The success of our Orion glider gave us a great idea, why not make an electric version? It was not quite as easy as that, as the Orion fuselage did not have the spare space and strength required to accommodate the motor, battery and speed controller. So we decided to design a new one! It's still a ‘slot together’ CNC cut design, similar to the Orion glider, but with the additional space and strength needed for the electric power equipment.
The new fuselage was designed to accept a standard 400 size motor and 7/8 cells (2/3 A size). These and the required 6×3 folding propeller are not supplied in the kit, but can easily be obtained from your local model shop.
The Orion wing was pretty strong but we've improved it with the addition of lower leading edge sheeting to create a full ‘D’ section. This easily copes with the increased load created by the extra weight in the Orion E.
Flight performance is almost ‘sparkling’ and well up to the standards of sophisticated models costing much more. Stability is good and you could easily use the Orion E as a second model after basic training.
With a span of just under 60", the Orion E could be a great model to pack for a family holiday. Small, no mess and loads of fun, what more could you want!
Specs
Balsa Wood / Printwood RC Kit
Part Number: WW31
Span (Inches): 59.5
Span (mm): 1510
Scale: Non Scale
Power: Electric (Speed 400)
Battery: 7–8 Cell
Channels: 3
Servos: 2
Note: This is a kit, not an ARTF model.
West Wings are probably the largest manufacturer of small model kits in the UK, manufacturing all of the West Wings kits in their factory in West Cornwall. Designs draw on the extensive experience staff have gained from ‘hands-on’ modelling over many years. Combine this with full CAD drawings and their CNC cutting machines and you can appreciate how accurate the kits are. The only items in the kits that are not made in the UK are propellers from Japan and flight quality rubber specially imported from the USA. Balsa wood, being a tropical tree, does not grow in Europe; therefore it is sourced from managed and sustained forests in Ecuador and Papua New Guinea.