FMS RC Planes: Brand Guide and Current Model Lineup

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FMS is one of the broadest names in foam RC planes: trainers, scale civil planes, warbirds, ducted-fan jets and gliders, all under one badge. That makes choosing an FMS plane more a question of category than luck. It also makes it easy to buy the wrong thing, because most FMS planes are sold PNP, meaning "plug and play," and the box does not include a radio.

This page is a researched buyer's guide built from the product pages of a US distributor, Horizon Hobby, which lists FMS aircraft, plus search summaries of FMS's own product pages and Reflex V3 manual. Figures attributed to FMS here come from secondary sources and are marked as such, so check them against the current FMS product page. It is not based on our own flying. Stock changes quickly, and most FMS planes were on back order when checked, so confirm availability before you plan around one.

For the wider picture of who else makes what, see our manufacturers guide. For a contrasting premium balsa-and-ply ARF approach, see the Hangar 9 guide.

How FMS planes are sold

Most of what Horizon lists from FMS is PNP. The box typically holds the airframe, the motor, the ESC and the servos, plus a manual. You supply a radio and receiver, a battery and a charger. Horizon's own "needed to complete" lines say so for each listing. Our ARF, RTF and PNP guide explains the acronyms, and a few practical points follow from them.

• Radio channels. The listings ask for a 4-channel radio for the Super EZ, a 5+ channel radio for the Beaver 2000mm V2 and Kingfisher, and a 6-channel radio for the Corsair, Cessna 182, P-51D models and most jets. Retracts, flaps and lights use the extra channels.
• Battery cell count. The same listings show 3S for the small trainers, 4S for the Cessna and the 1100mm Mustang, and 6S for the large warbird, the big Beaver and the 90mm EDF jet.
• Version numbers matter. FMS puts a version in the name (V2, V3, V4, V8). Parts and tail surfaces are not guaranteed to fit across versions, so confirm the generation before you order spares or buy secondhand. Our guide to swap meets and used planes covers buying used.

Reflex V3 stabilization

Many FMS planes carry or accept Reflex V3, the company's gyro and stabilization unit. From the FMS product page and the manual as summarized in search results:

• Three modes. Stabilized, Optimized and Manual (off). In Stabilized, the manual says the unit levels the aircraft from any attitude, and that level flight is held at around 50 to 60 percent throttle. Optimized counters gusts and crosswinds. Manual turns the gyro off.
• Any 4-channel-plus radio. The unit recognizes SBUS, PPM or PWM automatically. A 2-position switch toggles Stabilized and Optimized, and on a 3-position switch the middle position is Manual.
• App setup. It connects to a mobile app over Bluetooth, and the manual says parameter setting is only available through the app.

Reflex V3 appears in several Horizon listing names: the 1300mm PA-18 Super Cub with Reflex V3 and the Super EZ 1220mm V4 with Reflex. The P-51D Mustang Voodoo 1100mm lists Reflex V2. Other FMS models are listed without it. If you need to compare it with other stabilizers, our flight controller guide explains how these systems work.

Current FMS aircraft listed at Horizon

Here are the complete FMS aircraft read directly from Horizon's pages, with the maker data they show. Skill level is Horizon's label; Horizon gives most of these PNP aircraft Level 4, which reflects the lack of a receiver at least as much as the difficulty, so read the notes rather than the number.

Back-ordered is not discontinued, so the planes may return, but it does mean delivery dates are uncertain.

Trainers and civil planes

Super EZ 1220mm V4 with floats and Reflex

FMS 1220mm Ranger or Super EZ on Amazon (search)

The 1220mm high-wing trainer is listed at Horizon as the Super EZ V4 with floats and Reflex; the Ranger 1220mm V2 with Reflex V3 appears separately as a pre-order item. Both are the same size class, so confirm which version you are buying. The Super EZ page gives:

• A 48 in (1219 mm) wingspan, 40.2 in (1021 mm) length and a 31.39 oz (890 g) weight.
• A 3136-1200Kv outrunner, a 20A ESC and four 9 g micro servos, with optional-use floats and a single water rudder servo.
• A recommended 3S 1300 mAh 25C pack and a minimum of a 4-channel radio.

A secondary spec summary for the Ranger V2 lists a 947 mm length, a 10x5 propeller, a CG of 50 to 60 mm from the leading edge and a flight time of 10 to 15 minutes, which is a listing claim. For comparison with other beginner airplanes, our trainer roundup is the place to start.

PA-18 Super Cub 1300mm with Reflex V3

FMS 1300mm PA-18 Super Cub on Amazon (search)

Horizon lists the PNP at 51.18 in (1300 mm), 38.8 in (986 mm) long, 1450 g, with a 3536-850Kv motor and a recommended 3S 2200 mAh 30C battery. You provide a 6+ channel radio, a receiver, the battery and the charger. A larger 1700mm PA-18 and a 500mm version exist in the parts catalogs, so the name alone does not tell you the size. Amazon listings for FMS aircraft vary between PNP and RTF versions, so check the title for what is included.

Cessna 182 1500mm

FMS Cessna 182 1500mm on Amazon (search)

Horizon lists a 59.05 in (1500 mm) wingspan, 49.2 in (1250 mm) length and about 2000 g, a 3541-KV840 motor, a 40A ESC with reverse thrust and seven 9 g plastic digital servos. It wants a 4S 2200 to 3200 mAh 25C pack and a 6-channel radio. Horizon's feature bullets stress short takeoff and landing, advanced landing gear, lighting and glue-free assembly. A Cessna licence is sometimes mentioned online, but it is not stated on the Horizon page.

CJ6 V2 1200mm

Horizon lists the CJ6 V2 PNP in stock with a 3541-840KV motor and 40A ESC, LED navigation lights, carbon-reinforced EPO construction, functional split flaps and a PLAAF demonstration team scheme. It needs a 6-channel radio, a battery and a charger.

Kingfisher 1400mm

FMS Kingfisher 1400mm on Amazon (search)

A 55.12 in (1400 mm) high-wing plane with a 3536 850Kv outrunner and a recommended 3S 2200 mAh 30C pack, listed at Level 4 and back-ordered. FMS sells floats and snow skis for it as separate parts. If water flying is on your list, our floatplane guide covers the techniques before you commit to floats on any airframe.

Beaver 2000mm V2

The big Beaver needs a 5+ channel radio and a 6S battery per Horizon, and is back-ordered. Write-ups elsewhere give a motor, ESC, servo and weight list for this plane, but those numbers are not on the Horizon page and could not be confirmed, so this guide leaves them out.

Warbirds

P-51D Mustang

FMS P-51D Mustang on Amazon (search)

Two P-51Ds are listed. The 1450mm Red Tail V8 is out of stock at Horizon; a sibling V8 listing (Petie 2nd), which Horizon marks discontinued, gives this data, which should be treated as likely for the Red Tail but is not confirmed: a 4250-KV540 motor, a 70A ESC with 5A SBEC, a 14x8 propeller, a 14.8V 2600 mAh 25C battery, a CG of 110 mm from the leading edge, six 9 g and three 17 g servos, and an approximate 8 minute flight time. Check your own manual for the CG. The 1100mm Voodoo, with Reflex V2, is 42.1 in (1069 mm) across and weighs 49 oz (1390 g), with a 3948-900Kv motor, 80A ESC and six 9 g digital metal-geared servos. Horizon recommends a 4S 2600 to 4000 mAh pack. FMS claims it can exceed 90 mph, which is a maker claim.

F4U Corsair V3 1700mm

FMS F4U Corsair V3 1700mm on Amazon (search)

This is the giant-scale entry. Horizon lists a 66.92 in (1700 mm) span, 53.5 in (1359 mm) length, a weight of 11.4 lb (5200 g), a 5060 motor, an 80A ESC, an 18x11 four-blade propeller and twelve servos. It wants a 6S 5000 to 6000 mAh 45C pack and a 6-channel radio. Horizon highlights shock-absorbing retracts with ball-bearing wheels, navigation and landing lights, a pilot figure, pitot tubes, missile racks, an auxiliary fuel tank, a removable vertical stabilizer and slow-retracting gear bay doors. With 12 servos and a retract system, expect real setup time. For other brands at this size, see the warbird roundup and the giant-scale guide.

Pitts 1400mm V2

A biplane; our biplane guide lists it with other options. Horizon's box lists four 17 g servos, a Hobbywing 50A ESC and a 4258-KV460 motor, and you need a 6-channel radio and a 6S battery.

EDF jets

Horizon lists the following ducted-fan jets, all back-ordered at the time of checking.

• Yak-130 V2, 70mm: 34.6 in (880 mm) wingspan, 41.7 in (1060 mm) length, a 3060 Kv1900 motor, an 80A ESC, eight 9 g servos and a 6S 2600 to 3300 mAh 35C pack.
• F-18F Super Hornet V2, 70mm: a 6S 3300 mAh 35C pack and a 6+ channel radio.
• Rafale, 80mm: a 973 mm airframe.
• Avanti, 90mm Anniversary: 6S, 50.8 in (1290 mm) wingspan, 53.3 in (1354 mm) length, 7.0 lb (3.2 kg), eight 13 g metal digital servos, a 120A ESC and a 6S 5000 to 6000 mAh 45C pack.

Parts catalogs show more jets (an F-16C, A-10 V2 twin, Futura, Super Scorpion and others), but this guide did not find complete aircraft for them. Our EDF jet guide explains how ducted fans work, the jets roundup compares brands, and the twin-engine guide covers the twin-fan A-10 and similar planes. Gliders such as the Fox are covered in our glider roundup.

FMS and E-flite

People cross-shop these two, so here is what the sources actually let us compare.

Horizon sells both in the US, so the buying experience is similar. What differs is what you must add. An FMS PNP is a bigger shopping list, and an E-flite BNF assumes you already own Spektrum gear. Value and build-quality comparisons that circulate online are opinions, and this guide could not verify them.

Which FMS to start with

• First plane: a 1220mm trainer or the PA-18, with a radio you already own or plan to buy, once it is back in stock.
• Bigger, stable step-up: the Cessna 182 or CJ6.
• Water and wheels: the Kingfisher, with floats purchased separately.
• Warbird: the 1100mm Voodoo before the larger Mustang and Corsair.
• Big project: the 1700mm Corsair or the 2000mm Beaver, once you are comfortable with retracts and 6S power.

FAQ