The Sig Wonder is best described as a very fast, go-where-you-point-it, turn-quick-or-it-will-be-gone kind of plane designed for hot thumbed R/C pilots. Plans and a photo-illustrated instruction book are provided to guide the builder. Sig Easy Hinges, pushrods, engine mount,  and complete hardware pack complete the kit. This kit also comes with 4 decal sheets so you can create all four versions of the kit. Other things needed to complete this kit are, model engine, propeller, 1-3/4" spinner, engine mounting bolts, 4 oz fuel tank, fuel tubing, foam rubber, servo mounting tape, glue, and covering. Standard servos can be used but mini's are recommended, and a small 225 mAH to 300 mAH battery pack, and a radio.

This is my first experience with a kit of this type, mainly a lot of sanding. The die-cut parts consist of 4 balsa sheets of wing ribs, four ribs per sheet. A balsa tail fin sheet, 2 balsa fuselage sheets, and 2 lite ply sheets of formers. I was surprised to find that the nose of the Wonder was built up from various size pieces of wood to accommodate the different engine sizes and the wing tips were blocks of wood that had to be cut and sanded to shape. The overall wood quality was good with no warped pieces being found. The number of parts in this model are few and  make it fairly straight forward and simple to build, but because of the overall construction process which leaves the modeler with the choice of which version to make, I would not recommend this kit for a first time builder. With this thought in mind the modeler should decide ahead of time which version to make and follow directions for the appropriate version being built. Also a nice feature of the manual was the tips that were thoughout the manual. All caught your attention with the words "Wonder Why?" and then ask a simple question like "Why is that hatch way back there". The information in these boxeswas extremely helpful and kept the manual fun throughout the building process.

The construction of the Wonder was unique in the fact its simple, yet complex. The wing construction is typical of a symmetrical wing with tabs on the trailing edge of the ribs that are sanded off later, and is built flat with no dihedral on the building board. There are no shear webs needed as all the sheeting and wing spars run the full length of the wing, making construction easier and keeping weight to a minimum. Each rib has cap strips as well. The sheeting on the other hand, had to be cut to the proper width. This was done intentionally from the manufacturer so that if there was any deformation in the sheeting, the modeler would still be able to build a straight and true wing. The wing tips have a variety of shapes thatcould be made and the plans let you choose, I used a band saw to rough them out and sanded to shape. The horizontal stab is constructed of two pieces, butted together and cut to size, also be sure to save the spare piece, as it is your elevator. The fins could be made in four different shapes depending on the version. Some required very little sanding to shape, while with others you could be here a while sanding. The fuselage does not interlock like most kits, but consist of two sheet and three lite-ply formers. The whole idea here is to see how good you are with gluing things together at right angles. Once these are in place they are reinforced with 1/4" triangle stock. The bottom of the fuselage is 1/8" sheeting that is cut to size to make the appropriate pieces, but once again they are glued into place then sanded to shape. The nose cowl presents you with an interesting challenge in that depending on what engine you used, it was built differently to accommodate it. Once again read the manual, and get your grip use to the sanding block.

The fuselage compartment is an extremely tight fit. I used a HITEC Micro 535 receiver and two mini servos for the throttle and the elevator. I used a standard servo in the wing. Once everything was installed there was hardly any room left in the middle section of the fuselage. All this work above gave me a very nice airplane, that I can fit in the front of my pickup and go flying, a definite plus.

The first flight was done on a clear afternoon, temperature about 70 degrees, with a light breeze out of the south. An OS 15 FP, my engine of choice because of my considerable good luck with these engines. I had someone assist me with the first launch, as this aircraft is a hand launched aircraft. I have since gotten use to hand launching it myself while holding the radio in my other hand. Takeoff is simple with this small of a plane, give it full throttle, take about three steps, while giving it a light toss forward, slightly angled up, and let it climb out. Under full power this plane moves fast! I can't stress that enough. It will get out of site quick. Once up, the plane was easy to trim out and get to fly straight and level at full power. What a rush! I made about 4 passes this way before I throttled back to check the stall characteristics. I found to my surprise, that this plane needs very little power to fly. With my throttle all the way back and my throttle trim at half, I could fly this plane using about 3/4 of the elevator to keep the nose up. It would stall by dropping the nose and continue on. Even at this low speed the plane was still very predictable. I dropped the throttle to about 1/4 trim to check out the one very unique maneuver the Wonder does called the "Wonder-Bob". It is a series of quick stalls in succession. I applied full up elevator and low and behold it does the "bob", the ailerons are slow to respond but still quite capable of keeping the wing level while doing this. I then proceeded to open this little plane back up on the high speed side. It does extremely quick smooth rolls and very tight turns at the manufacturers settings. Big and small loops were smooth. Verticals with the OS 15 FP was not unlimited but long verticals are possible. This plane holds true to combat style aircraft, roll hard, pull the elevator, and hang on! Square loops and inverted flight are not a problem. This plane does not have a rudder so typical maneuvers require a rudder are not possible. Landing was easier than expected. You have to land dead stick as there is no landing gear, just a skid on the bottom. Back off your throttle on your downwind run and turn back into the wind and the plane will literally float, when you feel you are close enough to glide in, kill the motor. I land with about half elevator and with practice can now land this aircraft within 15-20 foot of myself consistently. As for the small fuel tank of 4 oz, I can get 15 minute flights with ease at intermediate throttle. I did find one problem with this plane, make sure it is well marked and keep it close. It will disappear quickly!

The Sig Wonder is given a high recommendation overall for intermediate and advanced flyers that are looking for a hot airplane to fly that is a lot of fun. The instruction manual is well illustrated and written. Be prepared to sand alot, and to take your time building this airplane. As the manufacturer says, "Shake things up and take a walk on the wild side of sport flying. Fly a Wonder!" This model is definitely a good investment.