The wing and battery tray were glued in place with foam safe CA (above). Tabs on the fuselage sides and slots in the wing ensured correct alignment. The rudder and aileron servos, and the motor and servo wiring (above, at right) were installed before the rear fuselage bottom was added. The laminated and shaped wing floats fit under the wing tips (at right).
After sitting back and admiring the com-
pleted Polaris XL for a little while, it was time to get her flying. One final c.g. check and it was off to the lake. I was quite excit- ed as I had never flown off water before and didn’t know what to expect. As luck would have it, the day was beautiful. Sunny, about 70 degrees, with about a 10 mph wind. Perfect!
After carefully placing the XL in the wa-
ter, the first thing I realized was I should have worn waterproof shoes. Oh well, so my shoes got a little wet. After gently pushing the throttle forward, the Polaris started moving and I began taxiing around to see how she handled. Not bad. The rudder was effective, even at slow speed, and maintain- ing direction was a non-issue.
PHOTOS: TOM KERN
Looking ready for action, the Polaris XL sits on the water (above) about to start its first takeoff run. The Polaris XLdarts by the flight station (below) showing off its smooth and predictable flight character.
The effect of the wind was different though, as I never had to worry about my plane drifting away from me when flying off dry land. After several U turns and figure eights on the water, I pointed the XL into the wind and pushed the throttle forward. The XL came up on step and then gently rose into the air. Very nice! A few clicks of up trim and the XL was fly- ing hands off. Smooth and predictable was how I would best describe the XL’s flight character. A few rolls and a loop; aerobatic too. I could get to like this. Now it was time for my first water landing; again, unevent- ful. Throttle back, let the XL settle, a little flare at the end, smooth as silk. I just had to try some more of these landings. So, it was back up in the air for a few more laps around the lake. This time, I came in at high alpha and just let the XL plop on the water. Very neat!
After building and flying the Polaris XL, I can see why the design is so popular. It flies great; smooth and predictable, without any bad habits. The delta design gives it a wide flight envelope that’s perfect for sport fly- ing. The Aero Model kit is very complete and well executed. All I can say is: Highly recommended!
FLYING MODELS 57
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