Hi all! tomorrow I will receive West Wings kit Fournier RF4. I googled for some build blogs or other info, sadly there were only a few build blogs, and not informative enough for me. This will be my first EVER balsa kit (or model, name how you want it) so I’m quite…well a LOT exited! The strangest thing i noticed on the net that some shops say it’s wing length is 1.5m others – 1.7m where’s the truth? i will measure it my self 🙂 As far i had read it should be quite easy to build, i like making stuff, i love gliders, but i chose the motor version because i don’t have anyone to lift it up for me or a hill to throw it from… But in future i will get or build a glider without a motor 🙂

Fournier in real life (wiki copy)

The Fournier RF 4 is a single-seater motor glider designed by René Fournier in 1966. It is an aerobatic version of the Fournier RF-3.^[2][1]

The other thing that i loved that it is an aerobatic plane 🙂

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 6.05 m (19 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 11.28 m (37 ft 0 in)
• Height: 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 11.3 m² (122 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 270 kg (595 lb)
• Gross weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rectimo AR 1200 VW air-cooled flat-four piston engine, 29 kW (39 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hoffmann, 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) diameter

Performance

• Cruise speed: 180 km/h; 96 kn (110 mph)
• Never exceed speed: 249 km/h; 135 kn (155 mph)
• Range: 644 km; 348 nmi (400 mi)
• Endurance: 4
• Service ceiling: 5,791 m (19,000 ft)
• Maximum glide ratio: 20:1
• Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)

I will try to make it as it is shown in the picture on the right. Now here is some superb video of a live performing Fournier.

See ya!