Worth a Closer Look
14 MODEL AVIATION
Giles 202 Competition Plus
It seems that Almost
Ready to Flys (ARFs)
are getting better all the
time. One instance of
this is the new series of
Giles 202 Competition
Plus ARFs from Gator
R/C. These models are
handcrafted using
ultralight building
techniques to provide a
true competitive
advantage for advanced
pilots in Radio Control
Pattern competition.
Each kit is 90%
complete and will
weigh 91⁄2-93⁄4 pounds
when finished. You can
choose from several color schemes, all using MonoKote iron-on
covering and matching painted fiberglass cowls, landing gear, and
wheel pants.
The Giles 202 is set up to accept a Hyde engine mount and
comes with a nose ring installed. An adjustable plug-in wing and
stabilizer system comes standard, and quilted nylon airplane
covers are included for the fuselage, wing, and stabilizers.
The Giles 202 sells for $1,895, and quantities are limited.
Gator R/C: 2100 N. Old Mill Rd., Brookline Station MO
65619; Tel.: (417) 725-7755; Web site: www.gatorrc.com
Hirobo Bell 430
This one-of-akind
helicopter from
Model Rectifier
Corporation comes
complete with a
40cc engine, airactuated
retracts
with pump, and many scale
details for the model.
The Bell 430 is a 1⁄6.82-scale
kit, which makes it 7.87 feet long and just
heavier than 30 pounds ready to
fly. An onboard electric start
system is included. The start
system is engaged via an open
toggle switch on your radio.
This superscale helicopter is a
bit out of the average helicopter
enthusiast’s reach (at $7,000),
but if you’re looking for the
ultimate in realism, order early. Each kit is made to order, and
delivery time is approximately 60 days.
Model Rectifier Corporation: Box 6312, Edison NJ 08818;
Tel.: (732) 225-2100; Web site: www.modelrectifier.com
Gee Bee .60 ARF
It was
an “extreme
machine” 70
years before the
term was
coined—an
airplane
designed solely
to get the last bit of speed out of
the most powerful piston engine
available. Now yesteryear’s
“widow-maker” returns as an
easy-to-assemble, pilot-friendly ARF for experienced sport fliers.
But this is not the Kyosho model; it’s a new and larger ARF kit.
This .60-size Gee Bee features a fiberglass cowl, wheel pants,
and rudder, which are painted to match the MonoKote trim
scheme. Also included is a replica engine cover. An amazing
amount of space inside the fuselage makes servo installation easy.
Each wing has a servo mount for dual aileron servos to shorten
servo-to-control-surface distance.
The Gee Bee has a wingspan of 66 inches and requires a .75-
.90 two-stroke or 120 four-stroke engine and a four-channel radio
with five standard servos.
This kit should be available by midsummer. No pricing was set
at press time.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.hobbico.com
This month we’re doing something different; this is the first of a two-part “Worth a Closer Look” devoted to some of the new items at
this year’s Weak Signals show in Toledo, Ohio. With this limited space we can’t show everything, but following are a few aircraft that
caught our eye. Next month we’ll bring you some of the new engines, radios, and hardware from the show.
AT-6 and T-34 ARFs
Horizon Hobby
Distributors showed off
two of its new warbirds
at the show: the AT-6
Texan and the T-34
Mentor. Both are Sport Scale
ARFs featuring prepainted
cowlings, complete
hardware packs,
and UltraCote
covering.
The AT-6 is the larger of the two, with a 67-inch wingspan and
a weight of 7-8 pounds when completed. It features factoryinstalled
retracts with gear doors and a mock radial engine.
Recommended power is a .60-.78 two-stroke or
91-100 four-stroke engine.
The T-34 is a 40-size semiscale kit with a
wingspan of
571⁄4 inches
and a ready-tofly
weight of
6-7 pounds.
Although it
comes with
standard wire
gear, there is a retract option (sold separately). The recommended
power comes from a .40-.58 two-stroke or a 56-72 four-stroke.
The AT-6 has a street price of $254.99, and the T-34 Mentor
has a street price of $169.99. Both kits should be available by
roughly the time you read this.
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign
IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
08sig1.QXD 5.23.03 3:21 pm Page 14
August 2003 15
Nobler and Flite Streak CL ARFs
One of the more
surprising events at
this year’s show was
the unveiling of two
new Control Line
(CL) ARF kits from
TopFlite.
Unlike many
ARF or RTF
(Ready to Fly) CL
kits of the past,
these feature builtup
wood
construction and
MonoKote
covering—just the
way you’d build
from a kit.
Each kit features bellcrank and leadout wires which are
preinstalled in the wing. A complete hardware package is
provided, including the fuel tank. Each model requires a twostroke
.25-.40 CL engine, CL handle and wires, propeller, fuel,
and a glow starter.
The Flite Streak will be a great kit for anyone who is
interested in trying CL. Its design allows it to be used as a basic
trainer, a Stunt flier, or even a Combat aircraft. It has a wingspan
of 411⁄2 inches.
The Nobler is more of an advanced trainer—a step up from
the Flite Streak. It features a prepainted fiberglass cowl, threeline
fuel tank, clear canopy, and formed landing gear. It also uses
coupled elevator and flaps for increased maneuverability. It spans
49 inches.
These kits should be available by midsummer. No pricing was
set at press time.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.hobbico.com MA
P-40E Kittyhawk
Yellow Aircraft is shipping
a beautifully
detailed model of
the Curtiss P-40E
Kittyhawk.
This new
kit features a
highly detailed
one-piece
fiberglass
fuselage with
molded-in rivets, panel lines, and surface detail. All fuselage
formers come preinstalled. The one-piece bolt-on wing design and
stabilizer are made from presheeted foam cores with the leading
edges installed. The elevators and rudder are built up.
Also included is the highly detailed fiberglass cowl, canopy
frame, main and tail gear doors, machine guns with access cover,
landing-gear pods, exhaust stacks, and the cockpit tub with seat
and headrest.
Available separately is the retractable scale landing gear with
precision-machined aluminum mechanism and functioning oleo
struts which comes completely assembled.
The P-40E is 1⁄5 scale and has a wingspan of 86 inches, a
weight of 25-27 pounds, and requires a gasoline engine in the 38-
to 62-cubic-centimeter range. The deluxe kit retails for $625, and
the optional retracts are $495.
Yellow Aircraft International: 203 Mass Ave., Lexington MA
02420; Tel.: (781) 674 9898; Web site: www.yellowaircraft.com
Gee Bee R-1 Super Sportster
No, we haven’t
duplicated the Gee
Bee from the
previous page. This
Gee Bee is from
Fan-Tastic Models
and is designed as a
park flyer for moderate
winds, but it is equally
at home in a standard-size
basketball gym.
The model has a wingspan of
31 inches, a wing area of 165 square inches, and weighs 12
ounces. The power is from an inexpensive GWS IPS Twin Motor
System “A” RXC 7.2-volt (not provided).
The kit features a uniquely molded extruded-polystyrene-foam
fuselage, wing panels, and stabilizers, as well as many high-impact
polystyrene vacuum-formed parts. Also included are wheels, a
complete set of three-color pressure-sensitive decals for historical
accuracy, step-by-step instructions, and a fully photo-illustrated
manual.
The Gee Bee retails for $109.95.
Fan-Tastic Models: 3204 Johnson Rd., Southlake TX 76092;
Web site: www.fan-tasticmodels.com
FuntanaS 3-D ARF
The new FuntanaS .40 3-D ARF was designed exclusively for
Hangar 9 by one of Europe’s most famous 3-D pilots: Sebastiano
Silvestri.
The FuntanaS can do it all—Harriers, Torque Rolls, Blenders,
Rolling Circles, and almost anything else you can dream up—
thanks to an extremely lightweight, all-wood airframe and large
control surfaces that give the model an impressive thrust-toweight
ratio and crisp control authority at any airspeed.
An attractive UltraCote trim scheme and factory-painted
parts, such as the cowl and wheel pants, complement the kit.
The model has a wingspan of 56 inches, a length of 56 inches,
and a weight of 4-51⁄2 pounds. A four-channel radio with five
servos is required, and a .32-.46 two-stroke or 40-72 four-stroke
engine is recommended.
The FuntanaS .40 3-D ARF has a street price of $169.99.
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd.,
Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site:
www.horizonhobby.com
08sig1.QXD 5.23.03 3:21 pm Page 15
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/08
Page Numbers: 14,15
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/08
Page Numbers: 14,15
Worth a Closer Look
14 MODEL AVIATION
Giles 202 Competition Plus
It seems that Almost
Ready to Flys (ARFs)
are getting better all the
time. One instance of
this is the new series of
Giles 202 Competition
Plus ARFs from Gator
R/C. These models are
handcrafted using
ultralight building
techniques to provide a
true competitive
advantage for advanced
pilots in Radio Control
Pattern competition.
Each kit is 90%
complete and will
weigh 91⁄2-93⁄4 pounds
when finished. You can
choose from several color schemes, all using MonoKote iron-on
covering and matching painted fiberglass cowls, landing gear, and
wheel pants.
The Giles 202 is set up to accept a Hyde engine mount and
comes with a nose ring installed. An adjustable plug-in wing and
stabilizer system comes standard, and quilted nylon airplane
covers are included for the fuselage, wing, and stabilizers.
The Giles 202 sells for $1,895, and quantities are limited.
Gator R/C: 2100 N. Old Mill Rd., Brookline Station MO
65619; Tel.: (417) 725-7755; Web site: www.gatorrc.com
Hirobo Bell 430
This one-of-akind
helicopter from
Model Rectifier
Corporation comes
complete with a
40cc engine, airactuated
retracts
with pump, and many scale
details for the model.
The Bell 430 is a 1⁄6.82-scale
kit, which makes it 7.87 feet long and just
heavier than 30 pounds ready to
fly. An onboard electric start
system is included. The start
system is engaged via an open
toggle switch on your radio.
This superscale helicopter is a
bit out of the average helicopter
enthusiast’s reach (at $7,000),
but if you’re looking for the
ultimate in realism, order early. Each kit is made to order, and
delivery time is approximately 60 days.
Model Rectifier Corporation: Box 6312, Edison NJ 08818;
Tel.: (732) 225-2100; Web site: www.modelrectifier.com
Gee Bee .60 ARF
It was
an “extreme
machine” 70
years before the
term was
coined—an
airplane
designed solely
to get the last bit of speed out of
the most powerful piston engine
available. Now yesteryear’s
“widow-maker” returns as an
easy-to-assemble, pilot-friendly ARF for experienced sport fliers.
But this is not the Kyosho model; it’s a new and larger ARF kit.
This .60-size Gee Bee features a fiberglass cowl, wheel pants,
and rudder, which are painted to match the MonoKote trim
scheme. Also included is a replica engine cover. An amazing
amount of space inside the fuselage makes servo installation easy.
Each wing has a servo mount for dual aileron servos to shorten
servo-to-control-surface distance.
The Gee Bee has a wingspan of 66 inches and requires a .75-
.90 two-stroke or 120 four-stroke engine and a four-channel radio
with five standard servos.
This kit should be available by midsummer. No pricing was set
at press time.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.hobbico.com
This month we’re doing something different; this is the first of a two-part “Worth a Closer Look” devoted to some of the new items at
this year’s Weak Signals show in Toledo, Ohio. With this limited space we can’t show everything, but following are a few aircraft that
caught our eye. Next month we’ll bring you some of the new engines, radios, and hardware from the show.
AT-6 and T-34 ARFs
Horizon Hobby
Distributors showed off
two of its new warbirds
at the show: the AT-6
Texan and the T-34
Mentor. Both are Sport Scale
ARFs featuring prepainted
cowlings, complete
hardware packs,
and UltraCote
covering.
The AT-6 is the larger of the two, with a 67-inch wingspan and
a weight of 7-8 pounds when completed. It features factoryinstalled
retracts with gear doors and a mock radial engine.
Recommended power is a .60-.78 two-stroke or
91-100 four-stroke engine.
The T-34 is a 40-size semiscale kit with a
wingspan of
571⁄4 inches
and a ready-tofly
weight of
6-7 pounds.
Although it
comes with
standard wire
gear, there is a retract option (sold separately). The recommended
power comes from a .40-.58 two-stroke or a 56-72 four-stroke.
The AT-6 has a street price of $254.99, and the T-34 Mentor
has a street price of $169.99. Both kits should be available by
roughly the time you read this.
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign
IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site: www.horizonhobby.com
08sig1.QXD 5.23.03 3:21 pm Page 14
August 2003 15
Nobler and Flite Streak CL ARFs
One of the more
surprising events at
this year’s show was
the unveiling of two
new Control Line
(CL) ARF kits from
TopFlite.
Unlike many
ARF or RTF
(Ready to Fly) CL
kits of the past,
these feature builtup
wood
construction and
MonoKote
covering—just the
way you’d build
from a kit.
Each kit features bellcrank and leadout wires which are
preinstalled in the wing. A complete hardware package is
provided, including the fuel tank. Each model requires a twostroke
.25-.40 CL engine, CL handle and wires, propeller, fuel,
and a glow starter.
The Flite Streak will be a great kit for anyone who is
interested in trying CL. Its design allows it to be used as a basic
trainer, a Stunt flier, or even a Combat aircraft. It has a wingspan
of 411⁄2 inches.
The Nobler is more of an advanced trainer—a step up from
the Flite Streak. It features a prepainted fiberglass cowl, threeline
fuel tank, clear canopy, and formed landing gear. It also uses
coupled elevator and flaps for increased maneuverability. It spans
49 inches.
These kits should be available by midsummer. No pricing was
set at press time.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021, Champaign IL
61826; Tel.: (800) 682-8948; Web site: www.hobbico.com MA
P-40E Kittyhawk
Yellow Aircraft is shipping
a beautifully
detailed model of
the Curtiss P-40E
Kittyhawk.
This new
kit features a
highly detailed
one-piece
fiberglass
fuselage with
molded-in rivets, panel lines, and surface detail. All fuselage
formers come preinstalled. The one-piece bolt-on wing design and
stabilizer are made from presheeted foam cores with the leading
edges installed. The elevators and rudder are built up.
Also included is the highly detailed fiberglass cowl, canopy
frame, main and tail gear doors, machine guns with access cover,
landing-gear pods, exhaust stacks, and the cockpit tub with seat
and headrest.
Available separately is the retractable scale landing gear with
precision-machined aluminum mechanism and functioning oleo
struts which comes completely assembled.
The P-40E is 1⁄5 scale and has a wingspan of 86 inches, a
weight of 25-27 pounds, and requires a gasoline engine in the 38-
to 62-cubic-centimeter range. The deluxe kit retails for $625, and
the optional retracts are $495.
Yellow Aircraft International: 203 Mass Ave., Lexington MA
02420; Tel.: (781) 674 9898; Web site: www.yellowaircraft.com
Gee Bee R-1 Super Sportster
No, we haven’t
duplicated the Gee
Bee from the
previous page. This
Gee Bee is from
Fan-Tastic Models
and is designed as a
park flyer for moderate
winds, but it is equally
at home in a standard-size
basketball gym.
The model has a wingspan of
31 inches, a wing area of 165 square inches, and weighs 12
ounces. The power is from an inexpensive GWS IPS Twin Motor
System “A” RXC 7.2-volt (not provided).
The kit features a uniquely molded extruded-polystyrene-foam
fuselage, wing panels, and stabilizers, as well as many high-impact
polystyrene vacuum-formed parts. Also included are wheels, a
complete set of three-color pressure-sensitive decals for historical
accuracy, step-by-step instructions, and a fully photo-illustrated
manual.
The Gee Bee retails for $109.95.
Fan-Tastic Models: 3204 Johnson Rd., Southlake TX 76092;
Web site: www.fan-tasticmodels.com
FuntanaS 3-D ARF
The new FuntanaS .40 3-D ARF was designed exclusively for
Hangar 9 by one of Europe’s most famous 3-D pilots: Sebastiano
Silvestri.
The FuntanaS can do it all—Harriers, Torque Rolls, Blenders,
Rolling Circles, and almost anything else you can dream up—
thanks to an extremely lightweight, all-wood airframe and large
control surfaces that give the model an impressive thrust-toweight
ratio and crisp control authority at any airspeed.
An attractive UltraCote trim scheme and factory-painted
parts, such as the cowl and wheel pants, complement the kit.
The model has a wingspan of 56 inches, a length of 56 inches,
and a weight of 4-51⁄2 pounds. A four-channel radio with five
servos is required, and a .32-.46 two-stroke or 40-72 four-stroke
engine is recommended.
The FuntanaS .40 3-D ARF has a street price of $169.99.
Horizon Hobby Distributors: 4105 Fieldstone Rd.,
Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; Web site:
www.horizonhobby.com
08sig1.QXD 5.23.03 3:21 pm Page 15