NEW PLAN - CUTLASS

A few months ago, we got permission from SD Parkflyers to post his free plans to our site and although it has been a long time coming, we kicked off the postings by throwing up his awesome Cutlass park flyer.  

The Cutlass features a funjet style design, with a large delta wing and twin vertical stabalizers. The design is for 9mm EPP foam, which as you might know, is a lot for forgiving when crashing. But with some modifications, the Cutlass could be accomadated for 6mm Depron or other types of foam board.  

The designer recommends keeping it light, using small electronics to power it so that its a real floater and easy park flyer.  We encourge you to experiment.  

So check out the Cutlass, a little different material (EPP) but the same results, easy build and lots of fun.

INTERVIEW - CHRIS CARPENTER

F-95 Morningstar

It's been a while since we posted an interview with a designer or company here on Parkjets, so to kick off the new year, we thought you might like to hear from a designer that is running a business! It's like a two for one. We reached out to Chris Carpenter, designer of the MIG 31 "Firefox" and the F-95 "Morningstar," and he is the guy on the other end of the line when you contact RCProfilePlanes.com.  He recently sent over the plans for the Morningstar and we asked him a few questions. So without boring introductions, let's get started with the interview!

Alright, first of all, thanks for taking some time to actually do this interview.  We really appreciate it.  Let's kick this thing off right and why don't you tell us about yourself.  Where you live, work, how long you have been in the hobby, how long you have been designing, all that good stuff?

My name is Chris Carpenter.  I live in Laurel MD and I work in Information Security for the Federal Government. I’ve been flying RC airplanes for about 13 years.  I have been designing planes for about seven years.  I remember staring at the Sear catalog as a kid (before they discontinued it….) and dreaming of having my own RC Plane.  I’m blown away these days by how cheap and easy it is to get into the hobby. It’s a wonderful time to be a RC pilot.

You are right on that point, the cost to enter the hobby has never been lower. So far, it looks like you have about half a dozen designs out there, mostly focusing on modern jets, much like Parkjets.  But we have to ask, do you have a favorite?  

My favorite plane is the MIG-31 Firefox.  It’s from the movie of the same name (Firefox).  The movie is horrible except for the plane.  I was in love with that jet from the moment I saw it.  The Firefox I designed looks great in the air. The design is really clean and it’s pretty fast. I was also surprised how well it slows down and how easy to land it is.  It just looks mean up in the air.  The Firefox is also the most popular plane I sell as well.  I think it’s the most popular for the same reasons.  It flies great, looks really mean in the air and it also goes together very easy.  I think there is a lot of sentimentality for this plane.  It’s just a piece of 1980s nostalgia that I think a lot people can relate to.  I remember flying it at Fun Fly at my local airfield and being asked, “What plane is that?”  When I answered the announcer got on the mike and said, “Hey! Clint Eastwood wants his plane back!”.  It was pretty funny.

MIG 31 Firefox

You know, it's funny, that movie, well just about everyone has seen it.  I'm not sure if it is just because Clint Eastwood was such a star back then or if it was the cold war backdrop to the plot.  Who could forget the rear-firing missiles?  I guess it's no surprise that it's the most popular kit on your website.  

Shifting gears a little to the nuts and bolts of building, many modelers are using Depron foam, it's been the standard for years.  Is that what you prefer to work with or do you use a different material? 

I started out building with Bluecore foam and it’s my preferred medium.  Depron is nicer and sands better but the higher cost just makes it impractical for me.  I can’t find the original Bluecore locally anymore but I can get Dow Protection Board III which is very similar.  For profile plane like I build it works out great.  If you take the protective film off it still sands well.  You can use Balspar paints from Lowes to paint it without melting as well.

Nothing wrong with Bluecore, but it is getting difficult to find these days, and when we find it, its usually damaged or cracked from poor handling.  So we know what you like to use when you build, but what do you like to use, what modeling software do you prefer when you design? 

I design all my planes in Sketchup for a couple of reasons.  One, it was pretty easy to learn and two the PhlatScript plugin. PhlatBoyz created the PhlatScript plugin for Sketchup and it makes it simple to export Sketchup designs to G-Code for the CNC machine.  There are probably better programs out there but the learning curve was for Sketchup was really short and so far it has met my needs.

I think most people use Google Sketchup for the exact reasons you state, it's a good-enough product that has a price tag of zero.  Can't beat that.  What about someone that wanted to design a plane for the first time, what is the number one thing they need to do first?

It really depends on the subject your modeling and what you want out of the model. For me the first thing is to find a good 3 view drawing of the plane.  Google is your friend.  A lot of times a simple search for the plane and “3 view” yields a great drawing.  You can refine your search for large images and you are in business.  After I find a good drawing or images I decide how much detail is realistic for the amount of effort I am willing to put in.  I know some people are super scale detail enthusiasts but I go more for instant gratification.  So, I usually look at the three view and figure out how it will look as a profile plane. You can then import the image into Sketchup and start to trace the outline.  There are a ton of videos on Youtube that walk through the process.  That’s how I learned how to do it.  For me the trick is how much detail can you add in while still using a profile?  If you look at the star wars miniatures games from Wiz Kids you can see some awesome examples of profile Star Wars ship that look pretty realistic.

Those are great tips. We hear all the time that the full fuse planes look great on the ground and great in the air too, but a profile plane, when in the air, looks just about as good. Certainly for the time and effort, they look great too.  One benefit we have found in simple profile planes is the ease of flight, would you say your kits are for the beginner RC pilot or are they for the more experienced pilot?

I would say my kits are for the intermediated pilot.  Primarily, because with the recommended setup my planes are pretty fast. My planes fly well over a wide speed envelope.  The fact that they are delta wings also adds to the stability.  However, for a brand new pilot it would be to easy to one of my planes going full speed and crash.  The flip side of that is that because of the low cost of the kits you don’t need to be super paranoid about crashing your plane because you don’t have a lot of money in the air.

You hit the nail on the head.  These foam planes are so cheap to replace and repair that once you get over that initial cost of getting your radio and some power gear, the airframe is literally cheaper than a happy meal.  It's incredible.

I want to shift gears again and talk about your business.  A lot of RC guys dabble and think about carving out a little niche for themselves with designs and a little kit business.  What made you decide to open up an online RC business?  Were you inspired by anyone or any business?  

All hail Steve Shumate!  That man is my inspiration! His designs have brought me more joy than I can describe. I love SGTalon’s stuff as well.  I realized I was spending a lot of time designing and building so I figured, why not have a go at selling my work. My other goal was to raise enough money from planes to fund my hobby and buy new planes.

The biggest issue for me was keeping production costs down and how to produce quality kits quickly.  I had been thinking about a CNC machine for a couple of years but most of the machines at the size I needed were way out of my price range.  Doing some research on cnczone.com led me to go a small business just north of Baltimore. He custom designed a machine that met my needs and it was very reasonably priced. I decided to use Bluecore foam to keep costs down.   Actually, the hardest thing for me to find was reasonably priced boxes to ship my product.

I wanted to keep the parts count down and that meant the kit parts would be larger so I needed bigger boxes. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find large thin boxes readymade.  Again, I found a local retailer that sold what I needed.  At that point I just needed to design the planes.  I had four designs in mind and I wanted to have them all ready before I opened.

The interesting thing for me is what you do to make a repeatable process that a customer can follow versus what you do on your own putting a plane together.  It was interesting to note all of the little things I did to make a plane go together and how make sure the kit either incorporated it or the instructions covered.  So I ended up building each plane three or four times.  Lastly, I needed to get photos and video.  I finally settled on a hat mounted HD key chain camera to make my videos.  I shot stills of the painted planes and I was ready to load it up into the site.

I chose to use WordPress for my site because you could get out of the box, ready to sell websites.  I loaded up my products and I was online.  I also listed my products on E-bay.  I’ve been in business for about a year and half and it’s been a blast.

You know, you talked about some challenges that no one else has mentioned.  Boxes, software for the CNC, using Sketchup plugins, creating a repeatable product via instructions, and the challenge of getting some decent video of your products. Those are all things that everyone needs to check out before getting into a business. That is just some excellent insight for our readers.  Just based on your business name (RCProfilePlanes.com) it looks like you are focused on profile plane designs.  Why do you focus on the profile design? 

I do profile planes for ease of construction and ease of flying anxiety.  I learned how to fly on a Multiplex Space Scooter.  I beat that thing to death before I learned how to fly.  After that I found rcgroups.com and all of the plans available there.  I immediately fell in love with pusher prop jets.  I realized you could cut, build and fly a profile plane in a day.  Even if you nosed it in (I never do that…) you just cut some more foam, throw the electronics back in, and away you go again.  I learned to fly pretty well because I had no fear of crashing with profile planes.  The other thing I came to realize is that while a full scale model looks great on the ground its hard to tell the difference between a profile and full fuselage plane in the air.  The lower cost and lower fear factor always send me back to the profile planes.

Additionally, it’s really cheap to overpower a profile plane.  You can get a $30 power setup that will give a 2:1 thrust ratio.  With that type of power you can get yourself out of all sorts of trouble ;-).  With the right paint they usually look pretty scale as well.

Who doesn't love to add on power!  A great advantage of the lighter planes is cranking up that thrust to weight ratio.  Excellent point.  You already touched on a lot for our readers wanting to start a business, but do you have any advice for them?  Is there one tip or bit of advice you might offer?

Honestly, if you want to do it’s just a matter sticking to it.  If you have the ideas the technology is there. You can cut your own kits or contract someone else to cut them.  Either way, I feel the biggest requirement is to have the ideas and vision.  

And that success probably won't happen overnight.  If you love doing it, it helps a lot.  One thing we noticed that is that you offer kits but you also offer the free download of the plans right on your website, the same ones you allowed us to post on Parkjets.  Why do you do that?  It seems like giving away the plans might hurt your kit business.  Don't get us wrong, we love it (coming from a site that offers over 115 free plans).

RCGroups.com is an awesome community.  I have download many, many plans and gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it. Most people freely provide their plans and just didn’t seem right not to give back to the community. Let’s be honest, it’s also advertising for your business.  You offer the free plans and you provide a link to your kits.

The people who are going to build  on their own are going to do that.  For some though, it comes down to what is your time worth. Those people are likely to buy a kit. So, I don’t think I loose anything in giving the plans away.

The folks at 6mmFlyRC have the same thoughts. The RC community is an incredible (and international) group of folks.  Obviously we think there is great value in building your own RC airplane, but we have seen over the last 10 years a move to the "ready to fly" models.  Do you have any thoughts on building vs. buying your RC plane? 

I like both. It’s easy to walk into a hobby store, see that beautiful boxed plane, buy it and fly it the same day!  I got a Stryker for an anniversary present and that was total instant gratification!!  However, there is something really special about building your own plane.  It’s just an awesome sense of pride you get from doing it.  For anyone that has not tried it, I highly recommend it.  There is just a greater sense of accomplishment and ownership. For a first kit build, you can’t beat a profile plane. It’s faster, easier and really cuts down on the fear of that first flight.

We couldn't agree more, building for us, beats buying any day.  Well, Chris, we have taken up probably way too much of your time with this interview, do you have anything else you want to add?

I would just like to add that I really love the hobby and RC flying in general.  Even if I don’t sell kits I still get to fly the planes I produce.  The money from selling is a bonus ;-)  If anyone is on the fence about designing, building or selling, get off it.  It’s a blast. Also, I try to design planes that are different.  You can find a ton of models for F-15s, F-16s or the F-22. Try to find the T-50 Golden Eagle and it’s a different story.  Even worse try to find a Sci-Fi kit and it gets really scarce. So I try to build the unique and the obscure.

We have been trying to add more and more Sci-Fi models over the last few months and your "Morningstar" is a real winner.  Wow, we can't thank you enough for all your time and your openess with how you started and the challenges of designing using CAD and cranking out kits for sale.  Thank you.  Thank you. Thank you. 

We encourage you, our readers, to visit his website and pick up a kit or two or three.  The price is right and you will save yourself a lot of time, precious minutes you can be at the flying field.  

That wraps up the interview with Chris Carpenter of RCProfilePlanes.com.  Hope you enjoy and please add your comments or questions in the comment section.  

2013 - WHAT DO YOU WANT?

It's a simple question really, what do you want to see with Parkjets in 2013?  We have been kicking around some ideas but need your feedback.  For example:

• Do you want to see more "warbirds" and traditional tractor style park flyers? 
• Would you particiapte in a Parkjets forum?
• What about a video series or PDF on how to expertly finish depron?
• We experimented with having a few motors for sale on Parkjets, do you want to see Parkjets have a store with RC gear for sale?
• Do you want more videos?  For example, some how-to's on getting your plans to planes?
• What do you want to see in our monthly newsletter?
• Can we improve the way the site works?  For example, is the navigation easy for you to find what you are looking for?

These are just some things to consider, but we welcome all input.  We will continue to work to make the site more user friendly and more helpful, but we want Parkjets to reflect what you want!  Comment away!

2012 - A YEAR IN REVIEW

It was a busy year for Parkjets in 2012 so we thought it would be a good idea to put everything in a nice little capsule so our visitors can see what happened over the last 12 months and hopefully look forward to the next 12 months! Now, this is the one time of the year we want your input, so be sure to add your comments, we want to hear from you - what you want to see in Parkjets in 2013 (more after the break).

More Plans - The biggest improvement to Parkjets.com over the last year has certainly been in the number of plans we have added to the Free Plans page. In fact, when 2011 ended, we were right at 98 plans available for download. And that's nothing to shake a stick at either. But we set out to try to add 2 plans a month for the next 12 months and we came pretty darn close. In fact, with the latest additions, we just racked up the total to 118 plans, a full increase of 20 plans for you to enjoy and download. In case you missed it, here is the quick summary:

• Firefly "Serenity"
• B-58 Hustler
• F-95 Morningstar
• T-50 PAK-FA
• F/A-241 Shrike
• Starfighter
• Cylon Raider
• Cargo Twin
• SU-37
• Eurofighter
• SU-31
• F4F Wildcat
• MIG-31
• F-15
• Alpha Jet
• Drongo
• F-14
• EADS Barracuda
• Eurofighter
• SU-47 Berkut

Honestly, we thought we had added in way more plans, but adding in 20 new plans isn't too bad either. It just takes time to get all these plans dialed up and posted. But we did fall short of our goal of 24 for 2012.

Interviews - We also undertook a new project to start interviewing designers and RC companies out there to see if we can squeeze out a little more information and insight from them on their designs and the way they have set up their business. With RC being a great part time hobby/job, there are lots of small garage companies and we are reaching out to more folks right now for more interviews. Want an overview of the interviews we conducted in 2012, here you go:

• 2012 Interviews

Sponsorship - In 2012 we had a goal of gaining at least one prime sponsor for the website and 6mmFlyRC came through and delivered. We discussed it in our interview with 6mmFlyRC, but needless to say, their sponsorship allows us to keep the lights on and lets us focus adding great content to the site without worrying about bandwidth or internet hosting charges. With all the downloading that takes place on Parkjets on a daily basis, sometimes it can get expensive. Do yourself a favor and visit them and pick up a laser cut kit or motor, every customer matters.

Traffic - Our traffic has been increasing steadily since the start of 2012. In fact, in 2012 we had 2.5 million page views from 305,000 unique visitors from all around the world. Our top referrers (where visitors come from) include hobby forums like RC Groups, but also include forums from Thailand, Russia, Italy, France, Germany, and South America. We also have many folks linking to us in social networks like Facebook and Twitter. And we have seen our newsletter subscriber list increase nearly 20% over 2011.

Endorsements - This year we also took a small step and endorsed the RC Powers E-Guide for folks wanting to know about electric flight and park flyers in general. It's a great course for beginners and even those that have some flight time under their belt. If you are new to the hobby or maybe you are just looking to get a complete picture of e-flight and the parkjet revolution, we highly recommend the guide. It's money well spent. But we are in the middle of doing a full review for you, so if you are on the fence, just hold on, we'll give you the complete run down in a few weeks.

2013 Goals - So this brings us all to our goals for 2013. What do we want to do on Parkjets to help become the #1 place on the internet for plans and advice for parkjets and park flyers? Well, we are not sure just yet but here is what we do know.

• We want to add more plans. Our goal for 2013 is to add an additional 36 plans over 12 months. That means we will be searching high and low for those plans that have everything you need to build them including photos and videos, complete plans and specifications. We will continue to reach out to do more interviews with those in the RC community that are making things happen.
• We want to become a better resource for visitors and engage people more. We just don't know what the best way to do it might be. Is that a forum? Is that a social media push? Do we work to extend ourselves with more foreign language resources? It's hard to say.
• We want to make our newsletter a better resource for our subscribers and are working hard on doing that as well. But we are satisfied with our current offering.

That pretty much wraps up the year for Parkjets. We would love to hear from you in the comments section about what you liked best, what you want to see, and what you don't want to see in 2013 for Parkjets. All constructive criticism is appreciated!

Lastly we want to thank everyone for a tremendous year and for keeping Parkjets in your internet browser! Blue skies everyone!

TOP 10 PLANS - DECEMBER

Every month, we have been posting the Top 10 list of the most popular plans on Parkjets.  So now its time for December 2012!  So how do we determine the most popular downloads?  Simple, we analyze the intenet traffic and rank the plans based on popular plans for the month.  

So let's not waste any time, after all, its nearly 2013.  Here we go:

10. F-35 by RC Cal - The F-35 has been on and off the list, depending on the month and this month it creeps on the list at number 10.  As a park flyer, the F-35 is excellent.  You won't find a better flyer.  The thust vectoring tabs on the control surfaces give it incredible performace and the large wings give it great stability.  Pair it with a good motor and you have an excellent recipe for a great parkjet.

F-35 by RC Cal

9. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell - The SU-37 is flat out one of the best looking RC airplanes out there.  And Jamie Rothwell's design incorporates some unique features.  First, his designs really try to marry the simple build techniques with the more time consuming box frame techniques pioneered by Steve Shumate.  WIth Jamie's score and fold method, the builder has a simple build, with the full fuse look of a more time consuming build.  Win win.  

8. Eurofigher by Jamie Rothwell - The Eurofigher incorporates the same score and fold method as the SU-37.  Its a great platform overall, with broad delta wings large control surfaces, the Eurofighter is a winner for any builder.

Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell

7. F/A-241 Shrike by Sean Correia - This is a very unique looking platform but with its curved leading edges and canards, the F/A-241 is an easy flyer and a park flyer that you won't see anywhere else.  

6. F-14 by MDC - The F-14 might be retired from service, but the F-14 designed by MDC is a main stay on the Top 10 list.  And its no wonder, it has swing wings, profile design, and scale all to offer the builder.  It contains a lot of pieces, but the end result is stunning.

F-14 by MDC

5. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg - The SU-31 isn't even a real jet, but a throwback to piston driven aircraft.  And this design is as simple as it gets.  The great thing, depending on the set up, the SU-31 can be a 3D plane, park flyer or just a nice cruiser around the flying field.  And with it being designed by Tomas Hellberg, you know its done right.

4. T-50 PAK-FA by Denis CyberD - The T-50 represents the newest 5th generation fighter from the Russians. Like most Russian jets, the lines are beautiful, the paint schemes are unique and the performace is excellent.  The T-50 here is a simple profile design with some scale details built in.  

T-50 PAK-FA

3. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell - With three plans in the Top 10, Jamie Rothwell's designs are becoming very popular. Like the Eurofigher and SU-37, the score and fold method is utilzed and the result is excellent.  The Eagle has been a main stay in the U.S. Air Force for decades and this one should be added to your fleet.

2. Hydro - The Hydro is one of those designs that keeps moving up and down the Top 10 list every month.  The Hydro doubles as a plane and a park flyer all in one.  The video is practically viral at this point, and the downloads of the plans keep coming.  

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate - The F-22 has been #1 every month we have been keeping track, and for good reason.  The F-22 features some of the most scale lines of any foam RC airplane out there.  With the ability to add a clear canopy from 6mmFlyRC, decals by download, and plenty of paint possibilities, the F-22 is by far the most popular plan on Parkjets.  You want a scale foam airplane?  The F-22 is a good place to begin and end. 

F-22 by Steve ShumateThat's it folks, the Top 10 list for December 2012.  If you are a new builder out there, take a look at the Top 10 lists, they are a great place to start to decide what RC airplane plan you want to try first.  But take your time, Parkjets.com has over 115 different plans to explore.  

TWO NEW PLANS - HUSTLER & FIREFLY

Parkjets just added two new plans to round out 2012!  We added in the Firefly and the B-58 Hustler.  Both plans are designed by SGTalon but that is where the similarity ends.  First, the Firefly from the popular Sci-Fi western by the same name.  His simple profile design of the "Serenity" is like nothing you have seen before.  It doesn't even look like an airplane, or rocket, or shuttle.  It is a totally unique design that gets around the park just fine. Even though its not exactly an aerobatic champion, it is still a capable flyer.  

Next, we added an all time personal favorite, the B-58 Hustler.  As you might know, the real B-58 was the first super sonic bomber and was designed as a high altitude bomber that could penetrate enemy airspace and deliver a payload.  The design utilized large delta wings and some serious engines.  SGTalon's version is true to the look but a lot easier to build.  The simple profile design lends itself to quick build times and a wide envelope for electronic gear.  If you are a big fan of the "Hustler," give this design a good look and download.  After all, like all RC downloads on Parkjets, this one is totally free.  

NEW PLAN - F-95 MORNINGSTAR

The designer of the MIG-31 Firefox just sent us over his plans for the F-95 Morningstar.  For those of you thinking, "huh, never heard of it," the Morningstar was a ship from the very popular game, "Wing Commander."  

The Morningstar features large canards, canted vertical stabs and excellent performance.  Using pretty standard power gear, the Morningstar looks to be a capable flyer with plenty of get up and go.  And with a simple profile design, it can't take too long to piece together.  The designer even took the time to put together a construction manual that is available in the download as well. 

Want an RC plane that no one else will have?  Give the Morningstar a shot.  You can't go wrong.  

NEW PLAN - T-50 PAK-FA

T-50 PAK-FA Parkjet

Honestly, this plan was actually submitted almost 11 months ago and got lost in the Parkjet inbox.  But when we were going through the mail, we noticed an attachment and did the "facepalm."  But now the T-50 PAK-FA is all posted in our Free Plans page. 

The designer tells us this is his "winter style" T-50 and based on the excellent photos, he faithfully recreated the actual paint of the real deal. 

The T-50, like a lot of profile style parkjets, features a simple design and can operate on tailerons only, although rudders and ailerons could be thrown on there pretty easily.  The designer also included two different sizes of the park flyer in his files, so we zipped them up together.  So if you download it, you get a two for one. 

The T-50 is Russia's 5th generation fighter that looks a lot like the American F-22 but with some noticable differences.  So if you want something a little different than all those Raptors flying around at your flying field, give the T-50 PAK-FA a shot.  It performs very well and based on the large wing span and generous control surfaces, it will provide an excellent platform to throw a lot of different motors and battery combos, ones you might just have lying around.  What do you have to lose?  The T-50 PAK-FA looks awesome!

INTERVIEW ROUNDUP

One of the more popular resources on Parkjets is the various interviews we have conducted with designers and companies in the RC Community. A lot of people enjoy reading the interviews for ideas and inspiration for their next build. We thought it might be a good idea to do an “interview roundup” and pull out some of the best tidbits from each interview, link them all, and create an easy resource for you to go to time and time again. And since we are reaching out to designers and members of the RC Community all the time, this is one resource that will continue to grow, just like the number of free downloads in our catalog.

If you have never taken a few minutes and actually read through these interviews, there is almost something for everyone, so get a cup of coffee or something and read over a few.

Interview: Sabastian Gulde, Designer of the EADS Barracuda | Advise on achieving beveled cuts on EPP foam: “I did build a hot wire cutter, however I noticed later that a utility knife and sanding paper works just as well if you take your time and mark the cutting line before. It is best to first cut out the part straight, and in a second step do the beveled cut.”

Interview: 6mmFlyRC – Company and Sponsor of Parkjets.com | On lessons learned running your own RC business: “This won't be that popular to say but honestly the number one lesson we learned is that just because you have some people asking for a product, it doesn't mean it will sell. In some ways, it’s totally unpredictable.”

Interview: Jamie Rothwell, Designer of the Alpha Jet and more | On the Alpha Jets incredible high alpha capability: “The incredible high alpha is achieved because the leading edge of the top wing is slightly in front of the leading edge of the bottom wing. So when the plane is in high alpha, the top wing is scooping the air over the bottom wing and the propeller is also pulling air through the air intakes, which are in the middle of both wings.”

Interview: Nico Hobbies – Company and designer | Advise on purchasing an expensive brand name motor over cheaper models: “Personally, I see no reason why someone would need to purchase a Hacker or E-Flite brand motor just for better reliability, as I've had almost no issues with the cheaper brands.”

Interview: Steve Shumate – Designer | Advise to hobbyists: “The only thing I'd add is to encourage guys who are used to flying RTFs to try building a foam model from scratch or from a kit. The sense of satisfaction you'll get from the end result will probably give you a whole new appreciation for this great hobby.”

CHRISTMAS PROJECT - FLYING SANTA AND SLEIGH

When October rolled around, we put up a great project (suggested by a reader) and he sent over another project that is appropriate for Christmas.  Rather than post in our regular free RC plans page, we like the idea of simply putting them right here in our blog.  

This particular build is pretty limited to the pictures in the build thread and doesn't actually have a maiden flight! So maybe you could classify this build as purely experimental.  If you do end up building this one, be sure to send over some finished pictures and results.  We know the designer would love it and we would love to post the results. 

Here is a video of a simplier build (two deer) that inspired the design.

And a still photo of the simplier build.

Here is the RC Groups build thread to the multi-deer plans.

Finally, here is a .zip file of the Santa Parkjet plans ready for you to download.  Enjoy!

TOP 10 PLANS - NOVEMBER

Like every month, when the first of the month rolls around, we take a look at the most popular plans that visitors to parkjets have looked at and downloaded. It gives news visitors a good idea about what others are doing and a good place to start exploring. Without wasting too much time, let's see where the most popular free RC airplane plans reside on parkjets for the month of November.

10. F-35 by RC Cal: The F-35 by RC Cal has a lot to like if you are just getting into building your own RC airplanes but also has a lot to like if you are a seasoned builder and pilot.  First off, the design is simple and easy to cut out and assemble.  Second, 6mmFlyRC offers a pre-cut kit if you want to skip the whole tracing and cutting phase. Third, the F-35 offers a great mix of stability and jet like performance due to its large wing area.  If you want an easy build that will perform great, give the F-35 a shot.

 9. SU-37 by Steve Shumate: They call it "The Terminator" for a reason.  This model is a beast.  With twin engines, thrust vectoring, and really great scale features, you can't go wrong.  This is not a real complicated build, but it does contain a lot of pieces in the plans, so have your exacto knife ready (or pick up a kit from 6mmFlyRC). When its all said and done, the SU-37 is one of the most impressive parkjet designs out there, on this site or any others.  

8. F/A 241 by Sean Correia: The fictional F/A-241 is a the newest addition to Parkjets but proved to be a popular download in November.  Based loosely on the Macross epic, the F/A-241 is a unique and nimble flyer.  Want something different at the flying field?  Go with the Shirke, no one else will have it.  

7. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell: The SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell is the second SU-37 on the list this month but there is a good reason why; the SU-37 is an excellent platform for parkjets!  This design is a little simplier than Steve Shumate's version, but performs well and goes together quickly. 

6. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg: Maybe you are wanting a little profile plane with a prop on the front.  Okay, check out the SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg.  You can't go wrong.  A simple scale design and large control surfaces mean you will have no problem building and flying this park flyer. 

5. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: The Eurofighter, along with the F-35, F-22, and SU-37 is just one heck of a platform to start with in terms of designing a park flyer.  So you know with a design from Jamie Rothwell, the Eurofighter will not dissapoint.  

4. F-14 by MDC: This design is well proven as hundreds of folks have documented their builds.  And why not, the F-14 by MDC has great scale lines but does a nice job of balancing scale with ease of construction.  And with working swing wings, this design will keep you the talk of the flying field.  

3. Hydro: This design continues to be popular.  The Hydro combines the concept of a racing boat and a small parkjet into one.  Imagine taking out your RC toy and putting on the duck pond at your local park and puttering around.  Suddenly you slam on the trottle and your boat takes off and does a little circle around and lands again safely on the water.  That's what you get with the Hydro.

2. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell: The F-15 by Jamie Rothwell has been challenging the top spot since it arrived on Parkjets a few months ago and November was no different.  Like the other designs by Jamie Rothwell, the F-15 balances ease of construction with scale lines into an excellent weekend project.

 

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: The F-22 by Steve Shumate remains the undisputed King of Parkjets.  This design one of the toughest builds you will have but the results are like no other.  If you want to skip cutting out all the plans, go with a kit, or brave the whole process solo.  Once you are finished, you will have a parkjet that will absolutely wow the crowd.  

That's it folks, another month, another Top 10 list and another bookmark for downloading some of the best parkjet designs on the internet.  

AMAZING HELLBERG F-18

Our sponsor, 6mmFlyRC, sent us these amazing pictures of one of their customer's modification to their kit, which is based on the Tomas Hellberg F-18E Super Hornet.  Of course you can download the plans here for free, but this customer chose to use his time doing some customization rather than cutting foam.  I think we can all appreciate his efforts. 

The F-18E by Tomas Hellberg is a very popular download, although it doesn't ususally make the Top 10 every month, it's always lurking just behind the leaders.  The F-18 just doesn't look good, it flies great, is very easy to assemble and from the looks of these modifications, a great platform to let your imagination run wild.  

The F-18 features thrust vectoring tabs and a profile design.  The large wings and strake give it great lift, and a huge platform to put just about any motor on it you want.  So go for it.  In the mean time, get inspired!  Check out the pictures!

NEW PLAN - F/A-241 SHRIKE

We just added in a new plan inspired by a personal favorate, Macross!  The F/A-241 Shrike is a unique looking design that certainly is true to the popular series.

The free download features a simple to build parkjets that requires only 3 channels and pretty standard power equipment.  The result is a stable but nimble flyer that you can put together in short order and have something no one else will see.  

The design came from a new designer, Sean Correia, who sent us these plans earlier this month.  We look forward to more designs and more contributions in the future!  Be sure so check out the design and get to downloading.  

TOP 10 PLANS - OCTOBER

With October closing out with some massive storms and the winter build season upon us, it's time again to check out what RC Hobbyists from all across the globe are downloading and building.  This month's top 10 list of the most downloaded free RC airplane plans features a lot of familiar faces.  Let's get started.

10. The F4F Wildcat by Jamie Rothwell.  The Wildcat, since we posted it on Parkjets, has become one of the most popular downloads on the site.  And we would like to note that it's not really a parkjet at all, but rather a really great simple design of a great war bird from decades ago.  Still, the Wildcat is an excellent build and excellent design that you will find easy to fly and easy to assemble.

9. The F-14 by MDC.  The F-14 design has been popular on Parkjets from the beginning.  The Steve Shumate designed plane really broke the ground and when the F-14 was retired from service, it really boosted downloads.  The MDC F-14, with its simpler profile build design, along with keeping the ability to swing the wings keeps it a popular download on parkjets.  It will challenge you with cutting out all the depron pieces, and it will challenge you RC building skills, but it will be well worth it.  Give it a shot.

8. The Hydro.  The Hydro offers a lot of fun for folks looking to venture into boats but still want to incorporate flight into their weekend hobby activities.  The Hydro combines the look and feel of a racing boat with the ability to lift off the water and fly around.  It remains a popular download and is downloaded from all across the globe.

7. The SU-37 by Steve Shumate.  Did you see our interview with Mr. Shumate?  That's a shameless plug.  But if you pull out the SU-37 from your car or truck at the flying field, you won't feel any shame.  Just a steady gathering of gawkers, looking at the best example of simple design and complicated finishing touches like dual thrust vectoring.  Throw on a custom formed canopy from 6mmFlyRC and you will have one sweet looking build.  And it will fly great too.  The SU-37 is a very stable RC airplane.

6. F-35 by RC Cal. We have said this many times, but the F-35 is one of the best design platforms for a typical RC parkjet.  The large delta wings, the large control surfaces on the tail make it very easy to throw around.  So we have the F-35 by RC Cal at the #6 spot.  Simple design, very easy to put together, very easy to fly.  What more do you want in an parkjet?

5. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg.  The SU-31 is an excellent, elligant, and easy to build design, and you would expect nothing less from the designer, Tomas Hellberg.  The SU-31 is a great park flyer or 3D flyer and with a few modifications, you can strap just about any motor you have laying around on the front of it.

4. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell.  The SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell is a hybrid (in terms of ease of construction and scaleness) between the more complicated builds like the Steve Shumate SU-37 and the Tomas Hellberg SU-37.  The Rothwell design incorporates a unique score and fold method to give the full fuse look without all the hastle.  And the SU-37 is an excellent platform for park flying, so this design is a great option for those wanting a full fuse look, but don't want to spend a lot of time building.  

3. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell. The F-15 is pretty similar to the SU-37, except that it is of course an American fighter.  But the same easy construction techniques and same great scale looks apply to the F-15.  The F-15 is a great performing parkjet and is a stable flyer.

2. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell.  The Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell is a great addition to any fleet.  The general platform of the Eurofighter makes it a great parkflyer, large wings, big vertical stabilizer and good wing loading make it a perfect way to get your power gear up in the air.  Give the Eurofighter a try.

 
1. F-22 by Steve Shumate.  The undisputed king of Parkjets, the F-22 by Steve Shumate.  The plans are some of the more complicated to build, but once you finish it off, you will have a tremendously scale RC park flyer.  The F-22 features thrust vectoring and excellent scale lines.  You won't believe you can achieve a look with just depron foam, time and effort.  But you can.  The F-22 stays on top another month!

Next month we will see how things shake out.  We added four new plans to the Free Plans catalog and plan on adding about four more free RC airplane plans in November.  That will bring our total close to 120 totally free plane plans!  Thank you to everyone for your continued support!

NEW PLAN - STARFIGHTER

Maybe all that news coverage about the amazing space jump the last few weeks has inspired our Free Plans Catalog, or maybe we just like these fantasy type park flyers?  Who knows.  Either way, the SGTalon designed Starfighter from the TV Series "Buck Rogers" is a winner.  The design is very simple, the construction is pretty straight forward, but the look is unique.  What more do you need?  

Head on over to the Free Plans Catalog and scoop up this free RC plane plan.  You can't go wrong.  After all, its free as always.  At last count, we are over 110 free plans on Parkjets.com.  We have a bunch in line to be posted, but we are always on the look out for more.  So if you have some, drop us a line and we will try to get it posted. 

This is also a good time to remind everyone that the plans we post on Parkjets are not our own, but rather from different designers all across the world.  Helping them out with a small donation is always appreciated and helps keep the plans flowing.  

TWO NEW PLANS - CARGO & CYLON

Twin Cargo We just crossed the 110 threshold and now we are up to 112 RC plans on Parkjets for free download.  Pretty amazing!  And we have about 6-8 we are working on getting posted.  Before you know it, we will be at 125 plans and then 200!  Whew.  

But let's talk about what we just posted.  First we uploaded another installement of a Jamie Rothwell special: The Twin Cargo.  A bit non-traditional, the Cargo Twin is a twin engine cargo plane, with the props on the front!  Very odd indeed.  But the Cargo Twin is a nice addition to the catalog.  The beast can hover, carry a load and bring you a smile after every flight.  Check it out. 

Cylon Raider

Secondly, we added to the growing portfolio of SG Talon.  His other designs are great and the Cylon Raider rounds out his offerings nicely.  The Cylon Raider performs very well, floats easy but can rocket with the best of them. Best of all, he offers a CNC cut kit and sweet decals to make it look right.  So check it out, and be sure to visit his website and purchase a kit if you are so inclined. 

NEW PLAN - SU-37 FLANKER

October is here and so it's time for some new plans for the FREE PLANS catalog. And right on time Jamie Rothwell, the designer of the Alpha Jet, F-15 and others sent us his version of one the best looking designs in aviation history, the SU-37 Flanker.  So, we got it up and posted.  Time to check out the specifics:

These plans are really like a two for one.  You see, he included in the file a twin engine version as well as a single engine variation.  Want insane power?  Go twin.  Simplier build with a single engine, you can't go wrong.  The entire plane is built out of two sheets of 6mm Depron foam and does require some carbon fiber rods for strength. Be sure to make sure you have plenty of it.  And if you are familar with Jamie Rothwell's park flyer designs, you will be sure to notice the unique score and fold method he uses to achieve scale looks without the hastle of sanding or building up a box frame.  

You will also notice that the specfications vary greatly, that's because of the twin and single engine options.  If you have questions, we recommend getting in touch with the designer on his facebook page.  Easy enough, now go and DOWNLOAD the plans and get to building. 

TOP 10 PLANS - SEPTEMBER

With summer quickly coming to a close and the winter build projects beginning to take shape, it's that time of the month to look back and see what plans have been the most popular in the month of September.  For the new builder out there, sometimes it can help to see what other builders are tackling to help narrow down the pool of over 100 free plans on parkjets.com  Let's get to it!

10.  Alpha Jet by Jamie Rothwell - The Alpha Jet has been a popular plan since the day we posted it.  It is a design like no other, totally unique and totally not a real life airplane.  But that is why it is so popular.  The Alpha Jet is simple to build and is an excellent performer at the flying field (last month rank: 7).

Alpha Jet

9. SU-37 by Steve Shumate - The SU-37 is probably the best example of a Steve Shumate designed parkjet. Beautiful lines, excellent scale and  with something extra thrown in like twin thrust vectoring makes the SU-37 a beast at the flying field.  Additionally, with support and extras from the folks at 6mmFlyRC, you can really dress it up right with a clear canopy or just opt for the laser cut kit (last month rank: 9).

8. F-14 by MDC - A perfect blend of scale, movable wings and all, and simple construction techniques make the F-14 a top plan every month.  If you want a build that will challenge you but cause a stir at the flying field, build it. Simple as that (last month rank: 8).

F-14 by MDC

7. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell - A newcomer to the top 10 list, the Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell is an excellently designed EDF model of a very popular design platform.  The Eurofighter offers a broad wing span and plenty of wing loading, so you can put just about any combo of power gear inside.  The Jamie Rothwell design features some thrust vectoring tabs that provide plenty of aerobatics (last month rank: N/A).

6. Hydro - The Hydro is probably one of the most popular designs in Parkjets.com history.  The boat and flying capability is strangely alluring, leading to plenty of downloads.  Want a unique project, give the Hydro a good look (last month rank: 3).

5. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg - The SU-31 is a new comer to Parkjets.com and isn't even a "jet" in the traditional sense.  But when Tomas Hellberg designs something, we instantly knew it would be popular. A simple profile tractor driven prop fighter.  Simple graphics like a cockpit art and you have yourself a fast weekend project that flies great and looks great (last month rank: N/A).

SU-31

4. F-35 by RC Cal - The F-35 remains popular.  Simple profile design, scale looks in the air, and excellent performance.  Give yourself a few hours on a Saturday and you can knock it out (last month rank: 4).

3. F4F Wildcat by Jamie Rothwell - The Wildcat is a pretty new design to Parkjets.com and is one of the few non jets we have in the catalog.  But Jamie Rothwell's design is simple and scale, using a score and fold method, he faithfully recreates many of the features of this WWII warbird (last month rank: 6). 

F4F Wildcat

2. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell - The F-15 debuted a few months ago and almost knocked off the long standing king of parkjets.  This month it was close again and for good reason.  The F-15 features a simple scale design that is a nice blend of scale (full fuse) and simple profile builds.  It all leads to a great looking model with excellent flight characteristics (last month rank: 2)

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate - The undisputed king of Parkjets.com comes through again.  The F-22 is by far one of the best looking models out of foam out there.  A little heat gun and some serious build skill is required, but if you want a 3 month project for the cold winter, the F-22 should be at the top of your list.  And with great accessories like clear canopies and decals from 6mmFlyRC, you have plenty of options to spice up your F-22 (last month rank: 1). 

F-22 by Steve Shumate

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 - SUKHOI SU-31

After taking note that something like 4 of our top 10 plans for the month of August were really not "jets" but rather warbirds, the Hydro, and some 3D aircraft, we decided to upload a great design from a familar name, Tomas Hellberg.  He designs some of the most popular parkjets on the site, including the F-22, Eurofighter and the F-18E.  So we have added to his hanger here on Parkjets for you to enjoy.

So here is the SU-31! The entire design is pretty simple, but the design contains tabbed construction that makes putting these together so much easier.  If you are looking for an easy to build 3D type aircraft, the SU-31 might just fit the bill.  

Like always, we encourage you to donate to Tomas so he can keep up the designs and so you can say thank you for all his work.  Visit his website for more information!