Introductory combo $1,099.00 with retracts and air kit
Welcome to the new Wild Hare F6F Hellcat! Welcome to a different type of warbird experience.
When we started developing the Hellcat, Wild Hare's first warbird I wanted to do with a warbird what we had done with our aerobatic planes, provide a solid plane that almost anybody can be succesful with. I spent a lot of time observing planes that other pilots were flying and I found a lot of problems with their models. They tended to be very heavy, difficult to fly, awkward to transport and cumbersome to assemble/disassemble. I decided that if I was going to sell a warbird it had to be none of these things.
First, I chose the Hellcat for much the same reason the US Navy chose it in WW-II. It's a simple honest airframe with no bad tendencies, and it's suitable for pilots with basic flying skills. The US Navy picked the Hellcat partly because they could take a pilot straight from basic pilot training and he could handle the plane without being more danger to himself than to the enemy.
I designed this plane to be very close to exact scale, none of the dimensions vary from exactly 1/6 scale by more than a few % except for the optional extended cowl which helps to keep the plane light. Keeping this plane light makes it fly better. We have designed it in a manner similar to our aerobatic models. We used a one piece removable hatch/canopy assembly which allows access to the complete interior. We also used 2 piece wings with a carbon-fiber wing tube/spar. This makes the fuselage assembly very easy to fit into any small SUV requiring minimal space.
One of the goals for this plane was that it be the kind of plane that's fun and easy to fly. We've all owned a "white knuckler" plane, one that requires constant careful attention and which tends to get out of shape easily. That type of plane rarely lasts long and doesn't get flown much, simply because it isn't much fun.
The Hellcat is the opposite, as much as possible with a truly scale plane. We used a nice thick airfoil on the wing which really enhances slow speed performance. The flaps work very well to help slow the plane down without causing serious changes in the flight path. The control surfaces are very powerful which also makes control at low speeds possible.
Weight is kept low by making it possible to use a very lightweight engine. The first planes were flown with a DLE-55. We have been able to balance the plane using 2 6 oz. battery packs mounted on the sides of the motor box and a 4 oz. weight on the front of the engine. This is partly because of the available extended cowl which allows the engine to be spaced out about 30mm. Moving weight is always preferable to adding weight. Using a heavier engine like a 3w 60 or a G62 will allow you to use the short (scale) cowl and to balance just by properly locating the batteries.
The Hellcat is available with a beautiful set of retracts made from billet aliminum, including a retracting tailwheel assembly. An accessory air kit, which includes quick disconnects for the air lines to the wings is available to complete the package.
The Hellcat uses glue-in double truss composite control horns with ball links on all surfaces. These horns are strong, light, and very easy to install. It uses (and comes with) pull-pull linkage on the rudder and tailwheel and is supplied with titanium "turnbuckle" type pushrods for the other surfaces.
The elevator servos mount inside the horizontal stabs. Aileron and flap servos may be mounted either of two ways. You can mount them inside the wing where they are not visible, or they can be surface mounted for ease of installation and easy access.
Rudder servo mounts mid-ship under the canopy using a double pull-pull setup, one cable pair drives the rudder and the other pair drives the tail-wheel steering.
The new F6F Hellcat is priced at $679.00 and is available now. Available as shown or we will have a few in ARC (oncovered) condition.
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Specifications:
F6F Hellcate ARF $679.00 covered or ARC same price.
Wing Span 84.5" Length 65" approximate, Weight 20-21 lbs. with DLE-55. Weight and length will vary with choice of engine.
Servos required rudder, 2x elevator, 2x aileron, 2x flap, 1x rudder, 1x throttle, 1x retract actuation, optional choke and/or tailwheel steering
Removable full length hatch, short or long fiberglass cowl, carbon fiber wing and stab tubes
Hardware includes composite control horns, ball links, titanium pushrods, pull-pull kit(s), misc. fasteners, wheels, air system filler and control valves, 3x 4 way connectors, Dubro 24 oz. tank for gasoline, air tank, lines and quick disconnetcs.
Optional equipment:
Retractable landing gear set $479.00 includes retractable tailwheel.
Upgrade kit includes Fuel filler dot, 3' Tygon tubing, fuel Tee, Robart pressure gauge $35.00
Aluminum servo arms kit. 6x 1.25" MPI arms plus 3" MPI arm for the rudder. $70.00
Servo package; 7x Airtronics 94851 plus servo arms kit plus extensions $425.00
DLE-55 engine (recommended with long cowl) $420.00
Dual A123 battery packs plus Smart Fly Power-expander pro, ultra reliable power. $235.00