well worth it because Adam does such a superb job!
The kit comes with an instructional video, which makes assembling this model a snap. Every step in the construction process is shown in great detail, with lots of helpful little hints thrown in. Anybody who has built a couple of ARF's should be able to put this kit together with ease. It took me about 4-5 hours to complete mine.
When it comes to flying, the Stinger is absolutely in a class by itself for its relatively small size (mine weighs 15.3 oz), and I have flown it in as little as 6 mph and as high as 30 mph winds. At the higher wind speeds, this small glider acts and performs like a much bigger and heavier 'crunchy'. It easily penetrates into the wind and is rock-solid performer in the front side of a slope. I know it will handle winds higher that 30 mph.
Where the Stinger really comes alive is on the back side, when dynamic soaring (DS). It tracks like it's on a nails and easily flies through turbulence with only minor corrections. It'll fly DS loops as large as your slope allows, but will also track solidly through loops as small as 25-30 feet. And the best part about DS-ing is the speed this little model develops. I've easily reached 100 mph in good 25 mph winds, and the only thing that kept the Stinger from going faster was the pilot (me), who would get too nervous (scared?) and punch out to the front side, where its energy retention ability would let it shoot several 100 feet into the sky.
Although Adam designed the Stinger primarily for speed and DS-ing and even says it doesn't like to fly upside down, it'll hold its own while performing aerobatics. It will do all of the standard stuff very nicely, and my favorite maneuver (other than DS) is to punch out the front side, turn the plane upside down, fly a smooth outside loop and dive right back into the DS groove. What a thrilling feeling it is!
Did I mention how tough (read: semi-indestructible) this little glider is? I hate to admit this, but I found out first-hand how strong the air frame really is when I tried to fly with another model selected on my TX! The Stinger crashed hard going around 25-30 mph on a steep, rocky slope--no cushion of grass or soft dirt here! The wing separated from the fuse (as designed), keeping the damage to mostly scratches and small dents. A small chunk was missing from the nose, and the top of the wing had a 2" x 1" hole in it that was ¼" deep. Guess what? I put this wing back on (with 2 small plastic bolts--luckily, I had spares!), taped up the hole, and flew another 20 minutes, including DS-ing!
- Rainer Schmitz
Adam,
Got it! That is one heck of an impressive kit. You should be very proud of your workmanship. I can't wait to build it up, would love to have it built for the weaselfest out here!
Thanks so much,
-Andy DiMizio
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