Megatech Nitro Capitol Flyer
The Megatech Nitro Capitol Flyer (shop for it on eBay, it's not widely available now) is another one of the popular ARF gas rc trainers from the Megatech series, but differs slightly from the rest because this one has a semi-symmetrical wing section for better aerobatic performance.
It's still the classic high wing trainer design which means that the model is very stable in the air, but the semi-symmetrical wing creates more lift when the model is inverted (straight trainer airplanes normally have a flat-bottomed wing section).
This feature makes the Nitro Capitol Flyer a good all-round 'sport' airplane; one that you can learn the basics of rc flying on and then progress to better aerobatic maneuvers without the need to upgrade to a different model, until you wish to.
Another great and useful feature of the Capitol Flyer is the variable dihedral, from 0 - 6 degrees. This can be changed depending on whether the model is being used to learn on (maximum dihedral for maximum stability) or whether it's being flown for aerobatics (minimum dihedral for best maneuverability).
The Megatech Nitro Capitol Flyer comes ARF (Almost Ready To Fly) with a very short final assembly time, thanks to Megatech's now known and trusted "Simple-7T System", which makes use of just 7 wing nuts to assemble the model. This basically means that even with no prior model building experience, the Capitol Flyer can be assembled quickly and easily by following the instruction manual.
The construction of the model is from balsa and ply making it a good robust airplane and all servo, fuel tank and linkage cutouts etc are done for you, so all you need to do is provide and install the engine and radio gear.
Megatech recommends their M-46 engine but other options include engines from manufacturers such as OS, one of the top glow plug engine manufacturers.
The OS46 LA series engine would be fine choice for this model; the 46 will give you a bit more power which is so useful when flying any kind of rc aerobatic maneuvers.
A suitable 4 channel rc set could be something like the popular Futaba 4YF SkySport - Futaba is one of the top rc systems manufacturer. The 4YF SkySport has become a popular choice as a first radio set because it has all the features that you need, without being overloaded with ones that you'll never use. It's a solid design and has already proven itself to be very reliable and easy to use.
Megatech Nitro Capitol Flyer features
These include...
- Nose Gear and linkages pre-mounted and adjusted
- All hinges glued and screw-pinned for maximum security
- All servo and switch cutouts are made and pre-drilled
- Throttle Linkage is installed and cut to length
Summary: the Megatech Nitro Capitol Flyer ARF is a safe choice if you're looking to buy a 4 channel gas rc airplane that you can do a small amount of work on before flight (ie install the engine and radio gear yourself).
It's a good model to learn on if this is your first model, with good stability in the air, but will also let you fly it to a more demanding level once you've mastered the basics.
NB: The full product review, in PDF, can be seen here.
Search for the Megatech Nitro Capitol Flyer on eBay, it's not widely available now.
Related pages
Gas rc airplanes - general overview of gas planes, with examples.
Gas rc trainer airplanes - popular examples of other gas trainers.
