R/Cast

There's a new Force in the world of RC Helicopters, and that, of course, is Force RC. Force Helicopters combines the docile and easy-to-fly characteristics of the Blade mCX and mCX2 with a dose of video gaming to provide a truly interactive flying experience. From their awesome sound effects, simulated damage actions and more, these are some really neat little helis. Kevin Wilson and Brian Reed stopped into the studio to talk about what makes the Force RC helicopters more than your average ultra micros.

While on-road racing has seen a decline in recent years, one area of strength is the TCS, or Tamiya Championship Series. Every year they hold their final event at the Tamiya Test Track in Alisio Viejo, California to determine not only who will be that year's national champion, but who will win one of three trips representing the USA to the Tamiya World Championships in Japan. We caught up with the three winners, Brandon Koslosky in Mini, Christian Lopez in GT2 and Danny Hua in F1, shortly after winning their respective classes. Each one has a unique take and perspective on what this series and win means to them. We also sat down with Tamiya USA's Fred Medel to recap the 2010 season and get some insight as to what 2011 might have in store.

One of the most unique warbirds of WWII was the P-51B. Often referred to as the "Razorback" by some, this long-range fighter was key to the Allied successes over Europe. E-flite has paid tribute to this gorgeous bird by launching an E-flite Platinum Series version. With features such as pocketed hinges, optional 85-degree retracts and reserve tanks this is one gorgeous plane. John Redman joined the guys on the show this week, despite some technical issues that cropped up with our recording gear. Take a listen and check out the passion that went into creating this truly unique addition to the E-flite family.

The Ultra Micro airplanes have gotten more and more advanced since the originals first debuted almost three years ago. Continuing to up the ante and bring new, cutting edge planes out is always a challenge but E-flite has answered the call. Hot on the heels of the gorgeous Hangar 9 Beast, E-flite has answered with the Ultra Micro eXtreme (UMX) Beast. As with the larger scale one, Quique Somenzini is here with us to talk about this wondrous little plane and fill us in on the beastly details.

Quite often prototype and one-off vehicles can be found at very high-level events such as National and World Championships. In 2009 the Losi gang had a very special version of the Mini-Rock Crawler under wraps that they debuted at the World Championships. Jay Robinette used a prototype Mini Rock Crawler Pro to take the title in the 1.9-Class. You can now own this rig in the Losi Mini Rock Crawler Pro. Both Jacob Wright and Richard Trujillo have been deeply involved with the testing and refinement of this crawler. They join us today to talk about some of the refinements that have found their way into this truck.

The T-28 is perhaps the most popular plane ever released by ParkZone. From its accurate livery, excellent flying characteristics and tricycle landing gear there are many reasons to love this plane. Many people have been begging ParkZone to create an ultra micro version of this very popular bird, and they have had their wish granted. Matt Andren from ParkZone joins us to talk about this marvelous little plane and its performance. Matt has also just returned from the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI and shares some of his experiences from the event.

Short Course Trucks are wildly popular right now. It seems like every manufacturer has dipped their toes into the class to try to bring something different and unique to it. Losi has announced their second Short Course Truck in the 1/24-scale 4WD Micro SCT. But that's not all, as they've also announced a variation of this platform in the new 1/24-scale 4WD Micro Rally Car. Both share a lot of very cool design traits that should push the envelope where performance is concerned. We've caught up with Losi's Todd Hodge, the man behind these two vehicles. Todd has a history of developing excellent vehicles in the past, including the 8IGHT 2.0. He called into the show to share his designer's eye with us on his latest projects.

ParkZone has a reputation as one of the best foam park flyer manufacturers out there and for good reason. But many people don't realize that they also have a number of great civilian replica airplanes too. The latest plane from ParkZone falls under this category with the Stinson SR-10. This Z-Foam airplane looks great and should fly beautifully. We visit with Eric Johnson to talk about this gorgeous plane from the 1930's.

Since the spring hobby show in Nuremberg, Germany there has been a rumble surrounding Spektrum. At that show Spektrum debuted a new radio called the DX8, however that radio had not been announced in the USA. In recent weeks Spektrum has announced that the DX8 will indeed be coming to the USA. We have Spektrum's Chris Huhn and Erin Jesswein on-site this week to talk about the DX8. We polled our Facebook and Twitter audiences to see what you wanted to know about this new radio. Take a listen to see what it brings to the table.

Losi has really embraced the dirt oval world in recent years, especially in the 1/18-scale community. The Mini-Slider has been wildly successful since it debuted, however the time has come to update things. This is where the new Mini Sprint comes into play as it brings quite a number of new design features to the plate. From its mid-mounted motor placement, extra larger-diameter right rear tire, bottom-mounted battery, new body design and much more, the Mini Sprint is a cool little car. Gary Kyes from Losi calls in this week to talk about this new dirt oval chassis, what it brings to the table and how it performs.

There's been a lot of buzz around ParkZone lately with folks everywhere trying to guess what the next plane will be and when it will be announced. Last week the ParkZone Team answered both questions with the announcement of the new F4F Wildcat. Matt Andren from ParkZone sits down with the guys to talk about this new warbird, how it comes equipped, some of the features and, of course, its performance. The guys also spend some extra time on this week's show to catch up on other news and events from their week away, recap the Red Bull Air Race and much more.

We?ve seen comments and questions crop up regarding Spektrum's brownout recovery, how it works and understanding what this means for people. The focal point of this was a video produced by Spektrum about a year ago that raised a number of questions. Spektrum?s Chris Huhn has stopped by the studio to answer these questions up front and address any issues that were raised. Also new this week : J-Concepts is now available from Horizon Hobby, Dynamite launches some new low-rebound 1/8-scale buggy servos, Pro Boat has a new battery pack and much more.

There aren't many times when we get to help launch a new brand but we have the opportunity to do just that this week. Electrix RC is the newest in-house brand from Horizon Hobby and it is designed from the ground up to make it easier to get into the world of electric RC for less. Featuring Dynamite electronics, an included battery and charger, this line really has some cool features. Lee Morrison, Kevin Wilson and Mark Reed are the three men behind the scenes that helped to bring Electrix RC to life and join us to talk about what makes these trucks special. Beyond that we talk about new products from E-flite, Losi, Pro Boat and Spektrum.

One of the signature Horizon Hobby-supported events has signaled the beginning of summer for the last eight years. Of course we're talking about the annual JR Aerotow which celebrates it's eighth anniversary this year. John Diniz is one of the most skilled and passionate sail plane pilots out there and he has been working with the local flying club, the city of Monticello, Illinois and, of course, Horizon Hobby, to continue to help to keep the Aerotow flying each and every year. John visited with us to talk about what makes this a special event, what he's looking forward to and more.

With warm weather here and summer vacations being planned, Pro Boat has raised the bar in terms of performance with their new Stiletto Tunnel Hull Boat. From it's working outboard motor system, dual battery configuration, Li-Po-capable ESC and much more, this is one boat that is due to set the water ablaze. Pro Boat's Derek Wagner pays us a visit to talk about this exciting new boat. On top of that Hangar 9 announces a new Phoenix 7, Team Associated has a brushless SC10 RTR, Losi takes the Mini-Late Model Bind-N-Drive and Dynamite has, perhaps, the most innovative glow driver ever developed with their new Li-Po Driver. There's a lot going on...make sure to join us.