NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
The origin of the Blue Angels was when Admiral Chester Nimitz proposed a service flight team to promote public interest in the U.S. Navy, and naval aviation.
The Blue Angels performed for the first time on June 14, 1946, flying four Grumman F6F Hellcats. In August of that year, the Blue Angels upgraded their aircraft to the faster, more nimble Grumman F8F Bearcat.
As the popularity of the Blue Angels increased, the performance of their aircraft also grew. In 1949 the Blue Angels transitioned to their first jet fighter aircraft, the Grumman F9F Panther. Through the years the Blue Angels have also flown the F9F Cougar, the Grumman F11F Tiger, the McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom, the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, and since 1986, the F/A-18 Hornet.
Click here for specifications, pictures, wav sound of the F/A-18.
In 1970 the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules "Fat Albert" (pictured below) joined the Blue Angels. Air show crowds delight to see and hear "Fat Albert" demonstrate its short take off run assisted by eight bottle rockets. The large Blue Angels aircraft leaps into the air with less than a 1,500 foot run, and climbs at angles of up to 45 degrees to altitude for a spectacular sight.
Today, the Blue Angels, stationed out of Pensacola, Florida, enjoy world wide popularity. The patterns that the Blue Angels fly in their demonstrations are modifications of combat maneuvers performed in Naval aviation.
The Blue Angels typically perform in over 50 air shows a year where they delight over fifteen million people by their spectacular formation flying. It is estimated that over 425 million people have watched the Blue Angels perform since the team's first exhibit over 50 years ago.
"Fat Albert" C-130 taking off.
Radio Control Airplane
Combat Models RC Airplane.
Radio Control Airplanes:
In the photo immediately above is the F/A-18 Blue Angels RC Airplane from Combat Models. The Blue Angels radio control airplane has a wing span of 45" and a length of 67". You can power the Blue Angels RC Airplane with a YS .45 or JETT 50 engine. All up weight of the Blue Angels radio control airplane is between 7 and 8 lbs.
The first picture below is of the Global-Anthem Blue Angels F/A-18 RC Airplane. Length of the Blue Angels radio control airplane is 37.5" and wing span is 27". Recommended power for the Blue Angels RC Airplane is a Mini Fan 480.
The bottom picture is of a Skymaster ARF F-18 Blue Angels radio control airplane. The largest of the three Blue Angels RC Airplanes shown on this page, the radio control airplane has a length of 85" and a wing span of 65". Turbine power is recommended for this Blue Angels RC Airplane with thrust from 20 to 35 lbs. All up weight of the Blue Angelsradio control airplane is around 23 lbs.
Do you have a favorite F/A-18 Blue Angels RC Airplane? Have you seen a Blue Angels F/A-18 radio control airplane you can recommend. If so, please email us.
RC Airplane from Global-Anthem.