TOP 10 PLANS - JULY
One month down, two more plans added, a shake up in the Top 10 list and summer is quickly coming to a close. July was a fast month, it seems like only a few days ago we were talking about June and all the projects we have yet to complete sitting on our RC workbench. So what are the most popular free RC parkjet plans that were downloaded in July? Great question, and we have your answer. All of these plans are fantastic, so if you are new to Parkjets and want to know where to start, this is a great place. Take a look at the Top 10 and take your pick. Here we go!
10. Eurofighter by Tomhe - The Eurofighter by Tomas Hellberg is an excellent, fantastic RC design. We have said it a million times, but the large delta wings of the Eurofighter give it plenty of lift and the abilty to slow down. The simple design allows the Eurofighter to be fast and very stable. (June rank: #8)
9. F-14 by Jason Swisher - The F-14 is a fantastic profile design that lets builders build quickly and still have a very scale looking model. This design doesn't have swing wings but who cares when you can be up and flying in just a couple of hours. This RC model is beginning to be a main stay on the Top 10 list for good reason. (June rank: #10)
8. Drongo by Marcel du Plessis - The Drongo is a familiar looking airframe with the ability to take off and land in water. Can't beat that. The design is very simple and yet it is not a profile RC parkflyer. (June rank: #5)
7. Alpha Jet by Jamie Rothwell - The Alpha Jet is one of the most unique designs on the entire website. Featuring a double wing and no carbon supports, the Alpha Jet is one of the most aerobatic RC downloads out there. Some have called it the ultimate RC parkflyer. (June rank: #7)
6. Ultimate 3D - The Ultimate remains on the list for the 4th straight month. A bi-plane with a pension for 3D flying, the Ultimate is simple yet effective. The Ultimate combination for an RC airplane! (June rank: #6(
5. F-35 by RC Cal - With the real F-35's being delivered to Europe now and the integration of the airplane into the U.S. Airforce, the F-35 by RC Cal continues to be a popular download. One of the best looking, simple builds out there and one of the best over all flyers on Parkjets, the F-35 is hard to beat. (June rank #4)
4. F-14 by MDC - This RC plan has been popular since we posted it. The F-14 by MDC keeps the scale movable wings in tact, but keeps the design about as simple as you can while making the wing move. (June rank #2)
3. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell - Adding to the Alpha Jet, Jamie Rothwell cranked out a fantastic and unique design for the F-15 Eagle. Its part profile, part full fuse and all fun. It has a mid-mounted motor and full fuse nose. (June rank: N/A)
2. Hydro - The Hydro isn't really a plane. Or a boat. Or a plane/boat. Its everything and nothing at the same time. It still amazes that this design is so popular, but its worth checking out. Water capable, air capable, fun capable. (June rank #3)
1. F-22 by Steve Shumate - Ho hum, again the F-22 by Steve Shumate reigns supreme. A full fuse design, complete with thrust vectoring and plenty of support from folks like 6mmFlyRC (decals, clear canopies, etc), the F-22 is by far and away the most popular parkjet on the site. Not a simple build, but well worth the effort. (June rank #1).
There you have it folks, the Top 10 free downloads on Parkjets for the month of July. We will be adding a couple more plans in August and are always on the lookout for more plans, so if you have some, shoot them our way.
TOP 10 PLANS - JUNE 2012
June proved to be an interesting month for the top 10 plans on Parkjets. We have got some feedback that these posts are helpful for folks wanting to know what others are doing and really, its a simple check for us, so sharing the information is no problem. This month we have a new arrival, a new plan exits the top 10 list and some familiar plans remain at the top of the heap. Let's check it out.
10. F-14 by Jason Swisher: A simple profile, fixed wing version of the F-14 is a great looking model. Fast to build and stable in flight. A real winner for beginners or seasoned pilots. (May's rank #9)
9. F-14 by Steve Shumate: The Steve Shumate F-14 is one of the most popular all time downloads on Parkjets. The ability to swing the wing keeps this plan in the top 10 for years. And with custom canopies available and custom decals, your model can look excellent. (May's rank #10)
8. Eurofighter by Tomas Hellberg: The Eurofighter is quite possibly the ideal parkjet. Large delta wings and simple design keep it coming back into the top 10 every month. (May's rank #7)
7. Alpha Jet: A new comer to the top 10 list is the Alpha Jet. It's not the Alpha Jet you might be familar with though, a unique design with two wings, no carbon rods and a mid mount motor give the Alpha Jet some unique qualities. (May's rank: unranked)
6. Ultimate 3D: The Ultimate is the only 3D model on Parkjets but remains in the top 10 for very good reason. It looks great, its a pretty easy build and it performs great. Those three factors keep it downloaded thousands of times a month. (May's rank #6)
5. Drongo: The Drongo made its debut a few months ago and has remained a popular free plan on Parkjets. And it's climbing in the rankings! The drongo has the ability to fly off water or land and has a familar wing pattern. Check it out. (May's rank #8)
4. F-35 by RC Cal: The F-35 is an excellent design that combines the lastest air design with the simplicity of profile style RC building. And one feature we love...the F-35 is a great platform for parkjets, the large wings and high aerobatic capability make it a personal favorate. (May's rank #5)
3. Hydro: The Hydro is one of the older plans on Parkjets but people keep coming back for this water borne flying boat thingy. (May's rank #3)
2. F-14 by MDC: Featuring a profile style build WITH the ability to swing the wings, the F-14 by MDC gives builders a great bridge between a simple profile build and a more complicated Steve Shumate build. (May's rank #2)
1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: Honestly, its been at the top and will stay there for a long time. An excellent design, with the ability to get custom canopies and decals keep people coming back for more.
TOP 10 PLANS ON PARKJETS - MAY
Last month we checked out the downloads and put together a list of the top 10 plans downloaded for April. Well, May is a new month and let's see if there are new plans that have cracked the list. The rundown looks in many ways the same as last month but with some moving up and some moving down on the Iist and some making a first time appearance.
10. The Steve Shumate F-14: This is still on the list and frankly has been on the list for years. The timeless design and the ability to add decals and customize the park flyer makes it a favorite. Oh and swing wings do make it one of the most unique parkjets out there.
Steve Shumate F-14
9. The F-14 by Jason Swisher: This simple design has been a favorite since we added it months ago. The simple design and excellent performace makes it a no-brainer for a great first time parkjet or just an easy weekend build to take to the park.
8. Drongo by Marcel du Plessis: A new plan has made an appearance this month. Of course, this is the first month it could make the list. Time will tell if it will remain a parkjets favorite, but right now, it looks good. The Drongo features a great design along with simple methods for construction. And unlike most parkjets, this one takes off and lands in the water (or on land), something that is pretty unique.
7. Eurofighter by Tomas Hellberg: This is one of the best designs for park flyers around. The large delta wings and very large flight envelope make it a great candidate for any beginner or pro for a parkjet that stands out.
6. The Ultimate 3D: This is the only tractor type parkjet we have on the site and maybe that is why it is a popular download. Either way, an excellent design and great flying ability make the Ultimate a top 10 plan month after month.
5. F-35 by RC Cal: Between the Eurofighter and the F-35, these two airframes are just about ideal for park flying. Large wings, stable flight, and an ability to maneuver well make them both winners. The F-35 of course has global appeal too. Maybe that's why it continues to be popular on parkjets.
EADS Barracuda4. EADS Barracuda: It's a new plan, but a popular one for the last 60 days or so. One of the reasons has to be that this is one of the only designs we have ever seen for this upcoming drone from Germany. This factor combined with the dead simple and scale design makes it a no brainer for a great EDF park flyer.
3. Hydro: We have to be honest, this design is and concept has been around for a long time now and so it is a little surprising that it remains so popular on parkjets. But something about a boat that can also fly is so interesting that it's downloaded all the time.
2. F-14 by MDC: Dead simple design, fixed wing, great lines. You can't go wrong if you want an F-14 in your hanger to download the free F-14 plans here. And by the looks of it, lots of people have the exact same thoughts.
1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: Can anything top the F-22 by Steve Shumate? It's been a popular download for a couple of years now and it's place at number one seems cemented. The option for thrust vectoring on a park flyer is certainly one reason. The other is the incredible scale lines of the design. If you take your time, you can faithfully recreate the look of the real thing.
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Top 10 Plans on Parkjets
We have over 100 different RC plans for free download on Parkjets.com and the most popular plans have changed over time. So what is the most popular download on parkjets.com. Ahhh, well, why don't we review the top 10 free downloads on parkjets? Easy enough. For the month of April, here is the list.
10. The F-14 Tomcat by Steve Shumate. This design has been on Parkjets since nearly the beginning and has held a top spot for a long time. With the ability to go swing wing, just like the real deal, the F-14 is an all time favorite. The plans are very well documented, with build instructions and drawings. And over time, so many RC flyers have built the F-14 there is plenty of support; everything to decals, build videos, clear canopies and even laser cut kits straight from our site sponsor 6mmFlyRC.
9. Bandit by Steve Shumate. This download is one of the few fictional RC parkjets on the website. But it's a proven design and looks good in the air. Many modelers have built this great and versatile design. Everything from a prop pusher to an EDF has been put through the paces with this RC jet. The bandit features good speed and above average acrobatics. But more than that, this one of the easiest of the Steve Shumate designs.
8. SU-37 by Steve Shumate. This is one of the most impressive parkjet designs out there. It features twin engine design, but you can adapt it to a single motor, twin thrust vectoring, awesome scale design and a size a little larger than most. As with all Steve Shumate designs, the plan drawings, the build instructions and the parts drawings are all very well documented. Not a beginner plane, but one of a kind RC parkjets. If you want to cut down on the build time, there is a kit available as well.
7. EADS Barracuda by Sabastian Gulde. Obviously the last few weeks have been pretty busy for the Barracuda. It's been downloaded a lot in April. It's still a new design, so time will tell if it will remain popular. Our guess? Because its an EDF and because it's a design that is not seen out there very much, it will be on the top 10 list for quite a while. The instructions and build drawings are excellently put together and provide RC modelers the opportunity to build it full size or go smaller with mini plans also available for download. The Barracuda is designed for a 68mm fan or larger and looks great.
6. F-14 by Jason Swisher. A great alternative to the Steve Shumate F-14, the profile F-14 gives builders the ability to fly a great looking RC airplane without the extended build time. This download doesn't offer the ability to have swing wings, but the stability and great looks more than make up for the moving wings. An excellent design and easy to understand plans make this a popular download.
5. Ultimate by Mr. Flash. While 3D flight peaked a few years ago, the Ultimate remains a popular download on Parkjets. And why not, it's a fantastic design with great stability and great looks. If you are looking for a 3D style parkjet, look for the Ultimate.
4. Eurofighter by Tomas Hellberg. The profile style Eurofighter is one of the best designs for a parkjet out there. It has a lot of great features. The large delta wing give it exceptional stability, the easy to set up control surfaces make it ideal for a simple RC set up. Here is a great video of the rock solid flight characteristics of the Eurofighter. The drawings are easy to follow and the build is an easy process. And as a bonus, there are some decals out there ready for you to print off your computer and apply for a little extra polish on your model.
3. The Hydro plane. Another design that has been on Parkjets for years, the hydro plane is an oldie but goodie. Mixing the hobbies of boats and airplanes, the hydro gives modelers as little bit of both and a lot of fun. This is one case where you have to watch the video to see exactly what we are talking about. The concept is pretty neat, so give the hydro a try.
2. The profile F-35 by RC CAL. This really makes sense. The F-35 Lightening II is the newest multi- role fighter from the U.S. and features some pretty unique looks. The design here is easy to build and easy to cut out. The documentation is good as well and there are a few decals and other goodies for those downloading this great little design. It's a mid-motor mounted pushed that works well with a cheap brushless motor and 6 x 4 prop. Laser cut kits are also available for this model.
1. F-22 by Steve Shumate. It's no surprise here. The F-22 is one of the best looking jets out there and this RC design is one of the best. The design features thrust vectoring, super scale looks and excellent performance. It's not an easy build, but the challenge is worth the effort. Like a broken record, the documentation for this parkjet is top notch. It has a lot of parts/pieces, but for the scratch builders out there, this one is a crown jewel.
Do you have a favorite design or parkjet? And if you have a design, be sure to shoot us an E-mail and we can get it posted. And check back in early June and see if the deck gets shuffled. And remember, you can pick up quite a few of these design in kit form from 6mmFlyRC. So be sure to check it out.