Volantex 400mm Warbirds: Real-World Comparison at Stockton Beach
I took four Volantex 400mm warbirds to Stockton Beach (Newcastle, NSW) for a back-to-back, real-world comparison. I focused on flight stability, flight modes, speed, and scale looks—not just specs, but how they actually fly. And there’s a fun twist: my highly pregnant wife jumps on the sticks and flies the P-47!
This is also my first time putting all four in a single comparison session:
- Corsair 400mm
- P-51 Miss America 400mm
- P-47 400
- Spitfire 400mm (maiden flight)
Test Setup (What I Actually Used)
- Location & Conditions: Stockton Beach with light offshore wind—not perfect, but flyable.
- Transmitters: Stock RTF transmitters. Tip: don’t have two paired at once—pair each plane separately to avoid interference.
- Batteries: On the P-51 I flew a 1S 500 mAh (you can also use 400 or 450 mAh depending on the model). The Spitfire took a 1S 450 mAh easily.
- Flight Modes: Beginner/Safe (full stabilization), Mid (stabilization + more throw), Advanced/Expert (maximum control).
- Stunt Button: One-press rolls across the board; loops depended on the model/setup.
- Landing Gear: I often prefer flying without gear—looks more scale and can feel a touch cleaner in the air.
Corsair 400mm — The Most Demanding of the Four
Grass takeoff (no gear). In Beginner/Safe it’s smooth and flyable, but at very low speed it shows a stall tendency (I demonstrated a dip/spin around ¼ throttle). Keep the speed up and it’s fine. Stunt button gave me rolls and loops. In Mid it has more authority and stays friendly. In Advanced it’s twitchier but flyable—I even went inverted. Wrapped with a gentle landing. Overall, great fun but the most demanding to fly of the four in my hands.
P-51 Miss America 400mm — My Top Flyer
Ground takeoff with gear; 1S 500 mAh onboard. Instantly confidence-inspiring: tight turns, easy touch-and-go’s, and fantastic presence in the air. In Mid, stunt rolls are crisp. In Advanced it was surprisingly smooth and stable; I could recover cleanly without flipping back to Safe. Also easy to see in the sky. I had one rough landing on asphalt and the prop saver did its job—the prop popped off and clicked back on. This is my #1 overall for speed, looks, and beginner-friendliness.
P-47 400mm — Rock-Solid and Beginner-Proven
Another beautiful flyer. Stunt rolls and loops looked great—one roll was probably the best of the day. In Advanced it was very flyable (inverted wasn’t its happy place for me that day). Expect roughly ~10 minutes of runtime depending on how you fly. Best part: my wife hand-launched into the wind and flew it as a true beginner—and she loved it. Neck-and-neck with the P-51 for fun, but the P-51 ultimately edges it overall.
Spitfire 400mm — Maiden Impressions (Gear On & Off)
With gear on the maiden: hairy takeoff, noticeable climb that needed trim, and at very low speed it wanted to stall and tip. Stunt button rolls worked; I couldn’t trigger loops via the button in that setup. Looks are gorgeous—love the metallic/gold exhaust detail near the cowl. With gear off: hand-launch felt better, still some climb but nicer slow fly-bys in full stabilization. Not my easiest flyer, but for looks it’s right up there.
Final Verdict & Rankings
All four are beginner-friendly, durable, and a blast to fly. If you’re into scale warbirds, beach flying, or just starting in RC, this lineup will get you inspired.
- P-51 Miss America — unbeatable mix of speed, looks, and beginner-friendliness.
- P-47 — dependable and fun; beginner-proven (wife approved!).
- Spitfire — gorgeous, flies better (and looks cleaner) without gear.
- Corsair — still a great plane, just more niche in its low-speed handling.
Timestamps
- 00:00 — Intro & Stockton Beach location
- 01:00 — Overview of all four Volantex 400mm warbirds
- 02:30 — Flight test: Corsair 400mm
- 07:35 — Flight test: P-51 Miss America 400mm
- 13:30 — Flight test: P-47 400 (wife flies!)
- 21:40 — Maiden flight test: Spitfire 400mm
- 29:05 — Verdict & rankings
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Join the Discussion
Welcome to the conversation! Tell us which 400mm warbird you chose and why — tips for new pilots are especially appreciated.