For most modelers "park flyer" conjures up images of a mildly powered electric airplane floating through the park at a serene 15 mph. GWS is about to radically alter park flyer perceptions with their new semi-scale Zero Fighter park flyer. This fully aerobatic, almost-ready-to-fly plane is anything but your typical day at the park.
Outstanding Scale Appearance
As park flyers go, the GWS Zero is by far one of the most scale ARF subjects we've seen. All its molded foam parts come out of the box painted in authentic green and gray Japanese WWII colors. The included black plastic cowl sports molded machine gun ports. Even the clear plastic canopy is provided with adhesive strips to recreate the canopy lines. The decals that are provided are authentic as well. In addition to the markings you would expect to be included (like big, red "Rising Sun" insignias), GWS has thrown in decals for tail numbers, squadron markings, and maintenance placards. Not a whole lot is left to the imagination. Once built, this plane looks like a Zero.
Quick Assembly
The Zero can easily be flight ready in a couple of evenings. The list of primary assembly tasks is relatively short: join the fuse halves, mount the horizontal stab and landing gear, trim and mount the cowl and canopy, and install the flight pack. That's about it. Most of the time you'll be waiting for glue to dry. Once finished the Zero Fighter will weigh in anywhere between 12 1 /2 to 13 1 /2 ounces, depending on the chosen flight pack.An included GWS 300C electric power system gives the Zero plenty of muscle. The GWS EPS300C is an all-in-one unit that comes with a 370 motor and gear reduction drive already mated. After attaching the ncluded 10x8 prop, the whole system simply pops onto the Zero's stick motor mount. This handy setup will let modelers swap GWS EPS units later on and experiment with different gear ratios and prop combinations. The flight pack, which is sold separately, includes a 7.2V 600mAh battery, 4-channel micro receiver, micro electronic speed control, and either three Naro servos, or three mini servos. We outfitted our test model with three GWS Naro Micro Servos (one each for elevator, rudder, and aileron), the GWS GWR-4P Micro receiver, and a GWS GS-100 micro ESC. Our Zero Fighter was powered by an Expert™ 8.4V 600mAh pack. We highly recommend using GWS electronics with GWS kits whenever possible. This setup worked flawlessly and gave the Zero Fighter enough power and control for sport aerobatics.
Living Up to a Legend
During WWII, there were few allied fighters that could come close to matching the maneuverability of the Zero. For a park flyer, the GWS version is plenty nimble also, thanks to ailerons on the wings and the obust 300C motor. Top speed is around 35 mph, a tad brisk for indoor flight but ideal for aerobatics in the park. We're talking loops from straight and level (inside or out), barrel rolls, inverted passes, even rolling circles. The Zero’s slow-speed behavior is excellent too; it is a park flyer. Flying around at reduced throttle, we wrapped the Zero into tight 20' wide circles without a hint of a tip stall. Normal stalls were tame and could be recovered from quickly. This stability made for tranquil takeoffs and landings. If you want to spice up your park flying experience, the GWS Zero Fighter is a great way to go about it. Its semi-scale lines, aerobatic ability, and stable slow-flight stability make it about as well-rounded a park flyer as you could hope for.
In Depth
- Wingspan: 33.5 in
- Wing Area: 204 in
- Overall Length: 27.8 in
- Flying Weight: 12.5 - 13.5 oz
- Motor Size: GWS EPS 300C (EPS 370) motor w/ gear reduction drive
- Radio: 4-Channel
- Servos: 3
- Wing Loading: 8.72 oz/sq ft
- Prop Size: 10x8
