Adding retracts to the Spitfireis a simple affair. Horizon Hobby sent along a set of their E-flite 10-15 Main Electric Retracts #EFLG100 (above left).
and subsequently many models, has been the subject of many ground loops and ser- pentine take-off patterns for many a pilot. Second, the elliptical wing tips that are so pleasing to our eyes hide that evil known as tip stall. How would the ParkZone model do I wondered. I eased the throttle up after pointing the
craft into the wind and my first fear was gone. The model tracked just fine. True, on this day the takeoff was helped by a 5 mph headwind, but I can say honestly that sub- sequent takeoffs on an asphalt runway with zero wind, have been just as predictable. If you have some tail wheel experience and are familiar with the stick on the left of your transmitter, you’ll have no problem getting the Spitfire off the ground. Once the Spitfire was up, I hit the retract
switch and watched the gear go up and tuck up into the wells. A few beauty passes for the camera and some trimming was in or- der. The Spitfire tracks very well and flies like a much larger plane and while you cer- tainly do not have to use the rudder in turns, a little never hurts. I added a bit of throttle and pointed the plane up a bit to gain some altitude. The included motor and ESC combination provides more than enough power for the plane, and I flew the plane comfortably at ¾ throttle most of the time.
With trimming complete I next induced
the model into a stall. I could not detect the wing favoring one side over the other; rather the plane would stall, nose forward and gain speed and was real easy to recover. This be-
To make the process even smoother, order the ParkZone pre-bent struts #PKZ5717 (above center). Complete, clean installation (above right).
ing said, do keep your speed up in the turns. At a comfortable altitude, I purposely throt- tled the airplane back to 25% and at low rates performed a tight right hand turn with ailerons and rudder. She fell out of the turn and lost some altitude but releasing the sticks to neutral and adding power is all it takes to regain control. This is true with just about any airplane and let’s remember this is a pursuit aircraft. The fact that I had to really force the air-
plane to do anything other than fly is a tes- tament to the design crew of the model. Many times I would do things I would not normally do with a warbird and I was sur- prised that the model just kept flying along. One of the things that impressed me was the slower speed capability of the model. Usual- ly warbirds of any type are fast because a fighter plane by nature does not fly stable at slow speeds. The plane will roll and loop on low rates, but before you do that high-speed pass ending with a victory roll, keep in mind it looks much better with high rates. All too soon, the battery indicator on my transmitter was telling me it was time to re- turn to base. I selected my gear switch, did a low inspection pass, turned into my pat- tern and set up for a landing. Keep the pow- er up a bit as the gear down puts some drag into the equation. My first landing was a bit bumpy, maybe due to the wind that had picked up, but the plane still tracked nicely. Close inspection of the gear showed no dam- age or bent struts. Subsequent landings have been much smoother and done right can really look nice.
With the gear down, keep your air speed
up, level the wings and use the rudder to steer her. Wheel landings are the best, set her on the mains while decreasing your speed and let the tail settle on to the run- way. Do not force the tail wheel down oth- erwise you risk stalling the plane and bouncing the model. The folks at Horizon and ParkZone have
a winner with this model. I have since flown this model more and now need to order more 2200 packs. R&D really went the extra mile and produced a scale looking model yet kept the weight down so that the model is easy to fly and would make an excellent first war- bird. The model is predictable in the air with no bad habits and unless there is some wind over 10–15 mph, the model tracks straight and true. Takeoffs and landings are a non- event, judicious use of elevator, rudder and throttle is key. About the only negative I found was not di-
rectly aimed at the model but more due to the authenticity of the trim scheme. The model can be a bit hard to see in low light sit- uations. With that in mind, simply keep the model at a comfortable distance and take into account the dark pattern of the model. With a fast assembly, completeness and
scale looks, one could purchase this model at a warbird fly-in and have a model that will stand its own among other models that have been built up and will fast become the mod- el you will fly the most. Just as the full-scale Spitfire Mk. IX is easily my favorite war- bird, the new ParkZone Spitfire Mk. IX is my new favorite R/C warbird. Tally ho!
You can almost hear that Rolls Royce Merlin roaring to life as the morning sun hits the runway (above). Ground handling is very good, takeoffs very scale (at right). Good hunting chaps, Tally ho!
FLYING MODELS 49
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