NEW YEAR, NEW GEAR

Model Airplane News, Jan 2005 by Cleghorn, Debra

A DECADE AGO, ALMOST-READY-TO-FLY (ARF) MODELS were few and far between; if you wanted to add a new plane to your hangar, you first needed to spend a few months (or more!) in the workshop building and covering the airframe before you could even think about getting your model airborne. Fast-forward to 2005: the hottest airplanes available come expertly built, beautifully covered and radio-and engine-ready. It doesn't get much better than that! This year's new airplanes cover the spectrum, from giant-scale warbirds to electric backyard flyers and 3D acrobats. With so many great airplanes and gear to look forward to, 2005 should be one of the best yet for RC! Check out this month's special 12-page "New for 2005" for our ' favorite picks for the new year. Remember: you saw it here first!

And speaking of firsts, we're excited to share two exclusives with you this month: the hot XP9303 computer radio from JR and Great Planes' brand-new RealFlight Generation 3 (G3) flight simulator. JR's latest offering features fixed-wing, helicopter and sailplane programming and is designed to compete with "pro" computer radios. How is JR giving modelers a competitive edge? see our in-depth review of this new unit on page 88.

Great Planes' RealFHght series of flight simulators has long been favored by pilots who want to hone their skills without risking their airplanes and who want to fly comfortably when they've been grounded bv the weather. The latest version of this popular program, RealFlight G3, offers even more realistic scenery, physics, airports and planes for the desktop pilot, and when Great Planes sent us a beta version of G3, we were very happy to be able to test it. Catch our sneak peek at this new program on page 40.

Looking for a winter building project? see this issue's bonus, photo-illustrated guide to more than 350 favorite Model Airplane News plans. With three-quarters of a century of model designs to choose from, you're certain to find a warbird, backyard flyer, or sport plane that's exactly what you want. For a complete directory and details of all available Model Airplane News plans, be certain to visit rcstore.com.

As you browse through this issue, you'll notice that we've updated and redesigned the magazine for a clean, more sophisticated look. We've also improved our flight tests with even more in-depth setup and flight information. To let us know what you think of our new packaging and what you'd like to see more (or less) of, send an email to man@airage.com, or write to us at 100 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877-4606 USA. We look forward to hearing from you.

Debra Cleghorn