Also included in this column:
• What’s new at JD Enterprises?
The face of jet modeling is changing; here’s a quick “state of the sport” report
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Jets Jim Hiller
Two excellent sport jets are a converted ducted-fan BVM Maverick (L) and a Kangaroo—
an old but proven design. Both are easy to maintain.
Kim Foster’s BobCat is a composite ARF that eases the transition into turbine
modeling through good design and convenient airframe assembly.
JET MODELING is growing. The variety
of aircraft types now available has greatly
increased the number of modelers who are
stepping into this section of the hobby.
High-performance, complex jet models
abound, but the introduction of goodflying
ARFs opened jet flying to even
more modelers.
For the most part these models have
required the use of paved runways or wellprepared
grass fields. Now we have kits
and ARFs that are specifically designed for
the field conditions of average flying sites.
This growth in jet modeling is changing
the scene in many ways. The traditional
participant of only five years ago was
someone who went to jet meets and flew
his or her jet primarily at these gatherings.
Many of us built our own airplanes,
painted them, and flew them.
These jet meets are a place we can get
together, talk with other modelers of
similar interest, discuss painting and
building techniques, and, of course, show
off our latest creations.
Jet modeling, and ducted-fan modeling,
was one of the few areas of RC modeling
where we still painted and built complex
airplanes. Scale modelers share a similar
interest in the art of painting and
complexity of aircraft, which is probably
why we see so many jet modelers
competing in Scale events.
The ARF kits for jets came along and
the need to paint your own model went
away. Of course, this opened the door for
more fliers to try turbine-powered models.
These airplanes, as with the kits before
them, required paved runways or
extremely well-prepared grass fields.
Again, many of these modelers attended jet
meets for the camaraderie of flying and
socializing with pilots with similar
interests.
Now we have jet models designed for
average grass-field flying. They are
designed with an emphasis on excellent
low-speed capabilities and rugged landinggear
systems. Again, there are more
modelers flying jets.
These new aircraft have opened the
door for flying jets at many local fields.
They work well in grass and fit in well at
the local site. The models have lower wing
loadings, similar to 1/4-scale models, and
greater drag to aid in landing and to keep
the top speeds from reaching structural
limits too quickly. Their performance far
exceeds most other types of models, but
they work well on many runway surfaces.
Now many modelers are flying sport
jets at the local level, so the need to attend
meets far from home to enjoy the
camaraderie of other pilots is not as great.
My rural club has two active jet fliers, and
on a given weekend we can call within
roughly a 50-mile radius and get a group
of five or six others together to fly. Ten
years ago I was the only one in the area,
five years ago there was only one other jet
modeler in the area. It has been great to see
this growth.
So what does this mean? Besides
having so many more new friends, we are
also changing the face of jet modeling. We
fly aircraft that are ruled by strict safety
regulations from AMA and in a way never
before envisioned. The original rules were
put together by a varied group of ductedfan
modelers as the first turbines came
onto the market. The turbine safety
advisors to the AMA Safety Committee
were serious about getting the rules
changed to allow this new form of
modeling. As experience was gained, the
safety rules have been updated and
increased.
The initial group represented serious
sport and competition modelers who
attended the large jet meets. With the last
rules change roughly two years ago, our
SIG—the Jet Pilots’ Organization (JPO)—
stepped up and participated in the rules
process. This was a major step forward
since JPO represented jet modeling within
AMA.
We jet modelers face an unusual
dilemma. AMA elected officials have
seldom, if ever, seen a jet model fly, let
alone have personal experience with jet
modeling. Considering the small
percentage of modelers who fly turbines,
this should be no surprise.
We are changing the face of turbine
flying to keep JPO current by the
participation of all pilots who fly turbinepowered
models. We no longer have to fly
at special fields or at jet meets, but jet
modeling can be—and is—enjoyed at
many local club fields. It is important that
JPO represents all jet modeling including
the growing fraternity of those who fly at
local fields. This can only be done by
joining, supporting, and participating in
the JPO.
We turbine modelers represent
ourselves within AMA through our SIG,
JPO. Join and participate, and let’s keep jet
modeling current for all. Check out the
JPO Web site at www.jetpilots.org.
I use the links on the site as a great
stepping-off point to stay current with
manufacturers’ offerings. The best source
for listings of upcoming jet events is found
under the current-events listings. It is good
for planning this year’s jet-event schedule.
The ideas page links to some good, shared
ideas for building and flying models.
JPO has conducted a risk-management
study as an educational tool. A record of
flights at jet events has been maintained.
Successful flights and unsuccessful flights
(crashes) have been recorded along with
the reasons for the crash. This study is
meant to help us prevent these accidents
with our own models by sharing hardearned
lessons of what not to do.
Another great area in the links page is
the members’ pages. It is great to see what
others are doing and to share ideas and
general flying stories. Mid America Jets is
a Web site run by Roger Shipley, a veteran
jet modeler who shares his experiences
throughout many years of modeling. The
Georgia Jets group and the Mississippi Jets
crowd are among the most active sport and
competition jet modelers in the country.
You can jump to their Web sites from the
JPO links pages.
Membership applications for JPO are
available at the organization’s Web site;
check it out! The JPO was created for us to
support our jet-modeling activities. We
make it happen, so join, participate, and
enjoy the sport of jet modeling in all its
forms.
I haven’t written much about JD
Enterprises (JDE) in a long time, but the
company is out there building turbine
engines and kits. JDE is located in
California and is a builder of United
States-manufactured turbine engines.
The company has been in the turbine
market for a long time and was among the
pioneers in the kit turbine-engine business.
I believe JDE was the first to gain AMA
approval for a kit-built turbine engine.
JDE is proud to announce that it is
having turbine wheels cast to its own
specifications for the JDE 54 turbine
engine. The JDE 54 is economically priced
and in the 12-pound-thrust category for
our smaller jet models. The engine itself is
similar in appearance to many of the
54mm turbines on the market, but the
turbine wheel, combustion chamber, and
other areas of the engine are of JDE’s own
design and manufacture. It is a lightweight
engine that is just right for pushing our
models in this power range.
The JDE 54 is available in kit form or
as a completely assembled and tested
engine for those who prefer the ease of a
ready-to-run turbine. Another nice option
is that it is available with an air-start
option or the electric engine-driven
autostart that is so common on most
turbines. With autostart you can start your
turbine via transmitter control, which is a
truly easy way to fly.
The air-start option will reduce the
airborne weight of the engine, which is
great for converted ducted-fan models
where weight may be an issue, but it
requires manually starting the engine. The
airframe will require access to the engine
for hookup of ground-support equipment
to start the turbine.
The cost savings between the manual
start and autostart is lost when you include
the ground-support equipment to start an
air-start engine. Weight versus
convenience should drive your decision—
not costs.
JDE is a full-service jet supplier with
kits such as the F-104, classic F-8
Crusader, LAVI, and many more. The
company carries all the accessories you
need to build, equip, and fly your turbinemodel
project. I suggest that you visit the
JDE Web site at www.jdenterprise.net for
full details.
Now it is time for me to go flying! We
have good snow coverage on the ground,
the wind is calm, the sun is bright, and my
sport jet has snow skis installed. We don’t
stop flying in the
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/04
Page Numbers: 136,137
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/04
Page Numbers: 136,137
Also included in this column:
• What’s new at JD Enterprises?
The face of jet modeling is changing; here’s a quick “state of the sport” report
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Jets Jim Hiller
Two excellent sport jets are a converted ducted-fan BVM Maverick (L) and a Kangaroo—
an old but proven design. Both are easy to maintain.
Kim Foster’s BobCat is a composite ARF that eases the transition into turbine
modeling through good design and convenient airframe assembly.
JET MODELING is growing. The variety
of aircraft types now available has greatly
increased the number of modelers who are
stepping into this section of the hobby.
High-performance, complex jet models
abound, but the introduction of goodflying
ARFs opened jet flying to even
more modelers.
For the most part these models have
required the use of paved runways or wellprepared
grass fields. Now we have kits
and ARFs that are specifically designed for
the field conditions of average flying sites.
This growth in jet modeling is changing
the scene in many ways. The traditional
participant of only five years ago was
someone who went to jet meets and flew
his or her jet primarily at these gatherings.
Many of us built our own airplanes,
painted them, and flew them.
These jet meets are a place we can get
together, talk with other modelers of
similar interest, discuss painting and
building techniques, and, of course, show
off our latest creations.
Jet modeling, and ducted-fan modeling,
was one of the few areas of RC modeling
where we still painted and built complex
airplanes. Scale modelers share a similar
interest in the art of painting and
complexity of aircraft, which is probably
why we see so many jet modelers
competing in Scale events.
The ARF kits for jets came along and
the need to paint your own model went
away. Of course, this opened the door for
more fliers to try turbine-powered models.
These airplanes, as with the kits before
them, required paved runways or
extremely well-prepared grass fields.
Again, many of these modelers attended jet
meets for the camaraderie of flying and
socializing with pilots with similar
interests.
Now we have jet models designed for
average grass-field flying. They are
designed with an emphasis on excellent
low-speed capabilities and rugged landinggear
systems. Again, there are more
modelers flying jets.
These new aircraft have opened the
door for flying jets at many local fields.
They work well in grass and fit in well at
the local site. The models have lower wing
loadings, similar to 1/4-scale models, and
greater drag to aid in landing and to keep
the top speeds from reaching structural
limits too quickly. Their performance far
exceeds most other types of models, but
they work well on many runway surfaces.
Now many modelers are flying sport
jets at the local level, so the need to attend
meets far from home to enjoy the
camaraderie of other pilots is not as great.
My rural club has two active jet fliers, and
on a given weekend we can call within
roughly a 50-mile radius and get a group
of five or six others together to fly. Ten
years ago I was the only one in the area,
five years ago there was only one other jet
modeler in the area. It has been great to see
this growth.
So what does this mean? Besides
having so many more new friends, we are
also changing the face of jet modeling. We
fly aircraft that are ruled by strict safety
regulations from AMA and in a way never
before envisioned. The original rules were
put together by a varied group of ductedfan
modelers as the first turbines came
onto the market. The turbine safety
advisors to the AMA Safety Committee
were serious about getting the rules
changed to allow this new form of
modeling. As experience was gained, the
safety rules have been updated and
increased.
The initial group represented serious
sport and competition modelers who
attended the large jet meets. With the last
rules change roughly two years ago, our
SIG—the Jet Pilots’ Organization (JPO)—
stepped up and participated in the rules
process. This was a major step forward
since JPO represented jet modeling within
AMA.
We jet modelers face an unusual
dilemma. AMA elected officials have
seldom, if ever, seen a jet model fly, let
alone have personal experience with jet
modeling. Considering the small
percentage of modelers who fly turbines,
this should be no surprise.
We are changing the face of turbine
flying to keep JPO current by the
participation of all pilots who fly turbinepowered
models. We no longer have to fly
at special fields or at jet meets, but jet
modeling can be—and is—enjoyed at
many local club fields. It is important that
JPO represents all jet modeling including
the growing fraternity of those who fly at
local fields. This can only be done by
joining, supporting, and participating in
the JPO.
We turbine modelers represent
ourselves within AMA through our SIG,
JPO. Join and participate, and let’s keep jet
modeling current for all. Check out the
JPO Web site at www.jetpilots.org.
I use the links on the site as a great
stepping-off point to stay current with
manufacturers’ offerings. The best source
for listings of upcoming jet events is found
under the current-events listings. It is good
for planning this year’s jet-event schedule.
The ideas page links to some good, shared
ideas for building and flying models.
JPO has conducted a risk-management
study as an educational tool. A record of
flights at jet events has been maintained.
Successful flights and unsuccessful flights
(crashes) have been recorded along with
the reasons for the crash. This study is
meant to help us prevent these accidents
with our own models by sharing hardearned
lessons of what not to do.
Another great area in the links page is
the members’ pages. It is great to see what
others are doing and to share ideas and
general flying stories. Mid America Jets is
a Web site run by Roger Shipley, a veteran
jet modeler who shares his experiences
throughout many years of modeling. The
Georgia Jets group and the Mississippi Jets
crowd are among the most active sport and
competition jet modelers in the country.
You can jump to their Web sites from the
JPO links pages.
Membership applications for JPO are
available at the organization’s Web site;
check it out! The JPO was created for us to
support our jet-modeling activities. We
make it happen, so join, participate, and
enjoy the sport of jet modeling in all its
forms.
I haven’t written much about JD
Enterprises (JDE) in a long time, but the
company is out there building turbine
engines and kits. JDE is located in
California and is a builder of United
States-manufactured turbine engines.
The company has been in the turbine
market for a long time and was among the
pioneers in the kit turbine-engine business.
I believe JDE was the first to gain AMA
approval for a kit-built turbine engine.
JDE is proud to announce that it is
having turbine wheels cast to its own
specifications for the JDE 54 turbine
engine. The JDE 54 is economically priced
and in the 12-pound-thrust category for
our smaller jet models. The engine itself is
similar in appearance to many of the
54mm turbines on the market, but the
turbine wheel, combustion chamber, and
other areas of the engine are of JDE’s own
design and manufacture. It is a lightweight
engine that is just right for pushing our
models in this power range.
The JDE 54 is available in kit form or
as a completely assembled and tested
engine for those who prefer the ease of a
ready-to-run turbine. Another nice option
is that it is available with an air-start
option or the electric engine-driven
autostart that is so common on most
turbines. With autostart you can start your
turbine via transmitter control, which is a
truly easy way to fly.
The air-start option will reduce the
airborne weight of the engine, which is
great for converted ducted-fan models
where weight may be an issue, but it
requires manually starting the engine. The
airframe will require access to the engine
for hookup of ground-support equipment
to start the turbine.
The cost savings between the manual
start and autostart is lost when you include
the ground-support equipment to start an
air-start engine. Weight versus
convenience should drive your decision—
not costs.
JDE is a full-service jet supplier with
kits such as the F-104, classic F-8
Crusader, LAVI, and many more. The
company carries all the accessories you
need to build, equip, and fly your turbinemodel
project. I suggest that you visit the
JDE Web site at www.jdenterprise.net for
full details.
Now it is time for me to go flying! We
have good snow coverage on the ground,
the wind is calm, the sun is bright, and my
sport jet has snow skis installed. We don’t
stop flying in the