Parkzone's Fw-190A-8 with Drop Tank

[rcers]

Looks pretty cool....Nice wide gear too!

From Parkzone:

Specs:

Wingspan: 43.3 in (1100mm)
Overall Length: 37.0 in (940mm)
Flying Weight: 44.4 oz (1260 g)
Motor Size: 15-size brushless outrunner, 950Kv (installed)
Radio: 4+ channels minimum (6+ for drop tank and retract operation) transmitter (required)
CG (center of gravity): 2.90 in (74mm) back from the leading edge of wing at wing root
Prop Size: 9.5 x 7.5
Speed Control : 30-amp BL ESC (installed)
Recommended Battery: 11.1V 2200mAh 3S 25C LiPo (required)
Flaps: No
Retracts: Optional
Assembly Time: Less than 1 Hour
Is Assembly Required: Yes

During World War II, few sights could make an Allied pilot’s blood run cold like that of a Focke-Wulf 190 headed his way. So fearsome was this fighter’s reputation that it was known to friend and foe alike as the “Butcher Bird.” In the hands of Luftwaffe aces like Kurt Bühligen, it was practically invincible.


The ParkZone® Focke-Wulf 190A-8 park flyer is a gorgeous recreation of this legendary aircraft that no warbird lover should be without. Modeled after a variant that first flew in 1944, it bears the trim scheme and markings of the airplane flown by Kurt Bühligen near the end of the war.



Other scale touches include molded panel lines, a functional engine fan and a painted pilot figure as well as instrument panel, gun and cowl details. It’s equipped with a 15-size, 950Kv brushless motor that’s been paired with an E-flite® 30A Pro ESC. Powered by a high-output 3S Li-Po battery (sold separately), this combination will make everything from high-speed strafing runs to dogfights with other ParkZone warbirds an absolute blast.
For a truly spectacular flying experience, add the optional drop tank release and electric retracts.* The model has been designed to make installing these options quick and easy, and its Spektrum™ receiver has all the channels you’ll need.


*Requires E-flite Servoless Payload Release (EFLA405) and E-flite 10–15 size 74-degree electric retracts (EFLG115), both sold separately.

[toddyrotten]

I want one!

[xmech2k]

Very nice! I'm glad to see the retract option. In my mind this pretty much confirms they are on board with that. Had to customize my own on my 1st gen Corsair.

[Don Sims]

Very sweet plane!

[mattman0182]

Very nice. Still need a micro axis plane. But this one is nice no doubt. I don't like the iron cross on the tail, its just too much.

Love everything else though. And the price is right in line with the Fly zone 190.

Judging from pics alone it looks a bit better made than the Fly zone.

RCERS, would you by any chance be able to review her at some point?

[fhhuber]

Iron cross on tail is substituted for the actual swastika of the WWII full scale aircraft.

Rather than potentially offending people that do not know the > 3000 year history of the symbol prior to adoption by the Germans in WWII... its being deleted/replaced on just about any modern scale models.

This trend to only associate the symbol with its rather brief use by WWII Nazi Germany is insulting to the cultures that still see it in a positive light due to its longstanding positive meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

The swastika (卐) (Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक) is an equilateral cross with four arms bent at 90 degrees. The earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Mediterranean Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world including China, Japan, India, and Southern Europe. It remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke shakti or the sacred symbol of auspiciousness. The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good" or "auspicious," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix. The swastika literally means "to be good". Or another translation can be made: "swa" is "higher self", "asti" meaning "being", and "ka" as a suffix, so the translation can be interpreted as "being with higher self".[1]

The symbol has a long history in Europe reaching back to antiquity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) in the northwestern region[1] of the Indian subcontinent

It really should be left on the scale models when appropriate. Its a part of history that it was misused as a symbol for an oppressive dictatorship. Deleting it doesn't change the fact.

[mattman0182]

I agree with you one hundred percent. Stalin killed just as many people, yet no one has problems with the communist symbol of the USSR.

As for this FW. They should have just left the tail blank. It looks silly.

[rcers]

Originally Posted by mattman0182

Very nice. Still need a micro axis plane. But this one is nice no doubt. I don't like the iron cross on the tail, its just too much.

Love everything else though. And the price is right in line with the Fly zone 190.

Judging from pics alone it looks a bit better made than the Fly zone.

RCERS, would you by any chance be able to review her at some point?

Not sure if I will get the review yet. Time will tell.

The Iron Cross is COMPLETELY understandable. It is actually illegal to display the Swastika in public in some parts of the world.

This is a common answer from RC model outlets. Horizon offers the correct Swastika for sale for you to change but this makes the model exportable to all parts of the world. Then modelers that can change it - certainly have that option.

Having spent a fair bit of time in Germany (one of the illegal countries) I can tell you the emotion that comes with that symbol is still very raw.

Mike

[mattman0182]

Originally Posted by rcers

Not sure if I will get the review yet. Time will tell.

The Iron Cross is COMPLETELY understandable. It is actually illegal to display the Swastika in public in some parts of the world.

This is a common answer from RC model outlets. Horizon offers the correct Swastika for sale for you to change but this makes the model exportable to all parts of the world. Then modelers that can change it - certainly have that option.

Having spent a fair bit of time in Germany (one of the illegal countries) I can tell you the emotion that comes with that symbol is still very raw.

Mike

Wow I did not know Horizon offered the correct Swastikas. Are they listed on the site? As a history and aviation buff, the closer to scale looks the better for me.

The Soviets did just as many evil things, or possibly more, and their symbol is seen worldwide with no restrictions. I just don't get that.

I do take a lot of pride in my German heritage. There are a lot of painful things about history, but we cannot just try to pretend they never existed.

Still, they should have just left the tail blank. It looks silly because it is overkill with the crosses.

[xmech2k]

Mattman, I agree it's better to leave the tail blank. If you look on Parkzone's site, at least some of the pics have a blank tail, so I'll bet the final version will be blank, and swastika's sold separately. There is a 'Decal Sheet' in the spares list, but no pic of it.

Edit: Wow! We were typing at the exact same time.

[rcers]

Yep agree the blank tail might be the best option as the decals/stickers don't easily come off this stuff.

At any rate - it is an option for those who wish it.

I think they have dropped the retract price - and are now using a aluminum trunion. Great improvements! It appears Horizon is paying attention to the market. While I strongly suspect they will never be the price leader they will be the quality/service leader. The "other" receiver ready stuff from China is not that impressive to me, yet.

Mike

[road king 97]

Originally Posted by rcers

Yep agree the blank tail might be the best option as the decals/stickers don't easily come off this stuff.

At any rate - it is an option for those who wish it.

I think they have dropped the retract price - and are now using a aluminum trunion. Great improvements! It appears Horizon is paying attention to the market. While I strongly suspect they will never be the price leader they will be the quality/service leader. The "other" receiver ready stuff from China is not that impressive to me, yet.

Mike

I was talking to a fellow flyer today who was upset that you can only use their retracts but he is still buying one. He had the bigger dynam one and said it flew real bad. joe

[dahawk]

I've got to take a close look at this one. Have had my eyes on various versions including FMS, Dynam and Top Rc(HK) I like the creature features of the Top-RC 1200mm version with the flaps, retracts with sequencer doors, nice battery access: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1624129

I didn't like the short, stubby, non scale legs.

I think PZ is still the gold standard for quality. Loved my T-28 and have a smaller P-51 without gear. Should come standard with retracts but they need to have a scale forward rake angle. I also hate nose overs.

Can't wait to see it at our LHS.+1 on the swastika for the tail livery. It was actually artwork from Catholic churches in Austria. But it's also a part of history that should remind us of the evil we fought against.

I would have expected it to be a little bigger.

-Hawk