Older Futaba Radios
For those of you who keep seeing these very old, discontinued Futaba radios in hobby stores, here are some descriptions. You probably shouldn't buy one of these — modern spread-spectrum radios are far more reliable, lighter, and often cheaper.
Attack Series
The Futaba Attack series was a basic 4-channel AM radio system. It was one of the cheapest radio systems available for many years and was often included in beginner airplane kits. The Attack was adequate for 2-channel sailplanes but lacked features like model memories, servo reversing switches on some models, and any form of mixing. The AM modulation made it susceptible to interference on busy flying fields.
Futaba Attack 4NBL — entry-level 4-channel AM transmitter.
Conquest Series
The Conquest series was Futaba's step up from the Attack — a 4-channel FM radio. Better signal quality than AM, and some models included servo reversing and basic trim adjustments. The Conquest was popular with sailplane pilots for years due to its reliability and reasonable price. However, it still lacked computer programming features.
Futaba Conquest 4NBF — 4-channel FM transmitter with servo reversing.
6X, 8U, and 9Z Series
These were Futaba's older FM computer radios:
- 6X (6XAPS/6XAS) — 6-channel FM computer radio. One of the first affordable computer radios with model memories, programmable mixing, and endpoint adjustments. Very popular with sailplane pilots who needed V-tail or flapperon mixing.
- 8U (8UAP/8UAS) — 8-channel FM computer radio. More model memories, more mixing options, and better ergonomics than the 6X. A solid mid-range choice for full-house sailplanes.
- 9Z (9ZAP/9ZAS/9ZHP) — 9-channel FM flagship computer radio. The top of the Futaba line for many years, with extensive programming, telemetry on some models, and build quality to match. Heavy and expensive, but extremely capable. Many competition pilots used these.
Futaba 6X — 6-channel entry-level computer radio.
Futaba 8U — 8-channel mid-range computer radio.
Futaba 9Z — 9-channel flagship competition radio.
All of these have been superseded by modern spread-spectrum systems. If you encounter one secondhand, the servos may still be usable with modern receivers, but the transmitters and receivers should be retired.