An Aviation Mentor

Why it’s so important

BRITTEN-NORMAN - DEFENDER 2000

An electric-powered Islander on steroids

THE NEXT GENERATION OF RC'ERS

Why our hobby isn’t dying out

MORGANS CUSTOM 3D PRINTING

Industrious builders and craftsmen have been carving, machining, or casting small parts for as long as the hobby has been around, but 3D printers have taken custom parts to a new level.

SPICE UP A LOOP WITH A SNAP ROLL!

Mastering the Avalanche

SEA OTTER

SHOWCASING WHAT YOU BUILD & FLY | EMAIL ENTRIES TO: MAN@AIRAGE.COM

FLIGHT PLAN

Designer Rich Uravitch says his electric-powered Britten-Norman Defender 2000 “couldn’t be easier to build or fly.”

BUILDING A COMPETITION WORTHY SCALE COCKPIT

Scale competition is a segment in this hobby that I really enjoy.

GETTING INTO GAS ENGINES

Expert installation & setup tips

Jim McQueen and his P-51B Mustang

One of the most active warbird centric clubs in the Northeast region of the country is the Long Island Skyhawks.

YELLOW SCORPIONS - P-51 Mustangs rule the skies in China

Using Chinese airfields, the 311th Fighter Group was the first to take World War II to the Japanese. The 311th’s 530th Fighter Squadron, which became known as the “Yellow Scorpions,” was the first squadron based in China. During their combat tour, they flew A-36 dive bombers along with all versions of the P-51 (A, B, C and D). However, it was their expertise with P-51 B and C models that earned them the respect of Japanese pilots.

WACO “Super Sport” S3HD - A Golden Age king

The WACO “Super Sport” S3HD is often referred to as the “King of the WACO biplanes.” Built as only one example, it is the stuff of legends.

SPITFIRE WITH A PUNCH - ROYAL AIR FORCE FIGHTER IN POLISH COLORS

Squadron Leader Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.), a former officer commanding the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, tells the story behind the latest color scheme for the Flight’s Spitfire Mk XVI TE311.

F-35B LIGHTNING II SEMPER FI

The JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) program is synonymous with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which ultimately won the competition against Boeing and its X-32. The JSF plan was to have a similar new fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy and U.S. allies: Build a bunch and keep the price tag down. It has been a success story since then.

DEFENDER OF THE REICH WW II as seen by a Luftwaffe Ace

Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring was in rare form, his eyes full of fire as he faced one of the better known of Germany’s aces, Oberst Walther Dahl. “Göring’s reply astonished even me,” Dahl remembered. “In the presence of pilots with heads, arms and legs in plaster, he yelled: ‘You cowards! Now I know why your Geschwader holds the record for parachute jumps: you jump so as not to fight.’

Lightning ACE!

P-38 Legend Robin Olds

SOUTH PACIFIC WARRIOR

A rare combat Mustang

Supermarine Spitfire Elliptical Elegance

Showing off the flowing curves of a jaguar ready to pounce, a Spitfire snugs in close, its pilot a picture of concentration as he carefully places the airplane exactly where he wants. It’s a timeless image of a timeless design.

THE BEST WWII FIGHTERS

Which was number one?

“Hotrod” Jug

By the time this limited-production high-performance version of Maj. Michael Jackson’s Teddy was photographed in early spring 1945 at Boxted, the 56th FG had been operating with Thunderbolts for almost three years. Initially constituted in November 1940 as the 56th Pursuit Group, with three Squadrons (61st, 62nd and 63rd) operating a mix of training aircraft and basing, they were posted in scattered locations in defense of New York City in early 1942. With the 63rd actually based at Republic’s Farmingdale factory, it was a natural for the 56th to be tapped to be the premier Thunderbolt unit in May 1942.

GUNFIGHTER OF THE RISING SUN

A Zero pilot’s own story

Me 262 Mach 1 Mystery

Did the Reich get there first?

HELLCAT VERSUS CORSAIR

GRUMMAN TEST PILOT FLIES THE COMPETITION

Flying the FW 190

A legend gets checked out in the Butcher Bird

SCALE MAKEOVER

A new scheme for a P-39

LEGEND HOBBY - SPITFIRE 50 GP/EP ARF

This winning warbird is a fast build and flies like a dream

HATCH IT!

Don’tcha almost hate it when you come across a good looking scale model in the pit area with a bunch of exposed switches, fuel fillers and charging jacks bolted, glued or otherwise taped or fastened to the exterior of its beautiful finish? I know, right? Well after very careful investigation I have come to the conclusion that the “reason” may be the result of a simple explanation.

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK II

PLANES WORTH MODELING

PILOT PROJECTS

SHOWCASING WHAT YOU BUILD & FLY

Never Stop Flying!

A longtime Model Airplane News contributor, Nick Ziroli Sr. has influenced our hobby for decades.