 Can anybody help me. i have recently been given permission to fly from a private landing strip near my house but the owner has stated that he would prefer me not to use i.c engines to limit risk and excess noise. I really want an ARTF kit of a ME109 with retracts that looks as close to scale as possible with Rudder, Elevator and Airilons. Please could someone help me and advise me of any possibilities out there. I must admit i prefer electric models as they are quick and easy to set up and fly and alot cleaner, I look forward to hearing from you
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 The Ripmax ME-109 is a popular model but retracts woulod have to be retro-engineered. How big is your flying space / patch Stevan. Is the grass short enough?
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The grass is cut very short for his Private aircraft and also his friends that come in via Helicopter and the space is very large, how hard is it to retro-engineer retarcts
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Well, it can be pretty tricky and fiddly unless the model has been engineered to accept retracts. You could try electrifying a model designed for i.c. - perhaps a YT 109 or a Top Gun 109? - these are larger 60-90 sized models. What size model do you prefer?
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Something just a little bigger than a Parkzone Spitfire
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Have you looked at GWS I believe retracts are available. Brian
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sorry for sounding thick but what is GWS as i am reasonably new to this game
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Sorry If you click on the GWS you will find it is a link that will take you to a model shop page for the aircraft. GWS is just the manufacturers name, from China I think. Brian
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Grand Wing Servo - a chinese manufacturer of foamie park fly models. They're no bigger than a PZ Spit though. Fill in your profile please Stevan so we can make suggestions based on your experience levels, thanks 
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I think i have completed the profile section now
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 Stevan, where do you live? can I come and play?  Sounds like an ideal flying environment, I have to make do with a ridge and furrow field with sheep!
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"Have you looked at GWS I believe retracts are available. Brian" Not sure what happend there.I didn't post it twice. Anyway artf ,electric, retacts available, about the same size as the park zone, so most of the boxes ticked. Brian
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| Edited: 15/05/08 18:32 |
 Hi Stevan, If you are 'resonably new' to this game, then you should be looking at a big slow fat trainer, and certainly not a warbird with retracts. I'm constantly surprised by contributers to this forum, including the venerable Ashbys who don't point this out..When you are new to this, It is pretty difficult just to get these toys back on the ground in one piece. As I said somewhere else "add lightness and simplicate" ernie
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i have had many hours on a simulator with a 4 channel transmitter.
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 That's a good start, but when it comes to the crunch, it will go crunch!!  Please please start with a trainer, and a skilled assistant!! You are insured, aren't you? Imagine the costs involved if your pride and joy tries to bore a hole through your friend's aircraft or heli!!! Have you read the 'Beginners start here' thread at the top of the pages?
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I'm constantly surprised by contributers to this forum, including the venerable Ashbys who don't point this out..When you are new to this, It is pretty difficult just to get these toys back on the ground in one piece. As I said somewhere else "add lightness and simplicate"
That's unfair and inaccurate Ernie - there I was slowly getting (probably a shy) Stevan to tell us about himself and you drop by with a sweeping statement like that. I always advise beginners to get a trainer but I never make assumptions either  You'll see from Stevan's profile that he's been flying for a year and so does have some experience, saying 'get a big trainer' does little to help him. 
Steven, if we can get back to you - how do you fly the Spitfire , are you happy with the speed ? can you fly her without an accident till the battery is exhausted? Oh and when Eric mentions 'insurance' he means Have you joined the British Model Flying Association (insurance comes with membership)
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Thank you David, I fly the Spitfire with an upgraded battery which gives it more power and longer flying time, I fly for around 20 mins on a charge and can do low level passes, loops and stalls etc. and thoroughly enjoy it, my father in law has been flying petrol helicopters and planes for years and makes his own kits from scratch, he is an engineer. He believes I am ready for the next step and we dog fight most weekends, he has a piper and i use the spit and he feels I need a bigger challenge (hence the ME 109 qyestion). Where the comments of Ernie are concerned that is what i am getting from my local club, that is the main reason i have not joined it, i would love too but they seem to prefer the I.C planes and believe you cannot fly unless you have had proper instruction. I understand the need for proper training but at present i just enjoy spending time with my father-in-law and gaining experience from him.
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Good - sounds like you're doing well there. First off - do consider joining the BMFA as Eric suggests - it's a sensible move This is a tricky one and I'm struggling to suggest a warbird with retracts unless you go for a large i.c. model like the YT ME-109 or Top Gun ME-109 and then convert to electric. These are far bigger than your Spit though. Mid sized models like the Ripmax ME-109 don't have retracts - you could fit retracts but you'd need to engineer these in which would mean removing the covering and installing hard points - you'd add weight, increase the wing loading and reduce the models performance especially at slow speeds - it's not something I'd recommend. As Rusper said, the GWS warbirds can have cheap retracts added although these models are no larger than your Spitfire. They're cheap and fly well though. Bear the club in mind for the future. They can be intimidating environments at first but you'll learn lots, and make new friends.
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I suppose the other option would be the ARTF A6 Texan listed in April's edition of RCM&E as this can take retracts and would fit the bill for what i want and does look good, after reading the article again, i think this will be spot on.
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Yes, it's a nice model but I'd only suggest it for very competent or expert pilots who've flown heavier, fast models - I think you need an interim airframe before this one.
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