BF109:

 Hearing the stories that this plane is much harder to fly than the rest of Parkzone's War bird series had me a little confused at first.  But, upon watching one first hand, I could see that it would tip stall when bringing it slow for a landing and liked to torque over on take-offs.  The narrow landing gear arrangement also makes it a bit of handful on take-off or landing, just like the full sized version.

 These traits made me want to get one and find out for myself what the model was like to fly!  I am making some changes right out of the box though, since the tip stall seems to be a well documented flight characteristic of the model. 

 First, no landing gear for me thanks, I just do not enjoy the looks of the war birds flying with the gear hanging down.  Then it's going to be a careful balancing of the C.G., to make sure this airframe is not setup nose heavy from the factory as has been Parkzone's set-up of late (to make the planes a little more docile to fly).  And then, since the esc can handle it, I'll be tossing in a 4 cell LiPo for some extra power and to help wake up the plane's performance.

Having seen other BF109's fly, I can tell you the stock power setup is just fine.  But, after spoiling myself when adding a 4 Cell to my Parkzone P-51, I just feel the need to "Wake Up" these warbirds now.

 While assembling the BF109, I noticed the pushrods going to the elevator were very sticky.  This caused some binding and looked like it would keep the elevator from centering properly.  The cause is the way the elevator pushrods exit the fuselage, the holes are straight cut and they really need to be angled in slightly.  This was an easy fix, but removing a little foam and allowing the pushrods a straighter shot at the elevator horns. 

The 4 cell, 1800mah, Lipo fit right in the BF109 no problems.  It's located about an inch forward from the back of the battery slot.  The plane balanced out great and I was looking forward to the extra power!

Flying:

The moment of truth came on an overcast morning.  Not having enough time to wait for the fog to fully clear, and still make it to work on time, we flew even thought I normally would not have.  The camouflage colors on the BF109 made it a little difficult, but overall I stayed sharp and the maiden flight went off without a problem.

 The plane flies nicely, and the extra power really made it pull strong when pointing the nose up into the sky.  In the air, it is more "touchy" than the other war birds, more lively and you need to be on top of it at all times.  Landing it on the grass seemed to be no problem, for the first time I brought it in a little hotter than I would have liked but I didn't want to chance stalling it.  I know after a few flights I'll get used to it and appreciate the plane even more.

I would suggest this plane to a more advanced pilot, with plenty of stick time.  It will keep you on your toes, but with a smile on your face.

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