With 70% of the earth covered with water, shouldn’t we have a similar percentage of RC model float planes? Well, maybe that’s too much to ask for but if have never given it a try, you’re really missing out. And with suitable open flying sites becoming more difficult to find, flying from public waterways is a viable and fun alternative to sod runways. Flying off water is new to many RC pilots; however, water planes have existed since the birth of powered flight. Airlines like Pan American used large flying boats like the Yankee Clipper. Canada’s north was opened through the extensive use of bu ..read more

Model Airplane News contributor Tim McKay is back with another easy and effective RC tip: making hinges from milk jugs! Not only is this hinging method long-lasting and certainly cost-effective, it’s eco-friendly. eco-friendly, it’s long-lasting and certainly cost-effective. The post Easy “Milk Jug” Hinges appeared first on Model Airplane News ..read more

This 240cc model of the Zlin Z-37 crop-duster is a showstopper! Built by John Greenfield from the Airworld kit, the 141-inch-span model is powered by a Valach five-cylinder engine. John writes, “The Cmelak looked like a good candidate, a bit unusual in design, which I like, but with a robust undercarriage and easy to assemble with plug on wings and a simple bolt on tail. I knew Airworld made a kit of the model so a good look at their website convinced me that this was the model to pick. More research showed that most Cmelaks were finished in yellow but having just finished a Bucker Jungmeister ..read more

Coolest RC plane of all time? Check out the HiMAT informational video from the early 1970s. The HiMAT RC plane was launched from a B-52 Stratofortress at 45,000 feet and piloted on the ground by NASA. It also had a chase plane that could control it if needed. If you were in grade school in the early ’80s or before, the narration style in this video will bring back memories. Worth a watch! The post HiMAT Video appeared first on Model Airplane News ..read more

GETTING STARTED IN RC — Expert advice for everyone! Whether you’re a first-time flier or an RC veteran who wants to expand your horizons, trying something new can be intimidating. For this feature, we took readers’ “beginner” questions on everything from choosing a radio to getting into giant scale and asked our contributors to share their opinions and advice. Getting started just got a little easier! Nick Ziroli Sr., poses with his award-winning, giant-scale Beechcraft Staggerwing. It is powered by a reliable gasoline engine. I want to fly giant-scale planes. Some of my friends say to use a ..read more

In 2003, Maynard Hill’s RC aircraft crossed the Atlantic–1,882 miles!–on less than a gallon of gas. YouTube’s Captain Joe revisits an amazing RC flight that happened more than 20 years ago. Model Airplane News covered this historic event, and we’ve pulled the 5-page article from our archives for you. Even after 20 years, it’s still a truly impressive RC feat! Click the link for the PDF to read the story. Let us know if you remember reading this story when we first ran it! Record-Setting Transatlantic Flight The post Revisiting a 20-Year-Old Record-Setting Flight appeared first on Model Airpla ..read more

This cool video features a very unique scratch built Saab B.17 dive bomber electric powered model that was seen at SEFF 2024 at Mac Hodges Field in Andersonville, GA outside of Americus. Americus Airport is where a guy named Charles Lindbergh learned to fly.   The post Unique scratch build! appeared first on Model Airplane News ..read more

Check out Tom Stanton’s latest RC creation as he designs, 3D prints, and builds an RC plane powered by compressed air. Of course compressed air power has been around for awhile and usually reserved for very intro-level (toy) planes. But this guy takes it to a whole new level! Check out this impressive and creative build. The post Powered by Air! appeared first on Model Airplane News ..read more

This RC pilot and builder takes a fairly standard SR-71 RC model and outfits it with upgraded motors and a solid state rocket booster! Spoiler alert: it goes fast. Check out the video to see the build process, a few mistakes (i.e. learnings) made along the way, and the final result! The post Rocket Boosted SR-71! appeared first on Model Airplane News ..read more

When it comes to flying RC airplanes, the chances are that your beautiful molded ARF is going to suffer some damage. There’s no reason, however, to trash your crash. With a little time and effort, you can get back into the air, and you also can save some bucks by repairing your bent bird instead of buying new parts or an entirely new airplane. What’s Needed The supplies needed for any model repair are a hobby knife with sharp replacement blades, some masking tape, a sanding bar with medium sandpaper (100 to 150 grit), and some fine 220-grit sandpaper. The glue needed is 15-minute two-part epox ..read more