In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the popularity of 'hand launch' R/C gliders and we felt that our design expertise lent itself to coming up with a great model to suit this market. In order to make our design attractive to both general and specialist modellers alike, we decided that it should be capable of accommodating both standard size R/C gear as well as the latest micro equipment. The West Wings Orion fits those criteria exactly!
In all gliders, the choice of an effective wing section is the key to success. In choosing the high performance E205 wing section, the Orion can explore both the slow and fast ends of the performance envelope. The partial 'D' section leading edge provides the right mixture of strength and low weight and the dihedral wing tips give the stability needed in all conditions. All components are CNC cut from suitable grades of balsa sheet.
The fuselage has the ease of construction offered by CNC lite-ply and balsa components that slot together precisely in the hand. No jigs are required to assemble this fuselage. The overall weight and therefore the wing loading can be very low if the lightest R/C gear is used. This combined with the E205 wing section allows the pilot to explore the flight performance to the limit, even in the lowest lift conditions. Because of the good control authority and high speed performance, the Orion makes a handy slope soarer as well.
With the fitting of a ' hook', the Orion can be tow launched from flat fields for the easiest start to a 'thermal' flight.
As a first glider, the Orion can use standard R/C gear from other aircraft and allow you an easy and cheap entry into the wonderful world of silent flight.
The West Wings Orion could be your ideal next or first, high performance glider.