Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,50,52
Top Gun
42 MODEL AVIATION
BY STAN ALEXANDER
2 0 0 6
THIS YEAR’S Top Gun Invitational
Tournament was held, as it has been for
the past few years, at Lakeland Linder
Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida,
which is home to the Florida Aviation
Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale
fly-in. The contest site was moved from
an area on the other side of the museum
to a taxiway that featured the length and
width to accommodate all the models.
One factor that affected everyone more
this year than in the past was the wind. It
blew across the runway at almost 90° for
almost the length of the invitational.
According to the weather reports, wind
speeds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 30
mph were common during the contest.
Flying in this strong wind, some pilots
found that making the final turn before
landing after flying the downwind leg on
the circuit was tricky to say the least.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in
competition this year—a total of 29.
They dominated the competition. In
Masters Class they garnered the top two
Jack Diaz brings his BVM Sabre down low for the required down-and-dirty flyby. Even
jets had trouble with the strong crosswinds that hampered the event.
Dennis Friesel’s electric-powered Martin Mariner amphibian spans 103 inches.
Jets dominated the top ranks of this world-class competition
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:04 AM Page 42September 2006 43
The BVM fleet at this year’s event included F-100s, F-86s, MiG-15s, and an F-4 Phantom or two.
The Top Flite T-34 Mentor was a popular Pro-Am entry. Brad Foley
placed third in Am with his Beechcraft finished in US Navy colors.
A peek inside this BVM F-86 Sabre jet’s port-side speed
brake details all the added realism Jack Diaz built to enhance
his Expert Class entry.
Mick Reeves’ Sopwith 11/2-Strutter’s realistic engine details.
There’s no fiberglass; it’s all handmade metal and aluminum.
Photos by the author
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 10:24 AM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
Charlie Nelson entered his WACO YKS-7 in the Pro-Am Pro Class. He is retiring this model, but we’re sure to see more roundengined
models with two wings from him.
Donald McLellan’s Australian Boomerang World War II fighter comes in for a slow flyby. Donald finished second in the Am portion
of the Pro-Am Class.
Bruno Mary built this Team Class Sea Fury, and Brian O’Meara piloted it. Power is an
Airworld radial engine. The model spans 101 inches and is finished in a 1950s Cuban Air
Force scheme.
Right: Dean Copeland flew this Grumman Hellcat in the Pro-Am Pro Class. It lost a
wheel and is seen here in the process of coming to a stop.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:15 AM Page 44September 2006 45
places, in Expert seven of the top 10
finishers were jets, and in Team Class first
place went to an F-100 jet.
In the Pro-Am classes the Pro side had
eight of the top 10 pilots, including the
winner, flying jets. The Am-side winner
flew an F-4 Phantom, and the rest of the
class was dominated by propeller aircraft.
In fact, all classes except Expert were won
by pilots flying Bob Violett Models
(BVM) jets.
World War II aircraft, including
fighters, bombers, etc., made up the next
largest group with 26 in competition. The
numbers of those two types are almost
reversed from last year. I’m not certain,
but I believe there were more jets at this
contest than at any other I’ve attended.
Approximately 95 pilots put in flights
at this contest. In the Pro-Am events the
Professional and Amateur classes were
separated after the first three rounds. The
top 15 in each class flew in the final fourth
round of each category to determine the
winner.
Expert: The jet that impressed me the
most during the weekend was Jack Diaz’s
F-86 Sabre. He flew his BVM model in
Expert—the most contested class—and
came within .417 point of winning. He also
took home the Best Jet Performance award
for the week.
Yet another BVM kit is Tim Redelman’s big Phantom, with its menacing shark mouth. He
piloted it to a 10th-place finish in the Expert Class.
Builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns’ large Vought Vindicator
dive bomber finished second in Team Class behind Paul Bageman
and Mark Taylor’s F-100.
Dad Jack Diaz (L) and son
Geraldo Diaz finished second
in their respective classes—
Expert and Pro-Am Pro—
with their BVM models. Inset:
Squiggly lines on Jack’s
checkerboard markings were
purposely made. The detail is
specific to this aircraft.
Susie and Greg Hahn with their Expert-winning B-25 from Ziroli plans. It also won
Best Multi-Engine Performance. Although it has the same color-and-markings as last
year’s entry, this bomber is new.
Frank Tiano painted
his BVM MiG-15 in
Red Bull colors to
honor the full-scale
MiG-17 seen at air
shows across the
country.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:19 AM Page 4546 MODEL AVIATION
Jack’s was the new-generation, large
version of the Sabre from BVM. It was
beautifully finished, and he added many
features including the speed-brake details.
I had the opportunity to check out
many documentation booklets, and Jack’s
was one of the best I saw. I noticed that
the checkerboard on the F-86’s fin and
rudder had blurred paint. He offered to
show me his documentation booklet, and
the photos of the full-scale aircraft
depicted the checkerboard paint blurred in
the same manner. Well done, Jack!
Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth
round of flying with his new Mitchell B-
25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge
World War II bomber was powered by two
Fuji BT-43EI gas engines and controlled
by a Futaba 14MZ radio. It had Robart
retracts and Glennis wheels and brakes.
Greg said he used a book for
documentation titled Warpath Across the
Pacific. He wanted to do a gunship but
didn’t like the round gun-nose version, so
he researched the different D-model B-25s
that had been modified by field
conversions into gunships. He finally
settled on the “Tondelayo,” which was one
of the most famous B-25s in the Pacific
Theater.
Greg used 23 servos, four separate
battery systems to power the four main
Dan Kalapos built this Ziroli B-25, and Fred Tonge flew it in Team Class. It is finished in
the North African color scheme used in World War II, operation Torch.
Expert winner Greg Hahn readies his B-25 “Tondelayo” on the
static table for the judges. He scored 96.667 out of a possible 100.
Jack Diaz (L) assists Gustavo Campana with his MiG-21 Fishbed in
Expert Class. Gustavo’s model was built from an Airworld USA kit.
Greg Hahn’s B-25’s bombs are sequenced to drop in a pattern—not all at once, as you see
from most models. Fuji 43cc engines power the aircraft well. This odd-looking jet flew overhead with a
radio-controlled camcorder onboard.
Wild Berry Productions is producing a
video featuring the 2006 Top Gun event.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:30 AM Page 46September 2006 47
B r a z i l i a n
Octavio DePaula
built this 1/3-scale
L-4 of Brazilian
Air Force livery.
Frank Tiano flew
it to third place
in Team Class.
It has realistic
c o n s t r u c t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t ,
including great
w e a t h e r i n g
detail.
Bob Violett’s F-86 Sabre (top) bears a striking resemblance
to the “Dennis the Menace” F-86 (center) Scott Harris
entered in Expert. Scott finished sixth. Bob (right) won
Masters Class and took home numerous other honors
including the Mr. Top Gun award.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:37 AM Page 4748 MODEL AVIATION
The overhead view of a World War II STOL aircraft is exactly the
same as the one that made history. Ed Newman built this Fieseler
Storch that Lee Rice flew in Team Class.
Tom Dodgen’s MiG-15 settles in for a landing. His BVM kit-built
model finished fifth in the Pro-Am Pro Class.
Al Kretz’s Stormovik World War II tank buster spans 88 inches.
He built it from his own drawings, which qualified him to enter it
in Masters Class.
Jon Hay’s N2S-2 was built from Ziroli plans and cut from an
Aeroplane Works kit. It spans 77 inches and is powered by an
O.S. radial four-stroke engine.
Nick Ziroli’s Beechcraft Staggerwing is finished in US Navy
livery, so it’s at home at Top Gun and at warbird meets across
the country.
Dick Pettit’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Ercoupe comes in on final. He finished ninth in Pro-Am Am. This was his second year at Top Gun.
09sig2.QXD 7/25/06 9:54 AM Page 48functions (elevator, rudder, ailerons, and
throttle), two receivers, a separate system
for the flaps, and one system for the
accessories including the bomb drop, etc.
Greg hand-painted all the markings
including the nose art. I’m sure we’ll see
more about this model later.
As I mentioned, Jack Diaz finished
second with his BVM F-86 Sabre. Third
place went to Thomas Gleissner flying a
BAe Hawk jet trainer that was built from
an Airworld kit. The Hawk was powered
by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Past Top Gun
winner Terry Nitsch came in fourth with
his BVM F-100 Super Sabre.
Masters: This class is for modelers who
design their own models and then build
them. The top two places went to designers
whose aircraft went on to become kits that
are now in production. Bob Violett, with
his design of the North American F-86,
flew “Pretty Patty” to a win over a
designer who crafted the F-86’s adversary:
the MiG-15.
Bob Violett also took home the coveted
Mr. Top Gun award for the contestant who
had the highest overall score, which
included all four flight and static scores.
David Ribbe’s MiG-15 design is also
produced by BVM, and it flies as well as
the F-86. Both are steady in the air. Both
jets were controlled by JR radio systems.
David Johnson finished third with his
Albatros D.III. He received documentation
from a book his father bought for him as a
child and other sources including Dan San
Abbott. This model duplicated Werner
Voss’s D.III used during World War I.
This was the fourth version of this
aircraft David has built. It was powered by
a G-62 engine, had a wingspan of 118
inches, and was guided with a Futaba
14MZ radio system.
Team: This is like other Scale contests in
which there is a builder and a pilot. It
allows modelers who don’t fly or can’t
because of a limitation to compete and
enjoy the competition.
Builder Mark Taylor and pilot Paul
Bageman brought their F-100, and they
took home the first-place trophy.
Second place went to builder Mike
Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought
Vindicator dive bomber. The large model
spanned 112 inches, was powered by a
BME 110 engine, and weighed in at 42
pounds.
Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank
Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula came
in third with their entry: a 1/3-scale Piper L-
4 Grasshopper. It was powered by a ZDZ-
60 engine and had a span of 144 inches.
Pro Am: This is the division in which
“Pro” modelers who have used up their
models’ three-year time limit to compete in
Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes
can participate. It also allows “Am”
competitors who don’t have much contest
experience in the amateur class to get their
feet wet.
There are 25 points available for static
judging, and after that competitors fly in
front of the judges. Pro-Am is sort of like
Fun Scale, but you can’t use an ARF.
Many of the Pro-Am participants enter
models that have flown for three years in
previous high-skill-level categories. After
that number of years they either have to
repaint their aircraft or bring something
new to the competition. Pro-Am is another
venue for these aircraft and has increased
participation in the event dramatically.
This class was interesting because of
the different aircraft entered in each
division. On the Pro side the top five
finishers were jets, and four of the five
were BVM kits. David Shulman finished
first with his F-86 Sabre: the large, new
version of the BVM kit. Second place went
to Geraldo Diaz flying his F-100, and John
Christensen came in third with his
Airworld kit of an F9F Cougar.
On the Am side, Joey Tamez took first
place with his F-4 Phantom from a BVM
kit, but that’s where it ended for the jets in
this category. Second place went to Donald
McLellan flying a unique Australian
Boomerang fighter he built from plansThird through fifth places went to
modelers flying one aircraft type: the Top
Flite T-34. Brad Foley came in third after
his last flight with a score of 90.500. Eric
Karl had problems on his last flight, which
dropped him to fourth place. Rounding out
the top five was Sean Curry with his T-34
that also had problems on its last flight.
Top Gun Standouts: Greg Hahn’s mission
flights—especially the bombing runs—
with the B-25 were impressive. Pat
McCurry put in some nice flights with his
Do 335; the push-pull fighter was smooth
in the air.
Mick Reeves’ FAI Sopwith 11/2-Strutter
put in realistic flights. The details on his
model were impressive. Dave Voglund’s
own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
flew in its first contest and was very well
detailed.
Modelers traveled from across the US and
all over the world to compete at this year’s
Top Gun. Countries represented included
Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany,
Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.
This is a huge event; it’s a combination of
a manufacturers’ show, a Scale contest, and
a great time.
Without the following companies, this
event would not be possible.
Primary sponsors:
Fly RC magazine
ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
Airtronics
Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
Futaba
JR Radio
Kempinski Hotels
Ocean Beauty Seafood
PST Engines
Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
Bob Violett Models
Glenn Torrance Models
Gunners Mate
RC Jet International
Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
Aero Tech Models
Composite-ARF USA
Fuji Engines
O.S. Engines
RC Report magazine
Saito Engines
Sarasota Avionics
Top Gun Hussies
Special thanks:
City of Lakeland
Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and
tailwinds. MA