Model Airplane News – September-October 2026

Summary

Paul Rice's 100-inch-span SBD Dauntless, built from Nick Ziroli plans and powered by a Zenoah GT-80 twin gas engine, graces the cover of the September/October 2026 issue of Model Airplane News (Vol. 155 No. 5, $9.99) — with a full Dauntless round-up inside that covers ARFs, kits and plans for every skill level.

The issue leads with The Dog and the Grasshopper (page 8), featuring two easygoing military classics as perfect first scale projects: Legend Hobby's giant-scale Bird Dog with a 156-inch wingspan needing a 70cc to 120cc engine, and Seagull Models' L-4 Grasshopper 15-20cc ARF with a 90-inch wingspan. The Flight Report (page 12) puts Freewing's A-10 Thunderbolt II Superscale with twin 80mm EDF through its paces. How To: Add Ordnance to Your Warbird (page 28) by Ed Rogala covers scale realism upgrades. Bruce Walker warns against connection issues in Don't Trust the Connection! (page 32), and Gerry Yarrish offers tail-dragger takeoff-and-landing tips (page 36). Debra Cleghorn profiles NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn's moon Titan (page 44).

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Content Guide

▸ Features

p.08 · The Dog and the Grasshopper — Two Easygoing Military Classics That Make Perfect First Scale Projects
Two first-scale projects for builders who want military warbirds without the complexity of high-performance fighters. The Bird Dog from Legend Hobby offers a massive 156-inch wingspan and requires a 70cc to 120cc engine. The Seagull Models L-4 Grasshopper 15-20cc ARF, available at Gator-RC, spans 90 inches and suits intermediate builders. Both models fly with the gentle handling that made their full-scale versions ideal for observation and liaison. Start with the Grasshopper if you have not built a scale ARF before; the Bird Dog needs a larger workshop and a strong bicep.

p.18 · Slow But Deadly! — Put an SBD Dauntless in Your Hangar
A full Dauntless round-up covering ARFs, kits and plans in a variety of sizes and skill levels. The full-scale SBD was never produced in huge numbers unlike the Mustang or Spitfire, and relatively few survive today — but the distinctive greenhouse canopy, perforated dive brakes, broad wings and rugged stance translate superbly to RC. Cal Branton's Dauntless (photographed by David Hart at a Dino DiGiorgio Sr. Memorial Warbird Rally) shows what a well-built model can achieve. Choose the size that fits your field; the dive-brake detail is worth the extra build time.

p.28 · How To: Add Ordnance to Your Warbird — Load Up for Scale Realism! — by Ed Rogala
Step-by-step guide to adding bombs, rockets and drop tanks to RC warbirds for authentic scale appearance. Rogala covers mounting methods, release mechanisms and the correct historical load-outs for specific aircraft types. Finished models look dramatically more realistic with ordnance fitted. Start with fixed dummy bombs before attempting functional releases.

p.32 · Don't Trust the Connection! — Find Extension and Switch Issues Before You Fly — by Bruce Walker
Walker explains how to diagnose intermittent servo-extension failures and faulty switch harnesses that cause crashes. He provides a systematic pre-flight check routine that catches bad connections on the bench rather than in the air. A failed extension at 200 feet costs more than the 10 minutes this test takes. Run every channel at full deflection while tugging each connector before your next flight.

p.36 · Taming the Tail-Dragger — Practical Tips for Smoother Takeoffs and Landings — by Gerry Yarrish
Yarrish's techniques for ground-handling and flying tail-dragger warbirds, the configuration that gives more modellers trouble than any other. He covers the correct control inputs for takeoff roll, the moment of rotation, and the three-point landing that avoids ground loops. Master the "dance of the rudder" on a calm day before attempting crosswind operations.

p.44 · Flying on Saturn's Moon — NASA's Dragonfly Takes a Giant Leap for Rotorcraft — by Debra Cleghorn
Cleghorn profiles NASA's Dragonfly mission, a dual-quadcopter rotorcraft destined for Titan, Saturn's largest moon. The nuclear-powered aircraft will fly in Titan's thick atmosphere and low gravity, conditions that make flight far easier there than on Earth. The mission's science goals include searching for prebiotic chemistry and assessing Titan's habitability. The rotorcraft principles are the same ones you practise at your local field — just at -290 degrees Fahrenheit.

▸ Flight Report

p.12 · Freewing A-10 Thunderbolt II Superscale — Twin 80mm EDF — by Andrew Griffith
The Flight Report team puts Freewing's latest A-10 through its paces, evaluating the twin 80mm electric ducted-fan performance, scale detail and handling at various speeds. The model replicates the distinctive BRRRT profile of the full-scale Hog with functional landing gear and ordnance options. Griffith reports on flight time, power-system efficiency and assembly tips. Balance the model slightly nose-heavy for the first flight; the A-10 flies better with a conservative CG.

▸ Departments

p.04 · Flight Plan — Not Your Average Warbird — by Debra Cleghorn
The editor's column introduces the Dauntless round-up theme, noting that the SBD's role in the Pacific Theater and the Battle of Midway — where Dauntless crews helped sink four Japanese aircraft carriers — makes it a warbird worth building. Cleghorn argues that distinctive features like the greenhouse canopy and perforated dive brakes translate well to RC and deserve more attention from builders.

p.06 · Pilot Projects
Three reader-built models showcased this month: Norbert Shurerz of Austria spent 10,000 hours developing a scratch-built V-22 Osprey with 118-inch rotor span and twin Kontronic Pyro 1000-40 electric motors; Giovanni Aponte of Florida built a 3D-printed EDGE 540 V3 from 3D Lab Print files; Mark Radcliff of West Virginia won First Place in Civilian Scale at the Toledo Expo with a Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer built from a discontinued Sterling kit. Send your own build photos to MAN@airage.com.

p.07 · Hobby Hacks
Two reader-submitted tips this month: Kyle Wright of Florida uses a Post-it note on the windshield to remind himself a plane is down for maintenance; Nigel Watson of California uses a dressmaker pin inserted into a CG sticker as a finger reference point. Nigel quotes Gordon Banks: "Nose-heavy airplanes fly poorly, but tail-heavy airplanes fly once."

p.50 · Hangar Talk
The letters and comments section where readers weigh in on previous features, ask technical questions and share their own build stories. A mix of praise, correction and community problem-solving.

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Editor's Take

This is one of the strongest non-kit-review issues Model Airplane News has produced. The Dog and the Grasshopper feature genuinely fills a gap — most warbird coverage assumes the reader wants a Mustang or Corsair, but the Bird Dog and L-4 are perfect for the intermediate builder who has not tackled scale before. Cleghorn's Dragonfly profile (page 44) is a smart editorial move: NASA rotorcraft makes the hobby feel connected to real aerospace engineering rather than just nostalgia. Bruce Walker's connection-failure piece (page 32) should be required reading for every club member who has ever blamed a radio for a crash that was actually a bad extension. The weak spot is the Flight Report on the Freewing A-10 — solid but formulaic, reading more like a product specification sheet than a pilot's impression. Three BadAss ESC ads in the same issue feels heavy for a 54-page title, though the pricing tables ($74.99 to $124.99) do give readers useful market data.

Strengths
• Dog and Grasshopper fills a real gap for intermediate scale builders
• Cleghorn's NASA Dragonfly piece connects hobby to real aerospace
• Walker's connection-diagnosis guide could save a crashed model

Weaknesses
• A-10 Flight Report reads like a product spec sheet
• BadAss ESC ads appear three times in one issue

Verdict: Recommended — Strong mix of beginner-scale projects and advanced techniques; the NASA rotorcraft feature lifts the whole issue above a typical kit round-up.