PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
RDX2 1600 Duo Dual Port AC/DC Battery Charger/Power Supply @ $339.99 + S&H from Hitec RCD
New Products That Are Worth a Closer Look
BATTLE OF BRITAIN BOOK SERIES
Dilip Sarkar is a prolific author and historian with more than 60 books to his name and is an internationally recognized authority on the Battle of Britain. He was made a Member of the British Empire for services to aviation history in 2003, elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society and to the Fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2024, and is the honorary vice president of The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust CIO.
Dilip’s work was previously showcased in the October 2023 issue of Model Aviation, when we reviewed Battle of Britain The Movie, which he co-wrote with Robert Rudhall. Since that time, he has worked on an eight-volume study on the Battle of Britain that was completed in 2025. It begins with The Gathering Storm: Prelude to the Spitfire Summer of 1940, which was published in 2023, and ends with Remembered, which was published on October 30, 2025.
Being very interested in the subject, I intend to read all eight books and have started The Gathering Storm. The following is a brief overview of the series and the first volume.
“In this, the first of a new seven [now eight] volume series on the Battle of Britain, we have the background to the aerial conflict of the summer of 1940 revealed in great detail and told comprehensively as never before. No stone has been left unturned, no angle unexplored. This meticulous approach to the research, combined with the human stories and events, many revealed for the first time, tells what Dilip calls ‘the Big Story.’ The development of air power, the creation of Britain’s defenses, the German side, the Home Front and political events are all covered—and much more.”
The books are currently available in electronic format and hardcover. The first book measures 6.1 inches x 9.2 inches and spans 312 pages. If you are interested in the Battle of Britain, these eight volumes are likely to form the largest source of information on the subject from a single author.
Sources
- Casemate Publishers (610) 853-9131 casematepublishers.com
New Products From the Modeler's Mall
RDX2 1600 Duo Dual Port AC/DC Battery Charger/Power Supply @ $339.99 + S&H from Hitec RCD Tel.: (858) 748-6948 Website: hitecrcd.com
Transform the way you charge your high-capacity (up to 8S) battery packs with Hitec’s state-of-the-art RDX2 1600 Duo dual-port AC/DC multifunction battery charger! With dual-charging capability of up to 1,600-watts DC and 500-watts AC, this charger delivers an impressive output power of 32 amps per port, making it a powerhouse charging option for your RC needs.
For even more power, the reverse discharging feature allows you to discharge your battery quickly and safely at the field, track, or in the workshop. Its built-in power supply makes it a convenient all-in-one device, ensuring that you’re always ready for action!
In addition, the RDX2 1600 Duo features 50-amp parallel charging, a built-in power supply function for powering devices up to 36 volts at 32 amps; balance, standard, storage, and discharge modes for all lithium battery chemistries; re-peak charge mode and delta-peak sensitivity for NiMH and NiCd batteries; a capacity cutoff limit; and a smart ventilation fan.
An aluminum tilt stand and an XT90 DC input cable and clips are optionally available and sold separately.
V.Planes Slingsby T-45 Swallow Laser-Cut Glider Kit @ $295 + S&H from Hobby Club Tel.: (949) 425-1362 Website: hobbyclub.com
The full-scale Slingsby T-45 Swallow was a wooden-framed aircraft covered in a mixture of plywood and fabric that was designed as a club sailplane. Its high-mounted, cantilever, straight-tapered and square-tipped wing had 3.3° dihedral. It was Gaboon plywood-skinned and built around a single spruce spar with a leading-edge torsion box. Its unbalanced ailerons were fabric covered; there were no flaps, but dive brakes could be extended in pairs above and below the wing. The prototype had a 12-meter wingspan, but all production aircraft had their performance enhanced by an extension to 13.05 meters. One of Slingsby’s most successful gliders, more than 100 T-45 Swallows were built before production ended in 1968 after a factory fire.
Hobby Club is proud to introduce the V.Planes laser-cut glider kit version of the Slingsby T-45 Swallow. With an 1,800mm wingspan and a fuselage length of 1,160mm, the flying weight is 1,060 grams (approximately 2.34 pounds).
Offered as the kit only or with the addition of a power pack (the power pack is also sold separately, less the battery), the V.Planes Slingsby T-45 Swallow’s suggested equipment includes 9-gram servos, a 9-inch folding propeller, a 2212 1,400 Kv motor, a 30-amp ESC, and a 3S 2,200 mAh battery.
Insta-Caddy @ $23 + S&H from Old School Model Works Tel.: (513) 755-7494 Website: oldschoolmodels.com
Inside this magic box is the proper amount of Bob Smith CA glue to build one of most of the Old School Model Works kits!
Included are one 2-ounce Insta-Cure+ Gap Filling CA (medium), one 1/2-ounce Insta-Cure Super-Thin CA (referred to in the manuals for wicking areas and CA hinge installation), one 2-ounce Insta-Set pump spray (accelerator/kicker), and two pipettes (one for thin/one for medium). The refillable pipettes are made from low-density polyethylene and easily work as eyedroppers to precisely place small amounts of glue. The long, thin stems can also be bent to access narrow openings, with the tip easily trimmed away if it clogs.
The box features laser-cut sections that perfectly fit each bottle and pipette. There are five labeled sections that can easily be cut out with a hobby knife, changing the box into a caddy and holding each item upright and ready to use. You can quickly and stably move the glue from place to place and around your work area—without tipping it over!
Once your model is complete and the glue bottles are empty, simply place them and the pipettes back in the box and throw them out—then it’s time to order another Insta-Caddy for your next build!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
