Cessna 185 Sky Wagon by Aeronaut

A first glance inside the kit reveals parts packaged by construction stage, all precision-cut with a laser. A closer inspection makes it clear that old-school craftsmanship has been rediscovered here: in addition to a complete assortment of wood, you’ll find screws, rudder linkages, hinges, push rods, etc.—in other words, nothing needs to be purchased separately. The assembly instructions consist of three-color schematic drawings—not photographs—and clearly outline the assembly process in concise terms. A numbered parts list is also included, allowing you to reliably identify the components marked with numbers.

We begin by assembling the fuselage: The side panels are joined using the tongue-and-groove principle. The side panels are doubled up in the engine compartment and cockpit areas; after that, we can insert the first frames into precisely pre-cut grooves without any additional work. One point of criticism—after all, the folks in Reutlingen shouldn’t get too cocky: The laser-cut separation lines could be a bit thicker. The ribs and frames must be cut out of the plywood boards by severing ~1 mm connecting bridges. The work involved is a mix of breaking off the surrounding wood or chiseling with a chisel or utility knife; this usually works, though components are occasionally damaged. The fuselage framework is constructed starting from two horizontal cabin frames by slotting the frames and cross members together using the tongue-and-groove principle. In the next step, we glue pine strips to the top and bottom surfaces, which will serve as a support for the planking to be applied in the following step. While the side walls consist of milled 3-mm poplar plywood, 1.5-mm-thick, precisely cut balsa wood strips are to be inserted on the top and bottom by the manufacturer. Covering the engine compartment with a removable hood that opens downward is somewhat more challenging. Starting at the edges, the surface is planked piece by piece with 5 × 5-mm balsa strips; once dry, they are filled and sanded down to form a spherically rounded front section. We construct the tail section using ten balsa plates that are glued together and then filed into a ducktail shape. As a tip: The author checks the straightness of the fuselage’s longitudinal axis using a laser beam. The test passes without issue, proving that the kit is cut with precision.

When assembling the elevator and rudder, the spar and ribs are inserted with their tabs into the notches of a cardboard form. There is no need for laborious framing because the ribs are inserted into notches in the spar. After removing the control surfaces from the jig, we insert pine roving at the top and bottom. We glue balsa reinforcements to the end strip to serve as counter supports for the control surface hinges. Pre-cut skin panels, joined together with tongue-and-groove joints, are then applied.

The aileron and elevator control surfaces are constructed in the same way on a cardboard mold. When building the wings, starting at the leading edge, ribs are inserted one by one into the punched holes of the cardboard mold, with pre-cut framing plates placed between them. Servo plates for the ailerons and landing flaps, as well as a brass push-fit tube, are installed. Thanks to the high precision of the fit, the tube can be inserted into the designated holes in the ribs without any further rework. Planking the wings begins by covering the top surface of the rib framework lying in the cardboard formwork. After the glue has dried, remove the frame from the cardboard holder, trim off the rib feet, and plank the underside.

But now to a point of criticism: All of the Cessna’s planking strips consist of 1.5 mm balsa wood, which is by no means hard. No matter how neatly you glue the individual strips, sanding is always necessary! Thin boards are thinned out even further, and clumsy handling during later flight operations leads to dents, as the attached photo shows. The result—I cover all 1.5-mm planking with 49 g glass mat. Filling and painting are the inevitable next steps. A constructive counterproposal: Dear Swabians, use 2.0-mm—or better yet, 2.5-mm—balsa boards; then the problems described above will be eliminated.

Rudder horns, servo installation, wiring—all of this can be assembled quickly thanks to the excellent preparatory work done by the Reutlingen team. The “glass windows” are pre-cut; the milled wooden frames fit in easily, the rudder hinges are inserted through pre-drilled holes, and the main and tail landing gear are secured via corresponding holes.

The engine compartment is accessed via the cowling, which can be removed from below. The passenger compartment is accessible only through the roof hatch, a 5 × 10 cm flap. There is a servo for the tailwheel and rudder, which controls two separate Bowden cables. The elevators are equipped with their servo mounts in the corresponding stabilizers. For the powerplant, I’ve opted for an outrunner motor with a 6S LiPo battery. The center of gravity, located 91 mm behind the leading edge, is set after balancing by adding 200 g of lead. The assembly instructions include the necessary trim settings for the elevator, rudder, ailerons, and landing flaps.

One last check at the airfield—a jiggle of the double-sided elevator, and the servo mount comes loose. Lucky break! A quick fix thanks to superglue.

Taxiing without flaps—after 15 to 20 meters, the 6S-powered aircraft takes off. First impression—it’s a bit sluggish in gaining altitude and turning! Otherwise, a flawless straight-line flight with a responsive, well-behaved reaction to all control inputs during takeoff and landing. The sun is setting—no more flights for now. Some time later—the weather is cooperating for once—another attempt. A 100-gram lighter LiPo battery shifts the center of gravity slightly aft. The response to control inputs at the manufacturer’s recommended levels now meets my expectations. You can even put the Wagon into a loop. When the landing flaps are fully extended, the Cessna approaches the ground quite quickly with the addition of 10% elevator input, without becoming too slow or too fast. I subsequently make an adjustment to the landing flaps. Aeronaut specifies short aluminum pins as control horns. The short lever arm results in abrupt control surface movements, which places high demands on the servo’s power output. A longer lever on the control surface remedies this issue. All in all, it’s an extremely robust all-weather aircraft; quickly assembled after work, it offers stress-free recreational flying.

Conclusion: A complete kit with precisely fitting parts and very well-thought-out “3D assembly instructions”—nothing else needs to be purchased. Criticism: The balsa skin material is too thin at 1.5 mm, which prompted the author to apply a fiberglass mat and perform additional follow-up work. In flight, it’s a model suitable for beginners that can also be used as a tow plane for lighter gliders!

Conclusion: A complete kit with parts that fit perfectly and very well-thought-out “3D assembly instructions”; nothing else needs to be purchased. Criticism: At 1.5 mm, the balsa skinning material is too thin, which prompted the author to apply a layer of fiberglass mat and perform additional follow-up work. In flight, this is a model suitable for beginners that can also be used as a tow plane for lighter gliders!