Flite Test Grumman G-44 Widgeon Electric Seaplane ARF (1200mm)

I'm a big fan of old airplanes and this is a beautiful model. Just wish it had real windows instead of stickers. Anyways, assembly was simple, it took longer to connect the wires to my receiver than it did to build it. Have flown it twice off pavement...it's a beautiful flyer! very scale. very lightweight. I wouldn't use anything larger than a 2200 mah pack. Five minutes of flight time while using only about 50% of it's capacity. This is a beautiful, scale flyer. Highly recommend.

The plane arrived very well boxed with no damage. Nice looking model. Impressive assembly design - no glue needed. Only screws were the tail wheel. I also had on hand an Aura5 which I installed and proceeded to configure. I had watched the FT videos on differential throttles and have set up the same on other planes with my transmitter mixing. Easy to do with the Aura5. However, very incomplete info on setup. I didn't see how to set any mix values on the throttles. They seemed to be set to max by default. Would have been very interesting for a 3D plane but not the Widgeon! I did find the info from Flex Innovations.
Next, I didn't see any discussion of how to set control throws per the manual. I dug most of that out by myself also. And I had left the elevator with far too much throw so my first flight was almost the last!! I moved the elevator control rod further in on the servo arm and that helped greatly!
I tested all three modes and will make some further mods to them. The mid config results in scale flying with limited aerobatic capability and gyros. Nice.
My first flights were from land and I noticed the wheels would either come loose or pop off! Needed to check after each landing.
I think FT needs to do more work on those videos because new flyers using the Aura5 are in for a surprise if they use the default settings!! Maybe have available a default config designed for that plane, not just a generic high performance model.
Other than these shortcomings, I think the Widgeon is a nice model. I do wish they would have not put on those awful looking FT decals! They really degrade the looks from a nice scale model.
I have uploaded a video to my youtube channel, MEFLYER, that is comprised of my first four flights.
One other note: The left motor has a ticking noise and nothing is hitting so I expect bearing or something internal to the motor. I spent 1.5hrs on chat with no answers before I closed it.
Joe

I ordered my Flite Test Widgeon as soon as I saw the introduction video. It came within a few days and I had it ready to fly Monday morning this week. I installed an AR637T Spectrum RX with AS3X. I programmed my trusty Spektrum iX12 for guidance and differential thrust. My maiden flight was with the wheels installed and was flown off our club Petromat runway. Bottom Line - This Widgeon Flies AMAZING! More on that later.

Unboxing the Widgeon was a bit of an adventure. The starboard motor had poked a hole in the wing's plastic bag and the prop nut and washer were not in the bag. Luckily I found them both in the bottom of the box. The rudder had a bit of a twist from shipping, but it was easily straightened out. Both of the wingtip LEDs were angled down like they had been bumped into something during shipment. They were easily straightened out also. Here's the Good News - the Flite Test Widgeon looks even better in person than it does in the pictures and it goes together just as easy as they claim. Since I prefer differential thrust in all my twins, I separated the throttle Y-harness and used my gear channel for the starboard motor. The hardest part of the build was programming Throttle Cut for the second motor. I set up the AR637T for the recommended AS3X defaults and used my slider to adjust the gains.

Maiden Flight went very well. I set the AS3X for "OFF" and the Widgeon was airborne at barely 1/4 throttle. This plane flies very nicely at all power settings. It is very stable and doesn't really need a stabilized receiver, but I like them, so it's in mine. The Widgeon was much more aerobatic than I expected. The aileron rolls were nice and axial - much better than a high wing twin has a right to. Pretty much unlimited vertical was a bonus. Upright and inverted snaps and spins worked out well with the recommended CG. I guess I got a bit too rowdy with the aerobatics as the port motor cover came off part way through the maiden. I put a tiny touch of FoamTac on the front of each motor cover and snapped them back in place. They haven't come off again.

I can't wait to get this Widgeon out on the water, but that will have to wait till our local authorities relax a few restrictions.

Overall I am very pleased with the Flite Test Widgeon. It's a great flying model of one of the most beautiful seaplanes every built. What more could you ask.

I had gotten this as a gift for a friend. He loved it, it's a beautiful plane. Well built and definitely looks like the package and how it's pictured. We haven't taken out for a fly, yet, but as for the visuals of the plane and the specs, it's a beautiful plane. Worth every single penny spent.

The quality is good, not great. Nice to see real fasteners and waterproofed servos. Instructions are a bit thin but then there's not a whole lot to assemble. Magnets for tail and battery hatch are strong tho I'm still putting a fishing line tether for the just in case situations.

Color is not appealing to me. Despise the Flite Test logos all over it. Stripped off logos with heated up windex, soaked paper towel placed on them to loosen up and remove. Paint stripped off too easy with isopropyl alcohol 91% but messy job. Repainted red white. Led nav lights very limited, just red and green wing tips and white on top of tail. The floats feel very wobbly so I rigged up support cable like the real plane has. Lacks flaps tho think I can add them with a bit of work.

Using this on water only with bias differential control on engines when on water so not installing wheels or rudder. The 30amp esc seem ok but props could be better, look rather toy like. No spinners, just a rounded nose tip nuts. Waiting for hood weather to maiden but on whole happy with results after doing my personal magic to it.

Received my Flite Test Widgeon from A main. Undamaged, double boxed. Assembly was as easy as it gets, fired her up and all was good. I have not flown the bird yet, but I can see it will perform well.Good running surface and plenty of thrust should get her off the water with ease. Nice finish on the EPO. I will re review after the maiden.

This is a great flying plane! With SAFE select and AS3X it's pretty easy to put in the air for just about anyone. This is a well built and put together airplane. I love how the wing comes off with just two turnbuckles. The finish is good, and it's real sturdy, I've landed hard a couple times on water, and it's stayed together well, and protected the electronics well. I can't say anything even remotely bad about it. Cosmetically, they could have designed propellers which look like airplane propellers rather than Drone props, but that is the only smudge on an otherwise awesome airplane.
What I have a small problem with, is that The Flite Test store is selling these without replacement props being available! So if you get one, BEWARE, there are no spare props! Unfortunately, one of my props touched the water on a landing, and it was enough to back the nut off, and not realizing it was loose, attempted to taxi to shore, and it spun the rest of the way off the shaft and into the deep blue. I fly in a Bay. I called Flite Test and they didn't have any, and at first they told me they weren't getting any, and then admitted they were having problems receiving those. They said they are trying to resource them and get them in.
This was a major disappointment. I had just 3 flights on her. I scoured the internet and found what I thought was a perfect replacement, but the counter rotating prop was cancelled. So I had no choice but to buy another Widgeon for a prop so I could fly the first one. First $200 prop I ever bought. The plane was that good, plus, I knew I would end up using the other parts eventually.
But I am back in the air, and still searching for a set of propellers on the internet. Love the airplane, but I've lost a teeny little love for Flite Test. So if you
are a pilot that never bends a prop, it's OK to order this, but if you're like me, I've only got about 40hrs of flying, and still ding a prop here and there, I would give this a second thought! Nothing more frustrating than having a perfectly good airplane sitting on the shelf because you can't get a prop for it!
Addendum, 8-28-20
I thought I would add something. I have changed my rating to 4 star, because the plane really is a 5 star, but I couldn't get any spare props. I was able to find the exact same propellers at Team Black Sheep, a drone company. They are made by HQ props, which is what is has on the props themselves. Also, some literature, including the box, states that it has 8x6x3 props, when they were actually 8x4.5x3(which it states in manual). I went with box, and wasted a lot of time online. My bad, I should have just read it off prop, which I eventually did. That's when I found Team Black Sheep. It helps I've ordered stuff from them for drones, and I knew these were drone props. It was just a matter of time to find them. I really think Flite Test should have known this and maybe passed it on to customers like me, who was looking for replacement. Maybe even just order a few dozen of them to sell themselves, to sell to customers. I will continue to patronize Flite -test, because all in all, their products are really good!

The Widgeon came in less than 2 days. Very fast service. The plane's quality is great and assembles very fast. Also flies off water super and easy!

Brilliant plane. It flies beautifully and is very durable. Have flown off land but I am very excited to fly it off a local lake.

Great Job !!

The plane arrived in great shape and the instruction video answered any questions even a newbie might have about the assembly. While I plan to fly it off the water in the future for now I am using the wheels and they have worked great. I plan to take it on a vacation and I have saved the box it came in (but not the foam) to protect it during the trip. I will unplug the horizontal stabilizers and the main wheels to protect everything from sudden braking during my trip but the plane will be ready to fly in minutes at the Utah flying site. I like the speed range of the plane and that it uses 3-cell 11.1 volt 2200 mAh batteries to allow me a number of flights per day. The positives way out weigh my one complaint and that was posting three decals of their Flight Test Gremlin on my plane and to a lesser degree the company title: "Flight Test." I painted over them on the wing making the circles they were in all black and then I added two matching Star decals. I painted over the Gremlin on the tail and left bow and added my own decals. A scale 40's plane shouldn't come with those decals installed in my opinion. Add them in the box and let owners decide. A small negative that I corrected but otherwise a very good looking plane and flier that arrived in perfect condition! I highly recommend it.
* Good Power
* Economic Battery
* 8-10 minute flight time with reserve on the battery
* Fly off of land or water
* Reasonable price for what you get

This little Widgeon was well built easy to assemble and flys like a sport plane. unlimited vertical and realistic water handling compared to the real one. I highly recommend this plane

The G-44 is a very well done / sharp looking model - I was very impressed with how quickly it went together and how little it took to get it ready to fly. I really like the use of magnets to hold the stab together and the new style twist bolts to hold the wing on. I had the G-44 together, programed and ready to fly in about 15 minutes. I only flew it briefly the 1st flt as it was almost dark / I have poor night vision at 64 yrs old. The second and third flt was fantastic as I put it thru many maneuvers like loops, rolls , spins, snap rolls, low inverted pass's - it is not a pattern plane for sure, but it tracks very well and does all maneuvers with ease. It looks great in the air, especially on low slow pass's. I have only flown off of grass so far and it takes off great with or with out the landing gear ( which is a snap to remove or install) - I was shocked at how much power those little motors put out - you can easily cruise around and do many maneuvers at about 1/2 power. If you hit full power on a takeoff it just leaps off the ground ! I'm using an E-flite 3 cell 2200 Mah pack and can fly about 10 minutes with plenty of battery to spare. It does require good use of rudder & aileron to make nice coordinated turns, so I did program in about 40 % rudder with aileron (on a switch so it can be off for take off and landing) which made a huge improvement on how nice it fly's. I am anxious to fly it off of water soon / I'm sure it will be great ! The only minor downside I've seen is that the paint is rubbing off quickly in some areas. If they are not topping with a good clear coat, I would highly recommend that. I would give this model a very high overall rating (9 on a 10 scale) and it far exceeded my expectations both in design and performance - I would highly recommend it to any one looking for a very FUN - great looking - inexpensive RC sport model. My hat is off to the Flite Test team for a great design & very Fun to fly model - this is my first Flite Test purchase and I'm sure will not be my last - keep up the great work guys - God Bless & stay safe - Happy Landings ! Rod Maier in PA.

Wonderful looking and built plane. Ready to be in the air before your batteries are charged. I am confident that who ever builds the fly zone tide water built this plane as there are many similarities. However! In my case the recommended CG was almost 100 % tragic. First time out was a handful , all I wanted to do was get it on the ground in one piece from the moment it left the ground. I ended up getting it down but I wouldn’t call it a landing. Second flight slightly ahead of recommended CG was a bit better but still resulted in a stall crash on landing...., and a long swim to get the plane. Not at all happy with the way it flys with factory specs and I’m far from a new flier. Seems these are hit and miss, I’ve heard stories like mine on rcgroups. Once I replace all of the water logged electronics ( not happy at all about that.... esc’s servos and receiver) I will give it one more try with more forward CG, if that’s no good it will turn into disappointing expensive wall art. Over all not happy at this point.

This plane is incredible. Well made with beautiful colors and details. Easy to assemble and get into the air immediately! Our only concern is that replacement props are not available. Any leads or advice?

The G44 kit arrived in perfect condition. The Airplane assembly was easy. I added my ID numbers and WWII Army Air Corps markings. Looks cool. I didn’t install the pontoons(I’m not going to fly off water). I replaced the 2” wheels with 3” to fly off the grass at our field. I will fly it this week after the initial checkout. Thanks Flite Test, nice model. Larry Pace

Great looking plane, and the color scheme is fabulous. I was a bit concerned that it would not be such a great flyer as the wing loading is a bit high, but the maiden flight totally alleviated that fear. Really is a gentle flyer, and can be flown quite slow and scale... or not. Truly is a great aerobatic performer, with a little power added and using high rates. I don’t love the looks of the props-looks like they belong on a multi rotor and not a scale vintage sea plane, even if they do perform well. May try a pair of MAS 8” x 6” three blade props. The port side red navigation light in the wing tip did not work out of the box, and this has been the only quality issue. Would like to report how the Widgeon performs on the water, but I stalled and crashed on a landing approach, while I was getting it dialed in flying it from land. Very sad, but I can’t wait to get it repaired and get it on the water and back in the air!

Wow, what a superb plane. The finish is incredible. The paint so shiny it shows finger prints! Rivet and panel detail is terrific. It goes together with no glue. All magnets and beautifully fitting hatches. Access to motors is via a removable top hatch. This plane is designed with maintenance in mind. Replacing a motor or an ESC would be a breeze.

Teamed with an Aura 5, mine flew incredibly scale and smooth. I had both a 6-axis flight mode for that locked in "SAFE" flight experience, and a 3-axis flight mode for a bit more freedom. Have not yet moved up to high rates to see what this can really do.

Maneuvering on water with Differential Thrust set up via the Aura 5 was a joy. Not the vague, hope I can get it to shore, feel of my other sea planes. This drove like a boat. Incredibly scale. I did not yet try differential thrust while flying as I wanted to get a feel for it first.

Take off is absolutely scale. The Widgeon very noticeably comes up on plane, tracking straight ahead with the twin motors, then gently lifts off completely scale, but with plenty of power. My guess is a hammering of the throttle would produce more energetic less scale like take offs.

With the help of the Aura 5, in the air it is rock solid and predictable with 6-axis "Safe" like help, and nicely lively with the low rates 3-axis. Plenty of speed. Landings onto the water were again incredibly scale and easy to land perfectly. It's not exactly a STOL type plane (maybe with a Flaperon set up), but it sure lands nice and easy and smooth. Makes you look like a great pilot!

Still working on perfect CG, but I found the recommended CG a touch nose heavy, but I was flying with a 2200 instead of the recommended 1800.

I have flown a E Flite Otter. The Otter is clearly more just a model compared to this. The price difference is absolutely worth it if a beautifully engineered and finished plane is something you like. Simple things like the way the wings secure with hand twist large pins from either side - just works beautifully on the Widgeon. The Otter wing mechanism is hugely clumsy by comparison. Even all the servo arm hook ups are such high quality. Plus, if you choose to set it up, this has the fun of Differential Thrust!

This is just a great plane, you will not be disappointed. This is my first Flite Test product, but certainly not my last! If the rumored Beech 18 is produced, I will be first in line to pre-order!

REVIEW UPDATE AFTER A FEW FLIGHTS: More flying of the Widgeon tonight. Flew a 1800mah 3s for four minutes of light flying and had 54% left. There was maybe a 12mph breeze. Very impressed with the flight envelope. Can just hang in the air like almost like a STOL plane. Very light on its wings. Very smooth for large lazy 3/4 throttle scale like loops, or crank the elevator for a super tight loop. Seems to have unlimited climb but I did not fully test that. The real surprise was the rolls. Rolls almost like a fighter jet. Stays absolutely straight and level while rolling at a surprisingly rapid rate for this type of plane - all this on “low rates”. I can’t believe the wide flight envelope and no bad habits all through the range. Once I get more comfortable with low rate aerobatics, I’ll give it a go on high rates, and eventually try stunts with differential thrust (which so far I have reserved for taxiing on the water). I’m not sure how much the Aura 5 is helping create these fantastic flight characteristics, but this really is a great flying plane. Any comparison to an E Flite Otter (which I have flown) goes completely out the window once the Widgeon is in the air. It’s in a completely different league in terms of flight characteristics and wide envelope of capability. I can’t say enough great things about this plane. Can’t wait for more to come out in this line.

Holly christ on the shtick!!
And here I was looking to do my Porcorosso plane project to fly on lakes this month and I fall on that gorgeous ship, perfect flying boat, rightly priced and with the insurance it'll go great and even if not, FT customer service will be there anyway.....
Now....which one do I take.....?!? SAINT BIXLER HELP MEEEE.....is it plane porn to buy both even if I won't have use for 2...?!?
I'll give a full review once I'll get the Grumman here.
Thank you so much for having those great products ideas.