Flitetest Versa Wing as a Slope Soaring Glider

The wind was very mild during this flying session, so I was resigned to cruise and not get too crazy with tricks. 

I recommend using a fast connection and HD 1080p for the best viewing.  On slow connections the video is lagging behind the sound.  So much for all the time spent syncing it to the music. PS There's a FAIL clip at end of video.

I purchased a Flitetest Versa Wing speed build kit and went the slope glider route instead of putting a motor on it. The wing is very maneuverable and has gentle stall characteristics that it telegraphs by slightly wobbling as it nears a stall. It also has plenty of speed when you want it, and I am hoping to get it out in higher wind conditions soon to really see what it can do.

I tried to keep it as light as possible during the build. I used minimal tape, foam safe CA, and white Gorilla Glue, and only used hot glue to mount the servos. I also cut eight 1" to 1.5" inch circles of foam out of the underside trailing edge of the wing in an attempt to reduce the overall weight. The holes are covered with Ultra Cote. The wing is strong enough that additional holes can be removed to lighten it up more if needed.

To eliminate the need for a BEC, I used a 4 cell 300mAh NiMh battery, 2 submicro Analog servos, and a basic 2.4MHz receiver. This config allows for at least an hour of flying time. I cut a 1.5" square, tape hinged compartment, 2" rear of the nose. This is where the receiver, battery, and about 2 oz of lead are located. Prior to joining the wings, I lined the inside of the lower wing with Duck tape just in the nose where the compartment is cut. This reinforces the area weakened by creating the compartment.

Total weight of the wing is 12.6 oz, or 358g.  At this weight, it needs around 8mph wind speed to get up and go.  

The exterior was lightly Minwax'd for water proofing and spray painted prior to construction.

Another deviation I made from the recommended flitetest build:
* I use a small triangular piece of closed cell foam ~4.5" sides, ~0.75"thick, covered sparingly in white gorilla glue, as a joiner inside the fuselage to span the two halves of the wings just behind the spars. I then Gorilla glued the two halves together with the joiner in place and put Duck brand packing tape over the center seam while it was still curing. The longer cure time on the glue provides time to line everything up just right verses having to rush things with hot glue. Even though the foam joiner is flexible by nature, the glue turns it into a very rigid support once it has cured. This creates a very light, yet solid bond between the two halves. As you will see at the end of the video, I need the extra crash proofing.