home

Now, this plane is a favourite of Richard Mottram's and he wondered what might lie behind that comment of Allan's, so we asked him! Here's Allan's straightforward answer.

Allan's finished model

with regards to the FW190D and my comment "its not their best kit", I have built both the Corsair and the P47 in this 1/7th scale range, so I feel I have grounds and the experience to comment constructively about them. There is/will be a full review on the model in the next copy of RC Scale International, which should now be published, if you wish to know all the details.

I will, here, give you the main reason why I made that statement. First and foremost, there are no problems with the construction process and the flying abilities of the D9. It builds fine (just like the others) and it flies as good as any.

So what's the problem then? you ask!

A one word answer is "Design". Before I explain in detail, you need to know a little about Top Flite and where I am coming from.

Top Flite is, as you may know, a successful US company that has established a very strong foothold in producing 1/7th scale warbird kits that build straight and fly well. They sell their kits as "Sports Scale" so one knows, when purchasing one, that it has been changed in some way, but, at the end of the day, it looks like whatever it is meant to be. The alterations are mostly subtle modifications to the wings and tail areas for better flying, and wider under-carriages for better ground handling. OK, now that's fine, and to be fair to Top Flite, they tell you up front and on the box.

My concerns over the D9 are that it is so way off the mark the designer is having a laugh - and I mean that sarcastically! First thing is the printed image on the box....it looks not-quite-right around the cowl. When you open the box and look at the cowl, it hits you! The cowl is the wrong shape!

That is followed by the air scoop on the side of the aircraft and the abs gun panel. The cockpit kit is a complete waste of money along with the headrest which is wrong too. The exhaust stacks are an embarrassment. 

But this is the one that got me the most - the retracts. They have shortened them, moved them further apart, then to add insult to injury, they inform you that the wheels won't retract fully into the wings, plus you can't have wheel doors. Oh! you can have dummy doors for your stand-off scale competition, but not when flying. This, to my way of thinking, is taking the -- (add what ever word you wish!). You have paid £180.00 for the kit and the same again for the retracts...and it's all wrong. Now if you know anything about Focke Wulffs, you know the legs are as distinctive as the elliptical wing of the Spitfire. I have had to have longer legs made, and done many mods to make this a more acceptable model. 

The Corsair and the P47 are far more acceptable in scale terms than the D9....take a look at the U/C on their Spitfire - its awful. I think Top Flite are getting complacent and "losing it". The D9 is nowhere near as good as the 47, which in answer to Richard's query about a suitable model for a first foray into retracts, would make a fine start for retracts, although I personally would go for the Mick Reeves Hurricane.