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 February 26, 2010
When it comes to indoor R/C helis, the E-Flite Blade series should be a familiar name. The latest to carry the line (their eight) is the Blade mSR, a single-rotor chopper that seeks to fill the gap between co-axial models and collective pitch machines.
Factory-assembled, it comes ready to fly, complete with a 2.4GHz radio and all the batteries you will need to quickly get in the air. While not the most spectacular-looking, it does have some nice lines. With options for appearance and performance enhancers, such as glow-in-the-dark blades and a tailfin, it should bring enough satisfying visuals.
The tiny E-Flite Blade mSR is actually quite the capable helicopter. Hovering is very stable, requiring just slightly more control than a co-axial machine. Beginner pilots shouldn't have a hard time working through this RC, especially after a few practice take-offs.
Despite weighing a mere ounce, it can do a lot. Forward flight is easy to handle, with speedy acceleration and an even faster quick stop at just the flick of a button. It's a fixed pitch heli, so don't expect much acrobatics - it's good enough for a trick or two, though.
Trawling the air around your house, you'll likely find it to be a very responsive and durable chopper. Sure, it's probably going to break if you step on it, but normal falls and running into obstacles should result in zero damage. Hard to believe with its flimsy-looking frame, but true.
New helicopter pilots looking for a fun, affordable machine should definitely consider the E-Flite Blade mSR RTF. It's a tiny bundle of fun with enough toughness to last you a long time.
Specifications
Rotor Diameter: 180mm (7.0in)
Length: 200mm (7.9in)
Height: 90mm (3.5in)
Weight: with battery 28g (1.0oz)
Motors: Main motor brushed coreless (1 installed)
Tail Motor Brushed micro coreless (1 installed)
US $159.99
