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 20, 2010
Do you have a special place in your heart for the planes of the swingin '40s? If you do, the Hangar 9 Toledo Special should make a perfect center of attraction while you play some gravelly Count Basie recordings on your iPod.
A forgiving plane, it's designed to let you enjoy a fun afternoon flight without demanding high skill. Despite the 1940s body, it does more than deliver smooth flights - it can handle a decent range of sport aerobatics too. Assembly is barely a challenge if you're moderately familiar with RCs (it's got bolt-on rudder and stabilizer), but beginners shouldn't have a difficult time either.
The Toledo Special is a 40-size plane that brings a definite vintage look, harkening back to the "Golden Age" (you know, when accidents were probably more common) of aviation. Body is constructed out of balsa and plywood, then covered with Ultracote to recreate that nostalgia-inducing color scheme. It has a high-wing layout that allows you to insert a visible pilot in the cabin. Features include a 2-piece wing, pre-hinged control surfaces, pre-painted fiberglass wheel pants and motor cowling, and a battery hatch.
Optimized for electric power, the plane is available with an E-Flite Power 46 brushless motor (with a Thunder Power 4S 3850mAh V2 battery recommended). We flew this model out and managed flight times of around 10 to 13 minutes. This isn't a super-slow crawl either - we were going moderate on power, but also did some vertical lines and a few aerial stunts. If you prefer a gas guzzler, though, you can also get it with a two or four-stroke glow engine.
All in all, the Hangar 9 Toledo Special is a satisfying plane. While it won't be my first choice for a sport aerobatic showdown, it's a very capable model with killer looks that's just impossible not to notice.
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 69.5 in (1765.3mm)
- Overall Length: 50.8 in (1290.75mm)
- Wing Area: 702.8 sq in (45.3 sq dm)
- Flying Weight: 6.25lbs
- Engine Size: Glow 2-cycle .40-.46, 4-cycle .56-.72
- Motor Size: E-Flite® Power 46 Outrunner
- Radio: Minimum 4-channel
- Servos: 5 standard servos (4 for EP option)
by sunny on February 19, 2010
Just released last January, the Kyosho Airium Piper J3 Cub sounds like a great choice for anyone in search of an RC plane that's ready to fly. With nearly all parts fully assembled, you can take it to flight shortly after opening the box.
Kyosho claims you might mistake it for a display plane, though I wouldn't go that far. As far as desktop display models, I've seen way better. It's not exactly "stunning," as they like to claim, but it does look nice up in the air on some of the videos the company posted. Scale is very well-done, though, managing to capture the lines of the real plane accurately.
The Airium Piper J3 Cub uses the same lightweight design as Kyosho's micro-sized MINIUM series, which combines a lightweight body with a 5g KS-21 servo and styrene fuselage. Slow flights can go up to twelve minutes long (one of the longest for similarly-sized planes), courtesy of the optimal lift provided by the lack of heft.
It runs using a factory-installed AF400 BLS B/07/15 (29mm) brushless motor with Sky Victory ESC, which delivers the thrust directly to the propeller (direct drive). On high speeds, the plane can manage a variety of stunts, including loops and inverted flight. Notable features include a pre-decorated body, a hatch under the fuselage (for easy battery changes) and KT-21 transmitter.
Designed for casual hobbyists and novices looking to enjoy a plane-like flight experience, the Kyosho Airium Piper J3 Cub makes taking to the air easy. Just add batteries and you're set.
Specifications:
- Width: 524mm
- Length: 700mm
- Weight: 200g
- Wing Area: 8.15dm2
- Wing Load: 24.5g/dm2
- Wing Type: Clark Y
- Motor/Engine: AF400 BLS
- Radio: 2.4 Ghz
US $53.99
