Check these out…

I’ve still got three R/C models left over from my clear-out – a cartoon-scale Spitfire 22 (if anyone remembers the Norfolke & Goode “Splatfire” – this is it!), a Cambrian Hurricane which I originally intended to paint up as the Shuttleworth Sea Hurricane, and a 36″ span Bf109E that was a candidate for getting a ‘Merlin’ nose… 😉

Originally posted by Dave Homewood
The second model to impress me is quite a famous one in NZ. It’s a Hercules in RNZAF colours, and it is MASSIVE. The guy has to carry it on a large purpose-built trailer. The fuselage is as long as a car, and man is it impressive. I saw it flying at Wigram one day. Sunday afternoon. I was walking along and saw it off in the distance over the hangars. I swear i though it was a real Herc. I went for a look because a) aircraft landing on Sundays were rare, and b) it was white (in the old RNZAF scheme) so i assumed it was a foreign one visiting. Luckily I had my camera and got some snaps. It drops parachutes and the works! Anyone want to see the photos?

Yes please Dave !!!!:)

My father used to build R/C scale models from scratch back in the ’80s and won trophys for them.
He built a Canadair CL-215 amphibian in Royal Thai colours and used to fly it off the ponds down the road from where we lived when I was a boy. I’ll see if I can dig up some pics.

Cheers
Chris.

Originally posted by Chris Broad
Yes, it also has scale split flaps and navigation lights. 🙂

Knocks the socks off my Cambrian 1;8th scale Spit, dammit!

Originally posted by Dave Homewood

Occasionally I went with him to scale meetings. I’m afraid most scale flying models fail to impress me, because as Der says, they simply don’t look right, and worse, they sound just wrong!.

True Dave, but if smoothly flown the film can be slowed down a bit and the proper sound dubbed in. I though the Stukas in the BoB movie were well done and that was with technology that does not even approach what is available today. The problem is not with the abilities of the aircraft but generally the abilities of the pilot. Just my .02 cents.

Nice Spit Chris! I had a MR 1/6 kit myself but sold it off a couple years back. I decided to go a bit bigger and have since picked up two Brian Taylor 83″ Spitfire kits. A friend of mine in California does glass fuselages and other parts for the Taylor plan which I will be using. Currently I’m trying to come up with a good interior kit for the Taylor Spit. You can see what I have so far here: http://www.t-birds.be/products/cockpit.htm

Daz, I will definitely pass on your compliments to Evan.

Originally posted by Stieglitz
Is this the new alternative for the movie-industry? The price to make Pearl Harbour would have been much lower if they used planes like this! 😀

J.V.

Yes, and then they could have spent the money on a script!

However… there are some nice models on that site. I am not an aeromodeller by any means, I like static models (1/48th!) but I grew up with them because Dad used to fly them (he’s now into boats) and he ran both local and national clubs.

Occasionally I went with him to scale meetings. I’m afraid most scale flying models fail to impress me, because as Der says, they simply don’t look right, and worse, they sound just wrong!.

However there are two models I’ve seen that really blew me away. The first I saw at Waharoa. It was a Harvard, painted as NZ1091 which was then a well-known real warbird on the circuit. The thing about the Harvard is it was made from real aluminium, complete with tiny rivets. It was a huge model, the span must have been almost three metres. The interior looked real, even the prop looked right. The builder had done a great job, and then the guy started it. Wow! It had a huge chainsaw engine in it, but he’d heavily modified it and worked out the exhaust so that, believe it or not, he’d actually got it to sound just like a Harvard. And he flew it really well, it was like watching and hearing the real thing. Dad and I were very impressed.

The second model to impress me is quite a famous one in NZ. It’s a Hercules in RNZAF colours, and it is MASSIVE. The guy has to carry it on a large purpose-built trailer. The fuselage is as long as a car, and man is it impressive. I saw it flying at Wigram one day. Sunday afternoon. I was walking along and saw it off in the distance over the hangars. I swear i though it was a real Herc. I went for a look because a) aircraft landing on Sundays were rare, and b) it was white (in the old RNZAF scheme) so i assumed it was a foreign one visiting. Luckily I had my camera and got some snaps. It drops parachutes and the works! Anyone want to see the photos?

Yes, it also has scale split flaps and navigation lights. 🙂

Nice Spit.
Does it have retracts?

Originally posted by Der
The only downside of that is they don’t move in a scale manner.
Turns are too quick, movements too sudden, unless they’re seriously big scale.

As a model warbird pilot myself, i see this all too often. You do have a point, but it is as much to do with the pilot as it is the aircraft. Anything from 1/6th scale upwards can be flown in a perfect scale manner IMHO. just bring back the revs, don’t race her and be steady and graceful with the sticks. I shall be practicing this technique this summer with my 1/6th csale Mick Reeves Spitfire and will try to have it filmed to see how realistic i can fly her. 🙂

Chad, remember to pass our compliments on to Evo! 😉

The only downside of that is they don’t move in a scale manner.
Turns are too quick, movements too sudden, unless they’re seriously big scale.

This is the old alternative actually, the new alternative is computer generated models. Personally, I think a well executed radio control model, if properly flown and filmed, looks much better than CGI stuff. My .02 cents worth.

Is this the new alternative for the movie-industry? The price to make Pearl Harbour would have been much lower if they used planes like this! 😀

J.V.

Daz, Evan Quiros (aka evo) is a good friend of mine, a great model builder, and an all around nice guy. I’m sure he would be honored that you are impressed with his “air force”. Now check out this site for an SBD that will blow your mind.

http://www.renderwurx.com/rc/SBD/

They are beautiful models! Absolutely superb. I think that 109G-6 needs an appropriate opponent… Enter my Spitfire Mk.IX! :p