AerobatX

Big shout out to our top fans! 💎 Russell Brent Conradt, Joe Hampson, Daniel G-e Rc, Steve Brown, Alex Hawtin, Sean McInnes, Andrei Mernak, Harrison Collins, John Sharpless, Danny Williams, Tom Reeve

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community, fans

Some partnerships happen because it makes sense on paper.
This one is happening because the people make sense.

We’ve teamed up with a company whose team runs on pure passion, precision and performance. Their people push limits, elevate the hobby, and bring the same fire and commitment that drives our own company and AerobatX FlightPro team across the UK.

They test harder.
They refine smarter.
They represent with pride.
They lift the whole community.

The company we’re teaming up with shares the same principles that drive our own team — real pilots, real passion, real commitment to pushing the hobby forward. They develop, test, refine and represent their products with the same integrity, sportsmanship and community‑first mindset our team lives by.

Two teams with the same DNA.
The same hunger.
The same drive to raise the bar for everyone in the R/C world.
Two teams. One philosophy.
And soon… one announcement.

The countdown is on.

AerobatX has been working on something BIG...…

The UK RC market is about to change.

Months in the making — and we’re finally close to revealing it.

Watch this space.
The next chapter is loading…

A new era is on the horizon, and we can’t wait to show you what’s coming.

Guess what is coming back!!

A personal note from Quique…

Year 2000… “What airplane is that?”

That was me, looking at full-scale airplanes when one in particular caught my attention.

I had no idea at the time where that simple question would lead…

What followed brought so much happiness to me personally, and later brought a lot of fun and happiness to the RC world as well.

Fast-forward 25 years…

Changes to our business plan at Flex Innovations caused some massive delays—much longer than I ever expected. But now, we’re back on track. 😎

And today, a little milestone…
The first prototype is packed and ready to be shipped!

To be clear, this is only a prototype. There is still a long road ahead—testing, development, refinements and eventually production—before this airplane reaches the market.

So this is definitely not a “coming soon” announcement. It’s simply a little teaser of something that means a lot to me.

I have a feeling many of you will know exactly what it is… even inside the box. 😉

— Quique

We had another call the other day from a customer asking about the Running-in Process for his new engine, so we thought a short article-up would be of benefit to many more. Its now loaded on our website too for future reference if needed, under ‘articles / information / downloads’. You can download the Full pdf version there or simply follow the link in the Comments.

AerobatX Engine Run‑In Guide 🔧✈️
Getting your new petrol engine ready for flight doesn’t need to be complicated. Here’s our recommended run‑in process for modern 2‑stroke RC engines — simple, reliable, and proven.

🔥 No long bench running needed
Install the engine in the aircraft and run it under normal flying conditions. Engines bed‑in best with proper airflow and load, not hours on the ground.

⛽ Fuel & Oil
• Mix at 40:1
• Use a full‑synthetic 2‑stroke oil from the very first start
• We recommend Red Line Racing Oil for clean, reliable lubrication
• Always mix fuel thoroughly before filling

🪶 Propeller
Use your normal flight prop — no need for a special “run‑in” prop.

🔧 First Setup
• Warm the engine properly
• Set needles to the manufacturer’s baseline
• Adjust for a smooth idle and clean transition
• Avoid long high‑RPM ground runs, especially with the cowl on

✈️ First Flights
Fly the aircraft to give the engine proper cooling and varied load.
Avoid long full‑throttle runs for the first few flights — mix in uplines, downlines and big aerobatic manoeuvres to heat‑cycle the engine.

🔁 Idle‑Up Recommended
Set two idle positions:
• Landing idle (your normal low idle)
• Flight idle (200–300 RPM higher)
This improves reliability during downlines and high‑G manoeuvres, especially while the engine is still settling in.

🛠 Bench Running
Optional — fine for familiarisation, but not required. The engine will always run‑in better in the aircraft with proper airflow.

✅ Summary
40:1 synthetic mix → correct prop → baseline needles → warm up → set idle & transition → fly normally and sensibly → let the engine bed‑in through real flying.

Clive McInnes – AerobatX

So who has not yet submitted their shirt design? you still got time so don't miss out on your chance of that fantastic Gift Card.

🚨CONTEST UPDATE - WE’RE EXTENDING THE DEADLINE!🚨

We’ve been blown away by the creativity we’ve seen so far in our 2026 Tucson Aerobatic Shootout T-Shirt Design Contest! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to put together a design and send it our way.

After reviewing the submissions with our T-shirt vendor, we’ve received some additional guidance on what will work best when it comes time to actually put these designs on a shirt.

Because of that, we’re giving everyone AN EXTRA WEEK to create, revise, or resubmit their designs!

NEW DEADLINE: Thursday, August 27th — End of Day
WINNER ANNOUNCED: Friday, August 28th

-NEW DESIGN GUIDANCE-

Our printing process works best with designs that use a MAXIMUM OF 6 COLORS.

We’ve received some incredible, highly detailed designs, but some of them contain a large number of colors, gradients, shadows, and other details that are difficult to reproduce accurately with the printing process being used for these shirts.

That DOES NOT mean your existing submission is out of the running!

If you’ve already submitted a design, you are absolutely welcome to simplify, revise, and resubmit it using these updated guidelines.

For anyone still working on a design, keep this in mind:

🔥 SIMPLER IS BETTER! 🔥

Think bold shapes, clean lines, strong graphics, and 6 colors or fewer. We want something that looks just as awesome printed on a T-shirt as it does on a screen!

SUBMISSIONS:
Send your design to [email protected]

Submit your design as a JPG or PNG ATTACHMENT to the email. Please DO NOT embed the image in the body of the email, as we need the attached file to receive your design at full resolution.

WINNING DESIGN = $500 DESERTAIRCRAFT.COM GIFT CARD!

Thank you again to everyone who has already submitted. We’re excited to see what you do with the extra week and the updated production guidelines!

KEEP 'EM COMING!

✈️ BEHIND THE PODIUM — WHAT REALLY GOES INTO COMPETITION FLYING ✈️

Yesterday we posted about the incredible success of our AerobatX FlightPro Team at the recent UK IMAC Nationals at Buckminster — with our pilots taking 1st, 2nd AND 3rd in Freestyle.

But why is that so important to us?

There are two reasons.

Firstly, we are incredibly proud of our pilots and want to recognise the huge amount of hard work, dedication and commitment they put into the sport.

As an ex-competition pilot myself, I know exactly what goes into preparing for these events. It isn't simply a case of turning up with a nice aeroplane and flying it. There are countless hours of preparation involved — from the equipment and setup side, to the training, concentration and mental preparation required from the pilot.

Secondly, having these guys as part of the AerobatX FlightPro Team brings a huge benefit to you, our customers.

Every one of our team members is passionate about flying, incredibly approachable and always willing to share their knowledge, experience, tips and setup advice.

So next time you see one of our pilots at a flying field or event, don't be afraid to have a chat. Ask them what they fly, why they use it, how they have their aircraft set up or what they might recommend.

They're part of the AerobatX team for a reason — and we want that knowledge and experience to benefit everyone.

🎯 PILOTS & THEIR PREPARATION

From the outside, top competition pilots can sometimes appear to be a class above — perhaps even “extremely lucky” to have that level of talent.

The reality?

The vast majority aren't simply lucky.

They put in countless hours — not only flying, but setting up, testing, fine-tuning and learning exactly how their aircraft responds.

Control throws. Rates. Expo. Mixes. Centre of gravity. Engine setup. Throttle curves.

All those small details can make a huge difference when you're trying to fly precision manoeuvres.

Take control coupling, for example.

For precision flying, the ideal situation is simple:

Aileron = Roll
Elevator = Pitch
Rudder = Yaw

Sounds obvious, doesn't it?

But getting an aircraft to actually behave that way throughout the flight envelope can take a lot of work.

When flying a demanding sequence, the pilot needs to concentrate on the manoeuvre itself. They don't want to constantly be correcting unwanted coupling or fighting the aircraft to keep it on line.

And yes, you'll always find the pilot who says:

“I just fly the aeroplane — I don't use mixes!” 😉

But spend enough time around top-level competition flying and you'll quickly discover just how much time the best pilots put into getting their aircraft to track, roll, pitch and yaw exactly as they want it to.

⚙️ AND THEN THERE'S THE THROTTLE...

Throttle control is just as important.

A good, predictable and linear throttle response allows the pilot to control airspeed through verticals, horizontals and transitions — and, importantly, to reproduce that performance consistently.

Coming out of a half-loop and straight into a snap, for example, you need the right amount of power to enter the manoeuvre with the correct energy and have enough direction and authority to exit cleanly.

Too little power and the snap can wallow, with the exit lacking energy and direction.

Too much power and you can over-rotate the manoeuvre, with the exit becoming messy and uncontrolled as the aircraft suddenly accelerates.

These things may look effortless when a top pilot does them.

They aren't.

That's the result of hours and hours of practice, setup and refinement.

🏆 EQUIPMENT MATTERS TOO

There is a plane, engine, radio system and budget for everyone — and you certainly don't have to be a competition pilot to enjoy this hobby.

But when you watch the people competing at the highest level, you'll often see them choosing equipment with a very strong pedigree.

Not simply because it looks good, and not simply because it is expensive.

Because they spend a LOT of time flying.

When you're putting hundreds of flights on an aircraft and pushing it harder and harder, quality, consistency, reliability and support become increasingly important.

This is something we're particularly proud of at AerobatX.

We have built our product range around brands that have proven themselves at the highest levels of RC flying.

Like Desert Aircraft and GP engines, AerobatX are the only UK distributor of BOTH of these top brands, we don't just sell the engines — we support them.

AerobatX is a factory-authorised warranty, service and repair centre for both brands, and we carry genuine spares and replacement parts right here in the UK.

That means when you buy one of these engines from us, you're not simply buying a box.

You're buying into the product, the experience, the support and the knowledge behind it.

🚀 YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A COMPETITION PILOT

We know most of our customers aren't flying at competition level — and that's absolutely fine!

But if you're looking for a quality setup, it is worth watching what the guys who are pushing their equipment to the absolute limit are using.

Competition pilots tend to expose weaknesses very quickly. They demand more from their aircraft, engines, servos, radio systems and components than the average pilot ever will.

And when something proves itself under that kind of use, that's something worth paying attention to.

So whether you're flying your first 60cc aerobat, competing at IMAC, throwing a 3D model around the sky or simply enjoying a Sunday afternoon at the field...

We're here to help.

With the experience of our FlightPro Team behind us, we're able to offer something that goes beyond simply selling products.

Real-world experience. Real-world testing. Real-world advice.

That's the AerobatX difference. 💙