INTRODUCING THE WILD HARE By Bruce K. Stenulson, Applied Technology P.O. Box 69, Fairplay, CO 80440 719-836-2489 In designing the WILD HARE, I had several objectives in mind. The final result has exceeded all of my expectations! I intended to design an aircraft which would: * Perform well on a reasonably priced .46 size engine, such as the ASP and Thunder Tiger Pro * Have a strong yet light wood structure * Have a detachable wing, solidly mounted * Have very gentle stall characteristics : NO BAD HABITS! * Have good low speed flight and landing characteristics * Be capable of tight loops, fast axial rolls, clean and stable inverted and outside maneuvers * Crisp, predictable response from all controls, with accurate centering * Have float, ski, and wheel operation capability * Have fairly clean lines, low drag, a low fuselage cross-sectional area, and not look "boxy" * Be able to be flown with a basic 4 channel radio system; DUAL RATES are highly recommended! The several WILD HARE's that I and friends have built and flown weigh arouind 4«# dry, ready to fly. With 4« sq. ft. of wing area, the wing loading is 16 Oz. per sq. ft. From level flight, I can pull vertical and do about 8 rolls before coming over level again at our flying site at 10,000 feet elevation. I prefer the APC 10x6 and11x5 Props, and have recently found the Master Airscrew SCIMITAR series 10x6 prop to produce excellent results, generateing more thrust for the engine's power. My engines are run with air cleaners and an exhaust diverter system on 10% fuel; a tuned pipe might really be impressive, but these stock engines run well! The control response is crisp and precise, primarily because the recommended control system setup leaves no room for slop, play, or flutter. I use and recommend full length ULTRA-COTE hinging on all control surfaces, resulting in a NO-AIR-GAP hinging system which requires minimal drag- producing bevels on the mating edges of the control surfaces; this system increases control surface effectiveness and precision of response far beyond that available with conventional hinging methods. The longer-than-average tail moment makes control response smooth rather than "twitchy" when throws are set up for radical maneuvering, and the airframe was designed to withstand extremely high-G maneuvers without failing. (Because of the long tail moment, however, the WILD HARE is not the tightest looping plane; a fair trade-off for the rest of the performance envelope, I believe.) If you build it according to the plans and instructions, it will come out light but strong! (My first one once caught a wing tip on landing and did a full cartwheel: the only damage was a separated glue joint where the vertical stabilizer joins the horizontal stabilizer. Five minutes later, it was back up flying again! The aluminum arrow shaft leading edge on the wing combined with one piece spruce spar caps and a solid shear webbing system all make for an extremely durable wing structure. Instructions are included for either single or dual aileron servos, which work well as flaperons with a suitable radio system. Detailed instructions will guide you through the building process, presenting options where apropriate. If you like to kit-bash, it's up to you, but please keep in mind that the construction techniques presented here have proven to build a light, incredibly strong airframe, while the linear music wire control rods used for the elevator and rudder offer no-slop control response. Make no mistake, the WILD HARE is anything but a trainer! It isn't a good "second plane" for most fliers, either; but it could just be the best "Third Plane" you can get your hands on when your old bird just doesn't get you as excited as you can stand anymore! Plans and color photo illustrated building instructions are available directly from APPLIED TECHNOLOGY, for $12 plus $4.50 shipping. Rolled plans shipped in a tube available for $4.00 more. Float plans are also available for $8 plus $3.50 shipping. A Ski kit, with prebent 1/8" birch plywood, is available for $17 plus $3.50 shipping. COMBO DEALS: Order both sets of plans for the WILD HARE and the matching FLOATS for $20, and I'll include the Free ski plans, AND MAIL THEM FOR FREE in an envelope.