What a neat little airplane! Do you want an airplane that will fit, fully assembled, into the trunk of your car? That way you can fly whenever you might find the right place—lunch time, flying in a beautiful park; what’s not to like? The Wing Dragon HL is a true Park Pilot airplane for any level pilot. Plus, its 2.4 GHz radio system ends the frequency interference problem making this airplane a true, fly-anywhere aircraft.

If you haven’t heard yet, or know much about, the 2.4 GHz revolution taking over RC radio systems, read the Sport Aviator articles about 2.4 GHz in the Flight Tech Section. The main 2.4 GHz articles are “2.4 GHz for the Common Pilot”; “Welcome Back – We Missed You-Part One”, “Spread Spektrum - Are You Ready for Full Range?” and “2.4 GHz Radios”.

The Wing Dragon HL meets all the aircraft requirements of the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ (AMA) Park Pilot Program. The aircraft weighs less than 2 pounds (the Program’s upper weight limit) and has a level top speed under 60 mph (the Program’s upper speed limit). For complete Park Pilot aircraft details, follow this link.

The AMA Park Pilot Program offers non-AMA members the opportunity to become AMA members at a much reduced cost. Park Pilot membership includes a great magazine “Park Pilot”, $500,000 personal liability insurance, $2.5 million liability insurance for the flying field owner (see insurance details) and membership in the world’s largest sport aviation association – the AMA. For complete information and details about Park Pilot membership, just click here. 

Hobby Lobby International’s Wing Dragon series has been one of the best, and most popular, low-cost, Ready-To-Fly (RTF) basic RC training systems available for several years now. The 3-Channel Wing Dragon is reviewed in Sport Aviator’s Park Pilot Aircraft Section as is the newer 4-Channel Wing Dragon. These airplanes already know how to fly and just need some first-flight trimming.

With an instructor by your side for the first flights, this airplane is ideal. This is an honest, easy to fly anywhere basic trainer. At just $170 for a complete, RTF airplane, it is also one of the most cost-effective ways to learn to fly RC. Let’s see, durable, easy to fly, great basic trainer, a complete RTF and low cost. Sounds like a perfect package if all lives up to the goals.

This airplane is ideal for all the above and, most importantly for me, this is a FUN airplane.

A real knock-about:

With the Wing Dragon HL, in just 30 steps you will have an airplane ready to fly. In fact, if you plug in the battery (included) into the charger (included), you will be able to fly right then and there.

Photo 1

You could “build” the Wing Dragon HL at the field.

The radio is also included! A 2.4 GHz system that is already installed!

Let’s do a ‘build’ (assembly?)

Step one—find the fuselage and landing gear.

Found em! The wheels are already attached to the landing gear.

Step two—insert the landing gear into the fuselage, they snap in place. Done.

The other steps are pretty much the same. This is a no-brainer to build.

Photo 2                  Photo 3

I did have a slight problem in step 5 and 6. This is the step where you assemble the horizontal stabilizer and tail wheel assembly. The tail wheel assembly holds the stabilizer in place.

The hang up was the lack of holes in the horizontal stabilizer. I couldn’t push the thumbscrews through the horizontal stabilizer. This was easy to fix, just cut the holes in the pre-indented stabilizer.

I used a hobby razor knife but there are other knives might be just as good. Even a sharp, small kitchen knife will do. It might even be best to hand drill the holes using a drill bit. This was the only step that required something other than what came in the box

Photo 4

At this time the vertical stabilizer is also installed. The directions are a little unclear about this.

The vertical stabilizer is screwed onto the same thumbscrews that hold on the horizontal stabilizer and tail wheel assembly. Let me be clear about this. The tail wheel assembly, the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical stabilizer are all put on at the same time.

Photo 5

Photo 5 shows the pushrods connected. Do this now. This is step nine and ten. We are moving along fast. It takes almost as much time to read it as it does to do it.

Now, move on to the electric motor and propeller.

Photo 6

Put the backplate onto the motor shaft. Don’t be afraid to push it onto the shaft. Look at photo 6 and the picture in the instruction booklet.

Photo 7

The backplate will go about one inch onto the motor shaft.

Photo 8

The propeller is assembled onto the motor/ backplate with the red dot facing the front of the airplane. Remember, this is a ‘pusher’ combination.

Next, the washer and nut is placed onto the shaft and tightened down with the included wrench.

This really does not need to be tightened with all the force you can apply. Just make it more than finger tight and less than tightening a lug on your car wheel (Ed Note: A LOT less force than tightening a wheel lug. It is only a small output shaft, remember.).

Snap on the spinner and that job is finished.

Photo 9

Now we are going to put the pilot in place. He has double stick foam on the bottom. Peel it off and stick the pilot to the thin plastic cabin floor. I happen to have a ‘Goofy’ Disney character that I will be replacing my pilot with. The idea is to have fun with this airplane. The pilot is hardly a vital aerodynamic necessity.