Radio Control Airplanes — Michael H. Myers

Glow-Powered

Scale Models — Glow Engine

These are fully airworthy scale aircraft built and flown by Michael. Click the photo links to view full images.

Ryan STA — Exact 1/5 Scale

Functional steel flying wires.

In-flight In-flight 2

Liberty Sport Biplane

Outfitted with a smoke system.

In-flight Smoke

Yak 54

Gets great smoke from a .91 4-stroke.

In-flight

Cirrus Moth

A biplane from the 1920s.

in flight Build Photos

Bridi XLT

Tuned pipe muffler under canopy, retracts.

in flight In flight More Photos

Extra 300S

Finished to resemble a specific full-scale aircraft.

In-flight Full-scale comparison

Stearman N2S-2

U.S. Navy markings.

In-flight

Zlin 526A Akrobat — 1/6 Scale

Exact 1/6 scale with smoke and retractable landing gear.

Smoke

Smith Miniplane

Proves you can put a smoke system on a small engine.

Smoke System Smoke Pretzel Video

Electric-Powered

Scale Models — Electric

Many of these models have appeared in Model Aviation Magazine.

Guillows Stearman PT-17

28" Wingspan, U.S. Navy version

in flight Build Photos

Guillows Cessna 172 Skyhawk

35" Wingspan

Photo Build Photos

Curtiss Robin

Legendary airplane of "Wrong Way Corrigan" in the 1930's

Photo Build Photos

1930's Babcock Taubman

Enlarged from Tom Hallman plans

Photo Build Photos In Flight Photos

1930's Lockheed Vega

The airplane that Amelia Erhart flew across the Atlantic

In Flight Build Photos

Westland Lysander

British WWII liaison aircraft. Rubber-power kit converted to 4-channel electric.

Photo

Morane-Saulnier Type L (1913)

Uses wing-warping for lateral control, like the full-scale original.

in Flight in Flight2 Build Photos Wing-Warping Demo

DeHavilland DH.82 Tiger Moth

1930s British primary trainer.

Photo in Flight Build Photos

Nieuport 17

From the movie Flyboys.

In flight Build Photos

Harvard Trainer/ AT-6

Free-flight rubber kit converted to 4-channel electric.

Photo Build Photos

Cessna 172

The most produced airplane ever.

In flight Build Photos

DeHavilland DH.1

WWI fighter, flown just 10 years after the Wright Brothers.

In flight In flight2 Build Photos

Cessna JRC-1 Sky King Songbird RC model airplane

Cessna JRC-1 (Sky King's "Songbird")

Navy version of the T-50 Bobcat — the original Songbird from the 1950s TV series.

In flight In flight2 Build Photos

Cessna 310B Sky King Twin Songbird RC model

Cessna 310B — Sky King's Twin "Songbird"

Twin electric motors, retractable landing gear.

In flight Build Photos

Piper J-3 Cub (1940s)

With "Swing-Away" pilot.

In Flight Build Photos

Stinson Reliant

Gull-wing airplane from the 1930s.

In flight Build Photos

Curtiss Jenny

Biplane from the golden age of aviation.

In flight Build Photos Spoked Wheels

Globe Swift

Electric motor, retractable landing gear. Finished with Polyspan and dope.

In Flight Build Photos

Buhl "Bull Pup" (1930)

76" wingspan scale model of a 1930 sport airplane.

In Flight Build Photos

Pietenpol Air Camper

Originally powered by a Ford Model A engine. Build includes shock-absorbing gear and spring-loaded chocks.

In Flight Build Photos

Ercoupe / Aircoupe

Advertised in the 40s as spinproof and like driving a car. Same rudder system as the full-scale.

In Flight Build Photos

Proctor Antic Biplane

Museum-quality kit built like WWI-era aircraft.

in flight Build Photos

Aeronca C-1 (1930s)

in flight Full Scale Build Photos

Ryan STA

Electric, all wood, built from plans.

Photo Build Photos

Sky Ranger 40

Electric motor, hand-cut graphics, head-turning pilot.

Photo Pilot Build Photos

Head-turning pilot RC airplane in flight

In-Flight Video

The Head-Turning Pilot

The pilot's head is electronically coupled with the rudder and ailerons — making his head turn in the direction the airplane is flying. The result is a remarkably realistic in-flight effect. Now shot in 1080p HD.

Watch the Videos

Rotorcraft

Autogyros

Autogyros use an unpowered rotor for lift instead of a conventional wing, with an engine-driven propeller for thrust.

1923 Cierva C.4 Autogyro

Servo-controlled tilting rotor. One of the most difficult RC aircraft to fly.

In-flight Movies

Tango Autogyro

Dual contrarotating rotors for stability. Built from plans — a pleasure to fly.

In-flight Landing Movie More Photos

Kellett Autogyro

Dave's Kellett Autogyro.

Winter Flying

R/C Flying in the Snow

For many northern fliers, RC is a year-round activity. As long as it's sunny, 35°F is quite tolerable with gloves. What's best is doing touch-and-go's in pristine snow — very smooth and absorbent of shock.

The Tango Autogyro and Clipped-Wing Piper Cub both fly beautifully on snow skis.

Watch Snow Flying Movies

Techniques & Guides

How-To Guides

Detailed tutorials developed from years of building and flying experience.

Pumpless Smoke System

Build a smoke system for your R/C airplane without a pump.

Spoked Wheels for Vintage RC

How to make realistic scale spoked wheels for classic aircraft.

Windy Weather Hold-Downs

Make your aircraft immune to wind gusts between flights.

Dental Materials for Repair

Duplicate parts for model airplane repair using dental materials.

Arming Plug for Electric RC

Safely arm and disarm your electric motor without a battery hatch.

Heat-Shrinking Polyspan

From my youtube channel.

RC model workshop with Pietenpol Air Camper

Workshop Air Fleet

A tour of the shop where the models are built.

Just for Fun

Flying Things

From other pilots, beyond conventional airplanes — a lifesize flying witch, an American Flag, a flying doghouse, and a lawnmower that takes off by itself.

Joe's Flying Witch — Lifesize, with flapping cape

Joe's Flying American Flag

Joe's Flying Doghouse

Larry's Flying Lawnmower

Flying Stop Sign

Witch In-Flight Video (from TV newscast)

▶ Watch Video

Extreme Skill

Radio Control 3D Flying

From other pilots, high power-to-weight ratio models with large control surfaces capable of maneuvers impossible in full-scale planes — hovering, nose-up rolls, tail-dragging the ground. Demands extreme concentration.