Product Spotlight
WORLD OF WARPLANES
World of Warplanes is a free-to-play, online, action game featuring aircraft from the 1930s through the Korean War era of military aviation. Created by Wargaming.net, it follows the hugely successful World of Tanks, and the soon-to-be-released naval offering, World of Warships.
World of Warplanes opens the skies for those looking to dominate the air while flying aircraft from the US, Germany, Japan, and the USSR. Aerial clashes, often referred to as dogfights, provide an entertaining experience as you try to outmaneuver your opponents.
As with their “real” counterparts, the warplanes you pilot have other dangers to be mindful of such as midair collisions with other aircraft, antiaircraft fire, or colliding with other obstacles in the virtual battlefield.
You needn’t worry however, you can attack those pesky ground targets as well as ships that you encounter.
Players start in the hangar where they can purchase new aircraft or upgrade their existing airplanes. The funds to make purchases come from accomplishments made during each battle, where players can be awarded tokens and experience that can be spent on research.
When you are ready to battle, the system matches pilots using a tier system. The aircraft are assigned a numeric value from one to 10, with one representing the slower, lesser-armed aircraft. Warplanes rated a 10 are generally jets and pack one heck of a punch! The game combines pilots flying aircraft with similar skill levels, but it is common to come up against aircraft that are rated higher or lower than what you are currently flying.
As the battle loads, players can view the matchup screen showing all the aircraft assigned to the teams, the aircraft’s skill level, and the pilots’ user names. Each of the two teams can have as many as 15 aircraft take part in the aerial battle. The main objective is to achieve and maintain supremacy or destroy all enemy aircraft. Each battle lasts as long as 15 minutes and the environment is randomly selected.
The aircraft can be controlled with a keyboard, mouse, joystick, or gamepad. We found that using a joystick made controlling our airplane through the aerial ballet slightly easier and we consistently scored more kills.
The game quickly becomes addictive as you begin to experience all of the different locales in which you can fly and the wide variety of aircraft that you will encounter. Having an upgrade path for your aircraft motivates you to continue to try to earn more tokens so that you can improve your airplane and deliver more virtual ordnance to your enemy targets.
World of Warplanes takes a different path than most multiplayer games when it comes to death. If you fall prey to an enemy, or by any other means, there is no coming back. You’re out of the battle. The only option you are afforded is to continue to watch the battle from the viewpoint of one of your team members or you can head back to your hangar.
If you choose your hangar as a place of refuge, it is important to note that the aircraft you lost will not be available until the battle has concluded. At first, not having the option to rejoin the battle seemed annoying, but ultimately it makes the game more interesting and might make you slightly more cautious.
World of Warplanes is an entertaining, online, multiplayer game that has a simple learning curve and allows anyone with a modern PC and a reliable Internet connection the opportunity to pilot many exciting aircraft from four countries and two decades of military aviation.
Be sure to check out more screen shots and a gameplay video on www.ModelAviation.com/worldofwarplanes.
Wargaming.net: website: www.wargaming.net.
Product Spotlight
New products from the Modeler’s Mall
Multiplex FunMan @ $154.99 + S&H from Hitec RCD USA, Inc., 12115 Paine St., Poway CA 92064; Tel.: (858) 748-6948; website: www.hitecrcd.com.
Multiplex puts fun in the air with the FunMan! Made from Elapor foam, the 39.8-inch wingspan FunMan features a robust, brushless motor, oversize wheels, and standard rudder, elevator, and throttle controls. The docile handling, with controlled maneuverability and light wing loading, makes it ideal for a beginning flier.
The FunMan can be upgraded with a pair of aileron servos for increased aerobatic potential, or with the optional float kit. A transmitter and receiver are required. A Hitec Optic 5, Optic 6 Sport, or Aurora 9 transmitter, and a Hitec Minima, Maxima, Optima 6, or Optima 6 Lite receiver are recommended.
Gecko Series ESCs @ $34.99-$119.99 + S&H from Altitude Hobbies, 1630 Sagewood Dr., Fort Collins CO 80525; Tel.: (970) 412-7303; website: www.altitudehobbies.com.
Altitude Hobbies announces the release of the ZTW Gecko Series ESCs. Under development for more than a year, the Gecko ESCs have been highly anticipated and reflect competition-level performance.
With features such as PC data logging, firmware upgradeability, and power arming protection, overheating protection, low-voltage protection, and lost-signal protection, these ESCs look and feel top quality. The 8-amp SBEC with a 16-amp burst is adjustable up to 8.4 volts to help your high-voltage servos reach their full potential.
Gecko ESCs have many programmable options and come standard with the ZTW quality, performance, and reliability modelers have come to trust. Gecko ESCs are available in sizes ranging from 45 to 150 amps OPTO HV. An optional programming card and PC USB interface are also available.
Predator Four-Channel RTF Jet Quadcopter with 2.4 GHz Radio @ $79.95 + S&H from Common Sense RC, Box 3546, Chatsworth CA 91313; Tel.: (866) 405-8811; website: www.commonsenserc.com.
Unlike anything you’ve ever flown, the Common Sense RC Predator foam-body jet quadcopter hybrid offers the superior maneuverability of a quadcopter, with the benefits of easier directional navigation.
The four motors on the Predator are insulated with thick EPP foam, making it durable and safe to fly indoors. The foam body protects the modeler from the spinning rotor blades. Offering different controls specifically designed for the pilot’s skill level, the Predator responds faster in Normal flying mode for experienced pilots and slower in the Easy flying mode for beginners.
No assembly is required; even the landing gear is preinstalled. The Predator comes complete with a four-channel 2.4 GHz transmitter, a 3.7-volt 500 mAh LiPo battery for the model, and a charge cable that can be used to charge through any USB port or the transmitter. Six AA batteries are required for the transmitter.
Tactic Six-Channel 2.4 GHz Twin Antenna Receiver @ $34.99 + S&H from Hobbico, 3002 N. Apollo Dr., Suite #1, Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 637-7660; website: www.tacticrc.com.
Tactic makes the security of 2.4 GHz technology easy and affordable by introducing a six-channel 2.4 GHz twin-antenna receiver. Versatile and affordable, the twin-antenna receiver can be used in nearly any RC airplane, from park flyers to Giant Scale, as well as electric- or glow-powered helicopters.
The twin, 15 cm shielded coaxial antennas offer excellent signal clarity and full-range capability for controlling an aircraft from farther distances. Modelers can fly with confidence, even in the most demanding radio environments.
Input power requirements are 4-6 volts. The Tactic six-channel 2.4 GHz twin-antenna receiver is compatible with Tactic SLT 2.4 GHz transmitters, or other transmitters with SLT technology.
Product Spotlight
HobbyZone Delta Ray RTF @ $179.99 + S&H from Horizon Hobby Inc., 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; www.hobbyzonerc.com.
The groundbreaking HobbyZone Delta Ray aircraft provides unprecedented flight assistance by utilizing SAFE technology, with four modes to give new pilots the ultimate progressive learning experience. If the pilot loses control of the airplane, the Panic Mode returns the aircraft to stable, level flight with the push of a button.
Beginner and Intermediate modes provide support by limiting the roll and pitch of the airplane, keeping the pilot in control, while the Experienced mode allows those who have mastered the basics to explore the Delta Ray’s performance with support from the AS3X gyro stabilization system.
Made from impact-resistant, durable Z-Foam, the construction of the Delta Ray is tough. Any necessary repairs can be made with most types of glue. Everything needed to fly is in the box, including the full-range Spektrum DX4e 2.4 GHz DSMX transmitter and batteries, the 7.4-volt 2S 1,300 mAh 20C LiPo, and the two-cell DC balancing LiPo charger. Two 180-size brushed motors and two SV80 servos are preinstalled. An optional power supply is available separately for charging from an AC power source.
KDE Direct E-flite Blade 130X-Series Upgrade Kit @ $118.95 + S&H from KDE Direct; email: [email protected]; website: www.kdedirect.com.
The popular KDE Direct E-flite Blade 130 X series continues to dominate the model helicopter market. Based on customer feedback and the ease of purchase, KDE Direct is pleased to offer the KDE Direct E-flite Blade 130 X series upgrade kit.
The new kit features the full range of 130 X upgrades, including the 130 X series XF main rotor blades that are engineered with an aerospace-driven airfoil for unreal stability with extremely fast cyclic rates and control.
The upgrade kit also includes the Blade 130 X series aluminum flybarless main rotor housing, aluminum tail gear case, the tail gear case bearing upgrade and replacement kit, the aluminum tail pushrod support, and the 130 X series aluminum tail servo boom mount, along with all of the hardware necessary to complete the upgrade.
By purchasing the KDE Direct E-flite Blade 130 X series products together, you save $4.75! With a total purchase of $99 or more, USPS Priority Domestic or USPS First-Class International shipping is free.
Jeti DC-16 and DS-16 Transmitter Trays @ $99 + S&H from Esprit Model, 1240 Clearmont St. NE, Unit #12, Palm Bay FL 32905; Tel.: (321) 729-4287; website: www.espritmodel.com.
Esprit Model and Jeti want modelers to check out the new transmitter trays!
Designed for the DC-16 and DS-16 Jeti Duplex transmitters, these trays help with handling and precision of flight.
A great way to provide hand supports, the transmitter trays come in an attractive shape and are available in blue for the DS-16 or the choice of blue or black for the DC-16.
GPS Speed Meter All-In-One @ $99.95 + S&H from Common Sense RC, Box 3546, Chatsworth CA 91313; Tel.: (866) 405-8811; website: www.commonsenserc.com.
If you’ve ever wondered how high your aircraft has flown or what the speed of your RC car was as it raced by, look no further. Common Sense’s GPS Speed Meter is an all-in-one GPS logger, speedometer, and altitude meter.
Displaying the current GPS latitude and longitude coordinates and recording the entire trip, the GPS Speed Meter allows the modeler to export the data to a PC and track where the aircraft or vehicle has been.
The speedometer displays the current speed and records the top and average speeds, while the altitude meter records the peak altitude. The GPSLogger software also allows the modeler to export the data to Google Earth for a more advanced GPS logging experience.
Powered by a built-in rechargeable 200 mAh LiPo, the GPS Speed Meter has a 6-hour recording capacity and a battery life of 2½ hours. A USB cord is required to connect to a PC.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
