Opinions on a new warbird

earthsciteach

Moderator
Moderator
A friend is looking to purchase a warbird as his 3rd plane. He wants something he can comfortably hand-launch and is in the range of $130-$150. He owns the FMS 1400mm A6M3 Zero from Banana Hobby (awesome model and great flier, btw) so is fairly proficient at flying low wing aircraft.

He needs something he can hand launch in order to fly at his house. I've recommended the Parkzone Hurricane, Durafly Corsair, and one of the P-51's sold by BH. He is looking for something in the 1000mm ballpark and isn't really interested in the 800mm warbirds.

Any opinions on the models I listed or any others I didn't meeting his needs?

Thanks!
 

Tritium

Amateur Extra Class K5TWM
Tower Hobbies PN TC1089 P51D RxR $119.98 40" wingspan.

Well built Foam with Thin Ply interior decking and reinforcements.

Thurmond
 

lonewolf7717

Senior Member
Just about can't beat the Durafly 1100mm series. More than just the Corsair....the T-28 ("warbird" matter of semantics) Trojan is extremely popular and rather snappy looking....PNF with lights/flaps/retracts for $144 out of US warehouse. For something a bit different also have a nicely detailed Stuka and de Havilland Vampire (if he may have an interest in EDF). I am by no means a HK fan but with these 1100mm Durafly warbirds they have got it right and just flat out can't beat the price. BananaHobby is ok if going kit but have heard nasty stories about the quality of the motors and esc(s) they are throwing in PNF models.
 

Joker 53150

Mmmmmmm, balsa.
Mentor
Just about can't beat the Durafly 1100mm series. More than just the Corsair....the T-28 ("warbird" matter of semantics) Trojan is extremely popular and rather snappy looking....PNF with lights/flaps/retracts for $144 out of US warehouse. For something a bit different also have a nicely detailed Stuka and de Havilland Vampire (if he may have an interest in EDF). I am by no means a HK fan but with these 1100mm Durafly warbirds they have got it right and just flat out can't beat the price. BananaHobby is ok if going kit but have heard nasty stories about the quality of the motors and esc(s) they are throwing in PNF models.

My dad got the bug after seeing my hangar recently and purchased the Durafly T-28. We had it delivered to my house so I got to test it out for him to make sure it's in working order. The quality seems very nice and everything worked great - I'm really looking forward to flying it with him this Spring. I'm looking at the Durafly Corsair now, or more likely the Cessna 310 from Durafly (or the Dynam Grand Cruiser - they're the same plane). It's civillian, but the twin engine design is very cool.
 

jchtr3a

Junior Member
A friend is looking to purchase a warbird as his 3rd plane. He wants something he can comfortably hand-launch and is in the range of $130-$150. He owns the FMS 1400mm A6M3 Zero from Banana Hobby (awesome model and great flier, btw) so is fairly proficient at flying low wing aircraft.

He needs something he can hand launch in order to fly at his house. I've recommended the Parkzone Hurricane, Durafly Corsair, and one of the P-51's sold by BH. He is looking for something in the 1000mm ballpark and isn't really interested in the 800mm warbirds.

Any opinions on the models I listed or any others I didn't meeting his needs?

Thanks!
Having had both Durafly and FMS models, I've got to go with the Durafly. Better quality, more bang for the buck, and very flyable. I have both the Corasir, and P-51 1100mm series, and both are great models. They are good flying models right out of the box, and stock. No mods are required, but they are flexible if that's what you want to do.
 

WarbirdFan66

Senior Member
as a new bird, choose an old one

From what i have read so far, there are a lot of good choices here, but if you ask me, and just in case he didnt baught one yet, i would start thinking about the Parkzone Wildcat, smalish i know, but a very good flyer...though, very easy to launch, very good handling and available for a reasonable price...i love the F4F...cheers
 

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lonewolf7717

Senior Member
From what i have read so far, there are a lot of good choices here, but if you ask me, and just in case he didnt baught one yet, i would start thinking about the Parkzone Wildcat, smalish i know, but a very good flyer...though, very easy to launch, very good handling and available for a reasonable price...i love the F4F...cheers
BTW teach they don't look like this straight out of the box....warbirdfan just has mad skillz with a air brush.....MAD! i tell you!
 

earthsciteach

Moderator
Moderator
Yeah, I've seen the stock PZ F4F. His pic is definitely false advertising. LOL!!!

I've flown one, too. Awesome flying bird! Dave (friend) doesn't want one because a guy who flies with us already has one. He's a bit weird, that way.
 

FlyingMonkey

Bought Another Trailer
Staff member
Admin

WarbirdFan66

Senior Member
another possibility, maybe

Bothe nice planes but i would not go for the HS-123, i heard weird things about its slowspeed capabilities, havnt seen it fly myself yet but buddies at the field did and told me its not that easy to handle.
The STUKA is allways a nice choise, but its a bigger, more expensive plane. But its a nice choice of what i can tell, and i have only seen one at the field. Looks cool and flys very nice, i dont know why i dont see it more often, it dont seem that popular.
If he still hasnt decided yet, what about this one, and i know its HobbyKing but its a nice flying plane...

F6F(1).jpg

Its easy to handle, relativly cheap, has long flight times and can take a beating, good for a first Warbird i would say.
The only thing i dont like about it is that its the same color top and bottom...but thats the only thing.
 

Bondo 604

Junior Member
I agree with WarbirdFan66, either the f6f by hobbyking or the f4f are awesome planes they are my top warbirds.there is a option if you want to do some work its the eflite hawker sea fury 480 arf, you need to assemble and put in electronics but its a great plane and its in the scale between the zero and the f4f wildcat.
 

aiidanwings

Senior Member
I have the same plane,WarbirdFan66. It's a good flyer, though it definitely needs a full wing spar added for hard flying.


The solid blue was impossible for me.
 

earthsciteach

Moderator
Moderator
The guy ended up buying a Durafly SE 5a from Hobbyking. This is the first Durafly aircraft I've seen first-hand. WOW! This thing is top quality! The foam is solid, paint is very strong and the components are rock solid. What a great flyer! My next airplane WILL be a Durafly. Very, very impressive.
 

WarbirdFan66

Senior Member
I have the same plane,WarbirdFan66. It's a good flyer, though it definitely needs a full wing spar added for hard flying.


The solid blue was impossible for me.

just saw your plane...nice colorscheme...and a buddy of mine painted his orrange and white, like the military trainer plane, i bet both of your color version are much better to see then the original one :)
 

FlyingMonkey

Bought Another Trailer
Staff member
Admin
The guy ended up buying a Durafly SE 5a from Hobbyking. This is the first Durafly aircraft I've seen first-hand. WOW! This thing is top quality! The foam is solid, paint is very strong and the components are rock solid. What a great flyer! My next airplane WILL be a Durafly. Very, very impressive.

Pictures or it's all lies... :D

nevermind, found a picture of the plane...

advanced wing.jpg
 

FlyingMonkey

Bought Another Trailer
Staff member
Admin
OUCH - no, not a good sign indeed F.Monkey....looks like he was hit by an 88 and that in 1917...so i guess this tread is open for buisness again...i mean considering the picture it looks like he is looking for a new plane right ??? :confused:

NICE! ;)