CATEGORIES

Alibre Atom3D

Easy 3D CAD modeling for the hobbyist

THE BLUE MAX 2020 - CELEBRATING WW I AVIATION

Each year at the end of January, the annual Blue Max event is held at Sanford Aero Modelers RC Club field in Sanford, Florida. This year, the gathering ran from January 24 through 26. Now in its eleventh year, this is one of the events everyone looks forward to; not just because of the laid-back atmosphere and great camaraderie, but also because the weather is always beautiful at this time of year in Florida. For 2020, with temperatures in the 70s, Mother Nature did not disappoint.

THE BEST PRODUCTS WE'VE TRIED AND TESTED THIS YEAR

Each year, the Model Airplane News editors collaborate to select the products and models of the past year that deserve special recognition. We have the enviable job of trying out an amazing array of airplanes and drones and a plethora of related accessories and products from the RC hobby, and each year dozens of products are reviewed on the pages of our magazine. We evaluate design, construction, and—most of all—performance. So after much thought, consideration, and debate, here are this year’s winners.

Makeover Magic

Bringing your ARF to life

AVIATION'S LIVING HISTORY

The museums and tours that are keeping warbirds alive and aloft!

THE ROAD TO TOP GUN

A sneak peek at some of 2020’s impressive competitors

Hangar 9/Horizon - Hobby-KI-43 OSCAR 50-60CC ARF

A giant-scale warbird with the manners of a well-behaved sport plane

MASTER THE CROSSWIND LANDING

Best practices and advice for dealing with wind

Gas Engine Setup

Installation tips to keep your powerplant happy

RC GOES HOLLYWOOD

The Long Island Skyhawks fly for “The Lafayette Escadrille”

FUNCTIONAL SCALE RIGGING

Wires, struts, and attachment points explained

TrakPower TK955 Digital Soldering Station

A do-it-all soldering station

FIRST FLIGHT SUCCESS

Expert tips make it easy to earn your RC wings

ELECTRIC JETS JOIN TOP GUN

Foamies Get Famous!

DREMEL LITE

Affordable precision from a new cordless rotary tool

34TH ANNUAL LONDON BRIDGE SEAPLANE CLASSIC

A premier floatplane event

MONSTER WACO YMF-5

Dave Collis’s 40%-scale classic biplane

VQ Warbirds-RARE BEAR

Sporty Reno Racing superstar

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Pro tips for the first time e-jet pilot

WINTER FLYING

A cure for the wintertime blues

Sneak Peek: DJI Mavic Mini The everyday flying camera

When it comes to the world of aerial selfies and personal drones, size is not always relevant to performance. You can now open up your sky with the new, compact yet powerful Mavic Mini. The perfect companion to your creativity, the Mavic Mini captures moments in a way that effortlessly elevates the ordinary. Together with the easy-to-use DJI Fly app, you’ll be able to enjoy a simplified flight experience with a point-of-view simplicity beyond any other combination.

MODELING TIPS FROM THE WORKSHOP

Easy warbird repair tips and tricks

KingTech - TURBINE K45 G3

The ideal engine for 10- to 12-pound jets

E-flite/Horizon Hobby F-16 FALCON 64 MM

Great flying electric model of a world-renowned jet!

Du-Bro Snowbird Skis

Up here in Canada, we get our fair share of Old Man Winter, so if you’re not out flying in the snow then you are certainly cheating yourself out of some prime air time. I tested the Du-Bro Snowbird Skis on my old standby fun-fly competition model, Turnbuckle. It’s powered by an O.S. FX .40 2-stroke using a moose can muffler. The oversized ailerons and big tail feathers of this design ensure maximized fun while you’re playing all those crazy competition games.

Dave's Secret Sauce

Dual rates, expo, and more

Top 10 RC Warbirds

Flying these fighting machines will make you feel like an ace!

Flying Precision Rolls

The secrets to smooth, well-positioned maneuvers

Peter Goldsmith's-BAE HAWK 100

Peter Goldsmith’s impressive BAE Hawk 100 turns heads even when it’s sitting on the flight line at the most recent Top Gun Scale Invitational, where it earned a nearly perfect 99 points from the static judges— the highest in the Expert class!

E-flite/Horizon Hobby-EC-1500 1.2M

Versatile twin with a wide flight envelope