Mad Hornet Airplane Assemble me. Perform preflight checks then taxi to the runway! Engine—check. Propeller—check. Rudder—check. Flaps—check. Flight control—check. Pretaxi checks complete. “Mad Hornet to Tower, request taxi to runway 1 6.” “Tower to Mad Hornet, Roger that, clear to taxi to Runway 1 6 via taxiway Alpha. Winds are currently out of the south at 1 8 0 at 10 knots. Clear skies, visibility is 10+. It’s a great day for flying!” Every day is a great day for flying with your Ugears Mad Hornet vintage racer. Inspired by the Granville Brothers’ Gee Bee Model R-1 Super Sportster and other vintage racing aircraft of the 1930’s, the Mad Hornet Airplane has a fat, teardrop-shaped fuselage and a cockpit located well aft, to give the pilot better visibility for tight turns around race course pylons. The 1920’s and 30’s were the “Golden Age of Flight.” Aircraft design evolved from cloth and wooden biplanes to metal monoplanes, and ever more powerful aircraft engines opened up new possibilities for military and civilian use. Air racing, as depicted in the popular “Rocketeer” comic books, became a spectator sport. The Gee Bee R-1 won the Thompson Trophy (one of the most prestigious U.S. air races) in 1932, piloted by Jimmy Doolittle, who would go on to win the Medal of Honor for leading a daring bombing raid on Japan after Pearl Harbor. With a maximum speed of 294 mph, the R-1 lapped all but one of its competitors in the 1932 race because it was able to stay high on the course owing to its excellent maneuverability at high speeds. In Doolittle’s words, “she is the sweetest ship I’ve ever flown.” The Ugears Mad Hornet Airplane is a “Medium” difficulty DIY wooden model with 354 parts, promising 8 hours of enjoyable assembly time. The airplane model is powered by a wind-up helical spring motor, often used in watch mechanisms and other precision instruments. Various gear sets transmit power from the spring to the aircraft’s movable parts. The Mad Hornet features two modes: pre-flight check mode and taxi mode. Choose the mode by setting the rotating drum in one of two positions. Insert the special key into the stopper slot, then give up to 21 pulls on the winding string. Place the aircraft on a flat surface, then remove the key and watch as your Mad Hornet comes to life. In check mode the propeller spins while the wing flaps and tail rudder wiggle, before the aircraft switches automatically to taxi across the airfield to the runway for takeoff. In taxi mode your aircraft starts taxiing immediately, traveling up to 2.5 meters!