62 MODEL AVIATION
THE GWS A-10 Warthog is a twin ductedfan,
electric-powered, radio-controlled scale
model that only weighs 16 ounces. To put
this achievement into perspective, the
technology available 10 years ago would
P r o d u c t R e v i e w David Adams
E-mail: [email protected]
GWS A-10 Warthog
Pros:
• Attractive scale model.
• Kit shows impressive engineering.
• Great parts molding with nice
surface detail.
• Excellent-quality ducted-fan units
included.
• Complete kit; all necessary parts to
make the model are included.
• Terrific high- and low-speed flying
qualities.
• Good instruction manual.
• Outstanding airplane value for the
price.
Cons:
• No pilot figure.
• Fluent English-speaking editor
needs to review text in manual.
• Many plastic parts were left over;
it’s confusing.
• Extremely slow-drying glue.
• Unrealistic wheels.
• Fragile gray paint—but hangar rash
tends to give it character.
• No rudder control.
• Push-on wheel retainers don’t
retain wheels well enough.
The A-10 is not for beginners; however, it is perfect for modelers who are new to ducted-fan power.
The A-10’s high-aspect-ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has excellent aerodynamics for
slow-speed use. This aircraft is extremely realistic in flight!
have made this task impossible to
accomplish; five years ago it would have
been within the capabilities of a few hightech
wizards.
Today the wizards at GWS are making
this technology available to everyone in an
inexpensive kit that produces a nice-looking,
good-flying airplane. What makes the A-10
kit (and all of GWS’s kits) an exceptional
value is that the price includes both ductedfan
units (which are ready to run).
The A-10 is not a beginner’s model (you
should be comfortable controlling a model
with ailerons); however, it is perfect for a
beginner to ducted-fan power. Its highaspect-
ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has
excellent aerodynamics for slow-speed use.
The fan assemblies are set into pods,
eliminating the propulsion losses you can
find in models with longer duct assemblies.
The fuselage’s long nose allows you to
balance the model for flight with no
additional nose weight. Tricycle gear makes
ground handling and takeoff runs smooth.
The molded parts’ fit and finish are
great. There are molding bumps on the top
of the wings and tail that are designed to
look like rivets, but they do stick up a little
high. I used some fine sandpaper to knock
them down a bit, and doing so removed the
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:12 am Page 62
64 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
gray paint on the bump. The result is a lightcolored
rivet against the wing’s gray skin,
which gives the model a pleasant weathered
look.
This is actually the second A-10 I have
built. I built the first one, which is the greencamouflage
version in the photos, from a
preliminary kit with just a couple pages of
simple instructions. The fact that I could
build it with minimal instructions indicates
how smoothly and logically the model goes
together.
However, I do recommend that the
builder read through and thoroughly
understand the instructions before building
any model. Following the instruction manual
carefully should enable you to build the A-
10 with no problems. There are no tricky
areas that require unusual skills.
Concerns and Modifications: The paint is
light, thin, and brittle. I would prefer a paint
that stuck better when used on the foam.
Molding the model from gray-tinted foam
would be better a choice than a painted
surface.
There is a warning about using tape
around the finish, but you must be careful
when you use any kind of sticky material
around the airplane. The adhesive will pull
the paint off easily. This includes the decals
What makes the A-10 kit an exceptional value is that the price includes both ducted-fan
units. This is normal practice with all of the kits from GWS.
The A-10 accelerated slowly, and after approximately 80 feet,
with some up-elevator fed in, it lifted off smoothly.
This well-engineered kit is enjoyable to build and results in a nice-looking model—in spite of the nickname “Warthog”!
The A-10 can easily do maneuvers once it gains altitude. Loops
require a bit of a dive to achieve the proper speed.
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:33 am Page 64
66 MODEL AVIATION
supplied with the kit. Be careful when you
align them, and be sure that they are in the
proper position before you touch them to the
finish.
I don’t care for the GWS glue. I used it to
attach the two fuselage sides. I squeezed what
I thought was a reasonable amount onto each
of the mating surfaces. Using the supplied
rubber bands to hold the sides together, I set
the fuselage aside to dry.
When I looked at the fuselage 30 minutes
later, I saw that the glue had oozed out of the
joints. (I had used too much.) I wiped off the
excess with a cloth, but I left a small bubble
of adhesive in an inconspicuous place to act
as an indicator of when the glue might be
hardened. A day later it was still not hard.
If you use the GWS glue, do be prepared
to give it adequate time to dry before
stressing the joints. It is good glue; it just
takes an incredibly long time to dry,
especially in an area that has limited access to
the air.
I like to build a little faster than the pace
dictated by the GWS glue, so I switched to a
foam-friendly cyanoacrylate. It worked fine
on the foam and made the building process
rapid. It was somewhat surprising when the
airplane was finished in just a few hours.
Do double-check the cyanoacrylate you
use on a small piece of foam to ensure
compatibility, and don’t use an excessive
amount where it can be trapped in a liquid
form; this can eventually dissolve the foam.
It would be nice to have operating rudders
since a servo for nose-wheel steering is
already installed. I built the gray A-10 exactly
according to instructions with fixed rudders. I
modified the green-camo A-10 with a
bellcrank at the rear of the fuselage and a
pushrod to each rudder. It is not too
noticeable and was easy to do.
Radio Equipment: No radio equipment was
provided, so I used my Futaba 8U transmitter.
It has a Campac module allowing 40 models,
which is good since I have roughly 30. I have
had it for several years, and although I
occasionally forget how to program the
functions, my fingers remember how to push
the right buttons.
To achieve the lightest weight, the
recommended flight equipment is a GWS R4
receiver, an ICS 100 ESC, GWS Pico-series
servos, and a six-cell 400 mAh 2/3AA
battery.
I used a GWS R4P in the gray A-10. I
have seven of these receivers flying in
various airplanes, and their performance has
been flawless. But do keep in mind that it is a
limited-range, single-conversion receiver and
will not have the adjacent frequency rejection
that a double-conversion receiver will have.
The green-camo A-10 has a Hitec 555
double-conversion receiver in it. It adds
approximately a half ounce but is good for a
crowded flying field. There are doubleconversion
receivers that weigh less, but I
don’t have one. I recommend using a doubleconversion
receiver whenever possible.
I used Hitec HS-55 servos, which I have
installed in five of my airplanes. They have
worked perfectly. Any lightweight servo
would be acceptable.
The ESC I used in the gray A-10 was a
10-amp-capacity unit of unknown
manufacture; the label was torn off. The
green-camo A-10 used a Great Planes 20-
amp ESC. See my notes at the end of the
“Flying” section.
Since I had some six-cell, 350 mAh Ni-
Cd packs, I used them for power.
Flying: Finally we had a morning with no
wind. With two airplanes waiting to be tested,
it didn’t seem as if that would ever happen. I
did a thorough preflight of each airplane and
checked control throws and CG locations. I
adjusted the CG on each airplane for the
middle of the instruction-manual range, using
2-inch nails shoved into the nose foam for
weights.
I flew the gray A-10 first because it was
built to GWS specifications and was lighter.
It accelerated slowly. After roughly 80 feet, I
fed in some up-elevator and it lifted off
smoothly. The takeoffs are straight and
smooth. However, it gained altitude slowly.
Circling over the soybean field at 3 feet, I
made a mental note to myself that the
airplane was forgiving in flight and handled
the low speed well. A few clicks of up-trim
were needed for level flight.
I kept making large circles with a small
bank angle with minimal control movements.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 66
The total altitude gained after several minutes
was approximately 20 feet, and the airplane
did not seem capable of doing any maneuvers
such as loops or rolls. As the battery voltage
dropped off, the airplane started to descend. I
lined up the model on the runway and made a
nice landing.
The green-camo A-10 was next. It weighs
roughly an ounce more than the gray A-10,
but its acceleration seemed better and the
climb rate was better. The overall height
gained was approximately 30 feet, and
although the airplane seemed slightly faster
and more responsive, I didn’t feel confident
enough to try maneuvers. Another nice
landing followed.
I went to the local hobby store and bought
enough batteries for four packs of seven cells.
I used a AA NiMH rated at 700 mAh. On a
discharge test these measured more like 550
mAh. They did fit nicely within the plastic
battery hatch.
Based on information on the Internet
discussion groups, I moved the CG to roughly
62mm from the wing LE; this is slightly aft of
the recommended 50- to 57mm range, and I
was able to remove the nails from each
airplane’s nose.
The flights with the seven-cell packs were
exceptional. The gray A-10’s acceleration
was good, and liftoff was approximately 50
feet down the runway. Climbout was fine,
and I cruised the model around until it had
achieved a height of nearly 300 feet in a
couple of minutes. Pitch response at the aft
CG was good, and the airplane handled
nicely. From that height, I performed a series
of loops and rolls with the model until it was
back at a low altitude, and then I landed it.
The green-camo A-10 was off next. Its
performance was noticeably better even
though it weighed more than the gray version.
The rudders allow a coordinated turn to be
made, the takeoff is easier to control in a
crosswind, and I do think it is worth making
them. I spent most of the time flying this
model at a low altitude, doing loops and rolls
and generally having a ball.
On another flight, one of the wheel
keepers came off roughly halfway through the
takeoff. The wheel departed the airplane,
which kept going straight although it was
making some scraping noises. I wouldn’t
have noticed it except that the wheel ran
parallel to the airplane for a few feet before
the airplane lifted off. Landing on the strut
was smooth, with no problems; it was just
noisy.
During this flying session I noticed that a
roughly 5 mph wind was not a problem.
I wanted to find out why the green-camo
A-10 seemed to fly better. The sound of its
motors indicated that they were turning faster
than the gray model’s. The gray A-10 is
lighter and has a 10-amp speed controller
with fairly small wires. The green-camo A-10
is an ounce heavier, it has a 20-amp speed
controller with larger wires all the way back
to the motor, and it has teeth. Since the teeth
probably don’t make it fly better (just
meaner), the larger wires may allow less
power loss at the motors. Based on this, I
suggest using a 15- to 20-amp ESC with large
wires all the way back to the motors.
This is a great electric-ducted-fan starter
model. The A-10 has excellent flying
qualities at all speeds and will delight the
builder and the pilot. This is a wellengineered
kit that is enjoyable to build and
results in a sharp-looking (or as good as any
airplane nicknamed “Warthog” can look)
scale model. I highly recommend it and think
it is a superior value. MA
(Editor’s note: GWS advises that the A-10
kit with the EDF-50 units is intended for
indoor flying. The upgraded kit that includes
the EDF-55 units is better suited to
aerobatics.
Also, GWS recommends using five-minute
epoxy for construction.)
Specifications:
Wingspan: 38 inches
Wing area: 219 square inches
Length: 34 inches
Recommended weight: 14.5 ounces
Review model’s weight (ready to fly): 16.3
ounces with battery
Power supplied in kit: Two GWS EDF-50
ducted-fan units. You must add a six-cell Ni-
Cd battery.
Recommended radio: Four-channel—aileron,
68 MODEL AVIATION
DO YOU SEEK TRUE QUALITY?
Made in the U.S.A.
by Romco Manufacturing, Inc.
100 West First Street, Deer Park, Texas 77536
PRECISION MODEL PRODUCTS
YOU’LL ALWAYS
FIND IT HERE!
www.tru-turn.com – 281-479-9600
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 68
70 MODEL AVIATION
elevator, motor, nose-wheel steering
Radio used: Futaba 8U transmitter, GWS R4P
receiver, Hitec HS-55 servos, 10-amp ESC
Kit materials: Foam (structure), plastic (parts)
Needed to finish model: Sharp hobby knife,
wire-cutting pliers, foam-friendly
cyanoacrylate
Needed to fly model: Transmitter, receiver,
three servos, ESC, motor battery
Manufacturer/distributor:
GWS USA, LLC
3401 Airport Dr.
Torrance CA 90505
(310) 891-3339
Toll free: (866) FLYGWS4
Fax: (310) 891-3313
www.gws.com.tw/
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 352-1913
Toll free: (800) 338-4639
Fax: (217) 352-6799
Street price: $79.99
Products used in review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system, 20-amp
ESC:
Great Planes Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos, 555 receiver:
Hitec RCD USA, Inc.
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
Fax: (858) 748-1767
www.hitecrcd.com
NEED LASER CUT PARTS
OR CAD WORK FOR THAT
DREAM SHIP?
We can work from your drawing, your sketch
or your idea. Top quality materials and 25
years of experience assure you of a Top
Notch job. Call today to arrange for a quote
or eMail your requirements.
Top Notch Products Company
P.O.Box 1051
Goodletsville, TN 37070
Phone 615-310-5371
eMail [email protected]
ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICES
For information, call 281-998-2529, or send SASE to:
GCBM R/C Models Inc.
PO Box 7967, Pasadena, TX 77508 • website: gcbmrc.com
• We buy: R/C Airplane Kits, ARF’s,
Engines, Radios, Field Equipment,
Building Accessories
• Entire Estates
• Vintage and Antique Collections
• Hobby Shop Inventories
• New or Used
• Pick-up Service Available
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
94" Fiesler Storch $35.00
Laser cut parts available
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$8.00 for
postage.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:36 am Page 70
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 62,64,66,68,70
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 62,64,66,68,70
62 MODEL AVIATION
THE GWS A-10 Warthog is a twin ductedfan,
electric-powered, radio-controlled scale
model that only weighs 16 ounces. To put
this achievement into perspective, the
technology available 10 years ago would
P r o d u c t R e v i e w David Adams
E-mail: [email protected]
GWS A-10 Warthog
Pros:
• Attractive scale model.
• Kit shows impressive engineering.
• Great parts molding with nice
surface detail.
• Excellent-quality ducted-fan units
included.
• Complete kit; all necessary parts to
make the model are included.
• Terrific high- and low-speed flying
qualities.
• Good instruction manual.
• Outstanding airplane value for the
price.
Cons:
• No pilot figure.
• Fluent English-speaking editor
needs to review text in manual.
• Many plastic parts were left over;
it’s confusing.
• Extremely slow-drying glue.
• Unrealistic wheels.
• Fragile gray paint—but hangar rash
tends to give it character.
• No rudder control.
• Push-on wheel retainers don’t
retain wheels well enough.
The A-10 is not for beginners; however, it is perfect for modelers who are new to ducted-fan power.
The A-10’s high-aspect-ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has excellent aerodynamics for
slow-speed use. This aircraft is extremely realistic in flight!
have made this task impossible to
accomplish; five years ago it would have
been within the capabilities of a few hightech
wizards.
Today the wizards at GWS are making
this technology available to everyone in an
inexpensive kit that produces a nice-looking,
good-flying airplane. What makes the A-10
kit (and all of GWS’s kits) an exceptional
value is that the price includes both ductedfan
units (which are ready to run).
The A-10 is not a beginner’s model (you
should be comfortable controlling a model
with ailerons); however, it is perfect for a
beginner to ducted-fan power. Its highaspect-
ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has
excellent aerodynamics for slow-speed use.
The fan assemblies are set into pods,
eliminating the propulsion losses you can
find in models with longer duct assemblies.
The fuselage’s long nose allows you to
balance the model for flight with no
additional nose weight. Tricycle gear makes
ground handling and takeoff runs smooth.
The molded parts’ fit and finish are
great. There are molding bumps on the top
of the wings and tail that are designed to
look like rivets, but they do stick up a little
high. I used some fine sandpaper to knock
them down a bit, and doing so removed the
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:12 am Page 62
64 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
gray paint on the bump. The result is a lightcolored
rivet against the wing’s gray skin,
which gives the model a pleasant weathered
look.
This is actually the second A-10 I have
built. I built the first one, which is the greencamouflage
version in the photos, from a
preliminary kit with just a couple pages of
simple instructions. The fact that I could
build it with minimal instructions indicates
how smoothly and logically the model goes
together.
However, I do recommend that the
builder read through and thoroughly
understand the instructions before building
any model. Following the instruction manual
carefully should enable you to build the A-
10 with no problems. There are no tricky
areas that require unusual skills.
Concerns and Modifications: The paint is
light, thin, and brittle. I would prefer a paint
that stuck better when used on the foam.
Molding the model from gray-tinted foam
would be better a choice than a painted
surface.
There is a warning about using tape
around the finish, but you must be careful
when you use any kind of sticky material
around the airplane. The adhesive will pull
the paint off easily. This includes the decals
What makes the A-10 kit an exceptional value is that the price includes both ducted-fan
units. This is normal practice with all of the kits from GWS.
The A-10 accelerated slowly, and after approximately 80 feet,
with some up-elevator fed in, it lifted off smoothly.
This well-engineered kit is enjoyable to build and results in a nice-looking model—in spite of the nickname “Warthog”!
The A-10 can easily do maneuvers once it gains altitude. Loops
require a bit of a dive to achieve the proper speed.
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:33 am Page 64
66 MODEL AVIATION
supplied with the kit. Be careful when you
align them, and be sure that they are in the
proper position before you touch them to the
finish.
I don’t care for the GWS glue. I used it to
attach the two fuselage sides. I squeezed what
I thought was a reasonable amount onto each
of the mating surfaces. Using the supplied
rubber bands to hold the sides together, I set
the fuselage aside to dry.
When I looked at the fuselage 30 minutes
later, I saw that the glue had oozed out of the
joints. (I had used too much.) I wiped off the
excess with a cloth, but I left a small bubble
of adhesive in an inconspicuous place to act
as an indicator of when the glue might be
hardened. A day later it was still not hard.
If you use the GWS glue, do be prepared
to give it adequate time to dry before
stressing the joints. It is good glue; it just
takes an incredibly long time to dry,
especially in an area that has limited access to
the air.
I like to build a little faster than the pace
dictated by the GWS glue, so I switched to a
foam-friendly cyanoacrylate. It worked fine
on the foam and made the building process
rapid. It was somewhat surprising when the
airplane was finished in just a few hours.
Do double-check the cyanoacrylate you
use on a small piece of foam to ensure
compatibility, and don’t use an excessive
amount where it can be trapped in a liquid
form; this can eventually dissolve the foam.
It would be nice to have operating rudders
since a servo for nose-wheel steering is
already installed. I built the gray A-10 exactly
according to instructions with fixed rudders. I
modified the green-camo A-10 with a
bellcrank at the rear of the fuselage and a
pushrod to each rudder. It is not too
noticeable and was easy to do.
Radio Equipment: No radio equipment was
provided, so I used my Futaba 8U transmitter.
It has a Campac module allowing 40 models,
which is good since I have roughly 30. I have
had it for several years, and although I
occasionally forget how to program the
functions, my fingers remember how to push
the right buttons.
To achieve the lightest weight, the
recommended flight equipment is a GWS R4
receiver, an ICS 100 ESC, GWS Pico-series
servos, and a six-cell 400 mAh 2/3AA
battery.
I used a GWS R4P in the gray A-10. I
have seven of these receivers flying in
various airplanes, and their performance has
been flawless. But do keep in mind that it is a
limited-range, single-conversion receiver and
will not have the adjacent frequency rejection
that a double-conversion receiver will have.
The green-camo A-10 has a Hitec 555
double-conversion receiver in it. It adds
approximately a half ounce but is good for a
crowded flying field. There are doubleconversion
receivers that weigh less, but I
don’t have one. I recommend using a doubleconversion
receiver whenever possible.
I used Hitec HS-55 servos, which I have
installed in five of my airplanes. They have
worked perfectly. Any lightweight servo
would be acceptable.
The ESC I used in the gray A-10 was a
10-amp-capacity unit of unknown
manufacture; the label was torn off. The
green-camo A-10 used a Great Planes 20-
amp ESC. See my notes at the end of the
“Flying” section.
Since I had some six-cell, 350 mAh Ni-
Cd packs, I used them for power.
Flying: Finally we had a morning with no
wind. With two airplanes waiting to be tested,
it didn’t seem as if that would ever happen. I
did a thorough preflight of each airplane and
checked control throws and CG locations. I
adjusted the CG on each airplane for the
middle of the instruction-manual range, using
2-inch nails shoved into the nose foam for
weights.
I flew the gray A-10 first because it was
built to GWS specifications and was lighter.
It accelerated slowly. After roughly 80 feet, I
fed in some up-elevator and it lifted off
smoothly. The takeoffs are straight and
smooth. However, it gained altitude slowly.
Circling over the soybean field at 3 feet, I
made a mental note to myself that the
airplane was forgiving in flight and handled
the low speed well. A few clicks of up-trim
were needed for level flight.
I kept making large circles with a small
bank angle with minimal control movements.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 66
The total altitude gained after several minutes
was approximately 20 feet, and the airplane
did not seem capable of doing any maneuvers
such as loops or rolls. As the battery voltage
dropped off, the airplane started to descend. I
lined up the model on the runway and made a
nice landing.
The green-camo A-10 was next. It weighs
roughly an ounce more than the gray A-10,
but its acceleration seemed better and the
climb rate was better. The overall height
gained was approximately 30 feet, and
although the airplane seemed slightly faster
and more responsive, I didn’t feel confident
enough to try maneuvers. Another nice
landing followed.
I went to the local hobby store and bought
enough batteries for four packs of seven cells.
I used a AA NiMH rated at 700 mAh. On a
discharge test these measured more like 550
mAh. They did fit nicely within the plastic
battery hatch.
Based on information on the Internet
discussion groups, I moved the CG to roughly
62mm from the wing LE; this is slightly aft of
the recommended 50- to 57mm range, and I
was able to remove the nails from each
airplane’s nose.
The flights with the seven-cell packs were
exceptional. The gray A-10’s acceleration
was good, and liftoff was approximately 50
feet down the runway. Climbout was fine,
and I cruised the model around until it had
achieved a height of nearly 300 feet in a
couple of minutes. Pitch response at the aft
CG was good, and the airplane handled
nicely. From that height, I performed a series
of loops and rolls with the model until it was
back at a low altitude, and then I landed it.
The green-camo A-10 was off next. Its
performance was noticeably better even
though it weighed more than the gray version.
The rudders allow a coordinated turn to be
made, the takeoff is easier to control in a
crosswind, and I do think it is worth making
them. I spent most of the time flying this
model at a low altitude, doing loops and rolls
and generally having a ball.
On another flight, one of the wheel
keepers came off roughly halfway through the
takeoff. The wheel departed the airplane,
which kept going straight although it was
making some scraping noises. I wouldn’t
have noticed it except that the wheel ran
parallel to the airplane for a few feet before
the airplane lifted off. Landing on the strut
was smooth, with no problems; it was just
noisy.
During this flying session I noticed that a
roughly 5 mph wind was not a problem.
I wanted to find out why the green-camo
A-10 seemed to fly better. The sound of its
motors indicated that they were turning faster
than the gray model’s. The gray A-10 is
lighter and has a 10-amp speed controller
with fairly small wires. The green-camo A-10
is an ounce heavier, it has a 20-amp speed
controller with larger wires all the way back
to the motor, and it has teeth. Since the teeth
probably don’t make it fly better (just
meaner), the larger wires may allow less
power loss at the motors. Based on this, I
suggest using a 15- to 20-amp ESC with large
wires all the way back to the motors.
This is a great electric-ducted-fan starter
model. The A-10 has excellent flying
qualities at all speeds and will delight the
builder and the pilot. This is a wellengineered
kit that is enjoyable to build and
results in a sharp-looking (or as good as any
airplane nicknamed “Warthog” can look)
scale model. I highly recommend it and think
it is a superior value. MA
(Editor’s note: GWS advises that the A-10
kit with the EDF-50 units is intended for
indoor flying. The upgraded kit that includes
the EDF-55 units is better suited to
aerobatics.
Also, GWS recommends using five-minute
epoxy for construction.)
Specifications:
Wingspan: 38 inches
Wing area: 219 square inches
Length: 34 inches
Recommended weight: 14.5 ounces
Review model’s weight (ready to fly): 16.3
ounces with battery
Power supplied in kit: Two GWS EDF-50
ducted-fan units. You must add a six-cell Ni-
Cd battery.
Recommended radio: Four-channel—aileron,
68 MODEL AVIATION
DO YOU SEEK TRUE QUALITY?
Made in the U.S.A.
by Romco Manufacturing, Inc.
100 West First Street, Deer Park, Texas 77536
PRECISION MODEL PRODUCTS
YOU’LL ALWAYS
FIND IT HERE!
www.tru-turn.com – 281-479-9600
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 68
70 MODEL AVIATION
elevator, motor, nose-wheel steering
Radio used: Futaba 8U transmitter, GWS R4P
receiver, Hitec HS-55 servos, 10-amp ESC
Kit materials: Foam (structure), plastic (parts)
Needed to finish model: Sharp hobby knife,
wire-cutting pliers, foam-friendly
cyanoacrylate
Needed to fly model: Transmitter, receiver,
three servos, ESC, motor battery
Manufacturer/distributor:
GWS USA, LLC
3401 Airport Dr.
Torrance CA 90505
(310) 891-3339
Toll free: (866) FLYGWS4
Fax: (310) 891-3313
www.gws.com.tw/
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 352-1913
Toll free: (800) 338-4639
Fax: (217) 352-6799
Street price: $79.99
Products used in review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system, 20-amp
ESC:
Great Planes Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos, 555 receiver:
Hitec RCD USA, Inc.
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
Fax: (858) 748-1767
www.hitecrcd.com
NEED LASER CUT PARTS
OR CAD WORK FOR THAT
DREAM SHIP?
We can work from your drawing, your sketch
or your idea. Top quality materials and 25
years of experience assure you of a Top
Notch job. Call today to arrange for a quote
or eMail your requirements.
Top Notch Products Company
P.O.Box 1051
Goodletsville, TN 37070
Phone 615-310-5371
eMail [email protected]
ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICES
For information, call 281-998-2529, or send SASE to:
GCBM R/C Models Inc.
PO Box 7967, Pasadena, TX 77508 • website: gcbmrc.com
• We buy: R/C Airplane Kits, ARF’s,
Engines, Radios, Field Equipment,
Building Accessories
• Entire Estates
• Vintage and Antique Collections
• Hobby Shop Inventories
• New or Used
• Pick-up Service Available
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
94" Fiesler Storch $35.00
Laser cut parts available
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$8.00 for
postage.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:36 am Page 70
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 62,64,66,68,70
62 MODEL AVIATION
THE GWS A-10 Warthog is a twin ductedfan,
electric-powered, radio-controlled scale
model that only weighs 16 ounces. To put
this achievement into perspective, the
technology available 10 years ago would
P r o d u c t R e v i e w David Adams
E-mail: [email protected]
GWS A-10 Warthog
Pros:
• Attractive scale model.
• Kit shows impressive engineering.
• Great parts molding with nice
surface detail.
• Excellent-quality ducted-fan units
included.
• Complete kit; all necessary parts to
make the model are included.
• Terrific high- and low-speed flying
qualities.
• Good instruction manual.
• Outstanding airplane value for the
price.
Cons:
• No pilot figure.
• Fluent English-speaking editor
needs to review text in manual.
• Many plastic parts were left over;
it’s confusing.
• Extremely slow-drying glue.
• Unrealistic wheels.
• Fragile gray paint—but hangar rash
tends to give it character.
• No rudder control.
• Push-on wheel retainers don’t
retain wheels well enough.
The A-10 is not for beginners; however, it is perfect for modelers who are new to ducted-fan power.
The A-10’s high-aspect-ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has excellent aerodynamics for
slow-speed use. This aircraft is extremely realistic in flight!
have made this task impossible to
accomplish; five years ago it would have
been within the capabilities of a few hightech
wizards.
Today the wizards at GWS are making
this technology available to everyone in an
inexpensive kit that produces a nice-looking,
good-flying airplane. What makes the A-10
kit (and all of GWS’s kits) an exceptional
value is that the price includes both ductedfan
units (which are ready to run).
The A-10 is not a beginner’s model (you
should be comfortable controlling a model
with ailerons); however, it is perfect for a
beginner to ducted-fan power. Its highaspect-
ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has
excellent aerodynamics for slow-speed use.
The fan assemblies are set into pods,
eliminating the propulsion losses you can
find in models with longer duct assemblies.
The fuselage’s long nose allows you to
balance the model for flight with no
additional nose weight. Tricycle gear makes
ground handling and takeoff runs smooth.
The molded parts’ fit and finish are
great. There are molding bumps on the top
of the wings and tail that are designed to
look like rivets, but they do stick up a little
high. I used some fine sandpaper to knock
them down a bit, and doing so removed the
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:12 am Page 62
64 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
gray paint on the bump. The result is a lightcolored
rivet against the wing’s gray skin,
which gives the model a pleasant weathered
look.
This is actually the second A-10 I have
built. I built the first one, which is the greencamouflage
version in the photos, from a
preliminary kit with just a couple pages of
simple instructions. The fact that I could
build it with minimal instructions indicates
how smoothly and logically the model goes
together.
However, I do recommend that the
builder read through and thoroughly
understand the instructions before building
any model. Following the instruction manual
carefully should enable you to build the A-
10 with no problems. There are no tricky
areas that require unusual skills.
Concerns and Modifications: The paint is
light, thin, and brittle. I would prefer a paint
that stuck better when used on the foam.
Molding the model from gray-tinted foam
would be better a choice than a painted
surface.
There is a warning about using tape
around the finish, but you must be careful
when you use any kind of sticky material
around the airplane. The adhesive will pull
the paint off easily. This includes the decals
What makes the A-10 kit an exceptional value is that the price includes both ducted-fan
units. This is normal practice with all of the kits from GWS.
The A-10 accelerated slowly, and after approximately 80 feet,
with some up-elevator fed in, it lifted off smoothly.
This well-engineered kit is enjoyable to build and results in a nice-looking model—in spite of the nickname “Warthog”!
The A-10 can easily do maneuvers once it gains altitude. Loops
require a bit of a dive to achieve the proper speed.
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:33 am Page 64
66 MODEL AVIATION
supplied with the kit. Be careful when you
align them, and be sure that they are in the
proper position before you touch them to the
finish.
I don’t care for the GWS glue. I used it to
attach the two fuselage sides. I squeezed what
I thought was a reasonable amount onto each
of the mating surfaces. Using the supplied
rubber bands to hold the sides together, I set
the fuselage aside to dry.
When I looked at the fuselage 30 minutes
later, I saw that the glue had oozed out of the
joints. (I had used too much.) I wiped off the
excess with a cloth, but I left a small bubble
of adhesive in an inconspicuous place to act
as an indicator of when the glue might be
hardened. A day later it was still not hard.
If you use the GWS glue, do be prepared
to give it adequate time to dry before
stressing the joints. It is good glue; it just
takes an incredibly long time to dry,
especially in an area that has limited access to
the air.
I like to build a little faster than the pace
dictated by the GWS glue, so I switched to a
foam-friendly cyanoacrylate. It worked fine
on the foam and made the building process
rapid. It was somewhat surprising when the
airplane was finished in just a few hours.
Do double-check the cyanoacrylate you
use on a small piece of foam to ensure
compatibility, and don’t use an excessive
amount where it can be trapped in a liquid
form; this can eventually dissolve the foam.
It would be nice to have operating rudders
since a servo for nose-wheel steering is
already installed. I built the gray A-10 exactly
according to instructions with fixed rudders. I
modified the green-camo A-10 with a
bellcrank at the rear of the fuselage and a
pushrod to each rudder. It is not too
noticeable and was easy to do.
Radio Equipment: No radio equipment was
provided, so I used my Futaba 8U transmitter.
It has a Campac module allowing 40 models,
which is good since I have roughly 30. I have
had it for several years, and although I
occasionally forget how to program the
functions, my fingers remember how to push
the right buttons.
To achieve the lightest weight, the
recommended flight equipment is a GWS R4
receiver, an ICS 100 ESC, GWS Pico-series
servos, and a six-cell 400 mAh 2/3AA
battery.
I used a GWS R4P in the gray A-10. I
have seven of these receivers flying in
various airplanes, and their performance has
been flawless. But do keep in mind that it is a
limited-range, single-conversion receiver and
will not have the adjacent frequency rejection
that a double-conversion receiver will have.
The green-camo A-10 has a Hitec 555
double-conversion receiver in it. It adds
approximately a half ounce but is good for a
crowded flying field. There are doubleconversion
receivers that weigh less, but I
don’t have one. I recommend using a doubleconversion
receiver whenever possible.
I used Hitec HS-55 servos, which I have
installed in five of my airplanes. They have
worked perfectly. Any lightweight servo
would be acceptable.
The ESC I used in the gray A-10 was a
10-amp-capacity unit of unknown
manufacture; the label was torn off. The
green-camo A-10 used a Great Planes 20-
amp ESC. See my notes at the end of the
“Flying” section.
Since I had some six-cell, 350 mAh Ni-
Cd packs, I used them for power.
Flying: Finally we had a morning with no
wind. With two airplanes waiting to be tested,
it didn’t seem as if that would ever happen. I
did a thorough preflight of each airplane and
checked control throws and CG locations. I
adjusted the CG on each airplane for the
middle of the instruction-manual range, using
2-inch nails shoved into the nose foam for
weights.
I flew the gray A-10 first because it was
built to GWS specifications and was lighter.
It accelerated slowly. After roughly 80 feet, I
fed in some up-elevator and it lifted off
smoothly. The takeoffs are straight and
smooth. However, it gained altitude slowly.
Circling over the soybean field at 3 feet, I
made a mental note to myself that the
airplane was forgiving in flight and handled
the low speed well. A few clicks of up-trim
were needed for level flight.
I kept making large circles with a small
bank angle with minimal control movements.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 66
The total altitude gained after several minutes
was approximately 20 feet, and the airplane
did not seem capable of doing any maneuvers
such as loops or rolls. As the battery voltage
dropped off, the airplane started to descend. I
lined up the model on the runway and made a
nice landing.
The green-camo A-10 was next. It weighs
roughly an ounce more than the gray A-10,
but its acceleration seemed better and the
climb rate was better. The overall height
gained was approximately 30 feet, and
although the airplane seemed slightly faster
and more responsive, I didn’t feel confident
enough to try maneuvers. Another nice
landing followed.
I went to the local hobby store and bought
enough batteries for four packs of seven cells.
I used a AA NiMH rated at 700 mAh. On a
discharge test these measured more like 550
mAh. They did fit nicely within the plastic
battery hatch.
Based on information on the Internet
discussion groups, I moved the CG to roughly
62mm from the wing LE; this is slightly aft of
the recommended 50- to 57mm range, and I
was able to remove the nails from each
airplane’s nose.
The flights with the seven-cell packs were
exceptional. The gray A-10’s acceleration
was good, and liftoff was approximately 50
feet down the runway. Climbout was fine,
and I cruised the model around until it had
achieved a height of nearly 300 feet in a
couple of minutes. Pitch response at the aft
CG was good, and the airplane handled
nicely. From that height, I performed a series
of loops and rolls with the model until it was
back at a low altitude, and then I landed it.
The green-camo A-10 was off next. Its
performance was noticeably better even
though it weighed more than the gray version.
The rudders allow a coordinated turn to be
made, the takeoff is easier to control in a
crosswind, and I do think it is worth making
them. I spent most of the time flying this
model at a low altitude, doing loops and rolls
and generally having a ball.
On another flight, one of the wheel
keepers came off roughly halfway through the
takeoff. The wheel departed the airplane,
which kept going straight although it was
making some scraping noises. I wouldn’t
have noticed it except that the wheel ran
parallel to the airplane for a few feet before
the airplane lifted off. Landing on the strut
was smooth, with no problems; it was just
noisy.
During this flying session I noticed that a
roughly 5 mph wind was not a problem.
I wanted to find out why the green-camo
A-10 seemed to fly better. The sound of its
motors indicated that they were turning faster
than the gray model’s. The gray A-10 is
lighter and has a 10-amp speed controller
with fairly small wires. The green-camo A-10
is an ounce heavier, it has a 20-amp speed
controller with larger wires all the way back
to the motor, and it has teeth. Since the teeth
probably don’t make it fly better (just
meaner), the larger wires may allow less
power loss at the motors. Based on this, I
suggest using a 15- to 20-amp ESC with large
wires all the way back to the motors.
This is a great electric-ducted-fan starter
model. The A-10 has excellent flying
qualities at all speeds and will delight the
builder and the pilot. This is a wellengineered
kit that is enjoyable to build and
results in a sharp-looking (or as good as any
airplane nicknamed “Warthog” can look)
scale model. I highly recommend it and think
it is a superior value. MA
(Editor’s note: GWS advises that the A-10
kit with the EDF-50 units is intended for
indoor flying. The upgraded kit that includes
the EDF-55 units is better suited to
aerobatics.
Also, GWS recommends using five-minute
epoxy for construction.)
Specifications:
Wingspan: 38 inches
Wing area: 219 square inches
Length: 34 inches
Recommended weight: 14.5 ounces
Review model’s weight (ready to fly): 16.3
ounces with battery
Power supplied in kit: Two GWS EDF-50
ducted-fan units. You must add a six-cell Ni-
Cd battery.
Recommended radio: Four-channel—aileron,
68 MODEL AVIATION
DO YOU SEEK TRUE QUALITY?
Made in the U.S.A.
by Romco Manufacturing, Inc.
100 West First Street, Deer Park, Texas 77536
PRECISION MODEL PRODUCTS
YOU’LL ALWAYS
FIND IT HERE!
www.tru-turn.com – 281-479-9600
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 68
70 MODEL AVIATION
elevator, motor, nose-wheel steering
Radio used: Futaba 8U transmitter, GWS R4P
receiver, Hitec HS-55 servos, 10-amp ESC
Kit materials: Foam (structure), plastic (parts)
Needed to finish model: Sharp hobby knife,
wire-cutting pliers, foam-friendly
cyanoacrylate
Needed to fly model: Transmitter, receiver,
three servos, ESC, motor battery
Manufacturer/distributor:
GWS USA, LLC
3401 Airport Dr.
Torrance CA 90505
(310) 891-3339
Toll free: (866) FLYGWS4
Fax: (310) 891-3313
www.gws.com.tw/
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 352-1913
Toll free: (800) 338-4639
Fax: (217) 352-6799
Street price: $79.99
Products used in review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system, 20-amp
ESC:
Great Planes Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos, 555 receiver:
Hitec RCD USA, Inc.
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
Fax: (858) 748-1767
www.hitecrcd.com
NEED LASER CUT PARTS
OR CAD WORK FOR THAT
DREAM SHIP?
We can work from your drawing, your sketch
or your idea. Top quality materials and 25
years of experience assure you of a Top
Notch job. Call today to arrange for a quote
or eMail your requirements.
Top Notch Products Company
P.O.Box 1051
Goodletsville, TN 37070
Phone 615-310-5371
eMail [email protected]
ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICES
For information, call 281-998-2529, or send SASE to:
GCBM R/C Models Inc.
PO Box 7967, Pasadena, TX 77508 • website: gcbmrc.com
• We buy: R/C Airplane Kits, ARF’s,
Engines, Radios, Field Equipment,
Building Accessories
• Entire Estates
• Vintage and Antique Collections
• Hobby Shop Inventories
• New or Used
• Pick-up Service Available
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
94" Fiesler Storch $35.00
Laser cut parts available
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$8.00 for
postage.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:36 am Page 70
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 62,64,66,68,70
62 MODEL AVIATION
THE GWS A-10 Warthog is a twin ductedfan,
electric-powered, radio-controlled scale
model that only weighs 16 ounces. To put
this achievement into perspective, the
technology available 10 years ago would
P r o d u c t R e v i e w David Adams
E-mail: [email protected]
GWS A-10 Warthog
Pros:
• Attractive scale model.
• Kit shows impressive engineering.
• Great parts molding with nice
surface detail.
• Excellent-quality ducted-fan units
included.
• Complete kit; all necessary parts to
make the model are included.
• Terrific high- and low-speed flying
qualities.
• Good instruction manual.
• Outstanding airplane value for the
price.
Cons:
• No pilot figure.
• Fluent English-speaking editor
needs to review text in manual.
• Many plastic parts were left over;
it’s confusing.
• Extremely slow-drying glue.
• Unrealistic wheels.
• Fragile gray paint—but hangar rash
tends to give it character.
• No rudder control.
• Push-on wheel retainers don’t
retain wheels well enough.
The A-10 is not for beginners; however, it is perfect for modelers who are new to ducted-fan power.
The A-10’s high-aspect-ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has excellent aerodynamics for
slow-speed use. This aircraft is extremely realistic in flight!
have made this task impossible to
accomplish; five years ago it would have
been within the capabilities of a few hightech
wizards.
Today the wizards at GWS are making
this technology available to everyone in an
inexpensive kit that produces a nice-looking,
good-flying airplane. What makes the A-10
kit (and all of GWS’s kits) an exceptional
value is that the price includes both ductedfan
units (which are ready to run).
The A-10 is not a beginner’s model (you
should be comfortable controlling a model
with ailerons); however, it is perfect for a
beginner to ducted-fan power. Its highaspect-
ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has
excellent aerodynamics for slow-speed use.
The fan assemblies are set into pods,
eliminating the propulsion losses you can
find in models with longer duct assemblies.
The fuselage’s long nose allows you to
balance the model for flight with no
additional nose weight. Tricycle gear makes
ground handling and takeoff runs smooth.
The molded parts’ fit and finish are
great. There are molding bumps on the top
of the wings and tail that are designed to
look like rivets, but they do stick up a little
high. I used some fine sandpaper to knock
them down a bit, and doing so removed the
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:12 am Page 62
64 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
gray paint on the bump. The result is a lightcolored
rivet against the wing’s gray skin,
which gives the model a pleasant weathered
look.
This is actually the second A-10 I have
built. I built the first one, which is the greencamouflage
version in the photos, from a
preliminary kit with just a couple pages of
simple instructions. The fact that I could
build it with minimal instructions indicates
how smoothly and logically the model goes
together.
However, I do recommend that the
builder read through and thoroughly
understand the instructions before building
any model. Following the instruction manual
carefully should enable you to build the A-
10 with no problems. There are no tricky
areas that require unusual skills.
Concerns and Modifications: The paint is
light, thin, and brittle. I would prefer a paint
that stuck better when used on the foam.
Molding the model from gray-tinted foam
would be better a choice than a painted
surface.
There is a warning about using tape
around the finish, but you must be careful
when you use any kind of sticky material
around the airplane. The adhesive will pull
the paint off easily. This includes the decals
What makes the A-10 kit an exceptional value is that the price includes both ducted-fan
units. This is normal practice with all of the kits from GWS.
The A-10 accelerated slowly, and after approximately 80 feet,
with some up-elevator fed in, it lifted off smoothly.
This well-engineered kit is enjoyable to build and results in a nice-looking model—in spite of the nickname “Warthog”!
The A-10 can easily do maneuvers once it gains altitude. Loops
require a bit of a dive to achieve the proper speed.
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:33 am Page 64
66 MODEL AVIATION
supplied with the kit. Be careful when you
align them, and be sure that they are in the
proper position before you touch them to the
finish.
I don’t care for the GWS glue. I used it to
attach the two fuselage sides. I squeezed what
I thought was a reasonable amount onto each
of the mating surfaces. Using the supplied
rubber bands to hold the sides together, I set
the fuselage aside to dry.
When I looked at the fuselage 30 minutes
later, I saw that the glue had oozed out of the
joints. (I had used too much.) I wiped off the
excess with a cloth, but I left a small bubble
of adhesive in an inconspicuous place to act
as an indicator of when the glue might be
hardened. A day later it was still not hard.
If you use the GWS glue, do be prepared
to give it adequate time to dry before
stressing the joints. It is good glue; it just
takes an incredibly long time to dry,
especially in an area that has limited access to
the air.
I like to build a little faster than the pace
dictated by the GWS glue, so I switched to a
foam-friendly cyanoacrylate. It worked fine
on the foam and made the building process
rapid. It was somewhat surprising when the
airplane was finished in just a few hours.
Do double-check the cyanoacrylate you
use on a small piece of foam to ensure
compatibility, and don’t use an excessive
amount where it can be trapped in a liquid
form; this can eventually dissolve the foam.
It would be nice to have operating rudders
since a servo for nose-wheel steering is
already installed. I built the gray A-10 exactly
according to instructions with fixed rudders. I
modified the green-camo A-10 with a
bellcrank at the rear of the fuselage and a
pushrod to each rudder. It is not too
noticeable and was easy to do.
Radio Equipment: No radio equipment was
provided, so I used my Futaba 8U transmitter.
It has a Campac module allowing 40 models,
which is good since I have roughly 30. I have
had it for several years, and although I
occasionally forget how to program the
functions, my fingers remember how to push
the right buttons.
To achieve the lightest weight, the
recommended flight equipment is a GWS R4
receiver, an ICS 100 ESC, GWS Pico-series
servos, and a six-cell 400 mAh 2/3AA
battery.
I used a GWS R4P in the gray A-10. I
have seven of these receivers flying in
various airplanes, and their performance has
been flawless. But do keep in mind that it is a
limited-range, single-conversion receiver and
will not have the adjacent frequency rejection
that a double-conversion receiver will have.
The green-camo A-10 has a Hitec 555
double-conversion receiver in it. It adds
approximately a half ounce but is good for a
crowded flying field. There are doubleconversion
receivers that weigh less, but I
don’t have one. I recommend using a doubleconversion
receiver whenever possible.
I used Hitec HS-55 servos, which I have
installed in five of my airplanes. They have
worked perfectly. Any lightweight servo
would be acceptable.
The ESC I used in the gray A-10 was a
10-amp-capacity unit of unknown
manufacture; the label was torn off. The
green-camo A-10 used a Great Planes 20-
amp ESC. See my notes at the end of the
“Flying” section.
Since I had some six-cell, 350 mAh Ni-
Cd packs, I used them for power.
Flying: Finally we had a morning with no
wind. With two airplanes waiting to be tested,
it didn’t seem as if that would ever happen. I
did a thorough preflight of each airplane and
checked control throws and CG locations. I
adjusted the CG on each airplane for the
middle of the instruction-manual range, using
2-inch nails shoved into the nose foam for
weights.
I flew the gray A-10 first because it was
built to GWS specifications and was lighter.
It accelerated slowly. After roughly 80 feet, I
fed in some up-elevator and it lifted off
smoothly. The takeoffs are straight and
smooth. However, it gained altitude slowly.
Circling over the soybean field at 3 feet, I
made a mental note to myself that the
airplane was forgiving in flight and handled
the low speed well. A few clicks of up-trim
were needed for level flight.
I kept making large circles with a small
bank angle with minimal control movements.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 66
The total altitude gained after several minutes
was approximately 20 feet, and the airplane
did not seem capable of doing any maneuvers
such as loops or rolls. As the battery voltage
dropped off, the airplane started to descend. I
lined up the model on the runway and made a
nice landing.
The green-camo A-10 was next. It weighs
roughly an ounce more than the gray A-10,
but its acceleration seemed better and the
climb rate was better. The overall height
gained was approximately 30 feet, and
although the airplane seemed slightly faster
and more responsive, I didn’t feel confident
enough to try maneuvers. Another nice
landing followed.
I went to the local hobby store and bought
enough batteries for four packs of seven cells.
I used a AA NiMH rated at 700 mAh. On a
discharge test these measured more like 550
mAh. They did fit nicely within the plastic
battery hatch.
Based on information on the Internet
discussion groups, I moved the CG to roughly
62mm from the wing LE; this is slightly aft of
the recommended 50- to 57mm range, and I
was able to remove the nails from each
airplane’s nose.
The flights with the seven-cell packs were
exceptional. The gray A-10’s acceleration
was good, and liftoff was approximately 50
feet down the runway. Climbout was fine,
and I cruised the model around until it had
achieved a height of nearly 300 feet in a
couple of minutes. Pitch response at the aft
CG was good, and the airplane handled
nicely. From that height, I performed a series
of loops and rolls with the model until it was
back at a low altitude, and then I landed it.
The green-camo A-10 was off next. Its
performance was noticeably better even
though it weighed more than the gray version.
The rudders allow a coordinated turn to be
made, the takeoff is easier to control in a
crosswind, and I do think it is worth making
them. I spent most of the time flying this
model at a low altitude, doing loops and rolls
and generally having a ball.
On another flight, one of the wheel
keepers came off roughly halfway through the
takeoff. The wheel departed the airplane,
which kept going straight although it was
making some scraping noises. I wouldn’t
have noticed it except that the wheel ran
parallel to the airplane for a few feet before
the airplane lifted off. Landing on the strut
was smooth, with no problems; it was just
noisy.
During this flying session I noticed that a
roughly 5 mph wind was not a problem.
I wanted to find out why the green-camo
A-10 seemed to fly better. The sound of its
motors indicated that they were turning faster
than the gray model’s. The gray A-10 is
lighter and has a 10-amp speed controller
with fairly small wires. The green-camo A-10
is an ounce heavier, it has a 20-amp speed
controller with larger wires all the way back
to the motor, and it has teeth. Since the teeth
probably don’t make it fly better (just
meaner), the larger wires may allow less
power loss at the motors. Based on this, I
suggest using a 15- to 20-amp ESC with large
wires all the way back to the motors.
This is a great electric-ducted-fan starter
model. The A-10 has excellent flying
qualities at all speeds and will delight the
builder and the pilot. This is a wellengineered
kit that is enjoyable to build and
results in a sharp-looking (or as good as any
airplane nicknamed “Warthog” can look)
scale model. I highly recommend it and think
it is a superior value. MA
(Editor’s note: GWS advises that the A-10
kit with the EDF-50 units is intended for
indoor flying. The upgraded kit that includes
the EDF-55 units is better suited to
aerobatics.
Also, GWS recommends using five-minute
epoxy for construction.)
Specifications:
Wingspan: 38 inches
Wing area: 219 square inches
Length: 34 inches
Recommended weight: 14.5 ounces
Review model’s weight (ready to fly): 16.3
ounces with battery
Power supplied in kit: Two GWS EDF-50
ducted-fan units. You must add a six-cell Ni-
Cd battery.
Recommended radio: Four-channel—aileron,
68 MODEL AVIATION
DO YOU SEEK TRUE QUALITY?
Made in the U.S.A.
by Romco Manufacturing, Inc.
100 West First Street, Deer Park, Texas 77536
PRECISION MODEL PRODUCTS
YOU’LL ALWAYS
FIND IT HERE!
www.tru-turn.com – 281-479-9600
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 68
70 MODEL AVIATION
elevator, motor, nose-wheel steering
Radio used: Futaba 8U transmitter, GWS R4P
receiver, Hitec HS-55 servos, 10-amp ESC
Kit materials: Foam (structure), plastic (parts)
Needed to finish model: Sharp hobby knife,
wire-cutting pliers, foam-friendly
cyanoacrylate
Needed to fly model: Transmitter, receiver,
three servos, ESC, motor battery
Manufacturer/distributor:
GWS USA, LLC
3401 Airport Dr.
Torrance CA 90505
(310) 891-3339
Toll free: (866) FLYGWS4
Fax: (310) 891-3313
www.gws.com.tw/
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 352-1913
Toll free: (800) 338-4639
Fax: (217) 352-6799
Street price: $79.99
Products used in review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system, 20-amp
ESC:
Great Planes Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos, 555 receiver:
Hitec RCD USA, Inc.
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
Fax: (858) 748-1767
www.hitecrcd.com
NEED LASER CUT PARTS
OR CAD WORK FOR THAT
DREAM SHIP?
We can work from your drawing, your sketch
or your idea. Top quality materials and 25
years of experience assure you of a Top
Notch job. Call today to arrange for a quote
or eMail your requirements.
Top Notch Products Company
P.O.Box 1051
Goodletsville, TN 37070
Phone 615-310-5371
eMail [email protected]
ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICES
For information, call 281-998-2529, or send SASE to:
GCBM R/C Models Inc.
PO Box 7967, Pasadena, TX 77508 • website: gcbmrc.com
• We buy: R/C Airplane Kits, ARF’s,
Engines, Radios, Field Equipment,
Building Accessories
• Entire Estates
• Vintage and Antique Collections
• Hobby Shop Inventories
• New or Used
• Pick-up Service Available
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
94" Fiesler Storch $35.00
Laser cut parts available
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$8.00 for
postage.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:36 am Page 70
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 62,64,66,68,70
62 MODEL AVIATION
THE GWS A-10 Warthog is a twin ductedfan,
electric-powered, radio-controlled scale
model that only weighs 16 ounces. To put
this achievement into perspective, the
technology available 10 years ago would
P r o d u c t R e v i e w David Adams
E-mail: [email protected]
GWS A-10 Warthog
Pros:
• Attractive scale model.
• Kit shows impressive engineering.
• Great parts molding with nice
surface detail.
• Excellent-quality ducted-fan units
included.
• Complete kit; all necessary parts to
make the model are included.
• Terrific high- and low-speed flying
qualities.
• Good instruction manual.
• Outstanding airplane value for the
price.
Cons:
• No pilot figure.
• Fluent English-speaking editor
needs to review text in manual.
• Many plastic parts were left over;
it’s confusing.
• Extremely slow-drying glue.
• Unrealistic wheels.
• Fragile gray paint—but hangar rash
tends to give it character.
• No rudder control.
• Push-on wheel retainers don’t
retain wheels well enough.
The A-10 is not for beginners; however, it is perfect for modelers who are new to ducted-fan power.
The A-10’s high-aspect-ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has excellent aerodynamics for
slow-speed use. This aircraft is extremely realistic in flight!
have made this task impossible to
accomplish; five years ago it would have
been within the capabilities of a few hightech
wizards.
Today the wizards at GWS are making
this technology available to everyone in an
inexpensive kit that produces a nice-looking,
good-flying airplane. What makes the A-10
kit (and all of GWS’s kits) an exceptional
value is that the price includes both ductedfan
units (which are ready to run).
The A-10 is not a beginner’s model (you
should be comfortable controlling a model
with ailerons); however, it is perfect for a
beginner to ducted-fan power. Its highaspect-
ratio wing with the Hoerner tips has
excellent aerodynamics for slow-speed use.
The fan assemblies are set into pods,
eliminating the propulsion losses you can
find in models with longer duct assemblies.
The fuselage’s long nose allows you to
balance the model for flight with no
additional nose weight. Tricycle gear makes
ground handling and takeoff runs smooth.
The molded parts’ fit and finish are
great. There are molding bumps on the top
of the wings and tail that are designed to
look like rivets, but they do stick up a little
high. I used some fine sandpaper to knock
them down a bit, and doing so removed the
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:12 am Page 62
64 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
gray paint on the bump. The result is a lightcolored
rivet against the wing’s gray skin,
which gives the model a pleasant weathered
look.
This is actually the second A-10 I have
built. I built the first one, which is the greencamouflage
version in the photos, from a
preliminary kit with just a couple pages of
simple instructions. The fact that I could
build it with minimal instructions indicates
how smoothly and logically the model goes
together.
However, I do recommend that the
builder read through and thoroughly
understand the instructions before building
any model. Following the instruction manual
carefully should enable you to build the A-
10 with no problems. There are no tricky
areas that require unusual skills.
Concerns and Modifications: The paint is
light, thin, and brittle. I would prefer a paint
that stuck better when used on the foam.
Molding the model from gray-tinted foam
would be better a choice than a painted
surface.
There is a warning about using tape
around the finish, but you must be careful
when you use any kind of sticky material
around the airplane. The adhesive will pull
the paint off easily. This includes the decals
What makes the A-10 kit an exceptional value is that the price includes both ducted-fan
units. This is normal practice with all of the kits from GWS.
The A-10 accelerated slowly, and after approximately 80 feet,
with some up-elevator fed in, it lifted off smoothly.
This well-engineered kit is enjoyable to build and results in a nice-looking model—in spite of the nickname “Warthog”!
The A-10 can easily do maneuvers once it gains altitude. Loops
require a bit of a dive to achieve the proper speed.
09sig2.QXD 6/24/04 9:33 am Page 64
66 MODEL AVIATION
supplied with the kit. Be careful when you
align them, and be sure that they are in the
proper position before you touch them to the
finish.
I don’t care for the GWS glue. I used it to
attach the two fuselage sides. I squeezed what
I thought was a reasonable amount onto each
of the mating surfaces. Using the supplied
rubber bands to hold the sides together, I set
the fuselage aside to dry.
When I looked at the fuselage 30 minutes
later, I saw that the glue had oozed out of the
joints. (I had used too much.) I wiped off the
excess with a cloth, but I left a small bubble
of adhesive in an inconspicuous place to act
as an indicator of when the glue might be
hardened. A day later it was still not hard.
If you use the GWS glue, do be prepared
to give it adequate time to dry before
stressing the joints. It is good glue; it just
takes an incredibly long time to dry,
especially in an area that has limited access to
the air.
I like to build a little faster than the pace
dictated by the GWS glue, so I switched to a
foam-friendly cyanoacrylate. It worked fine
on the foam and made the building process
rapid. It was somewhat surprising when the
airplane was finished in just a few hours.
Do double-check the cyanoacrylate you
use on a small piece of foam to ensure
compatibility, and don’t use an excessive
amount where it can be trapped in a liquid
form; this can eventually dissolve the foam.
It would be nice to have operating rudders
since a servo for nose-wheel steering is
already installed. I built the gray A-10 exactly
according to instructions with fixed rudders. I
modified the green-camo A-10 with a
bellcrank at the rear of the fuselage and a
pushrod to each rudder. It is not too
noticeable and was easy to do.
Radio Equipment: No radio equipment was
provided, so I used my Futaba 8U transmitter.
It has a Campac module allowing 40 models,
which is good since I have roughly 30. I have
had it for several years, and although I
occasionally forget how to program the
functions, my fingers remember how to push
the right buttons.
To achieve the lightest weight, the
recommended flight equipment is a GWS R4
receiver, an ICS 100 ESC, GWS Pico-series
servos, and a six-cell 400 mAh 2/3AA
battery.
I used a GWS R4P in the gray A-10. I
have seven of these receivers flying in
various airplanes, and their performance has
been flawless. But do keep in mind that it is a
limited-range, single-conversion receiver and
will not have the adjacent frequency rejection
that a double-conversion receiver will have.
The green-camo A-10 has a Hitec 555
double-conversion receiver in it. It adds
approximately a half ounce but is good for a
crowded flying field. There are doubleconversion
receivers that weigh less, but I
don’t have one. I recommend using a doubleconversion
receiver whenever possible.
I used Hitec HS-55 servos, which I have
installed in five of my airplanes. They have
worked perfectly. Any lightweight servo
would be acceptable.
The ESC I used in the gray A-10 was a
10-amp-capacity unit of unknown
manufacture; the label was torn off. The
green-camo A-10 used a Great Planes 20-
amp ESC. See my notes at the end of the
“Flying” section.
Since I had some six-cell, 350 mAh Ni-
Cd packs, I used them for power.
Flying: Finally we had a morning with no
wind. With two airplanes waiting to be tested,
it didn’t seem as if that would ever happen. I
did a thorough preflight of each airplane and
checked control throws and CG locations. I
adjusted the CG on each airplane for the
middle of the instruction-manual range, using
2-inch nails shoved into the nose foam for
weights.
I flew the gray A-10 first because it was
built to GWS specifications and was lighter.
It accelerated slowly. After roughly 80 feet, I
fed in some up-elevator and it lifted off
smoothly. The takeoffs are straight and
smooth. However, it gained altitude slowly.
Circling over the soybean field at 3 feet, I
made a mental note to myself that the
airplane was forgiving in flight and handled
the low speed well. A few clicks of up-trim
were needed for level flight.
I kept making large circles with a small
bank angle with minimal control movements.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 66
The total altitude gained after several minutes
was approximately 20 feet, and the airplane
did not seem capable of doing any maneuvers
such as loops or rolls. As the battery voltage
dropped off, the airplane started to descend. I
lined up the model on the runway and made a
nice landing.
The green-camo A-10 was next. It weighs
roughly an ounce more than the gray A-10,
but its acceleration seemed better and the
climb rate was better. The overall height
gained was approximately 30 feet, and
although the airplane seemed slightly faster
and more responsive, I didn’t feel confident
enough to try maneuvers. Another nice
landing followed.
I went to the local hobby store and bought
enough batteries for four packs of seven cells.
I used a AA NiMH rated at 700 mAh. On a
discharge test these measured more like 550
mAh. They did fit nicely within the plastic
battery hatch.
Based on information on the Internet
discussion groups, I moved the CG to roughly
62mm from the wing LE; this is slightly aft of
the recommended 50- to 57mm range, and I
was able to remove the nails from each
airplane’s nose.
The flights with the seven-cell packs were
exceptional. The gray A-10’s acceleration
was good, and liftoff was approximately 50
feet down the runway. Climbout was fine,
and I cruised the model around until it had
achieved a height of nearly 300 feet in a
couple of minutes. Pitch response at the aft
CG was good, and the airplane handled
nicely. From that height, I performed a series
of loops and rolls with the model until it was
back at a low altitude, and then I landed it.
The green-camo A-10 was off next. Its
performance was noticeably better even
though it weighed more than the gray version.
The rudders allow a coordinated turn to be
made, the takeoff is easier to control in a
crosswind, and I do think it is worth making
them. I spent most of the time flying this
model at a low altitude, doing loops and rolls
and generally having a ball.
On another flight, one of the wheel
keepers came off roughly halfway through the
takeoff. The wheel departed the airplane,
which kept going straight although it was
making some scraping noises. I wouldn’t
have noticed it except that the wheel ran
parallel to the airplane for a few feet before
the airplane lifted off. Landing on the strut
was smooth, with no problems; it was just
noisy.
During this flying session I noticed that a
roughly 5 mph wind was not a problem.
I wanted to find out why the green-camo
A-10 seemed to fly better. The sound of its
motors indicated that they were turning faster
than the gray model’s. The gray A-10 is
lighter and has a 10-amp speed controller
with fairly small wires. The green-camo A-10
is an ounce heavier, it has a 20-amp speed
controller with larger wires all the way back
to the motor, and it has teeth. Since the teeth
probably don’t make it fly better (just
meaner), the larger wires may allow less
power loss at the motors. Based on this, I
suggest using a 15- to 20-amp ESC with large
wires all the way back to the motors.
This is a great electric-ducted-fan starter
model. The A-10 has excellent flying
qualities at all speeds and will delight the
builder and the pilot. This is a wellengineered
kit that is enjoyable to build and
results in a sharp-looking (or as good as any
airplane nicknamed “Warthog” can look)
scale model. I highly recommend it and think
it is a superior value. MA
(Editor’s note: GWS advises that the A-10
kit with the EDF-50 units is intended for
indoor flying. The upgraded kit that includes
the EDF-55 units is better suited to
aerobatics.
Also, GWS recommends using five-minute
epoxy for construction.)
Specifications:
Wingspan: 38 inches
Wing area: 219 square inches
Length: 34 inches
Recommended weight: 14.5 ounces
Review model’s weight (ready to fly): 16.3
ounces with battery
Power supplied in kit: Two GWS EDF-50
ducted-fan units. You must add a six-cell Ni-
Cd battery.
Recommended radio: Four-channel—aileron,
68 MODEL AVIATION
DO YOU SEEK TRUE QUALITY?
Made in the U.S.A.
by Romco Manufacturing, Inc.
100 West First Street, Deer Park, Texas 77536
PRECISION MODEL PRODUCTS
YOU’LL ALWAYS
FIND IT HERE!
www.tru-turn.com – 281-479-9600
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:35 am Page 68
70 MODEL AVIATION
elevator, motor, nose-wheel steering
Radio used: Futaba 8U transmitter, GWS R4P
receiver, Hitec HS-55 servos, 10-amp ESC
Kit materials: Foam (structure), plastic (parts)
Needed to finish model: Sharp hobby knife,
wire-cutting pliers, foam-friendly
cyanoacrylate
Needed to fly model: Transmitter, receiver,
three servos, ESC, motor battery
Manufacturer/distributor:
GWS USA, LLC
3401 Airport Dr.
Torrance CA 90505
(310) 891-3339
Toll free: (866) FLYGWS4
Fax: (310) 891-3313
www.gws.com.tw/
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 352-1913
Toll free: (800) 338-4639
Fax: (217) 352-6799
Street price: $79.99
Products used in review:
Futaba 8U Super Series radio system, 20-amp
ESC:
Great Planes Manufacturing
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61822
(217) 398-8970
www.futaba-rc.com
HS-55 servos, 555 receiver:
Hitec RCD USA, Inc.
12115 Paine St.
Poway CA 92064
(858) 748-6948
Fax: (858) 748-1767
www.hitecrcd.com
NEED LASER CUT PARTS
OR CAD WORK FOR THAT
DREAM SHIP?
We can work from your drawing, your sketch
or your idea. Top quality materials and 25
years of experience assure you of a Top
Notch job. Call today to arrange for a quote
or eMail your requirements.
Top Notch Products Company
P.O.Box 1051
Goodletsville, TN 37070
Phone 615-310-5371
eMail [email protected]
ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICES
For information, call 281-998-2529, or send SASE to:
GCBM R/C Models Inc.
PO Box 7967, Pasadena, TX 77508 • website: gcbmrc.com
• We buy: R/C Airplane Kits, ARF’s,
Engines, Radios, Field Equipment,
Building Accessories
• Entire Estates
• Vintage and Antique Collections
• Hobby Shop Inventories
• New or Used
• Pick-up Service Available
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
94" Fiesler Storch $35.00
Laser cut parts available
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$8.00 for
postage.
09sig3QXD 6/24/04 8:36 am Page 70