Friday, August 5, 2011

Model Airplane News Magazine October 2011


Everyone instantly recognizes the F-16, as it is one of the U.S. Air Force's most popular jet fighters. It's a single engine multitask day weapon, and in its red, white and blue "YF-16 prototype" paint scheme, it was a very attractive and patriotic challenger against the Northrop YF-17 during the early fly-off competition for the military production contract. As soon as I opened the box, I could see that ElectriFly had done the Air Force proud with its recreation of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. This is a true ARF, and all the parts and pieces fit together extremely well. This new generation of electric-powered ducted fan jet ARFs is becoming extremely popular, and the F-16 is certainly going to attract a lot of new potential jet pilots. What's great about this model is that it is very easy to assemble and has a very attractive flight envelope. It can fly in the 100mph range, but its simplified no-landing-gear approach and use of affordable power components make it affordable and give it a pilot-friendly wing loading for attractive slower flight speeds. Distributed by Great Planes, the ElectriFly F-16 is a true ARF requiring a minimum of involved assembly. It comes with a beautifully molded and painted fiberglass fuselage, and the built-up wood wing panels and control surfaces are all finished in MonoKote. The kit also includes the motor and the electric ducted-fan (EDF) unit as well as a full hardware package. Also included are a wooden building/transport stand, a stabilizer assembly/alignment jig and a bungee launch system. All you have to supply is a radio system, servos and extension leads and Y-harness and a suitable battery pack.