The heat of the summer is here. This is usually the time of year we see a bit of a drop in traffic and activity, as many builders are out flying and crashing their winter projects. But, we still have a Top 10 List for July and we have some new members of the Top 10 club, a new #1 and more. Let's go!
10. SU-37 MK1 by Jamie Rothwell: This is the first design of the SU-37 and it remains popular. Featuring score and fold design, semi-scale looks and good performance, the SU-37 MK1 is a great parkjet for the fleet.
9. Hydro: The Hydro keeps its place as a long-standing member of the Top 10 list. It's part boat, part flyer. Capable of EDF or prop, the Hydro will raise eyebrows at the local pond or park.
8. F-35 by RCCal: The F-35 is a profile style flyer with excellent lines and simple tabbed construction for a quick build. Available by kit from 6mmFlyRC.com or for the more hands on builders, straight from the files. Large delta wings and large control surfaces make it a great choice for a beginner.
7. SU-31 by Tomas Hellberg: The SU-31 is a nice change of pace for many builders on Parkjets. The SU-31 has simple clean lines, simple build principles, and the prop is in the front! An old war bird that should be on your short list to build.
6. Mirage F1 by Marcel du Plessis: The Mirage has the look of a lawn dart and can really move across the park at impressive speeds. Mr. Marcel knows how to design great flying machines, his Mirage F1 design is no exception. Looking for speed? The Mirage F1 should be in your hanger.
5. Eurofighter by Jamie Rothwell: Mr. Rothwell's second design on the Top 10, the Eurofighter has a lot to like with its simple build proceedures, good documentation, wide range of power options and great performance.
4. F-242 Spiker by Sean Correia: The Spiker might be fictional but the performance is real. Mr. Correia's designs are all unique, with graceful curves and extreme angles. We love the looks and only three other designs best its downloads this month.
3. Mermaid by Marcel du Plessis: The Mermaid is actually modeled after a real airplane and Mr. Marcel does a great job capturing the lines of the original. A full fuse design that is at home taking off on long grass or water or hand tossed, the Mermaid just looks nice, and glides through the air so so easy.
2. SU-37 MK2 by Jamie Rothwell: The number of downloads was just EIGHT less than the #1 download last month, making this a virtual tie, but our past champion lost a little ground in July. The SU-37 MK2 design is much improved and offers the SU-35 variant in the same file. A great parkjet with excellent documentation.
1. F-22 by Steve Shumate: Back in the top spot in July is the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 is a complex build with results that will have everyone wondering how foam can be so scale. Full fuse, thrust vectoring, EDF capable, and available by kit (6mmFlyRC), the F-22 is the definition of a parkjet.
We want to take a few lines to thank all the great designers out there and remind everyone to donate to the designer directly right on the plans page. That helps keep the plans coming. Keep flying and keep the nose out of the dirt!