It’s occurred to me that nearly every RC aircraft I’ve bought or built has represented some kind of first. Maybe it’s indicative of my low threshold for boredom, but it seems like every plane is different from the plane before it. Look at my first four planes:
- HobbyZone Mini Super Cub
- Parkzone Radian
- GWS Tiger Moth 400
- Parkzone Stryker
That’s a high-wing trainer, a 2-meter glider, an ARF biplane and a high-speed delta/wing. Here’s a list of the various planes and helis that have represented firsts for me over the past three years:
- Mini Super Cub – My first-ever RC plane. First ever aerial camera platform
- Radian – My first Glider, it also came with my first computer radio – a DX5
- GWS Tiger Moth 400 – My first ARF build, and my first biplane. It has my first-ever mod: stronger landing gear.
- Stryker – My first fast plane. My first delta/wing-type plane and my first experience with elevons
- Night Vapor – My first Ultra-micro, and my first night flyer
- UM J3 Cub – My first ‘Normal’ ultra micro
- UM T-28 Trojan – My first ultra-micro w/ailerons
- Zombee – The first time I replaced a brushed motor system (Mini Super Cub)
- David – My first flying wing, my first Kline-Fogelman wing, and my first experience putting together a power system
- Tower Hobbies P-51 – My first warbird
- Light Stryker – My first outside night flyer and one of my all-time favorite planes
- Micro Moth – My first complete scratch build
- Phoenix Wing – My first plane from a re-purposed airframe. I created a flying wing from the remains of a wrecked Stryker. Also my first gyro-stabilized plane
- Pico Tiger Moth – My first use of fiberglass, and my first design for a landing gear mod
- Sopwith Triplane – My first attempt at building a triplane
- SnowDragon (Draco) – My first build using Coroplast
- HK Bf 109 Funfighter – My first plane capable of 90MPH+ speeds
- Frankenstick – My first ‘Frankenplane’ built from a little bit of everything.
- Hard Candy (Stryker) – My first plane with a heavily modified power system
- UM Mosquito – My first multi-engine
- FunBats – My first ever matching planes (built for combat)
- Nico F-22 – My first profile plane, and the first made from Depron
- Dabbling Teal – My first original design
- GWS Slow Stick – My first aileron mod on a 3-channel plane
- Blu-Baby – My first shared/teaching build, with my niece
- Arlene Turner Memorial Moth – My first attempt to improve upon a previous build of the same model
- JAS-39 Gripon – My first EDF jet
- Antonov An-2 – My first build with flaps
- Dynam Gee Bee Sportster – My first 4-cell plane
- Crack Turbo Beaver – After all this time, my first 3D plane. Also my first EPP plane.
- Slowly – First hand-made wheels; first plane with multiple, swappable wings.
- RG FlyGuy – My first flying person/character
- Blade mCX2 – My first Heli
- Blade mSR – My first single-rotor heli
- Blade mQX – My first quad
- Blade 350QX – My first full-sized (GoPro capable) quad