What could be more fun than flying a scale-looking J-3 Cub in the grassy comfort of your favorite park on a still, sunny afternoon-or-when Mother Nature is not as hospitable, being able to fly that same plane in the climate-controlled comfort of the local gymnasium? We couldn't think of much else either-at least we couldn't after we flew the GWS Pico Cub FD. What a blast! This fantastic flying foam kit is quite possibly the best flying slow flyer we have seen to date.
The Pico Cub FD goes together easily in as little as two hours. Just join the fuselage halves, glue on the tail surfaces, join the wing halves, install the power system and flightpack, and fasten the wing with a rubber band. The kit includes an IPS power system and requires a micro flightpack that is not included with the kit. Completely assembled, the kit weighs just over 8 1/2 ounces.
We found for both performance and simplicity's sake, the GWS Naro Flightpack is the ideal choice for this kit, since GWS designed the Pico Cub FD with this system in mind. The Naro Flightpack is made up of two GWS Naro BB Servos, a GWS 2-amp speed control, a GWS 4-channel micro-receiver, and a 270mAh 7.2V battery pack.
We had an absolute blast flying the Pico Cub FD. Possibly the coolest thingabout this plane is that it can be flown indoors or outdoors in light wind. The plane flies in the 6-11 mph range, which makes it slightly faster than some indoor slow flyers and a little slower than most park flyers. Maneuverability rather than speed is most important when you're talking slow or park flyers, and this is where the little Pico Cub FD excels. Slow speed handling is excellent, with positive control authority right up to the stall, which, incidentally, is so tame as to be a non-event.
We don't expect the Pico Cub FD will break any time-to-climb records, but the included IPS power system provides ample juice for tricks like rolling takeoffs and diving entries into loops. We consistently enjoyed flight times of just over 10 minutes with the Naro Flightpack's 270mAh battery,but when we tried, we could stretch this to 12-13 minutes using conservative throttle settings.
All said, the GWS Pico Cub FD is nothing short of fantastic fun, and we heartily recommend it to any flyer. Just one lazy afternoon in the park with this gentle-flying little Cub will be more than enough to have you hooked.
In Depth
- Wingspan: 39.8 in (1010 mm)
- Wing Area: 263 sq in (16.8 dm sq)
- Overall Length: 27.1 in (690 mm)
- Flying Weight: 7.4 to 9.5 oz (210 to 270 g)
- Motor Size: IPS-DX2BB-AXCS (included)
- Radio: 3+ channel (not included)
- Servos: 2 sub-micro, micro or mini servos
- Prop Size: 10 x 4.7
- Recommended Battery: 6.0 to 7.2 V / 110 to 270 mAh (not included)
- Approx. Flying Duration: 4 to 12 minutes
