While reviewing our picks for the special Buyers' Guide feature this month, we were reminded of just how far park flying has come. When Backyard Flyer was first published in 2002, airplane choices were limited, relatively simplistic, and practically all of the models used brushed Speed 400 motors. Small RC helicopters were hard to come by and even harder to learn to fly. Oh, and knowing how to solder the motor to the speed control wires was absolutely required! Now we have brushless, plug-and-play power systems, programmable speed controls, helicopters that practically fly themselves and lightweight, sophisticated ARF planes. In that first editorial, I wrote: "We believe that the flood of small RC products on the market today is only a hint of things to come, and we want Backyard Flyer to be your resource to find the best of what's available." Eight years later, that still holds true, and this month's Buyers' Guide is packed with aircraft and gear that we personally recommend.
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