Small Scale Military Headquarters

http://www.ejf.com/index.php?main_page= ... cts_id=489

not bad..

Aferg, you are always posting these RC models. Have you bought these or are you just surfing to see what you find?

I have visions of your entire home covered with these expensive home-built models!

I have a few of the flying styro r/c kits and they look really good for being constructed of foam. I have the B-25, which I think is relatively close to 1/18 scale, Aferg knows the exact scale he listed it here a long time ago when we last dicussed it. Anyways, they make very nice display pieces that can be detailed well with the supplied parts and taken even further with some weathering and what not. Another idea for those who can build models well is to use enlarged paper models. There are litteraly hundreds of aircraft to choose from and many other r/c guys use this method when they want to build a plane that isn't represented in the scale they like. This is how I am going to make my 1/18 scale P-39 Airacobra. I have a 1/33 scale paper model that I am going to enlarge to 1/18 scale on the computer, print out the templates, and then build it out of balsa wood like a traditional r/c plane. Along the way I will build the cockpit pieces and any other scale items I want to include. When I complete the main surfaces I will decide if it is possible to cover them with fiber glass and still keep a scale outline. If not, I will just seal the wood and paint the pieces. I will let you know how it all turns out.

Airacobra, the paper model route is a good way to go. I don't really have the skill to build out of balsa, like you plan to, so up til now i've stayed with making tanks from scaled up paper models. Tanks are fairly easy since they don't have the compound curves that most airplanes have. I'm also doing a waterline uboat, from a scaled up paper model....slowly but surely.

When i get more skilled i may try scaling up a bomber, as the shapes are usually simpler, with less complex curves, than for fighter aircraft. I was thinking of something like a He-177....but that's still a ways down the road.

As far as r/c planes go; i find that they are an excellent way to supplement a 1/18 scale aircraft collection. I have about 8 of them now and while they are clearly not going to be as nice as the planes made by the big 3, they are still quite nice and i'm happy to have them and plan on getting more, when i find them.

I can vouch for Flying Styro's quality. I have the B-25 (it's 1/17 scale btw) and their A-7 corsair (about 1/19) and both are quite nice for being made of foam. From a few feet away you cant tell the difference. The are a little delicate to work with but otherwise i'm very pleased with them.

I don't know if i'm going to get the Flying Styro A-10 because i bought the GWS version a while a go and while it's not as nice as the Flying Styro offering, it's still not bad and can be made into something pretty good with some effort and it was less than 1/4 the price. I'm not really that into A-10's, so i don't know if i want to spend $200 for one.

Your right about the complexity of those paper models, especially the aircraft. I have visited a couple paper model forums over the last couple years and some of the guys are absolutely amazing, you should check those boards out if you haven't already. I am going to stick with the balsa idea since I am familiar with the building techniques involved with it. I will let you know how it goes. Watch, as soon as I finish, someone will finally come around to the idea of releaseing a P-39. Oh well, I would welcome one at any time.

It still ain't no1/18 A-10 by 21st though. Hahaha.

yes but there ain't no A-10 by 21st though..

You're right it is no A-10 from 21st century......It's better because it can actually fly like a real A-10

I see some R/C fighters at the local hobby shop. Not sure of the scale but the wing span on the 190 is 36 inches. They are made by a company called parl flyers and for a $125.00 they are ready to fly right out of the box.

sounds like about 1/12. Flying Styro makes a bunch of WWII fighters in 1/12, great selection including a Yak, Mig 3, a couple of Japanese fighters plus the usual ones. Very nicely detailed.

Those are made by a company called parkzone. They call them park flyers. I think they currently make three warbids, a FW-190, a Spitfire, and of course a P-51. I have the P-51, it was the first one they made. I also have a Flying Styro and Alfa Models P-51, and they are all a bit too large for 1/18 scale display. I will say that out of the three, the Flying Styro model is hands down the best looking, most scale airplane.

Anyone have the Parkzone planes and fly them? Just curious because I see them down at my hobbyshop alot. The Spitfire looks very cool.

Charlemagne wrote:Anyone have the Parkzone planes and fly them? Just curious because I see them down at my hobbyshop alot. The Spitfire looks very cool.

I had the Park Zone FW 190. I was disapointed IMO as they are very hard to fly. They can break very easy as well. At least the replacement parts are very cheap.

As a rule of thumb warbirds, and more specifically, low wing aircraft are not ideal trainers. Yes, the parkzone warbirds are difficult to fly for a beginner, but not impossible. They can fly at about 35 or maybe even 40 miles per hour. That may not sound like much but it is plenty fast if you have never flown an r/c plane before. It is extremely easy to over correct these planes when flying them and to also stall them out. They do have two settings, one for novice (slows down the control surfaces) and one for more advanced pilots, but with that being said, I would still recommend a high wing trainer like a Cessna or cub type of plane over a warbird for novice pilots. If you do try one of the parkzone warbirds just make sure you are familiar with the controls and fly it in a large field where you won't feel so rushed to make decisions. A larger field will make the plane feel slower compared to flying in a small cramped field.

tkjaer21 wrote:

Charlemagne wrote:Anyone have the Parkzone planes and fly them? Just curious because I see them down at my hobbyshop alot. The Spitfire looks very cool.

I had the Park Zone FW 190. I was disapointed IMO as they are very hard to fly. They can break very easy as well. At least the replacement parts are very cheap.

Thanks for the feedback on the ParkZones, I think Airacobra makes a good suggestion and being a novice pilot, I would be better off learning on a trainer first. I just need Parkzone to make a "Texan" trainer so that I could cut my teeth on that before hopping into a P-51 Seriously, a trainer would be probably be my best bet before trying a low wing fast flying warbird.

Charlemagne
whats the name of that hobby shop

luftpanzer wrote:Charlemagne
whats the name of that hobby shop

It's HobbyTown USA near where I live. It has a lot of RC stuff including ParkZone aircraft.