My hanger: GWS corsair, formosa, zero, moth, slow stick. Hobby Lobby Alfa LA7 and P51. I run thunder power lithium in everything (except moth and stick) and charge with Triton charger - never agressively charge lithiums, instead buy a few batteries so you are not rushing a charge to get back in the air. I use foam friendly (oderless) CA glue and minimal epoxy only at pressure points. I paint or repaint with diluted water base acyrlic paint from Walmart (don't dilute to much - 20 to 40% depending on color) GWS warbird planes should be upgraded to himax brushless 4100 motors - the motor fits right into gws supplied gear housing with a $2.00 spacer kit and new 12T brass pinion gear for motor (tap on with locktite - do NOT Solder - use caution when tapping on - do not damage pinion teeth). I spin gws EP1080 props. Use castle creation phoenix 25 controllers - the only change to the esc program i make is to select "soft start" so the prop and gears don't jerk when starting up. the GWS motors run with nicad or nickel batteries are to weak and heavy for the plane to perform like it should. I use 1300, 3 cell (11.1) lithiums. Getting about 15 minutes flight time with a little throttle management. Upgrade wheels to 2" mpi foam wheels. i use GWS naro receivers and pico bb servos. all said and done you will be into a gws plane for an additional $150 but you will have 3x the plane and fun.

Hobby lobby alfa models - highly recommended, so beautiful you will want to display it only! wish you did not have to belly land them, hobby lobby says they are working on versions with landing gear. wing servos - don't spot epoxy like they suggest - to much torque and the epoxy joint breaks. i built a light weight balsa frame around servo and epoxied in place. re glue latches with CA or epoxy, re glue fuselage supports with CA, spread thin coat of elmers glue around edges of lid and hatch opening - over time the foam edges get beat up and the lid does not look as good. carefully slice spot glue on canopy to insert painted pilot bust - re glue canopy with spot of epoxy. use clear duct tape for underside that comes in contact with ground during landing. use the new MP Jet MK2 25/26 motor which is out now and can handle 3 cell 1300 lithiums - i am sure with the new set up alfa planes will go vertical. I have the old mp jet 25 and use 2100 2 cell lithium and getting about 12 minutes with apc slow flyer 9x6 prop. castle creations esc. gws naro receiver and pico bb servos.

Hobby lobby folks are good, i get the sense the guys there are still learning about electric power with regard to their alfa models - but they are great folks. perry at aeromicro.com is very good and know electrics inside and out - not much personallity, but he knows his stuff. i discovered him from this forum. remember if you are going to call anyone for info - support them with a purchase at the same time.

It has cost me about $4000 to be able to give this advice!! wish a post like this was around when i made my first (one of many) wrong purchases.

happy flyin

nose-n