A lot of you know I have been in this great hobby for over 30 years now. I love flying and everything about it but recently stumbled onto some crawler videos by RC Adventures. I have had numerous r/c cars and trucks even a few boats and helicopters over the years but always stuck by flying as number 1. My issue up until now with the cars and trucks is upkeep and repairs. When they crash at 75mph they require many new parts and hours on the bench fixing it. That has kept me from getting too serious and competing at events etc... so I would buy one, do the usual and hop it up and order the necessary parts to have on hand to keep it running then eventually selling it after it sits for awhile. Then I found this crawling obsession......

I had a Bergan helicopter I wasnt flying and couldnt get sold so I traded it for some crawlers locally after watching some RC Adventure videos. I always liked off road trucks going back to when I was a kid but never built anything full scale or r/c like what I was seeing in the videos. After trading off the helicopter and obtaining my new to me trucks I started running them. After climbing rocks dirt and anything I could get traction on I was very surprised that nothing had broke and I was getting run times of 45 minutes up to over a hour per battery. Its so nice to head home knowing I only have to charge a couple batteries and I am ready to go for next time.
Most of this summer on days with crappy weather I load the kiddos up and we head out to search for next bigger and better place to run our new found love in this great r/c hobby. Im not sure who likes it more, me or them? So yes I still fly but really enjoy another part of the spectrum in this hobby crawling. Im looking forward to building my own custom one-off crawler and I assure you that I will as winter is coming and I will have lots of time to create my masterpiece. For now enjoy these pictures and I will post more as I get more familiar with crawling!

I just wanted to show off this 96" Spook airplane. Its absolutely beautiful and flies like a dream. I watched it on craigslist for a couple months and decided to go check it out. Upon arriving at the guys house and seeing it there was no doubt she was coming home with me.
The wing is 2 piece and the tail was built to come off with 3 nylon screws. The build is absolutely awesome. You can tell it wasnt fabbed in China! It was intended for glow and since I dont mess with slimers anymore it had to be retrofitted for electric. I used a Gforce outrunner with Talon 90 esc spinning a 16x7 Xoar wood electric prop. The lipos I used are older Spyder 6s 5300 packs which if kept under 1/2 throttle flies it for over one hour. No Joke!

I put newer digital servos in it and kept the original pull-pull system in it for both directional controls. The wheels are 1/4 scale Cub wheels which helps in rough fields and taller grass. The scoop was added to the nose to route the air through cabin to cool the electronics, it escapes out the bottom forward of the gear. The plane is so much fun to fly at 1/4 throttle with full up elevator, the plane will not spin and has no bad tendancies! Enjoy~

This started out as a toy truck I won for $20 on EBAY. I had intended on just building it and leaving it stock with the added plow I made for it from a go pro gimble. That was ok until I noticed axle ends and driveshafts cracking and eventually breaking after a couple runs. All of the pictures below show its progression to a $200 buck plow truck. Lol

This is a 1/16 replica of a 1982 Toyota.

I recently found a old mini Pleaser arf on ebay and pulled the trigger on it as I was wanting to use up some K&S tubing I had laying around. After a couple of quiet evenings in my shop this awesome little flyer has evolved.

It weighs just under 15oz. with the battery installed ready to fly. It flies excellent and very slow looking very scale-like in the sky.

It does not have a steerable nosewheel but has enought rudder authority to steer when taking off or when power is applied.

The motor is a Blue Wonder with 15a esc. I used Hitec HS55 servos and a Spectrum AR6110E for guidance.

The kingpost is carbon fiber and flying wires are made of black beading cord found at any craft store. I had no plans for this one, just a dremel tool and a vision. Enjoy~

Pictures and videos!

I picked this up recently on a trade deal and had to build it. A couple of my flying spots are inhabited by Red Tail Hawks and over the years they have joined me in flight while flying everything from a nitro plane to sailplanes. I have never chased them so they seem to enjoy the company just as I do. With that said, I wanted to paint this more or less to look like a RT Hawk to see if the hawks like it or disapprove attacking or flying away with it. There is not a lot on the net regarding this odd looking aircraft but I did find enough to aid me in modifying it to BL power and painting it(mostly on RCGroups).

I used a Hobbyparts 1450kv outrunner, 25A esc, Graupner 8x4 folder prop and Hitec HS65HB servos all to keep weight down and power up. I plan to use a 2200mah 3S to maiden it and even painted it came in at 20.5 oz. using that lipo. CG was spot on and no additional weight had to be added.

I mixed several batches of acrylic paint diluted very thin with water in various shades of tan, gold and browns to achieve the colors to appeal to the hawks. I added gold to the brown colors so it would shimmer in the sunlight and airbrushed gold over the top side of the wings. I painted the comb and waddle red to keep the Funky Chicken look along with the bulging eyes. I did add epoxy over top of beek, eyes and front lower part of belly because I read where guys had the folder prop and ground scrape and tear up the foam from normal use.

The maiden should go well as it is a smidge lighter using brushless power over the brushed recommended set up and having much more power, seems this plane can be a handful when underpowered....

I just had to show it off, more pics to come...

I recently purchased this Cirrus and plan to complete it very soon. I opted for a DLE35RA for power. I also ordered a electric start for it which will be a nice touch to add to the scale and realism to this very nice arf kit. I am currently looking for a 17-18" 3-blade Biella propeller for this plane, if you see this and have one please pm me.

I will post more as I move toward finishing this, the engine will be in tomorrow!

My brother built this last year and decided to buy it when he chose to part with it. I had a few fits programming it to fly on my JR9503 but have it dialed in now. I am getting 12 -13 minutes of flight on a 4S 5000 lipo and it takes great video and is a very stable platform. Just wanted to show a video and a few pics from around my town since getting it operational.

Tarot 650 UAV flying over Niles Michigan (7 min 44 sec)

I built this and flew it over 300 times before crashing it last spring due to a JUNK DX9. Originally it had a 78" wingspan but after some consideration I decided to use a 55" Sky Surfer wing so I could take it to the field in one piece. The vertical stap is from a Meteor EDF jet and the horizontal stab was pulled from a ST Models DG1000. It uses the same Venom 1925kv motors swinging 6x3 Graupner 4 blade props. She uses two 3s 2200 lipos powering each for over 20 minutes of flight time.

It is now much lighter and more compact than its predecessor. It has better power to weight ratio and flies super. It now has 4 test flights and a canopy to cover the steering servo. Paint used is Satin Black Krylon Fusion which adheres well to EPO foam. I hope to see another 300 flights and more out of it, I have gotten alot of video and enjoyment out of this aircraft designed by me.

After 2 years, its done. Ready to fly! I will be doing a new blog posting on this soon with video, specs etc... If you go back a little in my blog there are more pics and info on this very unique camera hauler!

I am very pleased with the outcome and hope to get her skyward soon.



Spy in the Sky II showing off its lights.:

Spy in the Sky II showing off its lights. (0 min 25 sec)

100" Spy Drone with Navigation and Strobe Lights:

100" Spy Drone with Navigation and Strobe Lights (0 min 20 sec)

...Continue Reading

I recently got into short course racing with my sons. I started with two, then bought a couple more. Recently I ordered a bunch of aluminum bling for mine (the Lucas truck) and installed it after breaking several front a arms. It looks good and I am positive I wont break another one.

I found that race spec out of the box the truck is squirrely under acceleration and cornering. Subculture tires work the best at my track, the stock ones are not very good on dirt. I think the added weight will help that but havent had a chance to test it and get it dirty yet. I added a new body, clear slipper cover and installed beadlock wheels for display at home and have a full set of Subcultures for the dirt clay I run on. I still run the stock Reedy electronics but have upgraded the steering servo to a Savox after stripping the stock one. Ill ad pics of it in the next post. Thanksfor checking it out!

Yes, winter is on final approach once again here in Michigan. The snow will be flying soon so I have created yet another monster to give me something to do besides shovel the damned white bliss off my driveway. It is my Snow Machine short course street racer. This is one of three of my race trucks so while dirt racing is idle I can play around with this. I bought sand paddles and a set of Dubro airplane skis and went to work. The mod took about two hours. I used gull type a arms and installed them upside down to get proper height in the front end and then cut the fenders on the body to give it a different look. I wanted the rear fenders off to open up to allow snow to fly at will. The paddles were mounted on Traxxas wheels and I used Six Shot paddles. The lights took another two hours and look really good. They are powered by a separate 11.1v 1000mah lipo. Ill get some videos when the white stuff starts sticking to the ground!


Team Associated SC10 Short Course Snowmobile:

Team Associated SC10 Short Course Snowmobile (0 min 23 sec)

SC10RS Snow Machine Short Course Snowmobile:

SC10RS Snow Machine Short Course Snowmobile (1 min 5 sec)

...Continue Reading

I bought this airplane after having the 85" version. The big one was a pain to transport and keep foam from getting beat up so this one got my attention. I flew my brothers before buying it but it didnt have the punch the big one had so I had the remedy in mind before the purchase. I had a new Turnigy motor sitting on the bench fitted to a Turnigy Trust 45A esc. When my S2 arrived it took me about 20 minutes and the power unit was installed(very easy). It can be flown on 3 and 4S lipo. I used the Parkzone Icon A5 three blade prop and spinner. It can be used on the stock motor but if you go to that prop you may want to go up to a 25-30A esc to prevent a fire.

First flight was on a 3S 2200mah. Take off roll was about 2 feet and went like a rocket upstairs. Dont think it will nerd 4S but I have the option if need be. This plane is a blast to fly and looks very good.

I ordered a set of floats for winter flying and just tonight added a new set of Multiplex Fun Cub Tires and I already like it better. If you have been looking at this plane dont hesitate on buying it. It fits in the back seat of a car in one piece, flies on 3S 2200 and has a lot of options like carrying a GoPro, floats, glider tugging and mild to wild aerobatics! Besides that its a Cub...

Its been awhile since last buying a UMX plane. I saw a Radian UMX and bought it just to check it out. I am so glad I did, two screws and a charged battery later it was headed skyward.

It flies amazingly smooth even in 10 mph winds. Controls are responsive and the folder prop works great when cutting the power to clean it up for soaring. On the stock battery it can easily get near 20 minutes of flight, that is numerous 300+ climbouts and then soaring to eye level repeatedly. This one is super easy to fly for a inspired newbie aviator young or old and would be great plane for any park or even flying up and down a city block as I do. I am very impressed with this sailplane thus far and look forward to many many more flights with it! Just wanted to share since I havent posted for awhile!

I went out flying with two of my favorites today. I strapped my gopro to the battery hatch on my FMS 1400mm Cessna 182 for a ride along today. Winds were at 17-20mph so it was a little bumpy but the video turned out well. Works well and easy to mount and has about 3/8" clearance from pavement in between all three points of the landing gear. Warm day today I Michigan but turned out to be a nice relaxing day to fly!

Cessna 182 Belly Cam GoPro (7 min 52 sec)

I wanted to post a few pics of my Seawind plane I recently converted to ELECTRIC. I bought this a couple weeks ago new with a 61 OS engine in it. That had to go! No nitro touching this bird. I went with a 1650KV inrunner by Align and a 100A esc. Yes its a helicopter inrunner, I mounted it in a GP aluminum large mount and took less than 20 minutes to install. Prop is a 13x8 APC and I plan to use 4S5000 lipos. Those mounts ROCK! The servos in the wing are HS225BB Hitecs and the elevator and rudder are Futaba 3102's. I went with a 9 channel orange rx so once its maidened I can fine tune and mix the flaps for optimum control. This plane is gorgeous and I can wait to get it out to the lake.

No, it doesnt have lights(yet), the stripes on the wing and tails are reflective and jump out at the cameras flash.

Ill keep you posted on flight testing!!!

Seawind 71" Seaplane Take Off! (0 min 57 sec)

Most of you now me as Flyin'J but when I am not being a father of four young boys, flying or building I am trucking in my 18 wheeler along the western shoreline of Michigan for a living.

Today started business as usual with sunshine and just perfect weather. Breakfast, kids off to school and a kiss on the way out the door from my wife! I set out for St.Joseph and after my first stop there on the way to Holland my dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree as the engine shut down. No clue why but that incident landed me right here at Hagar Shores county Park along the waters edge at Lake Michigan. What a spot!!! I have seen signs for it but have never stopped in. I found a nice quite little piece of paradise nestled in a wooded bluff overlooking Lake Michigan for future picnics and outings with my sons.

So in the meantime Im waiting for a hook to come grab my truck and I will be right down here at the beach daydreaming while on the clock sippin on tea and relaxing

Have a great day guys!

I recently traded a couple airplanes for this. I have been flying it daily for the last few days and I am liking it more and more everytime I throw a battery into it. It flies on 6S and is powered by a Turnigy G46 linked to a Castle Phoenix 80ESC spinning a 13x6 prop. It is very stable and looks very good on the ground and even better in the sky! I changed the stock foam tires out for narrow rubber wheels and it made ground handling much better. I also added a larger tailwheel which helped it steer on the ground.

The detailed covering makes it look really scale but it is that sticky backed covering used on the older Hobbico and Royal ARFs so hopefully I don't get any holes or rash...

The main landing gear vertical struts are functional which was really appealing to me. They have a spring inside and work really well. Now all I need is a few Golden Knight skydivers and I can steal the show. Ill keep you posted on that, in the meantime I am looking forward to a great Memorial weekend flying it!

Happy Memorial Day guys and remember the men and women this weekend who gave all to keep us flying in the free world!

Picked this up a few weeks ago. Little did I know it would be one of my favorites. It was a hangar queen sitting around since 2002 or so. It has a AXI motor and Jeti 70A esc spinning a 15x4 prop. It looks like a LSA homebuilt airplane and for its size is super lightweight. It features flaps and ailerons and was originally set up to fly on NiCad packs. I flew it on 3S 5000 lipos but I am going to try 4S next time out.

it has HS 85BB servos in it and I added a set of 5" Kavan wheels to have the ability to fly at less smooth airfields that I frequent. The Kavans are very light and really set it off.

I had put it up for sale and after guys started talking it up I had to take it out and give it a whirl. Glad I did! The only thing I was cautioned about was the fact that it does not have struts and NOT to do aerobatics. I fixed that issue since I have the tendency to test the limits from time. I added two 1/16' stainless cables to keep it easy to assemble and give it that true homebuilt look. Also added the "EXPERIMENTAL" decal on both sides!

Hope you like it. I surely do. Thanks for looking!

I was at the Weak Signals show in Toledo where I found this very neat looking body for my Blade 350QX. $75 bucks later and about 2 hours of time here is the result! I love the new look and added CARBON blades that do not require the use of hubs, it flies great and looks super cool! I also have a video I made to show it in flight. I am very pleased with the quality and performance of the Blade 350QX, very good platform for entry level video enthusiasts.


Hope you enjoy!