Firebee:

Of course it'll fly great without flaps/ailerons/LE flaps (and retracts, smoke, gear doors, lights, moving pilot head, opening canopy, tailhook, etc...) but that takes out half the fun here!

The JR thingee sounds like a good product, but I think I'd personally go for the more programmable radio and be done with it. First, it takes out one more point of failure: say the JR thingee decides to hiccup at the wrong point, instant disaster. Second, I don't think you can EVER have "too much radio" for any airplane. If you don't need the fuctions, don't use them! Sure is nice to have them if you ever *do* need them though....

This post isn't intended to knock anybody's equipment choices, it's just my personal opinion that I like to keep my flight controls as foolproof as possible. Now, that being said, I just may have to get me one of them JR thingee's to do the lights, canopy/lock, tailhook & waving pilot I mentioned earlier!

Bob