What defines a "Master Series" plane?

[Ratcheeroo]

Just wondering what your thoughts are about this my friends. What, in your opinion, makes a build a "Master Series" build?

 

[CappyAmeric]

Short answer: only a master could design it, build it, and show others how to build it.

Long answer: Fuselage has aircraft curves, not boxy, no sharp, unnatural angles. Which means the design and build processes will require true artistry to make it work in foam board which does not want to naturally take those shapes.

 

[luvmy40]

In my mind, "Master Series" are John Overstreet's designs specifically. "Master Style" is any plan that utilizes John's peel and form technique rather than score and bend for curved surfaces and doesn't have box fuse construction. Though there some planes that would have a box fuse and MS wings.

Oh yeah, little to no poster board.

 

[Musdang]

Any plane that I can’t build! Lol

 

[Ratcheeroo]

In my mind, "Master Series" are John Overstreet's designs specifically. "Master Style" is any plan that utilizes John's peel and form technique rather than score and bend for curved surfaces and doesn't have box fuse construction. Though there some planes that would have a box fuse and MS wings.

Oh yeah, little to no poster board.

I'm not so sure that John developed that. Here is an old Flite Test video that I watched maybe 2 years ago , before Master Series planes, and it seems Andres was doing that long before those planes came out. The P-38 he built for this video is absolutely incredible.

 

[luvmy40]

Maybe so, I don't know who did it first. I am pretty new to DTFB building. Maybe the better answer is "FT Master Series" are Johns designs and "Master Style" is the technique regardless of it's origin? Again, this is just the way I look at it.

 

[Ratcheeroo]

Maybe so, I don't know who did it first. I am pretty new to DTFB building. Maybe the better answer is "FT Master Series" are Johns designs and "Master Style" is the technique regardless of it's origin? Again, this is just the way I look at it.

I'm just trying to figure out what style are my planes, or what should I refer to the style as.

 

[Mr NCT]

IMHO, any plane with a compound curved fuselage that is ONE PIECE is beyond the MS series. Magic series?

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Why not come up with your own name for what you do?

 

[Aslansmonkey]

In the build videos "Master Series" is described as more difficult to build than the typical box framed fuselages and faceted wings. It's a way of differentiating these planes from the "Swappable" series.

But that's not really completely true as the mini warbirds have curved fuselages, are more difficult to build and are NOT called "Master Series". They should probably be called "Mini Masters" though because they're on a different level that the other box style minis.

I think mainly it's a way to get the consumer to recognize that "Hey, these planes take more effort to build, but they're worth it." And they are.

 

[Timmy]

I think mainly it's a way to get the consumer to recognize that "Hey, these planes take more effort to build, but they're worth it." And they are.

I dunno. For me personally they aren't worth it. They make great display pieces but they are often less performant (in my experience) than a regular box-style fuse version of it would be. In the air, a well designed box fuse plane looks a lot like a master series plane so for me the satisfaction of a classic FT plane beats the beauty (and they are very beautiful) of a master series build. Maybe I just haven't found a model I like, my next MS build is a Texan so maybe I'll like that one better.