Seagull 1/5 Scale 71in Bristol M1C Monoplane RC Model Plane

At last, a Bristol M.1C! Distinctive with its barrel fuselage and large dome spinner the 1916 M.1 Scout is a firm favourite among lovers of First World War fighters and you can understand why. With the aim of producing the aerodynamically cleanest aeroplane that was possible for the period, designer Frank Barnwell bucked the biplane trend and succeeded in creating an iconic design whose fate was unwittingly sealed by the general view among the Air Ministry and frontline pilots that monoplane fighters were inherently unsafe during combat, a view that was fuelled by the crash of a Bristol-Coanda in 1912. Concerns over its reputedly high landing speed and lack of downward vision appear to have sealed its fate and, in the end, only 130 were built, regardless of the fact that it was some 30mph faster than any contemporary German or French monoplane, remarkably strong and extremely effective at high altitude.

The Bristol M.1C, then. Potent, characterful, ahead of its time and reproduced here in traditional wood and Oracover to a scale of 1\5, spanning 71”. Suitable for 20cc petrol power (1.20 glow) and basic four-channel radio this one has all the important attributes not least that wonderful spinner, pyramid pylon, bracing wires, machine gun, character pilot, sprung tail skid and authentic main undercarriage and wheels. And what a terrific colour scheme! Let's be honest, it's a head-turner, guaranteed.