The hot ticket is to make it a Prowler E. A couple of guys have installed electric systems in their RD-1's, which is essentially, as Bill Little suggested, just a constant chord Prowler. These ships perform very well that way. I may even opt to update the design to an RD-2E and kit it if I get enough interest. Personally I think the RD-1 flies even better than the Prowler. They both fly well, however. In the spirit of full disclosure, the RD-1 was designed with a very slightly modified Twister wing, but it was made in foam. My son, Robby had two RD-1's and they both flew extremely well.
The photo attached here is of Robby at his first Nats in 1990. He's holding the first RD-1, and he placed second at that Nats in Junior after having learned to fly just a month earlier. He learned to fly the pattern in a week! He went on the win five Nats crowns in a row (one in Junior and four in Senior... Yeah, I'm a proud dad...). I truly believe that the hundreds of flights he flew on the RD-1 gave him the foundation to go on to greater things. A good stunt trainer is a must if you hope to move up the competition ladder.
Frank Imbriaco has a beautiful RD-1E and perhaps he will chime in here with a few comments about it.
Later - Bob Hunt