Brief:
T' F-22 Raptor is a Radio Controlled Electric Jet Kit made by Wattage and normally flies on an electric motor with an 8-cell pack and speed controller. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Bein' a BIG R/C enthusiast, I purchased t' kit for flying, but decided t' convert it t' a R/C rocket glider for t' field. I own two WattAge kits t' date and they both fly well. Aye aye! Blimey! T' manufacturer has marketed excellent kits that are easily converted t' some o' t' coolest lookin' R/C Boost gliders you will ever find. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! An F-22 Raptor as a Rocket glider is, in my opinion, t' ultimate in t' latest and greatest technology.

Modifications:
T' mods I made t' t' kit are as follows; instead o' permanently mountin' the electric motor plywood bulkhead plate, shiver me timbers, I made two duplicates o' it. Begad! Arrr! With three plates in hand I was ready t' go. Begad! Ahoy! They want you t' mount t' plate across the back, but I wanted t' make this jet so I could use both Electric power and Rocket power, so I made t' followin' changes.

I cut a recess in t' bulkhead area o' t' jet where t' plate would mount and made it 1/8" deep, which be t' thickness o' t' ply plate. Avast, me proud beauty! Next, ya bilge rat, I stacked all 3 plates and drilled 4 holes through them, me hearties, me hearties, 3/8" from each corner and installed/epoxied 2-56 "T" nuts into t' master plate so the motor mount plates could be interchanged. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! T' T nut holes were sealed with wax so epoxy would nay ruin them, then I pushed 4 dimples in t' styrofoam base at t' T nut locations so t' plate would sit flush in it's well. Then, ya bilge rat, I installed t' original plate into t' recess with 5 minute epoxy. Well, blow me down! Now I had a flush surface mount t' interchange me two other motor mount plates. Ahoy! Blimey!

Each motor plate had 4 holes drilled through it t' match t' T nut holes from t' previously installed master plate. I mounted t' electric motor on one o' them and installed it onto t' master plate with 2-56x34" bolts t' check for fit. Avast, me proud beauty! Next, I began workin' on the Motor Mount for t' rocket motor adapter. Ya scallywag!

I used LOC 29mm motor mount tube t' give me t' option o' upgradin' motors if necessary. Aye aye! T' tube is nice and sturdy and be cut t' a length o' 8" and epoxied into t' hole I cut into t' third mountin' plate. T' mount extends 2 1/4" beyond t' mountin' plate, matey, so you can use this as reference if you do t' mod. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I originally had it at 2 1/2", matey, arrr, but shortened it for CG purposes right before t' final launch. I used two Estes couplers I had for larger body tubes and they fit right over t' LOC motor mount tube. One was epoxied over t' aft o' t' tube, matey, flush with t' plate and is 1 1/4" long. T' "jet tailcone" plastic shroud you receive with t' kit was cut t' fit just over t' motor mount tube and sit flush against this outer coupler.

A second coupler was cut t' 1" long and left loose so I could mount the plate, install t' plastic jet tailcone shroud , shiver me timbers, and use this outer coupler as a "wedge" against t' back o' t' plastic tailcones. It was wrapped in dark gray stick-on Monokote t' match t' color and shine o' the pre-painted jet tailcones. Arrr! Ahoy! A 29mm t' 24mm LOC Motor Mount Adapter was added so I had t' option o' usin' 24mm if necessary. Well, blow me down! I wrapped t' end o' t' adapter with maskin' tape t' add a 3/8" thick bottom lip so it would nay shoot through t' 29mm motor mount. I wrapped t' tape with some o' t' Monokote to match color. Begad! Since thar be no ejection charge, shiver me timbers, friction fittin' is what was used for t' adapter and installation o' t' actual motor. Ya scallywag! T' LOC adapter came with just t' right tension for fitting, but an installed 24mm RMS motor had to be taped for good fit. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! All ends o' each tube and adapter were hit with CyA glue to stiffen them, matey, then lightly sanded t' remove rough edges. Begad! Begad!

Next, arrr, I began sandin' t' hole through the styrofoam in t' back o' t' jet where t' motor mount would reside. Ahoy! I used a piece o' broomstick, me hearties, wrapped in sandpaper and enlarged t' supplied hole so the rocket motor mount tube would fit. T' hole was already started as this is where t' electric motor wires run through t' connect up inside t' radio compartment. A custom 1/8" ply centerin' rin' was made for t' 29mm Motor mount and it had a 1/8" lip on it. Ahoy! This rin' was epoxied into t' forward compartment and adds extra support t' t' top o' t' 29mm motor mount when installed. Begad! I did nay epoxy t' 29mm mount t' t' ring, so I could remove it and use t' electric motor later. Ya scallywag! This completed t' mods for t' jet. Well, blow me down!

One thin' left t' do...a launch lug. Arrr! Avast! I used two leftover tubes from HPR Aerotech ignitors for launch lug tubes. Arrr! They were cut t' 4 1/2" long, shiver me timbers, matey, t' forward tips were tapered and both ends and the inside were sealed with CyA t' stiffen them. Avast, me proud beauty! Now came t' cool part; I wrapped each one in light gray Monokote self stick wrap, added a couple stripes in different colors, and cut some fins from .010 dark gray plastic strip I bought at t' hobby store. Ya scallywag! T' tips o' t' tube were painted white and the "fins" were epoxied on, ya bilge rat, then t' entire lug was epoxied t' the fuselage. Avast! Avast! My goal, if you hadn't noticed, was t' camouflage t' launch lugs so they looked like missiles, and it worked out well. I only use one lug during launch, but added two t' balance it out for looks.

Construction:
This review is goin' t' be a bit different, me hearties, since t' WattAge Raptor is an actual aircraft converted for Rocket Assist. Aye aye! No body tubes or nosecones here, matey, shiver me timbers, but what you do get when you open the box is a complete styrofoam jet kit, minus radio, ya bilge rat, arrr, ESC (electronic speed controller) and batteries. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! This is an ARF, Almost-Ready-to-Fly kit and only requires wing, me hearties, arrr, elevator and vertical stab attachment. Hats off t' the manufacturer for producin' an easy t' build (on an Estes scale, matey, about a skill level 2) and quick t' assemble kit.

T' ARF kit for t' WattAge F-22 Raptor arrives in an attractive box. Inside, you find everythin' you need t' assemble t' jet, minus glue, arrr, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, ESC and radio. Avast! T' wings are assembled first; 5 minute epoxy is used throughout the construction and alignment points are given all t' way through t' instruction manual, shiver me timbers, arrr, which is very well written. Arrr! You can assemble t' jet with or without the supplied landin' gear. Ya scallywag! YES, it comes with landin' gear and wheels for runway takeoff, matey, but I opted t' nay use them in order t' keep t' weight down. It's your choice in t' manual. Ya scallywag! Aye aye!

Once t' wings were assembled, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, you glue on t' vertical tails. Very simple t' do, but I wanted t' note that addin' a very small fillet t' both sides o' each vertical stab really makes t' joint strong. Aye aye! Next, arrr, you assemble t' horizontal tails ( flyin' stabs). Arrr! They are a bit complex as these "flyin' stabs" pivot at their center on an aluminum rod, which makes for a realistic look and control, just like t' REAL F-22 Jet. Once everythin' is glued, you cut out t' cockpit glass and tail cone plastic pieces and fit them. Ahoy! Finally t' radio is installed. Aye aye! T' plane be designed for Elevon control, matey, which means up and down/left and right turnin' is all done with the aft horizontal flyin' stabs. Arrr! Ahoy! Anyone familiar with R/C rocket gliders like the HobbyLabs SR-71 knows what this is and as a matter o' fact, you can use the same radio, t' HiTec 3-channel, which is made just for this purpose. I, however, arrr, used an Ace MicroPro 8000 computer radio as I wanted t' really tweak in me settings! Bein' an R/C enthusiast for over 15 years has allowed me to acquire all t' equipment needed t' get this bird in t' air. Blimey!

T' Flyin' Stabs (Elevators) received a slight modification. I cut two lengths o' 1/8" wood dowel and inserted them inside t' aluminum tube that pivots for elevator movement; this adds extra strength t' t' thin aluminum tubing, matey, a trick I learned when buildin' ducted fan R/C jets usin' Flyin' Stabs. These sticks were epoxied inside each tube, then t' retainers were added to hold each Stab in place so they wouldn't back out o' t' bushings. Avast! Begad!

T' servos were installed, arrr, but I deviated from t' plan by custom installin' Aileron servos for t' wings. Avast, me proud beauty! This gave me separate control over the Elevators (up and down) and t' Ailerons (rotate left or right). Aye aye! I did install the electronic speed controller so I could fly it under electric power. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! The receiver was next and t' antenna be routed forward into t' battery compartment (cockpit area) and back again. Blimey! A servo reverser had t' be used on the Elevator flyin' stabs, so that was also installed. Blimey!

Finishing:

Flight:
Well, t' first flight did nay go well. Begad! Begad! I took the Raptor out o' t' car as it be goin' t' go up first. I turned on t' radio and programmed all settings (at least I thought I did...Problem 1). Well, blow me down!

I did a range check and loaded up a F24W for it after it was weighed in at 16 oz exactly without motor. Begad! (Problem 2)

I had t' rocket with it's bottom t' t' wind (Problem 3)

It launched and did about a 35' loop, right into t' ground! I be stunned.

Well, me hearties, me bucko, I came t' find out t' settings I did on t' radio didn't take and my throws were too much. Thank goodness I didn't use dual rates, arrr, as t' control surfaces were turnin' in t' wrong direction in that mode. Avast, me proud beauty! So, me hearties, instead of 3/4" throw, I was gettin' about 1 1/4" throw...makin' it much more sensitive and hard t' control. Blimey! Begad! I can usually do well with that though, shiver me timbers, matey, as I feel I am a good pilot. Avast! T' model balanced with t' motor right about 1/4" behind CG, arrr, which be within range and would smartly move forward as t' motor burned up. Blimey! T' F24 was a bad choice on me part. Aye aye! Arrr! TOO much motor, but live and learn. Now, with throw too great, me hearties, ya bilge rat, winds pickin' up, me hearties, bottom t' t' wind instead of top (it spun around) and too much motor, me bucko, you would think nothin' else could go wrong, right??? WRONG... Well, blow me down!

When t' Raptor launched, shiver me timbers, arrr, me bucko, it decided t' take t' Aerotech Ignitor Clip, along with about 12" o' Twin lead 14ga heavy wire!!! Blimey! Yup folks, me hearties, all that heavy weight just dragged behind t' model and made it SUPER tail heavy and completely uncontrollable. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Those are t' problems you DON'T see. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! Funny thing is, me hearties, I couldn't understand why it was so hard t' control, matey, until t' next guy went t' use t' pad while I was pickin' up t' pieces and asked "...where is me Aerotech Ignitor Clip?" I figured it 'whipped' t' clip off as it made t' bottom o' t' loop. Sure enough, arrr, it was about 15' behind t' Raptor, in t' grass. Lesson learned. Arrr!

Repairs were easily made though as only t' nose broke off. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Styrofoam planes only require a little epoxy and paint t' fix, so it be ready t' go again. This time though, matey, me bucko, I decided t' take it up on electric first t' trim the plane out. I went t' a local park, got t' Raptor out on electric power, arrr, opened the hood o' t' car and started chargin' t' 8-cell power pack with me HiTec charger. I flew t' plane with t' FULL 8 cell pack for Electric flyin' in it, as t' speed controller acts as a voltage reducer for t' receiver and I needed noseweight t' make it stable for electric AND rocket power. Begad! Blimey!

It be windy, I would say about 10mph winds and it was a cool day, around 55-60 degrees. I figured with t' wind it shouldn't take much t' launch and I was right. I held t' MicroPro 8000 xmitter with me right hand, , ya bilge rat, gripped the F-22 with me left, moved t' throttle t' full with me chin and gave it a toss from a stand still. Ahoy! Begad!

It took t' t' skies great, climbin' up and out! I didn't fly it over 50-100 feet above t' ground, me bucko, mainly t' see it for better control as I didn't have a whole lot o' room like at a flyin' field. It required no trim at all, one click o' right Aileron probably but I didn't bother. Goin' upwind, it was a slow flier, managin' maybe 20 mph, but downwind it cooked, at least 60mph. I was havin' so much fun I couldn't stand it!!! It turned well and even did rolls, which required a bit more up when inverted and that surprised me. Ahoy!

T' landin' was a cinch, arrr, slightly nose down on deadstick, t' flare, matey, and it landed at about 5mph. Avast! Aye aye! It be sooooo much fun I picked it up and tossed it again real quick, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me bucko, took it once around t' park and landed it again. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! back on the charger it went.

With three good electric flights under me belt, me bucko, it be ready for a rocket motor. Aye aye! For more performance, me hearties, it still would require a bit more Aileron, but I guessed at t' settings as it was designed for Elevons. Avast, me proud beauty! Elevator was set at the full 3/4" throw and responded well. Well, blow me down!

Saturday, me hearties, May 26, 2002 it had it's debut on t' rod. Our local NARRRRR club Prez, matey, Mark Fisher, was kind enough t' load up one o' his 24mm plugged E12 loads ( MUCH gentler motor) and we placed it on t' pad. Begad! We actually had t' lean the outer win' on t' 1/8" launch rod next t' it, shiver me timbers, matey, so t' breeze wouldn't spin it. Ya scallywag! Rod angle was at 20 degrees and when t' button be pushed, it took o' the rod like a dream!!! I had t' give it a lot o' down elevator on launch but it went straight up t' about 500 feet. Begad!

Recovery:
I nosed it over, arrr, then turned into t' wind, keepin' it nose down so it wouldn't stall. It did a couple unexpected rolls (may have been stall) on me but landed upright and safely on t' ground, me bucko, arrr, with little damage. T' E12 be t' PERFECT motor for this bird! What a day..Big thanks go t' Mark for supplyin' the reload.

Summary:
T' Wattage F-22 Raptor be an exotic experiment in R/C rocket glider flying, to say t' least! It took a few attempts t' work out t' bugs, but now that it has flown, shiver me timbers, all t' effort has made it worth while. I still need t' check the receiver for antenna damage as it should nay have rolled like it did, shiver me timbers, but that will be done soon as I will shake down t' entire radio system. Avast! I considered my last flight as it's best, me bucko, with only t' tip o' t' nose slightly damaged but easily repaired. Avast! All o' t' bugs have been worked out on this bird though, and I have included measurements for t' conversion, so yours can be successful right from t' start. Ahoy! T' E12 is perfect for this aircraft, me bucko, and F12 would even be better with more smoke and longer duration, so you could actually fly it under power. Ya scallywag!

I have t' say, when you show up at a field with an F-22 Raptor jet, you get a LOT o' attention! This be t' latest in U.S.A.F. Ahoy! Arrr! technology and t' WattAge kit is a perfect duplicate o' t' real Jet. Avast! Moreover, t' actually see it fly under rocket power is unbelievable. Aye aye! Blimey! Thanks go t' Ken Parker, me R/C rocket glider mentor and good friend for his assistance; he has one for himself, ya bilge rat, but has nay had a chance t' build it yet. Avast! With all t' kinks worked out though, shiver me timbers, I am sure his will be in t' air soon. Aye aye! For you R/C Rocket Glider enthusiasts, matey, shiver me timbers, if you want t' STUN them at t' field, me bucko, you just HAVE t' get one o' these! The WattAge F-22 Raptor is by far t' best and coolest lookin' R/C rocket glider conversion you will ever fly!