Best RC STOL Bush Planes: Big Tires for Rough Fields

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Most RC planes ask for a mowed strip and a smooth surface. STOL bush planes are the cheerful exception: high-lift wings, flaps, soft big wheels and landing gear that is meant to absorb the kind of arrivals that bend a trainer's gear. Between the scale Cubs and the Timber family, the category has become one of the more entertaining corners of the hobby.

This page is a researched buyer's guide built from manufacturer product pages and instruction manuals. It is not based on our own flying, so there are no personal "I landed it on gravel" claims here. Figures are the makers' own unless noted. Where a fact could not be confirmed, it is flagged, and some details that older lists repeat have been left out for that reason. If this is your first plane of any kind, start with the beginner trainer roundup or our guide to the best planes for beginners before reaching for a taildragger.

What actually makes a plane a STOL bush plane

Names get applied loosely, so here is what the manuals show when a maker means it.

• Flaps and slats. The Turbo Timber Evolution manual specifies half and full flap travel (20 mm and 35 mm) with elevator compensation built into the setup. Several Timber models also include optional-use leading-edge slats.
• Gear that can take it. Horizon describes the Turbo Timber Evolution's "stronger, reinforced mounts plus shock-absorbing landing gear with heavier duty springs" and oversized wheels and tires, and the Night Timber X Evolution's heavy-duty landing gear springs.
• Stabilization you can dial down. Horizon planes use SAFE Select, SAFE or AS3X. The details are in our flight controller guide.
• Extras for the tight spots. Floats come in the box with the Turbo Timber Evolution 1.5m (the listing names them), and thrust reversing is available on the Avian Smart Lite ESC that Horizon fits to its larger Timbers. The Turbo Timber Evolution manual says reversing can help when taxiing or shortening the ground roll after landing, warns never to use it in flight, and requires a transmitter with at least 7 channels.

A plane with big tires and no flaps is a fine trainer in a costume. The landing gear guide covers what makes gear robust or fragile.

The lineup at a glance

Skill levels are the ones Horizon Hobby prints on its own pages; stock status was read from the availability data on Horizon pages in October 2026, or from the maker's store where noted.

Micro and park-size bush planes

HobbyZone Apprentice STOL S 700mm

HobbyZone Apprentice STOL S 700mm RTF on Amazon

This is the ultra-micro trainer from our Apprentice STOL guide. The manual lists a 700 mm span and 157 g weight with the recommended 2S 300 mAh battery, SAFE's three modes plus Panic Recovery, and a 6 to 8 minute flight timer. It also says a good day is calm, with winds under 5 to 7 mph. It is back-ordered at Horizon, so check stock. Horizon describes it as full four-channel; it has no flaps despite the name.

E-flite UMX Turbo Timber Evolution

E-flite UMX Turbo Timber Evolution BNF Basic on Amazon

Horizon pitches it as STOL plus sport and aerobatic flying that can be done in more places and smaller spaces. The manual and product page give:

• Wingspan 27.48 in (698 mm), length 19.49 in (495 mm).
• Weight 4.4 oz (125 g) without a battery and 5.4 oz (153 g) with a 3S 300 mAh pack.
• A 1208 brushless outrunner, 2S or 3S power, optional-use leading-edge slats and factory LED landing, navigation and strobe lights.
• CG: 28 mm, plus or minus 4 mm, behind the leading edge of the wing.
• First flights: 5-minute timer.
• A flap channel (channel 6) when you use a 6-channel transmitter.

BNF means you bring a full-range 6+ channel Spektrum DSMX or DSM2 transmitter, a 2S or 3S 280 to 300 mAh LiPo with a JST-RCY connector and a charger.

E-flite UMX Timber X

An important current model that older lists skip. Horizon lists the 570 mm UMX Timber X BNF Basic as in stock at skill Level 2, with a 22.45 in (570 mm) wingspan, 4.8 oz (137 g) without a battery, 3S compatible power, SAFE Select and LED lights, and it describes the airframe as STOL plus 3D capable. It needs a full-range 5+ channel Spektrum transmitter and a 3S 280 to 350 mAh LiPo.

FMS 800mm Beaver

FMS 800mm Beaver on Amazon

Maker figures, as quoted in secondary sources because the FMS pages could not be fetched here: 800 mm (31.5 in) wingspan, 510 mm length, a flying weight of around 250 g, a 7.4V 850 mAh battery, a 12A ESC and four 2 g servos, with an approximate flying duration of 5 to 8 minutes. The RTF uses a 3-in-1 receiver, gyro and ESC; the PNP needs a separate flight controller. An RTF GPS function appears on a manual cover but not on the product page, so it is not confirmed. Because its weight is around 250 g, which sits at the FAA registration line, confirm the actual weight of the model you receive. The Amazon listing was unavailable when checked.

Mid-size scale Cubs

HobbyZone Carbon Cub S 2 1.3m

HobbyZone Carbon Cub S 2 1.3m RTF Basic on Amazon

Horizon calls it a scale trainer based on the CubCrafters Carbon Cub, rated Level 1, with SAFE in Beginner, Intermediate and Experienced modes and a Spektrum DXS transmitter in the RTF box. Specs:

• Wingspan 51.18 in (1300 mm), length 34.06 in (865 mm).
• Weight 2.3 lb (1075 g) without a battery and 2.8 lb (1285 g) with the recommended 3S 2200 mAh pack, per the manual. The Horizon page lists 913 g without a battery, so the two sources do not agree.
• 480 brushless motor (960Kv), 30A telemetry-capable ESC.
• CG: 62 to 68 mm back from the leading edge at the wing root.
• First flights: a 6 to 8 minute timer. For a hand launch the manual says to throw into the wind in less than 5 to 7 mph (8 to 11 km/h).

Flaps are an optional upgrade on this airplane. The manual describes installing them with a separate flap servo (SPMSA382, sold separately) and warns that the DXS transmitter lacks the needed mixing. If flap authority is the point of your purchase, factor that in. For taildragger setup help, our CG balancer guide is worth a read before the maiden.

Dynam Piper Super Cub 3S/4S STOL 1270mm

Dynam Piper Super Cub 3S/4S STOL on Amazon

Dynam markets this as "your first STOL bush airplane" with functional flaps. Its own listing states:

• Wingspan 1270 mm (50 in), length 891 mm (35 in).
• Flying weight 1000 g (35.27 oz) with a 3S 2200 mAh pack and a wing loading of 43.9 g/dm2. Another listing quotes a different weight, so rely on what the maker prints for your kit.
• CG: 65 to 70 mm from the leading edge at the wing root.
• Detrum BM3715-890KV motor, TomCat Skylord 40A ESC, a 10x6 propeller and six 9g digital servos.
• A 3S or 4S 2200 mAh 25C battery, a 6-channel or larger transmitter and a stabilizer receiver, which the listing names as required.
• An approximate flying time of 15 minutes, which is a maker figure.

It is sold in PNP, BNF and SRTF-style bundles, so check what radio gear your version needs. The Dynam store was showing it in stock.

FMS 1300mm PA-18 Super Cub with Reflex V3

FMS 1300mm PA-18 Super Cub with Reflex V3 on Amazon

Horizon lists the PNP as back-ordered at skill Level 4, with a 51.18 in (1300 mm) wingspan, a 38.8 in (986 mm) length, a 1450 g weight, a 3536-850Kv motor and a recommended 3S 2200 mAh 30C battery. You supply the 6+ channel transmitter and receiver, battery and charger. Other claims you will see repeated, such as tire diameter and metal gear construction, could not be confirmed from the pages this guide could read, so they are left out. The Amazon listing was unavailable when checked.

Larger Timbers and giant-scale

E-flite Turbo Timber Evolution 1.5m

E-flite Turbo Timber Evolution 1.5m BNF Basic with floats on Amazon

This is the reference STOL foamie in Horizon's lineup. The BNF Basic is in stock and includes floats and slats. From Horizon and the manual:

• Wingspan 61.22 in (1555 mm), length 43.03 in (1093 mm), weight 54 to 60 oz (1.53 to 1.7 kg).
• 800Kv, 14-pole motor; Avian 70-amp Smart Lite ESC; six 9g metal-geared servos; Spektrum AR637TA receiver with AS3X and SAFE Select.
• 3S or 4S; the recommended battery in the manual is a 14.8V 3200 mAh 30C 4S pack, and Horizon says 2200 to 5000 mAh packs work.
• CG: 60 mm, plus or minus 5 mm, behind the leading edge at the wing root.
• First flights: a 7-minute timer.
• Flaps: half 20 mm, full 35 mm, with 16 and 30 percent down-elevator compensation.

Horizon rates the BNF at Level 2 and the PNP at Level 4, which mostly reflects the PNP arriving without a receiver or stabilization. The PNP is also in stock. Float flying has its own techniques; see our floatplane guide for the water-specific side.

E-flite Night Timber X Evolution 1.2m

E-flite Timber X 1.2m on Amazon

The older Timber X 1.2m that many lists name no longer shows up in Horizon's search, and its Amazon listing was unavailable. The current 1.2m is the Night Timber X Evolution, back-ordered at the time of checking, at skill Level 3 for the BNF. Specs:

• Wingspan 47.5 in (1206 mm), length 41.5 in (1054 mm).
• Weight 54.7 oz (1550 g) without a battery and 63.9 oz (1810 g) with the recommended battery.
• A 2815-900Kv 14-pole motor, Avian 70A Smart Lite ESC and six metal-geared servos.
• 3S or 4S 2200 to 3200 mAh LiPo with EC3 or IC3; the AR631+ receiver adds fly-by-range telemetry.
• CG: 93 mm, plus or minus 9 mm, behind the leading edge of the wing, not the slats.
• First flights: a 4-minute timer on a 4S 2200 mAh pack.

Horizon describes it as STOL plus sport and 3D capable, with a larger top hatch for easy battery changes.

Other Timbers worth knowing

Horizon also lists these in the same family:

• Timber 1.5m 10th Anniversary Special Edition (BNF Basic in stock, Level 2): 61.22 in (1555 mm) span, 56 oz (1590 g) without a battery, 3S or 4S.
• Super Timber 1.7m (BNF Basic in stock, Level 3): 68 in (1727 mm), 93 oz (2641 g) without a battery, 4S to 6S, Avian 85A Smart Lite ESC.
• Twin Timber 1.6m (BNF Basic in stock, Level 3): 63.58 in (1615 mm), two motors, 91.3 oz (2588 g) with a 4S 3200 mAh battery.
• Turbo Timber SWS 2.0m (BNF Basic back-ordered, Level 3): 80 in (2032 mm), 122.3 oz (3468 g) without a battery, 4S to 6S.

For the bigger frames, battery choice and CG move together, so read the LiPo battery guide and check the manual's CG notes when you switch between pack sizes.

Avios Grand Tundra 2 1700mm

Avios Grand Tundra 2 on Amazon

The largest foam bush plane in this roundup. The maker's description, reproduced in a model database because the Avios pages could not be fetched, gives:

• PNF format, 1700 mm (66.9 in) span, 1260 mm (49.6 in) length and 44.5 dm2 of wing area.
• A 2.85 kg all-up weight with a 4000 mAh pack, and a stated wing loading of 64 g/dm2.
• SK3 5055-500KV motor, Aerostar 80A reversing ESC, two 9g and four 17g metal-gear servos, and a 15x8 propeller.
• 90-degree flaps and wing vortex generators, with reverse thrust described as ideal for very short landings and for maneuvering on water with optional floats.
• Six channels: ailerons, elevator, rudder, motor, flaps and a landing-light switch.
• A 6S 3500 to 5000 mAh battery, or a 4S 4500 to 6000 mAh pack.

Treat it as a plane for the experienced. The giant-scale roundup gives context on what that size demands from you, and from your car.

Registration and weight

Per the FAA, recreational aircraft under 0.55 lb (250 g) are exempt from registration, and you register aircraft that weigh 250 g or more. The Apprentice STOL S at 157 g and the UMX models at 153 g or less with their recommended batteries sit under that line. The larger Timbers and Cubs do not. TRUST and other recreational rules apply either way.

Which fits which pilot

• Learning, with a small calm field: the Apprentice STOL S or UMX Turbo Timber Evolution. Neither is a taildragger, so you skip ground-handling lessons for now.
• First taildragger with stabilization: the Carbon Cub S 2 (add the optional flaps later if you want them).
• Scale Cub on a budget: the Dynam Super Cub or the FMS PA-18, with the caveats above.
• One airplane for rough fields and water: the Turbo Timber Evolution 1.5m with floats included.
• More performance and 3D: the Night Timber X Evolution or UMX Timber X.
• Backcountry-style reverse-thrust landings at a big size: the Grand Tundra 2, whose maker describes reverse thrust for very short landings.

Whatever you choose, practice in a simulator first. Our simulator guide explains how, and for FPV-capable models the FPV camera guide covers camera choices and mounting.

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