THE WARBIRDS
These are the legendary aircraft that defined air combat in World War II. Today, Chris Hogg and RC Warbird Models bring them back to life in giant scale — with JP Hobby precision electric retracts engineered specifically for each airframe. Wingspans over 80 inches. Scale-accurate retraction. Pure aviation history in your hands.
P-51 MUSTANG
The North American P-51 Mustang was the definitive long-range escort fighter of World War II. Powered by the Packard V-1650 Merlin engine, it combined blistering speed with the range to escort B-17 Flying Fortresses from England all the way to Berlin and back. Earlier Mustangs had struggled at altitude, but the marriage of the airframe to the Merlin engine produced a fighter that outclassed nearly everything the Luftwaffe could throw at it.
The P-51 flew with 281 aerial victories in a single week during the critical Schweinfurt missions of early 1944. Pilots called her “the sweetest-flying fighter ever built.” Today, the Mustang remains the crown jewel of warbird aviation — and the most requested giant scale RC aircraft in the hobby.
CY Models Electric 86″ P-51 Gear Set — Precision electric retracts engineered specifically for the 86-inch P-51 Mustang. Plug-and-play installation, silent operation, and scale-accurate retraction geometry that matches the real aircraft.
FW-190 “BUTCHER BIRD”
When the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 appeared over the English Channel in late 1941, it was a profound shock to the Royal Air Force. The Spitfire Mk V — Britain’s top fighter — was outclassed in nearly every performance category. The Fw 190 was faster, more powerful, more heavily armed, and more maneuverable at low to medium altitudes. RAF pilots called the sudden tactical reversal “the Focke-Wulf Scourge.”
Powered by a BMW 801 radial engine, the Fw 190 was a rugged, versatile machine that served as a fighter, ground-attack aircraft, and interceptor throughout the war. Aces like Otto Kittel and Walter Nowotny flew the FW-190 to hundreds of aerial victories on the Eastern Front. It remains one of the finest piston-engine fighters ever produced.
CY Models Electric 84″ FW-190 Gear Set — Scale-accurate electric retracts designed for the 84-inch FW-190 airframe. The characteristic wide-stance main gear retracts with perfect scale fidelity. Engineered by JP Hobby for drop-in installation.
P-47 THUNDERBOLT
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was the largest, heaviest single-engine fighter of World War II — a massive, barrel-chested machine that pilots nicknamed “The Jug.” Powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine generating over 2,000 horsepower, it was one of the fastest propeller aircraft ever built, capable of over 430 mph in a dive.
The Thunderbolt was nearly indestructible. Its massive airframe could absorb extraordinary punishment and bring its pilot home. It served with equal distinction as a high-altitude escort fighter and as a devastating ground-attack aircraft, flying more combat sorties than any other American fighter in the European Theater. Eight .50-caliber machine guns and the ability to carry bombs and rockets made it a one-plane army.
CY Models Electric P-47 Gear Sets — Available for both the 84-inch and 96-inch P-47 Thunderbolt. JP Hobby’s precision engineering delivers authentic wide-track landing gear retraction geometry, exactly as the real aircraft.
F8F BEARCAT
The Grumman F8F Bearcat was Grumman’s answer to a single critical demand from the U.S. Navy: build the smallest, lightest possible airframe around the most powerful engine available. The result was breathtaking. The Bearcat climbed faster than any other propeller aircraft in American service — able to reach 10,000 feet in 94 seconds from a carrier deck.
Developed from lessons learned fighting the A6M Zero in the Pacific, the Bearcat arrived too late to see widespread combat in World War II — but pilots who flew both unanimously called it the finest piston-engine fighter ever designed. Compact, explosive, and viciously maneuverable, the Bearcat dominated airshow racing well into the jet age. It remains a crowd-stopper at Reno to this day.
CY Models Electric F8F Bearcat Gear Sets — JP Hobby’s precision retracts capture the Bearcat’s distinctive narrow-track inward-retracting main gear. Available for 84-inch and 96-inch airframes with drop-in installation.
P-40 WARHAWK
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is one of the most recognizable fighters of World War II, immortalized by the terrifying shark-mouth nose art of the American Volunteer Group — the legendary Flying Tigers — over the skies of China and Burma. Despite being outclassed by newer designs in level speed and high-altitude performance, the P-40 was tough, reliable, and available in large numbers when America needed it most.
Flying Tigers pilot Claire Chennault developed tactics that maximized the P-40’s strengths — diving speed and firepower — against the more maneuverable Japanese fighters. The result was a kill ratio that shocked the Japanese Air Force and made the P-40 a symbol of American fighting spirit in the dark early months of the Pacific War. The shark mouth became one of the most iconic images of the entire conflict.
CY Models Electric 98″ P-40 Gear Set — Precision electric retracts engineered for the 98-inch P-40 Warhawk. The authentic inward-retracting main gear is captured perfectly with JP Hobby’s alloy construction and silent electric actuation.
F4U CORSAIR
The Vought F4U Corsair was the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II, and the Japanese feared it so deeply they called it “Whistling Death” — a reference to the eerie sound of air passing through the oil cooler intakes in its distinctive inverted gull wings. The Corsair’s gull wing design solved a critical engineering problem: it allowed the use of the massive 13-foot Hamilton Standard propeller needed to harness the R-2800 engine’s 2,000+ horsepower.
Initially deemed too difficult to land on carriers, the Corsair was first assigned to land-based Marine squadrons, where it proved devastating. By war’s end the Corsair had compiled an 11:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft. Marine ace Greg “Pappy” Boyington flew Corsairs with the Black Sheep Squadron to 22 aerial victories. Few aircraft in history combine beauty and lethality so perfectly.
JP Hobby offers both ER-120 and ER-150 retract sets specifically configured for the F4U Corsair. The ER-150 handles warbirds up to 20kg and delivers the authentic wide-stance gull-wing gear retraction that makes the Corsair unmistakable on the ground and in the air.
FLY THE LEGEND
JP Hobby precision retracts are available now at RC Warbird Models. Authorized distributor. Ships from Texas. Real people, real service.