Tinisn Tor - View Site

Sport Jets such as Mitch Wess's BVNI Bandit wore some spectacular finishes—flawless
and very colorful.
Walking through the vendors' display area, I was amazed by just
how far this segment of the hobby has come in a remarkably short
time. Manufacturers provided all kinds of information and performed
quite impressive demos. With turbine operation, you can
forget about all that needle-valve adjustment, tuned-pipe length,
glow fuel and such; now, you simply hook up a couple of quick disconnect
lines for fuel and ignition, hit the start button, and everything
happens automatically through the miracle of computer chippery.
It's that simple!
THE FUTURE
A number of facts jumped out at me as I thought back over this
year's event. The first is that scale airplanes continue to get larger.
The Aviation Design Su-27 and L-39
Albatross as well as the FiberClassics
Eurofighter offer clear evidence of this
trend. The reason is easy to understand:
bigger models fly better, and now, more
than adequate power is available. Also,
more "off-the-shelf" component availability
is making a greater number of jet
This may be the Ugly Stik of the turbine world. Pat McCurry's prototype
AV8TR, all-wood kit is simple to build, and turbine installation is a snap.
It's also finished in MonoKote. What could be easier?
The colorful Su-27 Flanker from the Aviation Design kit is large, impressive
and flies extremely well.
42 MDDEL AIRPLANE NEWS
k . • -, 'vS3
i *
6
Erich Hlmmler's D.H. Venom was one of
two at the meet. It has a beautifully executed
finish and wonderful surface detail.
subjects "model-able." Did you ever think you'd see a 9-foot, largely
composite A-10 or A-37? Well, they're here! Given the fact that the
jet guys are among the most creative in the RC hobby, it stands to
reason that we are seeing—and will continue to see—some really
exciting stuff.
We've now reached a point where turbine operation can be considered
nearly routine. This was proven when Jeff Seymour of SWB
Turbines walked me through the auto-start procedure for SWB's
new Mamba turbojet engine. This is clearly a one-button operation!
Throttle response is impressive, with transition from idle to maximum
power coming in about three to four seconds. This little beauty
is one of the newest generation of units; it measures 3.5 inches in
diameter and produces up to 11 pounds of static thrust. It's just the
ticket for the smaller airframes formerly propelled
by the ducted-fan units.
So, where does jet modeling go from here?
Good question. It's already becoming more
highly specialized than it was before turbines.
We've seen turbine prices come down,
the variety of available kits expanded, and
more modelers get involved. From a techni-
This is Bob Violett's
"personal" F-4J
model. It's finished
in Blue Angels markings
and is equipped
with a smoke system.
Here, it's just
about to touch down.
cal standpoint, we'll likely see more autostart
systems, even more availability of prefabricated,
composite airframes, and equipment
upgraded to the point at which what
we're flying will really become remotely
piloted vehicles (RPVs) and unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs).
CONCLUSION
Anyone who has ever put together a club contest knows that the
key to a successful event is promotion and sponsorship. Someone
has to provide the prizes, awards, facilities, staffing and everything
else. Florida Jets was top drawer all the way, with the lion's
share of the sponsorship coming from Model Airplane News, Zap,
BVM, RAM Turbines, Airtronics, Simjet, JetCat and SWB. The
facility was first class, and the contest administration was outstanding.
To everyone who came from faraway places like
California, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, the UK, Switzerland and
Argentina, I applaud you; your participation made it happen.
I, for one, can't wait until next year's Florida Jets. 4-