Horizon Hobby's iHobby 2008 Floor Coverage

The Hangar 9 P-51 PTS set the RC world on its ear when it was introduced. The latest PTS, the P-51 Mk II, refines the package by including a Spektrum DX6i, plug-in wings, removable top hatch, a new color scheme and much more. We spoke with Hangar 9's Matt Andren to get the details on this wonderful trainer.

Ducted fan airplanes have been all the rage lately. The BAe Hawk from E-flite is a pre-finished composite airplane with molded epoxy fuselage and balsa wing construction. We took a closer look at this one with David Payne, E-flite Team member and excellent pilot in his own right to learn about the finer details on the BAe Hawk.

The new FG-20 from Saito brings electronic ignition technology to a smaller package than previously believed possible. This 20cc 4-stroke is the first in this class, providing yet another option for those with .60 to.90 size projects. We visited with Saito project lead Peter Bergstrom to learn more about this new alternative power plant.

The Radian RTF from ParkZone has lots of people talking, thanks to its unique 480-size brushless motor with folding prop. On top of that, the Radian even includes a Spektrum DX5e transmitter to get you started. John Diniz is one of the finest sailplane pilots in the country and has logged many flights on this new bird. John spent some time sharing his observations on the Radian.

While the ParkZone Ember was the first plane in the Etomic Series, the latest Etomic plane builds on that legacy. The Ember 2 features an upgraded DSM2 2.4GHz radio system and is available in either an RTF or Bind-N-Fly (BNF). We caught up with Amanda Weldy from ParkZone to go over some of the other details.

ParkZone has redesigned the Super Decathlon with a brushless 370 outrunner motor that is more powerful, reliable and efficient than the earlier model. It is still a great park flyer but gives you longer flight times and even more aerobatic performance. Eric Johnson has been intimately involved with the development of the Super Decathlon and shares his expertise with us.

Countless pilots have begun their RC experience with the original Super Cub from HobbyZone thanks to its wonderful flight characteristics. HobbyZone follows that up with a new approach to the Super Cub in the Mini-Super Cub. This smaller incarnation of the Super Cub looks like it has what it takes to help even more new pilots get their start in RC Flight. We spoke with Eric Johnson who was one of the key product developers on both the original Super Cub and this new Mini-Super Cub.

It can be daunting to get into model flight, especially RC helicopters. HobbyZone has a knack for making it easy for just about anyone to get into RC and the Millennium NTU is a perfect first heli. From its solid foam body to its durable rotor and tail blades the Millennium NTU can take the abuse first-time pilots are sure to throw its way. Amanda Weldy helps us put the NTU through its paces.

SPARC! always has fun and interesting products at iHobby and this year is not any different. Two new products have debuted for SPARC! at the show, the Ptero Scout Indoor Flyer and the Delta Defender helicopter. The Ptero Scout airplane makes it easy to get up and flying, while its durable construction should allow it to take plenty of not-quite-so-perfect landings. The Delta Defender helicopter is easy enough for just about anyone to pick up the transmitter and fly.

Spektrum has combined their excellent telemetry system with a new transmitter design to bring the DX3S to life. This all-in-one design is intuitive to use and, thanks to its large display and excellent menu system, provides you with crucial information on-the-fly. We spoke with Spektrum's John Adams and Blake Good to get a better understanding of this remarkable radio.

Thanks to its innovative design and aggressive handling characteristics, the Team Losi Racing 8IGHT has torn up race tracks around the world. That’s a lot to try to improve upon, but Losi has done just that with the next variation of the 8IGHT, the 8IGHT 2.0. The proof is in the pudding with this car already as Mike Truhe used one of these chassis to top qualify the recent 1/8-scale IFMAR Off Road World Championships. We caught up with Adam Drake to get the dirt on the latest competition race buggy from Losi.

Last year Richard Trujillo gave us the insight on the 1/36-scale Micro-Desert Truck. Fast-forward 12 months and there are two additional trucks that have been added to the Desert Truck family. First was the 1/10-scale Desert Truck that was announced in the summer, but now we have a 1/18-scale Mini-Desert Truck to complete the lineup. Richard is back again to share some insight on the latest mini from Losi.