by admin on February 16, 2011
What a simple way to have fun indoors this Winter with these flying fish blimps. What? you can't buy these flying fishes till July!?! Now that's what I call teasing.
These air swimmers are actually helium filled mylar balloons that can be remote controlled by kids or adults for that matter. According to the demo video here, balloon uses a single battery where as the remote needs 3 and you can buy these with different radio frequencies so as to have a flying fish battle indoors. These won't really work outdoors or in any kind of windy conditions, which is understandable because when it comes to balloons and wind, the wind always wins . So turn off your fan before trying these in the living room.
by sunny on April 6, 2010
So, you want to fly an RC plane? Unlike cars, which beginners can pull out of the box and drive without worry (for the most part), a few more things can go wrong with flying machines. From crashing your park flyer into a nearby lake to breaking the brand new HDTV with an indoor crash, planes kind of raise the stakes a bit.
One option is to buy a couple of cheap, sub-$100 indoors planes ,then flying them in an empty gym or warehouse. If you crash them, you'll only be down a small amount, which shouldn't be so bad. Of course, you'll still be wasting money, so it might not be a solution everyone can be comfortable with.
A better alternative should be to get a handle on flying radio-controlled planes using an RC flight simulator software. There are both paid and free versions of these types of software, so there's a good amount of options for everyone. In case you're looking to research them further, you can begin with popular titles, such as FMS, RealFlight and Clearview.
Don't think you can learn without a real radio controller? You're in luck, since a few RC flight simulators actually come with their own peripherals (they can get pricey, though) and some even work with a variety of RC controllers (like the ones real RC planes came with) via an interface cable. Even better, they can simulate flight for a variety of RC models, so there's a good chance you will find the exact brand and type of plane you're planning to use.
As a precaution, we do recommend keeping your expectations reasonable. While using an RC flight simulator might warm you up with flying your TRex 450, it doesn't guarantee you won't make mistakes once you begin flying the planes in real life.
by sunny on March 6, 2010
Fast, agile and ruthless - that was Willy Messerschmitt’s BF-109 when it dominated European skies during WWII. You can enjoy those same thrills as the "formidable foe" with the Parkzone BF-109 G6 BNF, a small-scale park flyer with full aerobatic capabilities.
The plane comes with a Luftwaffe-inspired paint scheme, based on the version of the plane flown by pilot Erich Hartmann. To foster the realism, it comes with plenty of scale touches, including the port-side supercharger intake, exhaust stacks, gun ports and molded panel lines. It comes with a choice of pilots too for even more striking visuals. By the way, the box includes a Swastika decal for the tail, which you probably want to pass on just to avoid any issues when you take it for a spin.
Most everything you need is included in the box, save for a Spektrum DSM2 aircraft transmitter. Assembly is surprisingly easy, thanks to the detailed Quick Start guide and 22-page manual, both of which come loaded with clear instructions and plenty of pictures. A number of parts are also pre-assembled (e.g. control horns, servos and pushrod) and wired (e.g. motor and cowl).
Up in the air, the Bf-109 is an impressive park flyer. The agility and power took me quite by surprise, easily handling a variety of maneuvers despite some amount of wind. It's fully aerobatic, with a decent level of accuracy during stunts. With exceptional scale looks and excellent versatility, this definitely offers plenty of satisfying action, especially for more creative pilots.
ParkZone Bf-109 G6 BNF Specifications:
Wingspan: 43.5 in (1105mm)
Overall Length: 39.4 in (1000mm)
Flying Weight: 35.3 oz (1000 g)
Motor Size: 15-size 720Kv brushless
Speed Control : EFL 30A Switch-Mode BEC BL
Recommended Battery: 11.1V 3S 1800mAh 11.1V Lithium Polymer (included)
Scale: Warbird
Charger: DC-powered 2-3 cell variable rate Li-Po balancing
Landing Gear: Fixed main LG with steerable tail wheel
by sunny on March 4, 2010
Van's RV-9 kit plane has gained huge popularity with its easy-to-pilot and relaxed operations. If you're a fan of that "everyday use" capability, you'll probably appreciate the E-Flite RV-9 450, a park flyer reproduction of the acclaimed hobby plane.
The 50-inch wingspan model retains the scale lines of the original, making it a real looker out in the field. Overall performance is excellent - light weight, stable flight and very sporty characteristics.
Assembly should take intermediate (read: some familiarity with plane kits) hobbyists around five hours to complete. Those more experienced with kits should put this together easily. Majority of the hardware comes with the box, although you'll need quite a few additions too, including a 450- to 480-sized brushless motor, a 4- or 5-channel radio, 4 or 5 servos, prop, speed control and battery.
Takeoffs are very easy to do with the RV-9 450. Like its real-life counterpart, it's very maneuverable, able to take on even small spaces. Hovering is very smooth and slow flights take almost no work, with the plane exhibiting admirable stability. Because of its size and general design, it looks gorgeous in the air as well.
Unlike the full-scale version though (as far as I know), this performs stunts very capably - spins, hammerheads and other 3D movements are handled well. In fact, the generous elevator and rudder ensures it can do pretty much any aerobatic maneuver you can imagine throwing it into.
Packed with surprising performance (I really thought this was all about fun, relaxed cruising), the E-Flite RV-9 450 turned out to be an impressive park flyer. Paired with authentic scale looks and relatively accessible assembly, this is an absolute winner in my book.
Specifications
Wingspan:50.0 in (1270mm)
Overall Length:38.0 in (920mm)
Wing Area:385 sq in (24.8 sq dm)
Flying Weight:3640 oz (10201135 g)
Trim Scheme Colors:Hanger 9® UltraCote® Bright Yellow (HANU872); Deep Blue (HANU873); Black (HANU874); True Red (HANU866)
Experience Level:Intermediate
Recommended Environment:Outdoor
by sunny on March 3, 2010
Model planes are great. Radio-controlled jets, on the other hand, are just another bundle of awesome. Parkzone's entry into the mainstream EDF market has shown up in the form of the Habu EDF Jet, a full-throttle performer that comes with the company's usual Bind-N-Fly style.
Forget high speeds. This thing can cut through air like a bullet and pairs it with full-house aerobatics that's just downright thrilling. Despite that, it can be very forgiving too, making it perfect for intermediate pilots with a thirst for excitement.
The Parkzone Habu EDF comes with everything you need to assemble your flyer, other than a full range Spektrum DSM2 aircraft transmitter. While assembly isn't a breeze (that's mostly because I really suck at building stuff), the 36-page manual was very helpful, being chockful of photos and step-by-step instructions. By the way, you can fly this with or without landing gear - the latter, of course, offering the fastest speeds for the jet.
With the recommended 3200mAh battery, flight time lasted up to 10 minutes, which is pretty good. The top-end speed was downright whack (faster than anything we've seen from Parkzone), all while showing excellent stability. You can climb way up high with this thing without encountering any issues. It performed stunts very well, although we'd recommend the aerobatics for more advanced pilots, as the speed can get daunting for less-experienced ones.
Overall, the ParkZone Habu EDF BNF is a great value, being able to fly exceptionally well out of the box. Assembly is easier than we expected, construction quality is topnotch and it clears a wide range of speeds with no trouble.
Specifications
Wingspan: 36.3 in (920 mm)
Overall Length: 43.3 in (1100 mm)
Flying Weight: 2.8 lb (1300 g)
Motor Size: E-flite BL15 DF 3200Kv six-pole brushless inrunner (installed)
Radio: AR500 2.4GHz 5-channel Sport DSM2 (installed)
Servos: 5 total, 3 digital metal-geared (nose steering, rudder, elevator), 2 standard (aileron)(installed)
Trim Scheme Colors: Silver foam with electric blue and yellow
CG (center of gravity): Approximately 4 inches from leading edge of wing at root
Speed Control : E-flite 60A Switch-Mode BEC brushless (installed)
Recommended Battery: E-flite 4S 3200mAh 30C Li-Po (included)
Controls: Aileron, Elevator, Rudder, Throttle
by sunny on March 1, 2010
A favorite among airshow fans during the 1960s, the The Great Planes Zlin Z-526 Akrobat resurrects the popular Czech plane in all its flying glory. Like its full-scale inspiration, the single-seater model is designed for one thing: to thrill audiences with its sporty aerobatic prowess.
While putting ARFs together is always daunting, this particular plane was engineered for convenient assembly. Note the difference between "convenient" and "easy." This is, by no means, a breeze, but it could have been harder. For our purposes, we used a 4-stroke .52 engine, although you do get a wide choice for the kit (2-strokes and Outrunner brushless are also accepted).
The Great Planes Zlin Z-526 Akrobat is a roughly 1/7th scale, so it's quite a big plane (58-inch wingspan). That makes it perfect for outdoor aerial shows, since people on the ground can spot its on-air antics easily.
Up in the air, the good looks pave the way for even better flight. The plane is absolutely fast and smooth. Crank the left stick forward and you'll see it streak like a straight-aimed missile. Handling shows a lot of neutral tendencies, so there's plenty of room to innovate for aerobatic flyers. It's not as precise as 3D competitors would probably hope for, though, so keep that in mind.
Seldom do you find a Zlin plane modeled. It's especially rare to see one with full aerobatic qualities as Great Planes has done with Zlin Z-526 Akrobat. Throw in the not-so-difficult assembly plus excellent flight speed, and it's an easy call if you're ever considering getting one. Yep, get it now.
Specifications
Wingspan: 58 in (1470 mm)
Wing Area: 633 in² (40.9 dm²)
Weight: 6-6.75 lb (2695-3005 g)
Wing Loading: 22-24 oz/ft² (66-74 g/dm²)
Length: 52 in (1320 mm)
Requires: 4-5 channel radio w/4-5 servos; 2-stroke .46-.55 cu in (7.5-9.0 cc) or 4-stroke .52-.70 cu in (8.5-11.5 cc) engine; OR RimFire? 42-60-480kV outrunner brushless motor, 60A brushless ESC & (2) 11.1V 3200mAh 20C LiPo batteries
by sunny on February 27, 2010
Just released early this year, the Hobby Lobby Super Scale F-16 looks like one mean RC plane. Massive and detailed, it's a gorgeous rendition of the legendary jet fighter currently serving in the military of over 25 countries.
It's an ARF, so it comes with most the parts you will need to take your plane to the skies and begin shooting down enemies. Okay, the latter will require plenty of imagination, but the flying part sounds like an absolute thrill. You'll need to add radio, servos and battery to get it up.
How big is the thing? If you have a kid in grade school, the Super Scale F-16 is probably bigger. With a flying weight of 35 oz, it has a 28.33-inch wingspan, 43.5-inch length and a total 160.75 square inches of wing area. Yep, it's huge.
The set comes with mostly injection-molded plastic parts (such as the inlet scoop, scale landing gear legs and wheels), some hard plastic components (fins and missiles) and plenty of articulated detail. Based on the photos, assembly may prove harder than Hobby Lobby makes it out to be. It looks worth it, though. Hardware details include pin-type hinges, engineered nose wheel steering and carbon rod reinforced wings.
Top features include a 2600 Kv Outrunner brushless motor, an 80mm-diameter ducted fan, 45-amp speed control and an eight-blade impeller. The canopy and the base form the battery hatch, which are held steadfastly in place by earth magnets, making access to the battery easy. For realistic enjoyment, the jet comes armed to the brim, with AGM missiles, AIM missiles and reserve drop fuel tanks.
While there's no mention of how it performs on the official site, the Hobby Lobby Super Scale F-16 looks way badass. Recommended for intermediate model pilots, price is an affordable $260.
Specifications:
Length: 43-1/2"
Wingspan: 28-1/3"
Flying Weight: 35 oz.
Motor: Outrunner Brushless (2600 Kv) Included in Kit
Ducted Fan: 80mm Ducted Fan with 8-blade impeller (Dynamically Balanced) Included in Kit
Speed Controller: 45A Programmable ESC pre-connected with Genuine Deans Ultra Conns
Type of Build: ARF - Almost Ready to Fly
Skill Level: Intermediate
by sunny on February 23, 2010
Heroic World War II American fighter planes like the P-40 warbird received much fame and honor for serving their country during their time. While I'm not big on history, I know a badass-looking plane when I see one and the E-Flite P-40 Warhawk 300 just totally made me light up.
While available as kit, a lot of the stuff is pre-assembled anyway. As such, building one is largely a breeze. It doesn't require a lot of additional equipment to set up either - just put in two servos, ESC, battery and a receiver to round it off.
Clearly, the detailed aesthetic will be the first thing to draw you in with the P-40 Warhawk 300. The camouflage paint job, coupled with that angry shark face, are just downright gnarly. Kit comes with a display stand that lets you show off the sexy-looking air striker.
Weighing only 6.6 ounces with everything in place, you can imagine the speed at which it will be flying with a brushless 300 Outrunner motor. Not only is it fast, it can perform a lot of the stunts that you expect warbirds to do, provided it doesn't require a rudder (you can add one, though, as an aftermarket part). You'll really appreciate the aerodynamic lines when you see the plane fly without hitch in the face of a moderate breeze. Despite the size, it really does handle the outdoors well. In fact, this thing is so fast you should forget about using it indoors, lest you want to crash it every time down.
Many will buy the E-Flite P-40 Warhawk 300 for its decorative properties, only to be surprised by its actual power. This is one fast plane that only happens to be awesome-looking.
Specifications
Wingspan: 25.6"
Wing Area: 108 sq. in.
Flying Weight as tested: 6.6oz
Airfoil: Semi-symmetrical
Motor: Brushless 300 outrunner
Wingspan: 25.6"
Wing Area: 108 sq. in.
Flying Weight as tested: 6.6oz
Airfoil: Semi-symmetrical
Motor: Brushless 300 outrunner
US $8.49
