ParkZone
Encyclopedia
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
manufacturer Horizon Hobby
Horizon Hobby
Horizon Hobby, Inc. is an international hobby product distributor, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, U.S.A.. It currently manufactures various Hobby grade radio control models, as well as Athearn model trains, rockets, and die-cast models, which it sells direct and to hobby retailers.An...
of Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, USA. The name is taken from the term park flyer, denoting a relatively small, docile model plane ostensibly capable of being flown in a park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
.
US-based hobby retail chain HobbyTown USA of Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
named ParkZone as its "2005 Hobby Company of the Year."
Parkzone offers a purchasing option called "Bind N' Fly" or "BNF", which includes everything needed to fly the aircraft, except the radio transmitter. This allows those who already own Spektrum
Spektrum RC
Spektrum is brand of radio control systems designed for use with hobby radio-controlled cars and aircraft. Spektrum is a division of Horizon Hobby....
brand transmitters to link or "bind" their transmitter to the aircraft and fly without needing to purchase an additional transmitter or receiver crystal.
On September 1, 2009, a ParkZone Sukhoi Su-26m
Sukhoi
Sukhoi Company is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, famous for its fighters...
ultra-micro indoor/outdoor model flown by an unknown pilot delayed the top of the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
. The plane eventually crashed near the Diamondbacks' dugout; Diamondbacks utility infielder Augie Ojeda
Augie Ojeda
Octavio "Augie" Ojeda is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent...
picked up the model and destroyed it so that play could resume.
The current model lineup includes the Radian--a 2-meter sailplane, Wildcat, J-3 Cub, Super Decathlon, F-27 Stryker aerobatic flying wing, P-51D Mustang, Typhoon 2 3D four-channel aerobatic sport plane, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Citibria, F4U Corsair, Habu electric ducted fan jet and more. Several of these models have highly detailed scale features, removable landing gear, three- or four-channel operation and various aftermarket add-ons and upgrades.