Where do I get the building plans?

Plans are purchased separately from Hostetler's Plans at hostetlersplans.com. The 22% Beaver plan costs $48.50 plus shipping. The plan comes on two 42" x 96" sheets with full-scale pictures and a bill of materials.

What engine size does the 126" Beaver need?

Hostetler specifies 62–75cc gas for the 22% version. The DA-60 or DA-70 from Desert Aircraft are popular choices for this weight class. The Beaver's large radial-style cowl gives good engine clearance but confirm fit before finalizing the mount.

Kit Cutters Completion Guide

Wendell Hostetler Giant-Scale Short Kit

126" DHC-2 Beaver

The legendary Canadian bush plane — equally at home on wheels or floats — in giant scale.

Buy the Kit — $408.00 See Everything You Need

Wingspan

126.72 in

Length

79.86 in

Scale

22%

Wing Area

1,814 sq in

Weight (AUW)

22–32 lb

Power

62–75cc gas

Config

Wheels or floats

A Legend, Faithfully Cut

The de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver is the most celebrated bush plane ever built — rugged, versatile, and capable of operating from any strip of land or water wide enough to turn around in. Produced from 1947 to 1967, it became the backbone of remote aviation across Canada, Alaska, and beyond. Hostetler's 22% giant-scale design captures that high-wing, radial-cowl silhouette faithfully, with the option to fly it on wheels or amphibious floats.

Kit Cutters supplies the precision laser-cut wood. This guide covers the rest: the honest, model-specific list of what you'll buy to complete it, with real sources for every part.

126-inch Hostetler DHC-2 Beaver giant-scale RC bush plane in flight

What's in the Box?

Included in the Short Kit

Precision laser-cut wood parts only — ribs, formers, shaped parts
High-wing rib set and fuselage formers
Strut and internal structure parts

Required Separately

Plans / building instructions (buy from Hostetler — copyright)
Spars, sheeting, and stick balsa
Engine, cowl, landing gear (wheels or floats), covering, electronics
Spinner, fuel tank, prop, servos, hardware

Everything Else You Need to Complete This Kit

Model-specific, with real sources. Hostetler's official accessory page maps every model to its supplier — the sources below follow that mapping directly for the 22% Beaver.

Power System

Gas

Hostetler specifies 62–75cc gas for the 22% Beaver. The DA-60 or DA-70 are popular choices at this weight and size. A larger engine suits float operations where additional power helps with water takeoffs.

Engine	62–75cc gas. DA-60 or DA-70 recommended; larger end of the range preferred for float operations.	Desert Aircraft
Fuel tank	20–32 oz; Dubro or Sullivan, sized to engine	Dubro
Spinner	Size per plan and chosen engine; verify cowl clearance	Tru-Turn
Prop	20×8 or 22×8 typical for 62–75cc class	Builder preference

Float operations place higher demands on the power system — water drag during takeoff run requires full power for longer. If building for floats, target the upper end of the engine range (DA-70) and confirm the prop gives good static thrust.

Cowl

RC-Kits

DHC-2 Beaver 22% cowl

Fiberglass cowl for the 22% Beaver — confirm 22% version when ordering (not the 20% cowl)

PlaneCrazyStuff

Cowl source confirmed from Hostetler's official accessory page. The 20% Beaver uses a different cowl — specify 22% when ordering.

Landing Gear — Wheels

Hostetler sells

Hostetler sells landing gear directly for the Beaver. Contact [email protected] to order — allow 2–3 weeks lead time if not in stock.

Aluminum landing gear	Aluminum gear set — $75 plus shipping	Hostetler
Wire gear	Wire gear set — $125 plus shipping	Hostetler
Main wheels	5"–6" diameter bush-plane tires; foam-filled recommended	Robart / Dubro
Tail wheel	Scale tail wheel assembly	Ohio Superstar Products

Floats (Optional)

Separate plans required

The Beaver is the quintessential float plane — Hostetler offers amphibious float plans for it. This is a significant separate build requiring its own planning.

60" amphibious float plans

Hostetler's 60" float plans fit the 22% Beaver — $23.50 plus shipping

[email protected]

Important — Floats require separate plans and a substantially different build approach. Decide wheels vs. floats vs. amphibious before construction begins — the fuselage mounting points differ. Float builds also run heavier (upper end of the 22–32 lb range) and need more engine power for water takeoffs.

Servos

5+ channels

Ailerons	2× 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Elevator	1× 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Rudder	1× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Flaps	2× 65+ oz-in (Beaver has large Fowler-style flaps — important for slow-speed operations)	Builder preference
Throttle	1× 50 oz-in	Builder preference

Covering & Finishing

Covering	Iron-on film (Oracover / Ultracote). Popular bush schemes: bright yellow, red, or blue liveries	Chief Aircraft / specialty
Decals	Custom vinyl decals — Kirby's Kustom Vinyl Graphics appears to be out of business; source from the secondary R/C market	Secondary R/C Market

Hardware

Wing struts	High-wing strut system per plan; aluminum tube or built-up per plan	Per plan
Control horns & linkages	Sized per plan	Specialty RC retailer
Hinges	Flat hinges or Robart hinge points	Robart / specialty

Detailed Specifications

Wingspan	126.72 in
Fuselage length	79.86 in
Scale	22%
Wing area	1,814 sq in
Weight (AUW)	22–32 lb (wheels); float builds typically run heavier
Power	62–75cc gas
Wing	High-wing, with large Fowler-style flaps
Gear	Fixed tailwheel (wheels) or amphibious floats — no retracts on wheel version
Plans	Two 42" × 96" sheets with full-scale pictures and bill of materials
Min. radio channels	5+ (6+ with floats)

Specs from Hostetler's published DHC-2 Beaver 22% plan page. Note that Hostetler also offers a 20% Beaver (115.2" span, 62–75cc) — confirm you are ordering the correct version of all accessories. Wendell Hostetler passed away in September 2024; the business is now family-run. Contact: [email protected] · 818-309-8091.

Wendell Hostetler

Wendell Hostetler was one of the most respected giant-scale bush plane designers in RC aviation, known for highly detailed, accurate plans and well-organized accessory documentation. He passed away in September 2024; the business continues under family management. Plans and accessories remain available — verify current availability before ordering.

[email protected] · 818-309-8091 · Plans must be purchased separately (copyright).

Get Hostetler Plans

The Build Journey

Build time varies with experience and the configuration chosen — a wheel build is more straightforward than an amphibious float build, which is essentially two aircraft in one. Treat these ranges as a rough sense of scope, not a fixed estimate.

Where a short kit saves you time

Hostetler's plans include full-size pictures on two large sheets, allowing you to cut every part by hand before construction. The Beaver's high-wing structure, large fuselage formers, and strut attachment points make for a substantial parts list. A Kit Cutters short kit removes the entire cutting stage — your parts arrive precision laser-cut and labeled.

Plans only (hand-cut)

You trace and cut every rib, former, and strut part from raw stock using the plan sheets, then build.

more time, lower part cost

Short kit (laser-cut)

All parts arrive laser-cut and labeled. Skip straight to assembly with a cleaner, more accurate fit.

less time, cleaner fit

The four stages of assembly

Stage 1: Fuselage Assembly

The Beaver's distinctive boxy fuselage with its large cabin windows.

Align and pin main fuselage formers
Build the cabin frame and window openings
Install firewall and engine mount
Fit tailwheel gear mounting

Stage 2: Wing Assembly

High-wing with large Fowler-style flaps — the Beaver's signature slow-speed capability.

Build the main wing spar
Install wing ribs
Build and hinge the large flap surfaces
Install strut attachment points

Stage 3: Tail Assembly

Conventional tail group.

Build the horizontal stabilizer
Build elevator surfaces
Assemble fin and rudder
Install tail wheel and gear

Stage 4: Systems & Final Assembly

Engine, radio, covering — and float installation if applicable.

Install engine and cowl
Install wing struts and bracing
Radio gear and final covering
Float installation (if applicable)

Frequently Asked Questions

The short kit is laser-cut wood parts only. To complete it you'll also need the Hostetler plans, spars and sheeting, an engine (62–75cc gas), cowl, landing gear, covering, and finishing supplies. The "Everything Else You Need" section above lists each item with a source.

Yes. Hostetler sells 60" amphibious float plans separately for $23.50. Retract units for the floats are available through Century Jets. Building for floats versus wheels affects the landing gear setup and power requirements, so decide before construction begins.

Plans are purchased separately from Hostetler's Plans at hostetlersplans.com. The 22% Beaver plan costs $48.50 plus shipping and comes on two 42" × 96" sheets with full-scale pictures and a bill of materials. Contact [email protected] or 818-309-8091 to order.

Hostetler specifies 62–75cc gas for the 22% version. The DA-60 or DA-70 from Desert Aircraft are popular choices. Target the upper end of the range if building for floats — water takeoffs require sustained full power and benefit from extra margin.

The cowl for the 22% Beaver is supplied by RC-Kits (rc-kits.com, 866-457-3777 ext. 2). This is confirmed on Hostetler's official accessory page. Specify the 22% version when ordering — Hostetler also makes a 20% Beaver and the cowls are not interchangeable.

The plans are still available from hostetlersplans.com. Wendell Hostetler passed away in September 2024 and the business is now family-run. Verify current availability of plans and accessories directly with the family before ordering. Contact: [email protected] or 818-309-8091.

22% scale. The wingspan is 126.72", length 79.86", and wing area 1,814 sq in. Finished weight is 22–32 lb depending on equipment choices — float setups typically run heavier than wheel gear builds. Hostetler also offers a 20% Beaver at 115.2" span; make sure you are ordering accessories for the correct version.

126.72" wingspan, 79.86" length, 1,814 sq in of wing area at 22% scale. Typical all-up weight is 22–32 lb. These figures come from Hostetler's published DHC-2 Beaver 22% specification.

Ready to Build Your DHC-2 Beaver?

Buy the 126" Beaver Kit — $408.00

Prices and availability are subject to change — verify on each vendor's site before ordering. Kit Cutters supplies laser-cut wood parts only; plans and accessories are sold by their respective vendors. Hostetler's Plans is now family-run following the passing of Wendell Hostetler in September 2024; verify current availability before ordering.

Premium laser-cut short kits for large-scale and giant-scale radio-controlled aircraft builders. USA-based quality craftsmanship for serious hobbyists.