Featured Builder - May 2008

Our featured builder this month is Hans-Joachim from RCGroups.com. A regular contributor of plans for Depron full-fuselage models, we are featuring some of his planes here. He started building balsa glow planes at 14 with rudder-only and elevator control, and did so for about 10 years. After a hiatus from the hobby, he came back to the hobby about 5 years ago, now utilizing Depron foam and electric motors as his preferred building materials. We think he's done a great job of transitioning from balsa to foam!

Currently a civil engineer, he uses 3D CAD software to design his planes. Pivoting off a love of the lines and history of the planes he builds, the building process happens quickly. He tells us that it takes him about a day for cutting and gluing the profile plates and formers, and perhaps the some of the "skin." The second day is finshing the skin and mounting the electrics, and they're usually ready to maiden by day three!

Clearly a modest man, he says, "The planes don't have to look too good for me, to be sure, to fly them relaxed. I always try to build light weight." You be the judge of whether the planes look good - we think they look great! Thanks for sharing your talents with us, Hans-Joachim!

Check out a few of his planes below - links are to the build logs, where there are many videos of these beautiful planes in-flight.

F-16 pusher prop jet

F-22 pusher prop jet

F104

P-51

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Keep the skies alive with new and amazing flying machines - it's the best way to build on the original dream of Wilbur and Orville.