Hello, and thanks for your interest in TufFlight.
We've been in the Radio Control airplane hobby since the mid 1980s. This wonderful hobby is still among our greatest passions.
In the late 90's we cut our teeth in the exciting corner of R/C combat flying, and have been inspired by the fast action and simplicity offered by traditional combat wings. Our Predator is just such a plane, and still holds legendary status among combat flyers for its unmatched durability. Combat planes have to deal with high impact energy and closing speeds of up to 200 mph, so designing for surviveability taught us much about how this should be done, and our kits reflect many years of research and development.
We were the first to bring expanded polypropylene (EPP), polycarbonate (ie "Lexan") and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) to the R/C glo fuel power flyer with our first kits the Predator and Enduro. We learned how to design with flexible components which bend instead of breaking, and sacrificial mounting schemes allowing quick serviceability in the field.
Over time we developed novel assembly and production methods which allowed more folks to enjoy what we were doing. As our customer testimonials show, we've had great successes in meeting the challenges of high performance AND durability.
In 2000 we started a model aircraft kit making company, working as a small business out of our homes. We still have day jobs and don't budget for advertising or overseas production so TufFlight is very much a cottage industry. We'd like to say we'll let our products speak for themselves, but despite all this time we still seem to be one of R/C's "best kept secrets" so we have to "boast" a little.
Here's a video sampling what one might see at "the factory" in suburban Cicero NY:
 See Here for Video! When 3D burst onto the scene circa 2003 we offered the TufFlight 4D as a great way to learn the demanding skills needed in this challenging niche of our sport. Crashing a plane close to the ground at low speed (the typical 3D mistake) is a much easier problem than high speed airborne combat from a design surviveability standpoint. Many folks learned how to fly 3D with our (literally) groundbreaking 4D and say so proudly. When we discovered how great profile planes flew, we joined the Profile Brotherhood and have been hooked on profiles ever since. We're proud to be "Pro Bros" and we've enjoyed and learned much from this great association. Now that lithium polymer (lipo) batteries have revolutionized power systems allowing excellent performance with clean and quiet operation, we've developed many new E Power kits including our popular Bouncer which is an excellent choice for a wide variety of flyers. Today we offer our kit designs in many categories from electric powered park flyers, to large glo fuel aerobats to high speed EDF jets! So, if you're looking for a durable and fun addition to your fleet we think we may have something for you. Feel free to browse our site and be sure to visit our extensive FAQ pages for answers to common questions.
Great flying to you, |
