TOP 10 PLANS - NOVEMBER

We just checked in on the stats from last month and we have some shake up in the most popular downloads on Parkjets. We never know what will be popular, and have some theories about why plans bounce around a little. But really, we have no idea. One thing we do know is that Jamie Rothwell designs are very popular! Let's get to the list.

10. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell: A great example of a score and fold design with great looks that will get you up in the air in no time. The SU-37 is an excellent platform for parkjets, and this design is standing the test of time.

9. Cargo Twin by Jamie Rothwell: We don't have many non-jet designs, but the Cargo Twin proves maybe we need a little more variety. A simple design that gives you your fix for a twin engined cargo plane.

8. SU-37 by Steve Shumate: This design bounces in and out of the Top 10, but it does represent one of the most scale designs out there. Most of the time people can't believe it's made out of foam. Twin thrust vectoring and available clear canopies from 6mmFlyRC make it a great winter project.

7. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: Another Jamie Rothwell design! The Eurofighter is one of the basic designs that every parkjet pilot needs to try out at least once, it's one of our all time favorites. Great big wings and simple control set up make it a super easy flyer.

6. F-35 by RC Cal: The Lightening II continues to be popular on parkjets. Large wings, twin tail and a modern design make it an easy choice for anyone wanting a little variety in their fleet.

5. Mermaid by Marcel du Plessis: The Mermaid is one of the few water capable designs on the site. Add that to a proven designer and you get a great performing plane with versatility.

4. Hydro: Part plane part boat, the Hydro continues to captivate builders out there wanting a totally unique experience.

3. SU-37 v2 by Jamie Rothwell: This plan can be converted to the SU-35 and features some refinements to the original design featured above. A great update to a great design.

2. F-15 v2 by Jamie Rothwell: Another Rothwell design, this one of the mainstay of the U.S. fleet, the F-15. This design is a score and fold with easy assembly and good performance.

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: Back at #1 after a few months bouncing around, the Steve Shumate designed F-22 Raptor is an excellent example of taking foam construction to another level. Thrust vectoring and smooth lines make this a winner all day long.

TOP 10 PLANS - JULY 2013

The heat of the summer is here. This is usually the time of year we see a bit of a drop in traffic and activity, as many builders are out flying and crashing their winter projects. But, we still have a Top 10 List for July and we have some new members of the Top 10 club, a new #1 and more. Let's go!

10. SU-37 MK1 by Jamie Rothwell: This is the first design of the SU-37 and it remains popular. Featuring score and fold design, semi-scale looks and good performance, the SU-37 MK1 is a great parkjet for the fleet.

9. Hydro: The Hydro keeps its place as a long-standing member of the Top 10 list. It's part boat, part flyer. Capable of EDF or prop, the Hydro will raise eyebrows at the local pond or park.

8. F-35 by RCCal: The F-35 is a profile style flyer with excellent lines and simple tabbed construction for a quick build. Available by kit from 6mmFlyRC.com or for the more hands on builders, straight from the files. Large delta wings and large control surfaces make it a great choice for a beginner.

7. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg: The SU-31 is a nice change of pace for many builders on Parkjets. The SU-31 has simple clean lines, simple build principles, and the prop is in the front! An old war bird that should be on your short list to build. 

6. Mirage F1 by Marcel du Plessis: The Mirage has the look of a lawn dart and can really move across the park at impressive speeds. Mr. Marcel knows how to design great flying machines, his Mirage F1 design is no exception. Looking for speed? The Mirage F1 should be in your hanger.

5. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: Mr. Rothwell's second design on the Top 10, the Eurofighter has a lot to like with its simple build proceedures, good documentation, wide range of power options and great performance. 

4. F-242 Spiker by Sean Correia: The Spiker might be fictional but the performance is real. Mr. Correia's designs are all unique, with graceful curves and extreme angles. We love the looks and only three other designs best its downloads this month. 

3. Mermaid by Marcel du Plessis: The Mermaid is actually modeled after a real airplane and Mr. Marcel does a great job capturing the lines of the original. A full fuse design that is at home taking off on long grass or water or hand tossed, the Mermaid just looks nice, and glides through the air so so easy. 

2. SU-37 MK2 by Jamie Rothwell: The number of downloads was just EIGHT less than the #1 download last month, making this a virtual tie, but our past champion lost a little ground in July. The SU-37 MK2 design is much improved and offers the SU-35 variant in the same file. A great parkjet with excellent documentation.

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: Back in the top spot in July is the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 is a complex build with results that will have everyone wondering how foam can be so scale. Full fuse, thrust vectoring, EDF capable, and available by kit (6mmFlyRC), the F-22 is the definition of a parkjet.

We want to take a few lines to thank all the great designers out there and remind everyone to donate to the designer directly right on the plans page. That helps keep the plans coming. Keep flying and keep the nose out of the dirt!

NEW PLAN - F-15 EAGLE MK2

The designer of the SU-37, F-15, Eurofighter, and more just sent us over the latest design from FRCFoamies, the F-15 MK2.  Now, while it may look like the original F-15 MK1, it is a completly new design offering some improvements in scale and performance. 

Like most of FRC's designs, this one is able to handle just about any reasonable motor and ESC combo you have laying around, so with just a little bit of foam, a few spare parts, you can get your hands on sticks and be flying this F-15.  Go check it out.  

Now, we have to say one thing, you know if you have been around very long, but we like just about any parkjet design that features a large delta shaped wing and the F-15 fits the bill.  That shape gives you great stability without being too draggy.  Do yourself a favor, check out the files, after all, like all our FREE Parkjet downloads, you can download away, check it out, and get to building.

TOP 10 PLANS - JUNE

It's that time folks.  Last month, we had a new king of parkjets, the SU-37 (updated version) by Jamie Rothwell. It knocked off the long-time king, the Steve Shumate designed F-22 Raptor.  Can the Russian beauty hold back the Raptor? Let's find out!

10. F-22 by Tomas Hellberg - The F-22 is one of the best designs on Parkjets.com.  This version features simple constucture, tabbed thrust vectoring and tabbed construction. A very versitile airframe and good looks makes this a great place to start.

9. F-35 by RCCal - The F-35 keeps on being popular. We figure the modern looks, plus the awesome performance for slow and fast flight make this design a winner. 

8. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg - The SU-31 is not your traditional parkJET. Rather, a throw back to the time of warbirds and props. Like all of his designs, the SU-31 is simple to build and provides a great amount of smiles for the buck.

7. Mirage F1 by Marcel du Plessis - The F1 has to be one of the better looking parkjets in the air. The sharp nose, the rounded intakes, the large vertical stab.  Oh, and all that means it hauls rear too.  

6. SU-37 by Steve Shumate - The Terminator, the Super Flanker, whatever you want to call it, the SU-37 by Steve Shumate is one impressive design. One of the most scale designs on Parkjets, the SU-37 features twin thrust vectoring, twin motors, and great looks. And don't forget, you can skip cutting out the 80 parts by ordering a pre-cut kit from 6mmFlyRC.

5. Hydro - The Hydro keeps on trucking. A unique blend of a parkflyer and a boat. What else can be said?

4. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell - The Eurofighter has broad delta wings, cannards, and a simple design. That all adds up to a great platform for modification, motors, power supplies and anything else you can throw at it. This design is a full fuse version with simple score and fold method construction. 

3. Mermaid by Marcel du Plessis - The Mermaid, an unusual plane for Parkjets, but a great design. Featuring the ability to take off from grass or water or be hand launched, the Mermaid looks great in the air and performs well. One thing is for sure, you will have a unique plane with a Mermaid in your fleet.

2. F-22 by Steve Shumate - The F-22 has been on top for a long time, and now it's two months at #2. The Raptor is a scale build, with some complex building techniques, but the results are just awesome. Add in performance and you have a great parkjet that will wow the crowd everytime.

1. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell - The SU-37 retains its top spot! This design has a full fuse, but simple construction notes. The plans also allow for modification to an SU-35, making this a 2 for 1 download. Performance is excellent and you can't go wrong with the most popular download in Parkjets!

Okay, that wraps up the Top 10 Free plans on Parkjets.com. As always, if you have plans you want posted, give us a shout and we will get them up in no time!

TOP 10 PLANS - MAY 2013

Folks, for the first time in a year, we have a new #1 plan downloaded on parkjets since we started keeping track just about a year ago. Honestly, we never thought it would happen. But it has. 

For those of you new to the site, you might not know that every month, we break down the most popular plans and let you check them out, so you can get a jump start on some popular plans. After all, the popular plans are popular for a reason. They have good documentation, excellent flying capabilities, and look good too. 

Well, let's check out the most popular downloads for May 2013 and see who is king of the mountain!

10. SU-37 by Steve Shumate: The SU-37 by Steve Shumate is a monster of a parkjet. Not in size or anything, but it's just one of the most impressive parkjets you can build. It features dual thrust vectoring, smooth lines and great flying abilities. Not an easy build, but for the patient, it will be the crown jewel of your fleet. Oh, and you can short-cut the whole building time by getting a kit straight from 6mmFlyRC.

9. F-22 by Tomas Hellberg: Did you see our interview with Mr. Hellberg? If you did, you would know that his F-22 is one of the best, simplist, easy to build parkjets out there. His design features tabbed construction and a simple thrust vectoring that can flip the airframe on a dime. A mid motored raptor that will put a grin on your face.

8. Mirage F1 by Marcel du Plessis: This is a new design to the free plans catalog, but we have to say, its one of the best looking. The Mirage has great lines and even captures the rounded intakes of the real thing. 

7. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg: The SU-31 is a throw back aircraft with the motor on the front. We know, its weird. But this is a nice alternative to all those typical warbirds you see out there. Tomas Hellberg has taken his simple tabbed construction and put it to good use here. 

6. F-35 by RC Cal: The F-35 takes a lot of cues from the F-22 above and puts the lines of the U.S. Air Force's newest plane into foam. It has a mid motor mount, large wings, simple tabbed thrust vectoring, and a size that fits into any car. 

5. Hydro: This design has remained popular for over a year. The Hydro is a hybrid plane/boat that can wow the crowd at just about any small park. 

4. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: This design is super popular and keeps moving up the charts. Is it the EDF capability? It is the simple score and fold design that gives the Eurofighter a full fuse with little fuss? This design is a winner.

3. Mermaid by Marcel du Plessis: A water plane that keeps the prop up and the plane flying off the water or grass. A simple design by one of the best designers out there. The Mermaid with a little work can be one of the most unique planes at the park. 

2. F-22 by Steve Shumate: The F-22 has been the king of Parkjets for the better part of since forever. The scale design, thrust vectoring, and great performance has kept it at the top of the list. And you can get clear canopies or a whole laser cut kit from our sponsor if you don't feel like cutting out the 70+ pieces yourself.

1. The SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell: This new modified design by Jamie Rothwell has the score and fold method he has perfected along with better performance than his first design. At 80% of the first design, plus some improvements, coupled with the ability to turn it into an SU-35, this design rocketed to the top of the list. Let's see if it stays that way!

Remember you can pick up a lot of these designs from 6mmFlyRC.com. The kits they provide are laser cut and some of them include things like clear canopies and other hardware to give you a more polished kit. 

NEW PLAN - SU-37/27

Last week we uploaded a new plan to our FREE plans page. Jamie Rothwell let us know he has made some modifications and some size adjustments to his very popular SU-37 plans.  

First, he shrunk the plans to 80% of the original size.  Then he cleaned up the plans, improved the canopy, nacels and some other minor tweeks.  Then he changed the plans to allow for a simple modification so that the builder could convert the plans to the SU-27 with a little effort.  

The result is a very (we mean very) well documented plan that gives a builder a great platform to take to the park and waste an afternoon.  

Jamie uses the score and fold method to build up his fuse and if you have seen our "Top 10 List" over the past 6 months, his planes are very popular and for good reason.  His plans utilize a simple construction method, the planes he has chosen provide large wings, low weight and excellent performace, and because of the design, his plans are also semi-scale, so that in the air, they look fantastic. 

Give the new plans a shot, and be sure to donate directly to Mr. Rothwell if you enjoy the plans.  

TOP 10 PLANS - FEBRUARY

It's hard to believe its already spring time.  Hopefully you had a chance to get your winter projects finished and are preparing to get them up and flying soon. 

And since it's the beginning of the month, it's also time to let you know what plans are the most popular on Parkjets.  Let's get started.

10. T-28 Trojan: The T-28 Trojan is a new plan to Parkjets and is already gaining popularity.  A traditional tractor set up, military style, plus 3D capabilities and you have a winner.  

9. SuperSlo28: Like the T-28, the SuperSlo 28 is from SDParkflyers.com and is primarily designed for 3D flying but is perfectly at home motoring around the park.  A great simple design means you can get up and running right away. 

8. SU-31: A great design by Tomas Hellberg, the SU-31 is a tractor set up, but has some great stylings.  Simple profile warbirds are common.  The SU-31 is not.  Want something a little different, this one might work well for you. 

7. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell: Like most of Mr. Rothwell's designs, his score and fold method means you get a semi-scale full fuselage with minimim effort.  And the SU-37 is a great looking plane too, with large wing surfaces, you will get a nice flyer.  

6. F-35 by RC Cal: The F-35 might be one of the most perfect parkjet designs.  Large wings, big control surfaces and great modern looks.  Pair this with a standard motor and yours will get up and flying in no time (unlike the real thing). 

5. Hydro: This boat/airplane combo is still popular after all these years.  If you are looking for something a little different, check out the Hydro, available in EDF too!

4. Cutlass: The Cutlass is SDParkflyer's third entry onto this list and is fits nicely into the Parkjet free plans catalog.  Slick lines, big wings and fast performace make the Cutlass a winner. 

3. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: Score and fold, paint and fly.  The Eurofigher by Jamie Rothwell is an excellent flyer.  There is a reason its popular. 

2. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell: There is a reason his models are sticking on the Top 10 list.  The F-15 is an iconic airplane that has been a staple of the U.S. fleet for decades.  If you want to add an F-15 to your fleet, consider this design. 

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: Holding off the competition again, the F-22 is still on the top of the pile, dominating all comers.  Super scale thrust vectoring all wrapped up in a design that is just awesome to look at in the air.

TOP 10 - JANUARY 2013

To kick off the new year, it's time to take a look at what people downloaded on Parkjets.com. We have been maintaining the Top 10 list now for the better part of 9 months and there have been many new plans to crack the list, some stay, while some fall off to an old classic.  

Before we really get started, we want to thank everyone for an incredible January 2013. Parkjets received over over 30,000 visitors who looked at 239,000 pages on Parkjets! That's the biggest traffic month yet! So thank you.  

Alright, let's get to the top 10 plans for the month of January 2013!

10. F-14 by Steve Shumate: The F-14 has been on parkjets.com from nearly the beginning, and all told is probably still the leader all-time in downloads.  But recently, the Tomcat has taken a backseat to other plans on Parkjets.  To kick off the new year, this tried and true plan that features swing wings (and available kit from 6mmFlyRC) killer looks, and great flight characteristics makes the Top 10 list.  Other plans might well be shaking in their PDF files.  

9. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell: The SU-37 is a great design that features a score and fold method of construction. By cutting only halfway throught the foam, you can simply fold this aircraft into a semi-scale looking RC plane. It cuts down on construction time while staying away from the simple profile look that so many other designs lean on.  Give the SU-37 a good look if you want to go Russian.  

8. T-50 PAK-FA by Denis CyberD: The T-50 is a plan that puts together some of the blended looks of the newest Russian 5th generation fighter, the T-50 PAK-FA.  This design is a simple profile style but keeps the looks of the T-50 while cutting down on building material and build time.  With a large diamond shaped wing, the T-50 is a stable flyer and perfect for park flying.  

7. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg: The SU-31 is not your traditional parkjet, because well, it's missing the "jet" part. But when Tomas Hellberg puts together a design, you know it will be good.  The SU-31 is a warbird style park flyer with the prop in the front!  The easy design and good (unique) looks should make this warbird fly onto your shortlist of build projects.

6. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: A large delta wing, canards, and large control surfaces make just about any Eurofighter an excellent choice for park flying.  But Jamie Rothwell took his score and fold method and applied it to this great frame, you know the result will be good.  We think the Eurofighter is just about the most perfect design for flying around a park or field, and this design is a good one.  

5. Hydro: The Hydro, the F-14 by Steve Shumate has been on Parkjets a long time and still continues to be very popular. The Hydro looks like a boat, moves like a boat and can take off of the water like a duck. Some modelers have even strapped on an EDF on this thing and it performs.  If you want something to take to your local pond, the Hydro might just fit the profile. 

4. F-14 by MDC: The second F-14 on the list! This model is no less complex than Steve Shumate's design, featuring swing wings, but does it with a profile design.  It's a great blend of scale and ease of construction. This model will impress at the flying field. 

3. Firefly by Dennis Schmalzel: Perhaps THE MOST UNIQUE looking design on the site, the Firefly is not a jet or warbird but a profile design that faithfully reproduces the "Serenity" craft from the popular show, "Firefly." We can't even describe it.  Just check it out for yourself.  

2. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell: Jamie Rothwell must be doing something right, the F-15 is his third design on the Top 10 list this month. The F-15 has large delta wings and a classic look that will please any modeler.  

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: No one can knock off the F-22. The Raptor is the king of Parkjets for the last year and 2013 looks to be no different. Incredible scale? Check. Available kit? Check. Thrust vectoring? Check. Impecable plans? Check. What else can you say? Nothing.

That's it folks for Top 10 list for downloads on Parkjets.  Stay tuned, we will be adding more plans this month and looking to lock down some more interviews. And of course, we are working on some other projects at your request.

Want to stay up to date on all things Parkjets? Easy, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter!  

NEW PLAN - EUROFIGHTER EDF

Just as the weekend was wrapping up, the designer of the Alpha Jet, F4F Wildcat and the F-15 shot us a quick E-mail with some new plans for the catalog. Now, we just added the great looking (and performing) Eurofighter EDF to the free plans catalog.

Mr. Rothwell designed this one around a 70mm EDF set up, but the design is large enough to accomadate a 90mm fan, so you have plenty of options.  And like you might expect, the design has a few twists that make it totally unique, starting with the thrust vectoring tabs right in the back.  Now, we are just guessing here, for the pilot that prefers a prop pusher set up, looks like with a little fire wall work, a prop would fit on this design as well. 

The whole design takes two sheets of depron foam (6mm) and can be controlled with only two servos.  Give this one a shot, the Eurofighter is an excellent park flyer platform and can take just about anything you can throw at it.  You really can't go wrong.

NEW PLAN - F4F WILDCAT

Jamie Rothwell, the designer of the great Alpha Jet and the excellent F-15, sent us over for his intrepretation of the mighty F4F Wildcat.  Using many of his techniques, including semi-scale with simplicity, Jamie as provided an excellent plan for an RC F4F Wildcat. 

The nose of the Wildcat is one of the most recongnizable features of the real thing and using his score and fold method, Mr. Rothwell takes the F4F to a great place.  Excellent as a park flyer or as a 3D type flyer, the F4F is an excellent platform for just about anything you want to throw at it.  

The entire plan is available for free download and the whole plane is made from one sheet of foam, one carbon rod and some pretty standard power equipment.  So give it a shot, download and build it.  And send in your flight reports!

NEW PLAN-F-15 EAGLE

The designer of the awesome Alpha Jet, Jamie Rothwell, sent us his take on the popular F-15 Eagle.  One of the best platforms for parkflying, the F-15 by Jamie Rothwell features a semi-scale look and a mid-mounted prop with a full fuse nose design that takes simple design to the next level of scale looks.  A very smooth flyer and very simple to set up with two servos and elevons, the F-15 is an excellent choice if you are looking for a quick build and excellent flying.  

Like most our plans, we have video and pictures of the finished product along with suggested set up from the designer.  One great thing about the F-15 is the wide range of options for powering the Eagle.  Anything from a small 1000 mAh battery all the way to a 2200 mAh battery will get the job done, depending of course, on the motor you choose.  

Check it out!