Getting planes ready for the year

[JustHatched 12,103]

Most know I love to fly RC planes, 

I didn't get to do hardly any flying last year so my planes pretty well were just hanging around, so I am trying to get them up to flight ready condition for this year. Checking batteries by charging and discharging them a few times to make sure the voltage across multiple cells are within tolerance (had one nearly blow up when charging, swelled to triple its size, LiPo's are no joke). Checking servo mounts, running the nitro engines a bit to get them lubed up, had a bastard of a time getting the .35cc and the .65cc racing engine to start.

 

On the line up this year for flight is my always faithful and easy to fly Hobbico Hobbistar MK1 (pic is of an MK3, mine is 20 years old and is pretty much the same) I got this plane new in the box a few years ago, lady I got it from found it in her dead fathers stuff, they haven't made the first gen model for 20 years so it is at least that old, I put the updates that the MK3 has in it but to look at it you can't tell its modded. Runs on the .65 racing engine, way more than it needs but whatever

 

The Extra 260 is good to go, it's a great little stunt plane (this it what GTA's Mallard is based on). It's an electric, 2 foot wing span. Had to fix the right wing, a mouse had got in it and had some fun with the wood wing spar.

 

The Beaver is flyable though a bit rough to handle after a crash due to a bad servo a couple years ago. I should get a new motor for it since the crankshaft it bent, but it does still run do fuck it. This is a great plane to fly though, its slow and just great electric plane that flies in almost any weather conditions

 

The Nexstar, this is its first year flying with me, I got a really good deal on this plane, $100 complete, guy was moving and had no room for it. This is also electric, but it is a big electric, it runs on a 2s and 3s battery pack combination with servo battery backup.

 

And my baby is always good to go (but only on the calmest of days) is the B17, even if I were flying all the time this one rarely sees the air, it hates any kind of wind which sucks considering it's size, it has very large wings.

 

And not to forget the everyday flier to kill 10 minutes, a trio of Super Cubs 2 with wheels, one with floats

 

I have 2 others I can have flying this year with a bit of work. I got them well used and they are old because they use cables for control wires instead of steel wire, I'll have to convert them to wire and update the electronics

 

easiest to get ready will be the Stik, nearly anyone who flies has one of these, easy to fly but can do just about any stunt. Engine rubs good, servos all work.

 

the 2nd one is, well it's a plane. I don't even have guess at what it is. but it needs a new engine