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The moonbat is quite the interesting WW2 Prototype Aircraft from McDonnell, the only functional prototype was lost in a fire during testing in 1944 and the project was canceled later that year. The Aircraft was distinguished by its large blends from the wing to the Nacelles & Fuselage.
This aircraft was influential for my Sr Design project at ERAU that had a 2 seat general aviation aircraft with large fairing between the wing and fuselage.
Outerzone does have a 1/10 scale RC model for the scratch builders out there.
The Reliant is one of my favorite vintage planes, its also one of the few vintage aircraft I got some decent flight hours in.
In the 90’s and early 2000’s the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon had aircraft rides in a few aircraft, one of them N1942A was owned & flown by a very nice man named Larry who sadly passed away a few years ago. He Knew I was a pilot and once the aircraft was off the ground I got to fly it around Oregon’s scenic coast line on trips my family made to Oregon every 2 to 3 years.
Flight characteristics are quite easy going with well balanced controls.
One of the best attributes of the Reliant is its “realistic” cockpit, cabin and useful load. It’s a common sad joke in the US that many general aviation aircraft when you divide useful load by seat plus small cabin sizes you end up having to be 5′ tall and 100 lbs per person. Not with the Reliant there is plenty of room and capacity to spare.
Here are some mint condition Reliants I saw at Oshkosh 06
The perfect solution to help find a lost Drone or Rocket.
Everything is self contained and needs no external GPS or Cell signal.
Simple to setup and use, single button-push to begin searching for lost RC model with real-time distance and direction feedback
Works anywhere, totally self-contained, no GPS or cell network required, no monthly service contracts, ideal for remote areas
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery in transceiver tag gives you up to 15 days to find your lost model
Super small, compact tag transceiver easily fits on even small RC models, weighs only .42 oz. (12 g)
Does not interfere with RC radios – Marco Polo only transmits when you activate search mode from the handheld locator
Protect your RC aircraft investment with a Marco Polo RC Model Recovery System. Marco Polo is the only long range, up to 2 miles line-of-sight, tracking system that works everywhere you fly – or unintentionally land – with no need for GPS reception or cellular service and no monthly fees. The Marco Polo tag transceiver weighs just 12 grams so it will not affect your aircraft’s performance yet it gives you up to 10 days to locate your model. Marco Polo will not interfere with any of your on-board radio systems because it does not transmit any RF energy until activated by the hand-held locator from the ground. In the case of a long-range fly away you can place the locator into search mode and head off in the general direction of the crash or perform a grid search, Marco Polo will search every inch of the surrounding area as you move and then guide you to the exact location, within inches. Up to 2 additional tag transceivers can be added to the system at any time and the Marco Polo locator is compatible with both RC and pet tracking tags.
One of the most unique Propeller driven aircraft of WW2 I think is the De Havilland Mosquito. While most of the aircraft where classified into fighters or bombers, the Mosquito has an in between status with out the typical draw backs of combined use aircraft.
One of the other unique features of the Mosquito is it’s built out of wood. Despite being seen as an inferior material, performance numbers for top speed where in the same ball park at over 400 mph & a service ceiling of 37,000′. This aircraft also served all the way up to 1963 well into the jet age.
With 8 forward facing machine gun’s right in the nose this aircraft packs a serious punch.
For the RC readers there are some options:
Outerzone has a great free RCM Plan from 1978, this model has a 67″ span and would likely make a good electric model, preserving the streamlined cowlings.
Modernize an old car with a infotainment system or add AM/FM Radio, Blue Tooth connectivity with streaming & cell phone connection & even a camera hookup to your experimental aircraft.
Apple CarPlay is a safer way to use your iPhone in the car. Simply talk to Siri or touch the receiver’s display to get directions from Apple Maps, make phone calls, listen to voicemail, send and receive texts, and listen to music from Apple Music or your favorite 3rd party streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, all in a way that allows you to stay focused on the road. With the latest iOS version (iOS 12.0 and higher), 3rd party navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze are also supported
Android Auto was designed with safety in mind, helping you to minimize distractions and stay focused on the road. KENWOOD’s multimedia receivers combine an intuitive voice controlled interface with a large touch screen and superior sound quality, making it the perfect complement for your in-car life. You can even listen to and control music from your favorite streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. Navigate to where you need to with Google Maps or Waze
Using the Mirroring OA for Kenwood app, you can mirror the content from your Android (OS 7.0+) smartphone onto the touchscreen monitor of the Kenwood DMX4707S, you’ll be able to enjoy video and audio playback. Your compatible Android smartphone must be connected to the DMX4707S via USB and Bluetooth. In addition to mirroring content from your Android smartphone, you’ll also be able to control your Android device from the in-dash receiver’s touchscreen
Rear View Camera Input with Parking Guide Lines – An optional rear view camera enhances safety while backing up and monitoring behind your vehicle. Built-in, adjustable parking guidelines further add to its effectiveness. 13 Band Graphic EQ and Time Alignment – Use the graphic equalizer to tailor the sound quality to your unique tastes. Additional sound staging is available with the Time Alignment feature, designed to provide optimal sound performance
The Kenwood DMX4707S features a fixed 6.8″ widescreen capacitive touchscreen LCD with LED backlighting. The LCD touchscreen has a resolution of 800 (H) x 480 (V) x RGB with 1,152,000 total pixels. The capacitive touchscreen LCD provides a high contrast ratio, crystal clear display, and vivid text as well as highly responsive touchscreen operation
The Tailwind is one of the more older Home built designs that is still being flown in numbers today. It proves you can get a lot of performance out of simple shapes and simple construction. Visually the fuselage has very similar lines to the Hyperbipe
I can’t think of a Oshkosh or Sun-N-Fun I’ve been to with out seeing at least one of these aircraft at the show.
You can still build a tailwind today with plans & components from Aircraft Spruce
