A Local Day Out

  A week’s paternity leave and time to finally get the Willow on my favourite local cliff.  Just 25m high ‘Wiz cliff’ gives you no hiding places, get it right and you go fast, get it wrong and you slow down.  Without a good night’s sleep a 2 weeks I was never going to stretch the Willow’s capabilities.  Her manners would be tested but she didn’t let me down.

  High Nordic turns, bank and yank or playful half pipes you really can get away with almost anything as you put a smile on your face.  I didn’t put any ballast in the Willow today but the clean efficiency of the Willow gave an impressive return.  Was iis fun- I can't remember the last ime I left a Wizard compact in the box all day!

 Less said about the flying the better but thanks to Phil taylor- here's a the sound of Willow int he english summer  Here

 With the first Willow wings that include carbon Sock being pressed tonight I just can’t wait!

  Some more pics here

There Here!

  The Latest Willows arrived this week (I really must nick the missus’ kitchen scales!).  The quality and production has improved with each model and it started off good!  The strength and toughness of the wings looks to be there still but now the weight feels on the money with the wing pannels weighing 628g each.  We’re even testing the different colour schemes for you and two of these beauties are off for ‘field trials’ and more feedback so Keep an eye out for Willows near you.

  All going well the Willows will be available very soon with prices at around £500 for the standard lay-up.  With performance to match the best out there I’m really excited to have made this model available.

Team Willow

  Now I know what you’ve been thinking, “Just how well does the Willow go in stunning coastal lift?”  Well the excitement among Team Willow was palpable and so the 45mph winds of Start Point were braved with full support, the position of team Photographer was given to Ben.

  You won’t be surprised to hear that with knees knocking the Willow tracked out like a train and then just got faster.  It’s a good demonstration of a slippery design that energy is maintained in the vertical and half pipes just get bigger and bigger.  With 1kg of ballast on board it was time try and bend or break her in the air- but she wouldn’t break and that big old carbon spar just shrugged off the treatment.

  So what’s next?  Start Point is one long DS possibility but with the wind getting stronger and a definite lack of enthusiasm from Team Willow’s mum when I suggested a circuit around the backside that will have to wait.

  The Beta’s are on their way so watch this space!

Willow's Big day out

More wrecking pics!
Sunshine, good winds, great company and a Willow- what more could I ask for and so a day out at the Wrecker it was.  Sports flying and setting up models is very different from a race day but it did feel like we had perfect flying conditions today and after a few nights thinking and fetling I was ready to throw the Willow off.  Oh I’m glad I did!

  Although the winds were light in the sunshine, conditions moved from good to amazing and to these very very biased eyes the Willow felt like it accelerated, raced and maintained it’s energy with the best of them.  Being told it covered for the lack of talent in my thumbs must be a compliment for the model isn’t it?  The air allowed me to start adding ballast and like a trooper the Willow just lapped it up!

  The thing that really surprised my was just how well the Willow rolled and how much I could throw at here without up-setting her.  Fun and fast can’t be bad!

Beta Models nearly there

  Nothing's perfect first time and so with feedback from the first Willow the new and improved versions will be heading this way in a few days.  Testing new toys is a tough job but some one has to do it!

  It's getting to feel like Christmas again but you can't argue with that colour scheme!

a couple of pics of the Willow on the Wrecker

No new flying but a couple of pics from Saturday.

She Flys!

An early pass to the first BMFA race of the year gave me the chance to test out the Willow off the back of the Wrecker whilst the 60inch lads raced the crest.  With the potential channel clashes is made me glad I designed it fully 2.4 compatible (even though I was on 35meg).

   With setting a guess and CG an estimate there was only ever going to be 1 result to the first launch- like she was on railsJ  After driving down with a mixture of feelings from Christmas day to a final exam it was a fantastic relief to have her in the air and eating up the sky. 

  Now you’d expect me to say it but the she flew so well and so easily (best thing since sliced Elipse).  Without ballast she ticked all the boxes I could have asked for-

Flys straight,
Went up so nicely in lift,
agile handling to put a smile on your face,
 Pick up her skirt and go,
Landing as easy as you like.

  Over the next few weeks it will give me the chance to get the set up tweaked whilst the first full carbon ‘Beta’ versions are built. 

Thanks To Rhys for the picture- as I managed to leave my camera in the car in all the excitement.