A review of the Angel LCD

Above is a picture of the gun ready for play. It has a 110ci PMS SS4500 nitro system, red gem Revolution loader and gas is supplied through a Proconnect.

For $1650 one can purchase a brand new "coloured and carved" LCD Angel directly from WDP. I was so impressed with my stock black Angel, I decided to let WDP show me what they could do with the next generation Angel.
I ordered a red LCD Angel with single finger trigger, and after a couple shipping delays it arrived roughly a week after WDP had originally expected. Unfortunately it had a double finger trigger, despite my repeated attempts at telling WDP I wanted a single finger. Though I was mildly irritated by this initially, I changed my mind after shooting it. As soft and smooth as the trigger is, the use of two fingers still seems to make it easier to rip off long, fast strings.
I think the most useful way to discuss the new gun is to compare it to the older generation of Angels. The guns are really very similar, they function identically and shoot identically. The major difference is the electronics package and the intelligence of the layout (tough as it is to improve a gun as well laid out as an Angel).

Above is a closeup of the body milling. Also noticeable is the plug in the backplate, the longer Rota-Breech, and the new ASA regulator mount directly into the body. Click to enlarge.

The first and most obvious difference between generations is the LCD display in the grip. This has a number of functions, many more than one will ever need. So many functions, in fact, that the gun comes with a 50 page manual to explain all of it. The manual is a little bit disjointed, but has a lot of nice graphics and ultimately has the info you need. Among other things, the LCD also displays "LIVE" or "SAFE" telling you whether it is ready to fire, useful, since there is no longer the green/red LED light at the back of the gun. The LCD is controlled by five buttons. There's three buttons recessed in the back of the grip for common functions, and two buttons on the board under the grip panel which adjust functions meant to be kept locked down during play. The gun selects between safe and fire using one of the buttons on the rear of the grip. Holding the button down for one second toggles between the two. Another nice touch: the LCD is backlit, so it can be read in the dark, though this can also be turned off if desired.

At right is a picture of the LCD panel and the plug used to isolate the battery. Click on it to get a closer look. You will notice the four segment battery meter, the mode reading (in this case 'b' for semi auto), and finally the big letters saying "SAFE" indicating the gun is... hmm.. safe...

You may have heard that the gun has a temperature reading. This is true. It also has readings for the number of shots it has taken (sort of an odometer), also a "trip" shot counter, which can be reset (useful for keeping track of shots per fill). The valve dwell and max ROF settings are also viewable, as is the average rate of fire (could be used to test how fast you're shooting). It has a four segment battery meter and a vibrating timer for the internal game clock. There is also a PIN number that can be set and used to lock the gun out so that it can't be used without the number. There are 26 firing modes, including the usual semi and full auto as well as zip bursts, plus a new mode called "ramp." Basically this is a mode that escalates the ROF as the trigger is held until it reaches full speed, sounding somewhat like an engine starting up. The gun can also be hooked up to a computer so that the six custom modes can be set up though the link cable is apparently an option and not included with the gun. Finally there are two 'locked out" modes, that are apparently going to be Turbo modes. The rumor is that WDP is not yet satisfied with the safety of Turbo modes in general and will not release the unlocking codes until they have fully tested it. Any of the 26 modes can be selected by use of the buttons inside the grips and thus cannot be changed during play.

You'll probably have to click on this picture to see the text on it. The "Mode" button, selects between various functions of the LCD display, while the "Action" button controls those functions. For example, pressing the Mode button once brings up the status of the LCD backlight. Toggle it on and off with the Action button. The "Fire/Safe" button toggles the gun between fire and safe mode. The charge plug is under the rubber protective cap. Click to enlarge.

The layout is somewhat different from the original Angel. The old charger/Intellifeed plug is gone, and in its place is a smaller plug that takes a plastic "tag" which isolates the battery and shuts the gun down. This item is small and highly losable while at the same time pretty important (it is basically the on/off switch), so I hope WDP is going to sell 12 packs of them (and you know they will). But what about my Intellifeed you wonder? The Intellifeed can still be used, but not as simply as it used to be. The sight rail is now removable, and underneath is the Intellifeed plug, which can be mounted in the rail. Takes some disassembly and some drilling, but most people are using the VL Revolutions anyway, so it's not a big issue. I think WDP buried it on purpose, realizing that they aren't used much. The 14-way exhausts are gone too, I'm not clear where to, but the gun shoots, so why worry.
Also different, layout wise, is the vertical adaptor. It's no longer the UK thread, now it's the standard ASA so you can use your Uni-Reg or Vigilante if you just have to waste money on customizing (let's face it, the Govnair works fine). Also, the ASA is not connected to the grip frame, so you can take the grip off without bothering with the regulator, a nice feature when you're setting the trigger how you like it. Speaking of the trigger, it has dual adjustments for forward and rear travel, not so much a feature as a something the original Angel really should have had. It's also a bit less "clicky" than the old style.

At right is the LCD bolt next to a conventional sized Angel bolt (not the actual stock bolt). You will notice that the LCD bolt isn't really longer in front of the linkage pin, but extends back further. How this helps the gun's performance is beyond me.

The bolt is longer and larger in diameter. The added length of the bolt is taken out of the 14-way which is now shorter and more compact. Supposedly this will allow for higher rates of fire, but then again, how are you gonna outshoot the old Angels? The only obvious external difference this leads to is that the Rota-Breech is half an inch longer, moving backwards. The charging port is on the rear of the grip above the three control buttons. It is kept covered with a piece of the soft wraparound grip covers.
How does it shoot? I took mine out in the back yard and put about 250 balls through it. It shoots extremely fast, it's easy to shoot really fast. I cleared 250 completely horrible, messed up, Marballizers through it without a single break. It's also pretty quiet, though that's more of an idiosyncrasy from one Angel to the next. If I took the time to set the dwell just right and to tune up the LPR settings it would be damn near silent, since the new LCDs come with enlarged air passages that lets them run at low pressures around 350 psi. To put it simply this gun should shoot exactly the same as any good Angel, and thus far it seems to do just that.

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