Parkjets are small electric powered R/C Aircraft, styled after Military, Sport, and Commuter Jets. This website offers Free building plans, construction, flying Tip's and techniques, along with all the resources you need to enjoy this rapidly growing segment of the R/C Aircraft hobby.
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Build a Jet, and lets go fly it at the Park!!
Building Tip's and Techniques
FREE PARKJET PLANS
Getting Started In R/C Flying
Manufactured R/C Parkjet's
Newsletter Archives
Motors For EDF and Pusher-Prop
Sensible Safety Rules
Buy Parkjet Motors and Supplies from Grayson Hobby
For more info Click Here
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Buy the Best In RC From www.YardbirdRC.com
Watch a Ultimate RC Foam Demo Video
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Quality Brushless Motors and ESC's at Affordable Prices
Read Product Review's on RC Groups
It's not as popular as some of the other forms of the R/C Hobby, however. But since your here reading this, I'll assume that you want to fly Jets, R/C Parkjets to be specific. :)
READ THESE FIRST:
R/C Dictionary
Read Tower Hobbies R/C Dictionary to become aquainted with General R/C Terminology
A really Good Tutorial for Electric R/C flying
R/C Groups Electric Flight FAQ
First, lets take a look at you, and your experience.
Do you feel that you are physically capable of grabbing a jet that is anywhere from 2-Ft. to 5-Ft. long and weighing several pounds, and giving that jet a mighty toss, like Brett Farve throwing a bullet pass for the winning touchdown, and then having enough wit's about you to grab the TX control sticks, and fly that jet out of what ever problem it has gotten itself into?
I hope you answered "Hell Yes!!"
If not, then you may want to consider flying a more "Conventional" Airplane," one of those slow flying type's with the prop up front, and leave the ParkJets for when your older, and/or when you have more experience.
Things You Need To Do
You need to start reading all about the Electric R/C Hobby at the RC Groups E-Zone discussion boards. I HIGHLY Suggest you join the RC Group's and participate in the thread discussions. The owners of the ParkJet plans found on this website deeply appreciate knowing there plans are being built, and they will gladly answer any questions you have about the construction, and flying of there creations. Everything I know, I have learnt from the great people at the E-zone :)
JOIN THE AMAI've been a AMA Member for the last few years now #809291 and I consider this organization to be essential to the R/C Flying Hobby. no matter WHERE or WHAT you fly. You WILL need a AMA card to fly at any sanctioned event, and the accident insurance they offer can really save you a ton of money, if you ever hurt someone, or damage any property while flying. See more information on my Sensible Safety Rules webpage.
Your First RTF ParkJet
Your first ParkJet should be a Ready To Fly (RTF) 3 Channel (motor, aileron, elevator OR motor, elevator, rudder) kit, with , a pre-built jet with a transmitter (TX) receiver (RX), servo's, and speed controller (ESC) already installed, with flight and transmitter battery packs, and a appropriate battery charger. For a complete list of RTF ParkJets, see my Manufactured R/C ParkJets page.
NEVER fly a 2 Channel RTF jet!! These jets are the imported "Kids Toy Store" variety with controls for the motor and rudder only! You will learn BAD HABITS flying one of these jets, that you will have to un-learn to fly a proper Parkjet.
This is not to say that a 2 channel parkjet won't fly, your altitude is controlled by the motor, and steering is controlled by the rudder. It's your money, if you want to waste it, then go right ahead. These toys are not my choice of plane to fly, the only thing there designed to do is separate your money from your wallet.
Building Your First ParkJet
If your handy with glues and tools, knifes, soldering iron's, and so forth, you may want to build your first ParkJet, especially if your planning on staying in the hobby long term.
The main advantage of doing this, is that your cost-per-airframe is going to be a lot lower than if you only fly RTF or ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) ParkJets. Your cost is even lowered further if you crash your jet, you just take the old parts out of the crashed jet, and install them in your NEW scratch built Jet!!
The foams we use are very cheap, compared to the molded foam kit jets available.
Building Materials - Foam
Some of the popular types of foam that we use to build ParkJets are:
- Depron Extruded Foam Sheets ( Take-out containers, store
meat trays)
- Dow Corning Fan-Fold Foam (a.k.a. Blucor, used in Home
Insulation)
- PolyStyrene Foam (Think of cheap picnic coolers)
- Expanded PolyPropylene (Bend able "Memory" foam)
Dow FFF Blucor 
Depron Foam
PolyStyrene
EPP Foam
Depron Foam PolyStyrene
EPP Foam Other types of Building Material
Balsa wood and lite-plywood are commonly used along with foam for internal structure support, or as coverings for wings.
Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber composite materials are used for covering materials, and internal bracing, also. R/C Aircraft undergo the same type of stress that there bigger counterparts face, in a smaller scaled down way. CF rods, and tape are used for wing bracing, and they find many uses for internal support too.
Fiberglass cloth and a sealer of Water Based Poly Urethane (WBPU) are used by many modelers as a covering for there aircraft, which after being applied and sanded, is then painted.
Acrylic Plastic is used quite a bit for parts fabrication. Clear plastic is often heated and vacu-formed to create canopy's. Many of the parts supplied in kits are made from plastic, and most of your R/C parts hardware is made from plastic or nylon.
Basic Building Equipment
Fasteners Screws, Nuts, and Bolts
The ONE thing I hate the most about building R/C aircraft are the TINY fasteners they use. 1 and 2 mm screws and nuts. 2-56 threaded rods and tiny E-rings, taps and dies, and clips galore. They just drive me bonkers :(
Buy glasses or a good magnifying glass if you have poor close-in vision (like I do) and Invest in quality "Jewelers Tools" your going to need them.
Your going to have to buy an assortment of these fasteners, and it is impossible for me to tell you before hand what you will need, as every plane has different part requirements.
Glue's
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GENERAL WARNING:
With any glue that you use, TRY IT OUT ON A SCRAP PIECE OF FOAM FIRST, so you understand how it reacts with the foam your using!!
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Someone once said, "There is a glue for every job", well they must have been a R/C Hobby Shop owner (or a home improvement store salesman).
Epoxy Glue. This is some nasty stuff, and several people that I know have developed allergies to this gunk. If you absolutely have to use it, make sure you are wearing rubber gloves, and do NOT let it contact your skin. Wash it off ASAP if you come into contact with it.
That being said, there are several types of epoxy on the market, all of them come in two parts that you have to mix together. These glues are rated by the "Pot-life", or the amount of time you have to work with the stuff before it turns as hard as cement. 5 or 6 Minute and 30 Minute Expoy glues are most common. READ and FOLLOW the Directions and wear the proper Safety Equipment, gloves, mask, and eye wear....
Cyanoacrylate (CA Glue) These are part of the "Super Glue" family of adhesives. "Normal" CA glue is NOT safe for foam, it melts foam on contact, so use it only on parts that do not come in contact with foam. Normal Store bought "Super Glue" is NOT Safe for foam.
There are however some CA glues which can be used with foam, and they are sold as "Foam Safe Glues". Most of these glues require the use of an accelerent or "Kicker" to activate the chemicals to get the glue to dry fast.
Polyurethane Glue This type of glue is my personal favorite. This type of glue when mixed with water, will expand slightly and foam up to fill any cracks or seams in the glue joint, and it drys to a hard finish which is sandable (much easier than epoxy). The glue sets up quite fast, and it is much easier and safer to use than expoy. There are several brands of polyurethane glue (sort of looks like maple syrup) with Elmers Probond, and Gorilla Glue being the most popular.
Hot-Melt Glue: This type of glue works very well, but it's main drawback is that it is VERY Heavy compared to other glues. So if you decide to use it, just use it in small amounts, as lightly as possible.
Have
questions about Glue?
Read the RC Groups thread
GLUE TEST RESULTS
Read the RC Groups thread
GLUE TEST RESULTS
Tools:
Some basic tools you will need are:
- Hand Drill or Dremel tool, tiny drill bits, and grinding
stones
- Small size Tap and Die Set
- Scissors, many shapes and sizes, and some specialty scissors like "Canopy Scissors"
- Tiny Screw Driver and Nut Driver set
- Knifes
- Utility knifes
- "Exacto" Knifes of all sizes and shapes
- Single Edge Razor blades
- Pizza cutter (Yes you read that right, a big round one on
a handle)
- Straight Edge Rulers, measuring devices,
- Postal weight scale
- Saws and cutters, Including mini-hacksaw, mini-scroll saw, Jeweler's saw
- Electrical Tools, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, strippers, Soldering Iron and stand
- Twenty pound sledge hammer (not really, Just seeing if your
paying attention :-)
- Small files of all sizes and shapes (Jewelers files)
- Sandpaper from 80 grit to 400 grit
- Rubber gloves, masks, paint and epoxy mixing sticks, Clamps, and T-Pins (various lengths)
Model Spray paint airbrush, Small spray booth with exhaust fan, Hot-wire Foam cutting equipment (for shaping wings and other large foam pieces.)
GREAT DEAL!
56 Pc. Hobby Knife Set
only $18.99 !!!
SALE PRICED AT $17.99
Another Great Source of specality tools is www.micro-mark.com
They specalize in Model railroad equipment, but many of there tools
and supplies are usable in our hobby too :)
A Room To Build and Store Your Aircraft!!!
Find a space, and call it your own. Don't let anyone in there (especially Animals and Children) These ParkJets take time to assemble (although I have read of one modeler building a jet in One day) glue and paint have to dry, epoxy has to set, and so on.
BATTERY CHARGERS
YOUR MOST IMPORTANT Purchase is going to be your Battery Charger!!
I know what your thinking, your Transmitter is more important, but this is not necessarily true.
You may buy several transmitters, but most likely you will only purchase a single Battery Charger. Of course, how you fly, and the number of planes you fly at one time, may have a bearing on your "Need" for additional chargers.
Charging takes time, and the only way to charge multiple packs of batterys quickly, is to use multiple battery chargers.
Your battery charger is the life blood to your flying hobby. Once you get to the point of building and flying your own ParkJets, you will most likely be using Lithium Polymer (Lipo) batteries. So, it only makes sense to buy a changer that can handle Lipo batteries, and charge them SAFELY.
All of the Batterey changers shown above will charge Lipo batterys. Just click on one to go to the vendor who sells them. Dynamo Electrics sells the first two, and Tower Hobbies has a great sale on the Triton charger. I own the Triton myself, it is an easy to use charger (Once you get used to using the Scrolling Menu's.) All of the Chargers shown, will charge up to 4S Battery packs, the largest size battery packs currently made.
The only "Problem" with these battery charges is that they require a 12 VDC Power Source.
One good way around this "Problem" is to use a Portable Power System, commonly used for roadisde emergency Battery Jumping. J.C. Whitney sells several models.
You can recharge your batteries away from your car, and you can even take the unit right out to the flight line with you to charge your battery packs all day long!!
Power Meters "Watt Meters" and Motor Dianogistic Tools
Another "Must Have" tool is a Power Meter. You can use these meters in a variety of ways. Use it to monitor your battery charger, to see how much "Juice" your battery is taking.
Use it to test and monitor power set-up's, check the Voltage, Amperage, power (in Watts), Amps-per-hour, and Watt's-per-hour.
The Hyperion E-Meter (Left Side) and the Medusa Power Analyzer Plus (Right Side) can connect to your PC and download the information collected so you can produce graph's and
record a "History" of your batteries and rquipment (an easy way to spot potential problems)
The Hyperion E-Meter will also function as a tachometer, and It can also program the Hyperion Tital Brand of Brushless ESC's. You can read a discussion in the RC Groups about the Hyperion E-Meter here You can also view a 20 Meg Video about the Hyperion E-Meter (Please Right Click To Save to Your PC)
FIND GREAT R/C DEALS ON EBAY!!!
SEARCH EBAY FOR R/C PLANES & PARTS
(Example: Hitec HS-55 Servo)