Fw 190 D-9 Dora ARF

I have flown my Dora for about 18 months now and I still love it! Compared to older, heavier hand launch glow warbirds it is much more enjoyable. I have about 60 flights on it and it has flown in virtually all weather; it is amazing how well it can handle moderate wind and turbulence. With an AXI 2212/20 on 3 cells it is a rocket! Flight times of 13-20 minutes are possible on a 1250 maH battery, and that is flying at higher throttle settings. The secret to this combo is the Aeronaut 8.5 X 5 prop. I tried an APC 8 X 4 and the performance was not there, an 8 X 6 drew too much current, but the Aeronaut drew less current than the APC' s and delivered much better speed. This combo is highly recommended; compared to other foamies, Alfas are worth the price. The fidelity to scale, finishes, and performance is unmatched. Can't wait for the Alfa 109.

The FW-190 Dora is another great flying airplane by Alfa. To start, from the box it is real easy to install the servos needed due to the installed pushrods and control horns. If you set it up with the power system recommended by Hobby Lobby you will not be dissapointed. When finished and you have balanced the airplane you are ready for the flying feild. The FW-190 handle very well and has plenty of power to do some fast crazy flying. It can also be flown in moderate wind with no problems. Landing is a breeze. Just give it a little up elevator and she will slide right in. Hope fun and good flying.

I fell in love with the alpha's last year when I first flew my FW190, absolute joy to fly and not bad to look at either. Love the lightweight construction and scale look. The only problem I have had is the decals, they could definitely be of better quality for the price. I have been building scale military models for over 20 years and know how to properly apply decals but have had all kind of problems with the Dora's decals, they silver despite a gloss undercoat and for some reason wrinkled and bubbled pretty bad. Hope that it was an isolated problem, anyways they are definitely keepers and have two more Alpha's on order from my local HS.

The only thing good I can say about this plane is the fact that Hobby Lobby has GREAT Customer Service. I'm a good pilot... but this airplane is VERY hard to handle. It is sooooo light. I thought the box was empty when it arrived. The instrucions are terrible... but there is a great hyperlink on the website to an rcgroup link telling how to assemble it. Real easy to assemble after that was found... the decals were a bit of a pain... but only because there are so many of them to put on. It was very very hard to get a good COG. When I finally got her balanced and in the air... she was REAL touchy. I've seen videos of guys flying this bird... but they make it look easy. It is not easy at all.

Definitely NOT for a beginner.

Personally, I will not buy another Alfa model.

But MAJOR Kudos to Hobby Lobby and their staff. They bent over backwards to make sure I was satisfied with my service from them. You guys are great. Sorry my review is not a 5 star... but I'm sure you want me to be honest.

The ALFA FW-190 D9 is a great little plane to add to your hanger. Easy to get in the air in 45 minute, 2 servos, motor, ESC and RX are all thats needed. I used the old MP Jet Red outrunner (shame they're not offered anymore.) for a no hassel, , no trimming the cowl, drop in fit. A 20amp ESC, 2 S75 servos hot glued in, and an AR6000 RX. To power it, I use a light 1600mAh 3 cell lipo. All up with weight with the larger battery is 16oz, but it handles the little extra weight just fine.

The biggest pain you'll have is the water slide decals, which will take about 3 to 4 hours to apply. But if you take your time, allow the decals to dry and seal them, you'll be rewarded with a plane to show off and the talk of the field. But if you want to cut the time needed to apply all the belly decals and save your nerves, you can use 1/4 inch white GP Quik Stripe. I used it the second time re-did the stripes, I didn't seal them...live and learn. But it's much easier with the QS, and they hold up to the landings. Apply the stripe tape, let it sit in the sun for a few hours to cure and your set.