Description

The Wildfire is a great looking plane, and it flies very well.  I built mine without the wing fairings.  If you want the fairings you’ll have to build them yourself because that’s not the kind of thing I can do on a laser cutter.

My kit incorporates modern construction details in the wing ribs.  They are cut for 3/16 x 3/16 spars on top and bottom, with plywood dihedral joints at the leading edge and spars.  This will be familiar and comfortable to people who have built a modern kit or plan.  I’ve also changed the length of the wing ribs slightly, because 5/16″ balsa wood is not a common item nowadays.  The ribs you will receive will need 3/8″ of balsa in the leading edge to make the wing the correct size.  You can use a 1/8″ sub leading edge plus 1/4″ leading edge per the method shown on the plan, or just put a single 3/8″ stick on there and call it good.

The firewall is cut for a nylon engine mount, rather than the beams shown on the plan.

The plan shows balsa wheel pants.  Wheel pants on a 20 size plane can be a hassle on a grass runway, and some people just don’t feel like making them, so if you don’t want them, please order the Wildfire Without Wheel Pants Short Kit.

You may also notice that my plane has a small hatch right behind the engine.  The plan shows a big hatch all the way back to the turtle deck.  Do it however you want.  My parts will work either way.

Pro tip:  Look carefully at the photo to see how the ailerons are hinged.  Iron a strip of covering film across the hinge line on the top of the wing.  Then turn the wing over and deflect the aileron until the trailing edge of the wing and the leading edge of the aileron form one flat surface, and iron a strip of film across the joint on the bottom of the wing.