NEW PLAN - F-242 SPIKER

From the designer of the F/A-241 Shrike, comes the new parkjet plan, the F-242 Spiker. Oh sure, it's a fantasy plan, but the lines are nice and no one will have this design on their workbench.  You can see from the picture, the Spiker features large delta style wings, something we know produces the best parkjets. 

Designed to be a highly maneuverable project, the F-242 doesn't disappoint. Coming in at about 27" wingspan, its small enough for even the smallest parks. Just the way we like them. 

The canards are canted upward as well, giving the Spiker a unique look. 

Go check out the newest plan on Parkjets, the F-242 Spiker!

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!

PANEL LINES - DAMBUSTERS

We got an E-mail over the last week with some awesome pictures attached. Shaun decided to take Tomas Hellberg's F-18E Superhornet design and do some custom work. This is just something you can't get out of a box. 

He added in a custom battery hatch, custom airbrakes, and an LED flashing light set up all worked into the design. We won't really discuss his custom paint job representing the VFA-195 squadran out of Japan, because we noticed something else, careful panel lines pressed right into the foam.

We hope he sends over a video (hint hint) but we decided to share his work for all you builders out there looking for some inspiration.

Here is how he said he managed to get the panel line look just right...

"For the panel lines I took a piece of landing gear from an old helicopter that had a nice plastic ball on the end.    Then i took a pic that showed the detailed panel lines on the real bird and measured them to the depron as close as i could get for the right look. Then I used just a simple ruler and ran the plastic ball along the lines using just enough pressure to indent the foam.  A bit of work but it looks great in the end.    As far as the tail art , I took a drawing i did of the art and then cut each individual piece out. Then sort of like a puzzle i placed the pieces one by one on the tail used a pencil to trace the outlines leaving a small dent, similar to the panel line method. Then with regular testors model paint you can hand paint the colors. Leaving the small dent in the foam while outlining the pieces i found that the paint would run into the dent and leave a nice crisp line.  I let the paint dry then continue each section as needed.   This works so much better then using decals.   I've had a few jets that would tend to lose the decals while at high speeds...."

Great work Shaun! This type of details makes even the simpliest profile jet look so custom. And a sense of pride when you finish. 

For everyone else, keep sending over your work, we love it!

T-38 SUNDOWNERS AWESOME

A Parkjet fan sent us over his pictures of his Steve Shumate T-38 build.  And we have to say, it turned out awesome. He dressed it up in the popular "sundowners" scheme complete with the details that make it look right in the air. 

Shameless plug: Our sponsor, 6mmFlyRC has a bunch of awesome decals for FREE download right on their site, including the sundowner scheme. If nothing else, you can get some inspiration, at best, you can just adapt and use them for your own bird.

But enough talking, check out these awesome shots, oh and we uploaded these right to the free plans page as well. The Shumate T-38 is a great build for a first time builder as well as the advanced modeler. The sexy coke bottle shape and small wings make the T-38 fast and it rolls like a drill bit. A personal favorite. 

Thanks Craig for the pics! Keep up the good work!

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. 

DASSAULT RAFALE PICS SUBMITTED

We had a member of the RC Community out there submit some pictures and video of his version of the Mike Jackson Dassault Rafale profile style parkjet.  

So we thought we would get them posted. 

This is an excellent plan, inspired by the designs of Tomas Hellberg, that provides a great platform for a parkjet. The large delta wings, large control surfaces and simple set up, coupled with a mid-motor mount design make for an easy to fly and build jet. 

Enjoy the pics and thanks for passing them on Scott!

Oh, and one last thing, in his E-mail, he mentions he donated to the designer directly using our paypal links. That's awesome, we hope everyone does and you should know that we don't get a cut or even know when a donation has been made. But we do know that more donations mean designers are inspired to keep designing, meaning you can keep building and we can keep posting. 

INTERVIEW - TOMAS HELLBERG

For those of you that have been following Parkjets for a while, you will be familiar with our interviews with popular RC airplane designers that have allowed us to host their awesome designs right on our site.  It has been a while since we posted an interview and so we thought its time for a fresh one.  

We reached out to Tomas Hellberg and he gratiously agreed. Tomas has designed some of the most popular and rock stable designs on Parkjets, including the F-22, F-18, SU-31, SU-37 and more. His designs feature simple build techniques with tabbed construction and profile looks. His unique thrust vectoring tabs allow for excellent acrobatics without a lot of fuss. And we should mention that our prime sponsor, 6mmFlyRC, features many of Tomas' designs as kits, so you can get your hands on a laser cut version.  Okay, that's enough of an introduction, let's kick this off....

Tomas, can you provide us with a little background with yourself? It's always so interesting to see the designers background and what they do for a living, not to mention the global nature of the hobby!

I am 41 years old and I live in a small village on the country side in Sweden with my wife and three kids. I work as a software engineer for a company that develops safety systems for cars that help to prevent traffic accidents.

I’m somewhat of a gadget geek but my true passion besides RC flight is photography. I also enjoy outdoor life and trekking/hiking.

So you have an engineering background! That makes sense. As you know, you have 6 models on Parkjets right now, but I believe your F-22 is by far the most popular download. Your design of the simple thrust vectoring tabs really changed the way a lot of RC planes were designed, you sacrificed some scale for some really unique performance. Can you take us through your design process and some of the inspiration for your models?

It all started when I saw a video of someone flying the Ikarus Su-27 on YouTube. The Ikarus model is a simple profile pusher jet that uses tabs and slots to help the builder align the parts. I thought to myself “I can build something like that”. So I began working on the F-22.

I chose Google Sketchup for designing my model as it was free and I already had some experience with it. I found some three-view diagrams on the Internet and started outlining the wing and the fuselage. When I finished the outline I put the parts together in space to form the actual aircraft. Then followed the process of creating slots and tabs to help with alignment during assembling. And that is basically the design process I’ve used with all my designs.

We have seen lots of designers are using Google Sketch Up. It's a great tool. And we like the "maker" attitude you brought to the table. Many hobbyists have the same experience, we see something and believe we can make it. Okay, out of all your designs, which model do you prefer to fly or which model are you most proud of, you get the idea? 

I’d say the F-22. It looks great and has a great flight envelope handling both high and slow speeds really well.

The F-22 is one of the favorites in our hanger too. That and your F-18E.

One design we recently added is your SU-31. I have to say it’s a great, simple design that has a lot of versatility. Do you have any advice for those pilots looking to build and fly your SU-31 for the first time?

Make sure your servos are glued properly. :-) I crashed mine on one of the first flights when one of the servos came off during a dive. Other than that I don’t have any particular advice for the Su-31.

I designed the Su-31 mainly because I wanted a less noisy plane to fly. Most of my other designs are of the “prop-in-the-slot” type, which are really loud.

Servo failure. What can we say, it happens. Great tip though. And the SU-31 remains a popular download each month. Not including the SU-31, all of your jet designs feature a mid-fuse engine design. What was your primary reason for going with a mid-engine design?

It’s mainly about center of gravity. With the engine mid-fuse I can have the electronics farther back. For the F-22 and Mig-29, this means having the electronics inside the main fuselage compartment.

The mid-fuse placement of the engine also means that there will be a direct airstream from the propeller over the rear control surfaces which increases the plane’s agility. This is in a way like the thrust vectoring nozzles of the real F-22. The tabs on the elevator increases this effect, at least in theory.

Based on performance, we would guess you can put that theory in the "confirmed" catagory.  We can tell you that your designs are downloaded from all across the globe and that has to be rewarding to know that your designs are flying in just about every place around the world. What would you say makes your designs appealing to such a large audience?

First of all, my plans are free, so that is important. Other than that it’s probably the fact that the depron airframe is cheap to build and often quite easy to repair. And perhaps that my designs can be assembled rather quickly.

Also perhaps the fact that at the time when I first published the F-22 and the Mig-29 there weren’t that many good free plans available for pusher profile jets.

With a family and work, do you find the time to get out and fly anymore or design anymore?

I don’t find the time to design at the moment. I do try to make time to get out and fly now and again. My latest passion is flying DLGs, or discus launched gliders. There’s something special with flying a glider with no motor. Here I am flying the ELF DLG from Vladimir’s Model.

Gliding is considered the purest form of flight by many and we know lots of people have modified your F-22 by increasing the wings to turn them into gliders!  

Do you think you will design anymore RC airplanes in the future? I know a lot of people have been inspired by your designs but having you crank out another would certainly be well received in the RC Community.

At the moment there are so many other things in my life that I just don’t have the time required for doing new designs. But I’m pretty sure that I’ll get back into designing at some point. I just don’t know when.

Well, when you get around to it, Parkjets would love to host it! I'm sure it would be an instant hit.

One of the cool modifications we have seen to your designs is that people are using Electric Ducted Fans instead of the propeller and simply mounting it in the same place. Some of these EDF’s are getting pretty good performance because your design is very light weight. Do you have any experience or advice for builders wanting to modify your design for EDF?

I’ve been wanting to get into EDFs, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. So, no, not really. But I’m following the development with interest.

EDF's are finally getting good, but we have to admit, we like a good pusher as much as anything.  We don't want to take up too much time, is there anything else you want to add? Tips? Advise for new builders? Etc?

I’ll leave you with this tip: More or less any design with enough wing surface will fly as long as you get the center of gravity right. It might not have superb handling, but it will fly. So don’t be afraid to experiment.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions Tomas! It was a real pleaure and gives our readers some insight into your designs and your life. We can't thank you enough!

That's all folks, if you want to check out Tomas Hellberg's designs right here on Parkjets, you can sort by designer and of course you can visit his website for great pictures, manuals, and of course, you have the opportunity to donate directly to him from Parkjets too.  And if you are not wanting to cut out your airframe, visit 6mmFlyRC and get a laser cut kit shipped to your door.  

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.  

TWITTER - 1000+ FOLLOWERS!

Back at the start of the new year, we put out the call to have folks follow us on Twitter.  Back then, we had just a few hundred followers but we decided to focus a little more on getting our social media credentials up to par. This week, Parkjets reached a small milestone, we crossed over the 1,000 followers threshhold and could not be more excited.  

One of the benefits of Twitter is that it allows us to keep in touch with folks without sending out a long E-mail that sometimes gets stuck in people's inboxes.  Twitter is allowing us to reach people we never would have reached before.  

So what kind of things do we tweet about?  Well, we only send about one tweet a day for starters, so its not like we will dominate your twitter feed.  We make announcements of course, when we post a new plan we shoot that over on Twitter and then we find plans that get a little overlooked by folks and make sure they are send out over the feed too.  

We want to thank everyone who has decided to follow us and encourage you to do the same. It's just so easy to follow Parkjets (@parkjetsusa) and you will keep up with all the latest and greatest in real time with Parkjets.  

TOP 10 PLANS - MARCH

Every month, for nearly a year, we have been logging the most popular plans on Parkjets on a monthly basis. Its time to look at last month, and see what the list has in order. Here we go!

10. Cutlass by SDParkflyers - The Cutlass has come to Parkjets and its found a great little spot. The Cutlass is a great beginner plane, featuring broad delta wings and moderate speed. A great Parkjet!

9. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg - The SU-31 is a traditional "warbird" profile style tractor motor flyer.  Not many builders will go with an old school SU-31, so when you build yours, you can be sure it won't be sitting among others at the flying field. 

8. F-15 by Jamie Rothwell - The F-15 by Jamie Rothwell remains popular for a lot of reasons. Ease of construction, semi-scale looks, great performance and good documentation are just a few. If you want a stable flyer, give the F-15 a try.

7. SU-37 by Jamie Rothwell - You might want a little different airframe.  But you want to get it up in the air quickly. This plan might just fit the bill. 

6. F-35 by RC Cal - The F-35 continues to be a popular download.  A simple profile construction method coupled with the fact that it's the newest plane for the U.S. and you have a good start.  

5. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell - Mr. Rothwell comes in with his 3rd design in the top 10 for March and you can pretty much guess the reasons why its popular. The Eurofighter is a great platform for parkjets, large delta wings and big control surfaces.

4. Hydro - This design couples a boat and an airplane. Take it on the water or the air.  Your choice.

3. Mirage by Marcel du Plessis - The Mirage is quickly becoming very popular. A simple profile design with a few twists, like curved intakes that give the Mirage enough scale for nearly every pilot.  

2. Mermaid by Marcel du Plessis - The Mermaid is based on the real thing, although not many have heard of it. A plane that flies off grass or water and looks good in the process. This plan has been so popular it nearly knocked off the King of Parkjets....

1. F-22 by Steve Shumate - It's been over a year and the F-22 can't get knocked off its perch as King of Parkjets. Unbelievable scale, thrust vectoring and custom canopies from 6mmFlyRC make it a winner.  

Stay tuned for next month, and be sure to visit our sponsors (6mmflyrc.com).  

MERMAID VIDEO

Okay, so it's obvious we have been slacking on adding in plans and keeping up with the constant demands of Parkjets and the folks that visit often.  Rest assured we have not been doing nothing.  We are working on a few more plans, working hard to boost our social network standing and just trying to keep up with life.

In the meantime, we updated the very popular Mermaid plan with a great short video of the Mermaid on grass. 

This video lives in the plans page, but here it is without all the clicking.

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.

VIDEO: F-18E SUPERHORNET

We ran across this video from a customer of our sponsor, 6mmFlyRC and it is stunning.  The video is not that stunning granted, but the model itself is just fantastic.  

The F-18E SuperHornet is a great model for those just starting out building, but as you can see, you can take this design to the extreme with details.  Complete with LED lights, panel lines, clear canopy and pilot, the model here is perhaps the best example of craftsmanship we have ever seen on a simple profile model. 

Sit back and enjoy the show!

2 NEW PLANS - MERMAID & MIRAGE

We just finished posting up two new plans by Marcel du Plessis. His designs are rock solid and he already had four models in Free Plans Catalog. These are two great examples of plans you can put together in fairly short order and achieve great results with just a little effort.  

The Mermaid is another water-borne parkjet that uses a lot of the same principals as the Drongo and the Sea Dart, but offers a little different look.  Based on the real thing, the Mermaid is a great looking model. 

Next, we posted Marcel's version of the Dassalt Mirage F1 fighter jet.  His inspiration comes from designs by Tomas Hellberg and it shows.  The Mirage also uses a little bit of plastic sheeting to achieve a more scale look around the air intakes.  All in all, a very stunning model. 

So take a look at our Free Plans page, you will find something you will want to build, and with the winter storms still bearing down on the Heartland, and spring around the corner, now is the perfect time to get to building. 

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

This is a really simple post here, but we are asking you, our visitors, our newsletter subscribers to do something that costs nothing...follow us on Twitter. Parkjets tries not to ask much of our loyal visitors, but we have set some goals in 2013 and without you, they won't happen.  

We have the crazy goal of getting 5,000 twitter followers in 2013.  When January 2013 rolled around, we were at a lowly 165.  As in less than 200 followers.  Now at the beginning of Feburary, we are at 257, a great jump, but you don't have to be a math whiz to see we need some acceleration in our followers.  We only post once or twice a day, we don't overload you with garbage, just a few things we find, buried articles on Parkjets and other tips from around the world.  So go ahead, follow us.

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!  

TWO NEW PLANS - T-28 & SUPERSLO28

As January creeps to a end, we added two more plans for you to enjoy.  And like the Cutlass added last week, we dipped into SD Parkflyer's pool of excellent plans.  And in an effort to really expand our offerings, we are looking to add some plans that have not been invited to reside on parkjets in the past, namely some 3D flyers, warbirds, and we are looking for some more EDF plans as well.  To wrap up January, we have some excellent 3D style park flyers up for your enjoyments.

Let's get started....

First up is the Superslo28 3d style park flyer.  The Superslo is an EPP flyer and is designed for 3D flying but with a balanced center of gravity, enjoys puttering around the park as well.  This model is light weight, powered by inexpensive power gear, and performs great.  And because the whole thing is made of out EPP, its very forgiving. We would recommend going with EPP if you are new to 3D flying and then you can transition to a more finishable material like Depron.  Either way you go, the SuperSlo28 won't disappoint.  

The second plan we added is the excellent and popular T-28 Trojan.  Like the SuperSlo28, the Trojan is suited for 3D flight but also is at home looking like the warbird trainer that it is.  If you want a 3D plane that still has a little military look to it, the T-28 is a great choice.  And like the SuperSlo, the plan is set for 9mm EPP but with some adjustments you could accomadate just about any thickness foam.

Additionlly, we encourage you to visit SDParkflyers.com and check out all the plans (paid plans available) and if you need some power gear for these designs, see what he has to offer.  SDParkflyers has great YouTube videos as well, telling you just about everything you need to know to get your SuperSlo28 or T-28 off the ground.   

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!