2008 Top Gun Invitational - 2008/08

18 MODEL AVIATION
Top Gun Top Gun Top
Top Gun 2008
Invitational
Top Gun
Top: Greg Hahn built and flew the winning Expert Beechcraft D-18. This masterpiece had a unique system for the three-piece wing; the
flaps came off the model when it was taken apart. Note the landing lights.
Above: Second place in Expert went to Dennis Crooks’s P-38 equipped with counter-rotating engines. The big “Forked Tail Devil,” a
Nick Ziroli design, has scale Fowler flaps.
by Stan Alexander
Below: The starboard-side access panel on Graeme
Mears’ Team Scale-winning F-16C shows the
PowerBox information display. The USAF
Thunderbirds signed the model’s accesspanel
doors at Sun ’n Fun, two
weeks before Top Gun.
August 2008 19
n Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
20 years of pure RC Scale entertainment!
as it been 20 years? The Top Gun
Invitational, held each spring, has
grown and changed in the two decades
since its inception, as has Scale competition
and modeling in general. Looking back at the
first Top Gun, which Frank Tiano conceived,
organized, and promoted tirelessly, you can
see how competition has generated change in
the models flown then vs. the ones at this
year’s event. Likewise, competition has
improved the models flown at national and
international events.
The first Top Gun Invitational was held in
1988 at the Condors R/C Flying Club field in
Coral Springs, Florida. There were 39 entries.
Bob Frey of the 1/8th Air Force flew an
invasion-striped P-47 from Bob Holman
Plans. This year he flew a P-47 built from a
Yellow Aircraft kit.
In 1988, Bob Violett flew a 58-inchwingspan
F-86 using a ducted-fan-engine
combination. This year he flew a larger
turbine-powered F-86. Dave Platt flew his
own-design A6M5-C Zero in 1988, while this
year he flew an A6M3 Zero of his own
design. Steve Sauger flew his Aeronca J5AC
Sedan 20 years ago, and this year he flew a
Stinson trimotor airliner.
Wayne Siewert competed with a new
Porsche-Mooney M20 both at the first Top
Gun and at this year’s edition. Wayne owns
Scale Composites, which produces an
assortment of large-scale kits in both 1/5 and
1/4 scale.
Bob Fiorenze’s F-18, which was the state
of the art in Scale competition at the time,
won at the first Top Gun. It was made from
fiberglass with twin ducted fans powered by
Rossi engines and weighed an astonishing 27
pounds. Now that model is lightweight by
comparison.
Radio systems have changed and
improved dramatically. Reliability is much
Right: Frank Alvarez entered his doubledelta-
wing Saab Draken in Expert. It is
modeled after the 13th of 24 delivered to
the Austrian government in 1987.
The model is 121 inches
long and powered
by a SimJet 3600 turbine.
The business end of the A-10 Warthog,
or Thunderbolt II, that Mike Selby built
for Team Scale. The full-scale A-10 has
a 30mm Gatling gun and Maverick airto-
ground missiles.
H
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Left: Jason Shulman finished 4th in Pro-Am
Pro with his 80-inch-span F-16C, which was
built from a Scale-Jets.com kit. It uses an
AMT Netherlands turbine and has an
overall length of 114 inches.
John Boyko won Pro-Am Am with his Pitts S-1S. Power is
provided by a DA-150 gas engine, and a Futaba 9Z radio system is
used for guidance.
Gerardo Galvez
came from Mexico
with this beautiful
Stearman PT-17.
It oozes detail.
Gerardo finished a
disappointing 15th
in Masters but had
the class’s high
static score of
97.333.
Below: David Wigley designed and built
this Westland Wyvern, which spans 100
inches and is 8 feet long. The back
propeller is powered; the front propeller
spins freely. This Masters-class model’s
various features include, as you can see, an
operational torpedo drop.
Photos by the author
20p9 two-line cutline goes here
Mitch Epstein’s B-17,
built from Don Smith
plans, demonstrates a
bombing run in Pro-Am
Am. As were most other
multiengine models, it
was powered by four
Zenoah G-23s.
The underside of David Hayes’ Masters-winning Rockwell
Thrush reveals the wind generator. It is operational, as are all
the pipes and tubing.
The Thrush
demonstrates a
crop-dusting run.
Thanks for killing
those bugs for us,
Dave!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Jack Diaz finished third in Expert with his F-86F:
“The Huff.” His documentation for this beauty
netted Jack a 94.833 static score. The jet was
built from a Bob Violett Models kit.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Thomas Singer’s EMB-312 Tucano on a landing approach back
to base. Notice that the flaps and gear are down. He finished
10th in Pro-Am Pro Scale.
Dave Malchione Jr. and his wife, Lauren, show off the Team entry
he flew for Mark Frankel, who designed and built this T-34B.
Sam Snyder built this twin-turbine-powered Avro Vulcan that Steven Ellzey flew in Team
Scale. The huge scratch-built bomber demonstrated a missile drop; they finished 10th.
Power was provided by two JetCat P120s.
A close-up of a rarely modeled F-107A. Built by
Masters-class model spans only 59 inches but is 98
An in-flight shot of the Porsche
Mooney that Scott Russell flew in
Team Scale. The model spans 108
inches and is powered by a DA-50.
Retracts are by Aerotech.
The interior of builder/designer Wayne Siewert’s Porsche Mooney
that finished third in Team class. The kit is available from
Aerotech Models.
On the flightline, Dennis and Linda Crooks listen to flight judge
George Buso before their first run.
Walt Fletcher’s Expert-class Fokker Dr.I was built from a Glenn Torrance Models kit. It
uses electric power and a three-speaker system for engine sound and machine-gun noise.
A full-scale A-10 brings it low for a
crowd-pleasing flyby Saturday
morning. The pilot did a wingover
at the end of the field, dropped his
gear, flaps, and slats, and made a
landing. He enjoyed the Scale show
that morning too.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Ron Schwarzkopf, a Lockheed engineer, the
inches long. It’s nice to see a scratch-built jet!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
A smiling Frank Tiano pilots Brazilian-team builder Octavio Depaula’s PT-19, flown by
Eduardo Esteves. The big 27%-scale, 118-inch-span trainer flew realistically with a ZDZ 60
engine and custom muffler.
Ed Newman with the 1/4-scale Fieseler Storch he designed and built. It spans 140 inches
and is powered with a Laser 3.60 four-stroke engine. Nick Ziroli Sr. flew the large model
in Team Scale.
Danny Corozza flew this 40% Laser 200 to a second-place finish in Pro-Am Am. Power
is provided by a 3W-140 engine.
better with frequencies, and now the 2.4 GHz
systems are starting to dominate. Servos in
general have improved as well.
Jet models are now powered by keroseneburning
turbine engines, and this year there
were also several true turboprop turbines in
competition. Next I hope to see a Harrier do a
vertical takeoff and landing; it’s only a matter
of time.
Electrics have made inroads in RC Scale
in the last 20 years. Updated battery systems
and Li-Poly batteries have made this possible,
as have the power and simplicity of outrunner
electric motors.
After its first two years, Top Gun had
been moved twice. It was held the first time
on the east coast of Florida and then in
Arizona. The event was moved back to
Florida for its third year and has stayed there.
The Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington,
where Top Gun was first held, was a special
place for a modeling contest for spectators.
But moving it to its present location—
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in
Lakeland—made more sense for the
modelers and spectators.
The competition site is a taxiway on one
corner of the airport. There is plenty of
parking and space for RVs. The grandstands
for spectators offer a great view, and those
who want to can buy pit passes for the
weekend.
The modelers’ pit area accommodates
large tents they can rent or they can take their
own. Many participants, especially those who
come from overseas, use the rented tents.
Concession stands and hobby goodies are
available on vendor row, which is behind the
pit area.
Top Gun is an international event, and
modelers from all over the world arrived this
year for its 20th annual celebration. Pilots
represented Great Britain, Norway, Germany,
France, Austria, Thailand, Canada, Mexico,
Brazil, Japan, and several other nations.
As is the event itself, the rules are Frank
Tiano’s. There is a loose rules committee,
and Frank allows input from interested parties
who have taken part as competitors. This lets
the rules evolve for a competition that is fair
to jets, propeller models, and composite and
scratch-built masterpieces. That’s a tall order
in anyone’s book.
This year, the jet models that were flown,
regardless of the power systems they
employed, received a 1.5% deduction in the
flight score. Any tricycle-gear, propellerdriven
aircraft, regardless of power plant,
received no additions or deductions.
Any tail-dragger aircraft, except jets, that
incorporated a tail wheel received a 1%
Dave Johnson puts in a practice flight with
his 1/3-scale Albatros D.Va before going on
to take second place in Masters.
David Hayes, flanked by Frank Tiano (L) and
Sam Wright, holds up his Mr. Top Gun cup.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Top Gun T A L L Y
All the Numbers
To see the contest results, visit the Frank Tiano Web site and click on Top Gun.
Those Who Make This Event Possible
• Primary Sponsors: Zap Products Pacer, Fly RC magazine
• Major Sponsors: Futaba, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Kempinski Hotels &
Resorts, JR, Red Bull, RCI, Robart, PST Jets, Tribe Organic Hummus, SOS
International
• Associate Sponsors: Nick Ziroli Plans, BVMJets.com, Model Airplane News
magazine, Warbirds Over the Rockies
• Supporting Sponsors: Saito, R/C Report magazine, Top Gun Hussies,
Composite-ARF.com, Traplet Publications, Sarasota Avionics Inc.,
Aerotech Models, Sport RC Flyer magazine, Fuji-Imvac R/C Gas Engines,
Sierra Giant Scale MA
David Hayes gives Werner Kopp of
Propwash Video Productions an
exclusive interview. Werner’s
videos are worth watching!
addition to the flight score. A tail-dragger
using a tail skid received a 2% addition to the
flight score.
There is a limit to the number of years you
can participate in Top Gun with a model that
has the same color scheme, and it has been
increased to five. In addition, you can
completely change the scheme and use the
same model for another three years. This rule
does not apply to models built from plans,
blown-up plans, “highly modified” kits, or
those that feature kit components along with
scratch-built components.
This year there were 111 competitors in the
five classes: Masters, which is much like
Designer Scale; Expert; Team Scale; Pro-Am
Am, for Top Gun novices; and Pro-Am Pro.
Several interesting models were in
competition, one of which was a Saab J 35
Draken fighter bomber that Frank Alvarez
flew in Expert. This was its first contest. The
48-pound aircraft was 121 inches long,
spanned 77 inches at the TE, and featured a
double delta wing. It was built from a kit by
Liebetrau, which also manufactured the
landing gear. A SimJet 3600 turbine powered
the large jet realistically.
David Wigley’s Westland Wyvern was
another fascinating entry. The full-scale post-
World War II design was actually used as a
torpedo bomber. Dave did a beautiful job of
scratch-building his model, which included
counter-rotating propellers.
The combined Pro-Am class comprised
46% of the contestants. Another significant
statistic is that 37—or 36.5%—of the entries
were jets. This is the largest number of jets
entered at any Scale contest I’m aware of, and
they were from a variety of designers.
Competition took place April 23-27. The
first two rounds of Pro-Am were contested on
Wednesday, while Team, Expert, and Masters
were static-judged in the pit area. Two
additional rounds of Pro-Am were flown
Thursday, and the final fifth round was flown
Sunday.
David Payne flew his beautiful B-17G in
Pro-Am. He selected its “Nine O Nine” color
scheme from an airplane that the Collins
Foundation owns and flies at locations across
the country in remembrance of World War II
veterans.
One of the B-17’s maneuvers is a
simulated engine out (smoking heavily) and
one main gear stuck in the up position.
Watching the big 144-inch-wingspan model
lumber overhead gave me chills.
In Pro-Am, most of the jets and several
World War II fighters were either built from
carbon fiber or fiberglass and were
premolded.
Jason Shulman’s F-16C stood out in an
arctic camouflage paint scheme with Czech
Republic markings. Kent Nogy flew a Bob
Violett Models (BVM) F-80. There was
nothing new there, except that it had electricducted-
fan power.
BVM developed the new system and is
marketing it as the Electric VioFan, designed
by propulsion engineer Lee Anderson. The F-
80 had good power and looked realistic in the
air with a few of the other jets, flying at what
seemed to be Mach 5.
Another great development for those of us
who love the smell of kerosene in the
mornings is the turboprop engine. (That is not
a typo.) Models of turbine-powered propeller
airplanes can now be powered by the real
thing.
There were several of those aircraft at Top
Gun, including the EMBRAER EMB-312
Tucano that Thomas Singer built and flew in
Pro-Am. It had an outstanding color scheme.
The big turboprop featured smoke as an
option for air-show work and all the normal
scale options including an opening canopy
and detailed cockpit.
Dino DiGiorgio flew a Pat McCurry
design to first place in Pro-Am Pro. The Me
109G-6 is available from Meister Scale,
which has an extensive line of World War II
Allied and Axis fighter aircraft.
The new kit, due out this August, is built
to 1/4 scale—a common size for warbirds at
contests such as this. Most models that size
with a single engine span 100-118 inches.
This 109 was powered by an 85cc engine with
a custom muffler. The Desert Aircraft DA-85
had plenty of power, and it runs extremely
smoothly for a single-cylinder power plant.
Second place in Pro-Am Pro went to Brian
O’Meara’s 1/4-scale Hawker Sea Fury. The
full-scale version was the last piston fighter
for many air forces, and Brian selected a
Cuban Air Force color scheme for his model.
It was powered by a Moki 250cc radial engine
and used Sierra retracts.
John Boyko flew his gorgeous Pitts S-1S
to a win in Pro-Am Am. He built the 50%-
scale model in four years and has flown it at
the AMA Scale Nationals. The big aerobatic
biplane is powered by a DA-150 engine and
features smoke control.
Friday saw the first round of flight
competition for Expert, Masters, and Team. In
most classes it could have been anyone’s win
within the first 10 places. At times, fractions
of a point separated first and second places.
Competition continued in those classes on
Saturday, with Pro-Am joining the action
Sunday with a total of five flightlines running
simultaneously. It was a sight!
Expert was one of the classes in which
fractions of a point separated the contestants.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s technical director,
entered a Beechcraft D-18 from a design by
Nick Ziroli Plans. The model of the large civil
transport that the military used spanned 114
inches and was powered by two Fuji 34 gas
engines, with Robart retracts and a flap
system that Greg designed.
He likes the reliability of the gas engines
in big models. Rarely do you have an engine
out on a twin, and reliability is more
important than brute power in any Scale
model.
Greg went on to win Expert by .82 tenths
of a point over Dennis Crooks with his P-38
Lightning. Dennis also employed gas engines:
3.3 cu. in. counter-rotating Husky
Challengers. The Ziroli Plans P-38 featured
Robart retracts and full-drop Fowler flaps.
Dennis has won at both the AMA Scale
Nationals and the US Scale Masters
Championships with that model.
Third place went to the Jack Diaz with his
BVM F-86F. That is the larger F-86 kit BVM
sells, and it spans 80 inches. He powered his
model with a JetCat Titan turbine. Jack
always has great documentation for his
models. His package featured not one, but
several photos of the full-scale aircraft.
Of the top 10 models in Expert, six were
powered by turbines and one of those was a
turboprop. Of the top 10 finishers, nine had
static scores of 94.000 or higher. There was
no room for error.
Team Scale had more entries this year.
Graeme Mears built a beautiful F-16C with a
wingspan of 108 inches that weighed just 49
pounds. The big US Air Force Thunderbirds
Falcon was powered by an AMT Olympus
turbine. The Penninx F-16 kit featured scale
retract gear and a beautiful cockpit. David
Shulman flew the jet to a first-place finish.
Graeme added beautiful details to the
Falcon, along with onboard computers to
monitor the various systems. He took the two
front panels off to show us where the
members of the Thunderbirds air-show team
had signed their names. Having the full-scale
pilot counterparts sign the model is something
to treasure. The pilots signed one panel, while
the ground crew signed the other.
Second place in Team went to an equally
impressive turbine-powered jet: the A-10
Warthog that Mike Selby built and Raymond
Johns, a US Air Force general, flew. It was
upstaged by the full-scale A-10 just after the
flag-raising ceremony Saturday morning,
though!
The model Warthog spanned 120 inches,
was 112 inches long, weighed 54 pounds, and
was powered by two PST 130R turbines. The
retract gear was from PST Jets. There was a
great story about this Team entry in Popular
Mechanics magazine—a great publicawareness
write-up.
Third place went to the team of builder
Wayne Siewert and pilot Scott Russell with
the beautiful Porsche Mooney. Wayne
competed with the same color scheme 20
years ago. The cockpit details were
something to behold. Check out the interior
photo!
In Masters class you not only have to
build and finish the model you compete with,
but you must have designed it from scale
drawings such as three-views or factory
drawings. Using someone else’s plans is
unacceptable, as in AMA Designer Scale.
This year’s competition was
extraordinarily close. Three modelers could
have taken the first-place trophy and all the
prizes that go with that honor: David Ribbe
with his MiG-15, David Johnson with his 1/3-
scale Albatros D.Va, or David Hayes with his
Rockwell Thrush crop duster.
After the last engine was shut down and
the math was done, David Hayes was
declared the winner by .010 point with his
scratch-built Thrush. His scores were good
enough to win not only Masters class but also
Mr. Top Gun.
If you’ve ever seen crops dusted, you will
know why David squeaked out the win this
year. He flew the model exceptionally low on
the crop-dusting passes, making a steep
Wingover at the end of each pass over the
fields. The maneuver is not only technically
complex, but it also requires great skill as a
pilot.
The Thrush spanned 108 inches, weighed
only 24 pounds, and was powered by a Saito
180 engine. The high-tech stuff was inside,
where David designed the pressurized system
to deliver the spray for each flight.
Top Gun is fierce competition and a display
of competitors giving each other help when
it’s needed. It’s old friends from around the
world getting together and catching up at
dinner or the banquets. It’s Scale competition
at its best.
Hope to see you there next year. Well done,
Frank! MA
Stan Alexander
[email protected]
Sources:
Frank Tiano Enterprises (Top Gun Rules,
scores, scale parts, equipment, Zap Glue, etc.)
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Meister Scale (Dino DiGiorgio, owner)
(772) 621-9692, (772) 812-2391
www.meister-scale.com
BVM
(407) 327-6333
www.bvmjets.com
PST Jets
+662 318-6918
www.pstjets.com
Aerotech Models
(612) 721-1285
www.aerotechmodels.com
JetArtes Gulf Coast (Jet Central)
(941) 468-1246
www.jetartes.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroliplans.com
Model Specialties Co.
(610) 692-4139
www.modelspecialties.com

18 MODEL AVIATION
Top Gun Top Gun Top
Top Gun 2008
Invitational
Top Gun
Top: Greg Hahn built and flew the winning Expert Beechcraft D-18. This masterpiece had a unique system for the three-piece wing; the
flaps came off the model when it was taken apart. Note the landing lights.
Above: Second place in Expert went to Dennis Crooks’s P-38 equipped with counter-rotating engines. The big “Forked Tail Devil,” a
Nick Ziroli design, has scale Fowler flaps.
by Stan Alexander
Below: The starboard-side access panel on Graeme
Mears’ Team Scale-winning F-16C shows the
PowerBox information display. The USAF
Thunderbirds signed the model’s accesspanel
doors at Sun ’n Fun, two
weeks before Top Gun.
August 2008 19
n Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
20 years of pure RC Scale entertainment!
as it been 20 years? The Top Gun
Invitational, held each spring, has
grown and changed in the two decades
since its inception, as has Scale competition
and modeling in general. Looking back at the
first Top Gun, which Frank Tiano conceived,
organized, and promoted tirelessly, you can
see how competition has generated change in
the models flown then vs. the ones at this
year’s event. Likewise, competition has
improved the models flown at national and
international events.
The first Top Gun Invitational was held in
1988 at the Condors R/C Flying Club field in
Coral Springs, Florida. There were 39 entries.
Bob Frey of the 1/8th Air Force flew an
invasion-striped P-47 from Bob Holman
Plans. This year he flew a P-47 built from a
Yellow Aircraft kit.
In 1988, Bob Violett flew a 58-inchwingspan
F-86 using a ducted-fan-engine
combination. This year he flew a larger
turbine-powered F-86. Dave Platt flew his
own-design A6M5-C Zero in 1988, while this
year he flew an A6M3 Zero of his own
design. Steve Sauger flew his Aeronca J5AC
Sedan 20 years ago, and this year he flew a
Stinson trimotor airliner.
Wayne Siewert competed with a new
Porsche-Mooney M20 both at the first Top
Gun and at this year’s edition. Wayne owns
Scale Composites, which produces an
assortment of large-scale kits in both 1/5 and
1/4 scale.
Bob Fiorenze’s F-18, which was the state
of the art in Scale competition at the time,
won at the first Top Gun. It was made from
fiberglass with twin ducted fans powered by
Rossi engines and weighed an astonishing 27
pounds. Now that model is lightweight by
comparison.
Radio systems have changed and
improved dramatically. Reliability is much
Right: Frank Alvarez entered his doubledelta-
wing Saab Draken in Expert. It is
modeled after the 13th of 24 delivered to
the Austrian government in 1987.
The model is 121 inches
long and powered
by a SimJet 3600 turbine.
The business end of the A-10 Warthog,
or Thunderbolt II, that Mike Selby built
for Team Scale. The full-scale A-10 has
a 30mm Gatling gun and Maverick airto-
ground missiles.
H
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Left: Jason Shulman finished 4th in Pro-Am
Pro with his 80-inch-span F-16C, which was
built from a Scale-Jets.com kit. It uses an
AMT Netherlands turbine and has an
overall length of 114 inches.
John Boyko won Pro-Am Am with his Pitts S-1S. Power is
provided by a DA-150 gas engine, and a Futaba 9Z radio system is
used for guidance.
Gerardo Galvez
came from Mexico
with this beautiful
Stearman PT-17.
It oozes detail.
Gerardo finished a
disappointing 15th
in Masters but had
the class’s high
static score of
97.333.
Below: David Wigley designed and built
this Westland Wyvern, which spans 100
inches and is 8 feet long. The back
propeller is powered; the front propeller
spins freely. This Masters-class model’s
various features include, as you can see, an
operational torpedo drop.
Photos by the author
20p9 two-line cutline goes here
Mitch Epstein’s B-17,
built from Don Smith
plans, demonstrates a
bombing run in Pro-Am
Am. As were most other
multiengine models, it
was powered by four
Zenoah G-23s.
The underside of David Hayes’ Masters-winning Rockwell
Thrush reveals the wind generator. It is operational, as are all
the pipes and tubing.
The Thrush
demonstrates a
crop-dusting run.
Thanks for killing
those bugs for us,
Dave!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Jack Diaz finished third in Expert with his F-86F:
“The Huff.” His documentation for this beauty
netted Jack a 94.833 static score. The jet was
built from a Bob Violett Models kit.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Thomas Singer’s EMB-312 Tucano on a landing approach back
to base. Notice that the flaps and gear are down. He finished
10th in Pro-Am Pro Scale.
Dave Malchione Jr. and his wife, Lauren, show off the Team entry
he flew for Mark Frankel, who designed and built this T-34B.
Sam Snyder built this twin-turbine-powered Avro Vulcan that Steven Ellzey flew in Team
Scale. The huge scratch-built bomber demonstrated a missile drop; they finished 10th.
Power was provided by two JetCat P120s.
A close-up of a rarely modeled F-107A. Built by
Masters-class model spans only 59 inches but is 98
An in-flight shot of the Porsche
Mooney that Scott Russell flew in
Team Scale. The model spans 108
inches and is powered by a DA-50.
Retracts are by Aerotech.
The interior of builder/designer Wayne Siewert’s Porsche Mooney
that finished third in Team class. The kit is available from
Aerotech Models.
On the flightline, Dennis and Linda Crooks listen to flight judge
George Buso before their first run.
Walt Fletcher’s Expert-class Fokker Dr.I was built from a Glenn Torrance Models kit. It
uses electric power and a three-speaker system for engine sound and machine-gun noise.
A full-scale A-10 brings it low for a
crowd-pleasing flyby Saturday
morning. The pilot did a wingover
at the end of the field, dropped his
gear, flaps, and slats, and made a
landing. He enjoyed the Scale show
that morning too.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Ron Schwarzkopf, a Lockheed engineer, the
inches long. It’s nice to see a scratch-built jet!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
A smiling Frank Tiano pilots Brazilian-team builder Octavio Depaula’s PT-19, flown by
Eduardo Esteves. The big 27%-scale, 118-inch-span trainer flew realistically with a ZDZ 60
engine and custom muffler.
Ed Newman with the 1/4-scale Fieseler Storch he designed and built. It spans 140 inches
and is powered with a Laser 3.60 four-stroke engine. Nick Ziroli Sr. flew the large model
in Team Scale.
Danny Corozza flew this 40% Laser 200 to a second-place finish in Pro-Am Am. Power
is provided by a 3W-140 engine.
better with frequencies, and now the 2.4 GHz
systems are starting to dominate. Servos in
general have improved as well.
Jet models are now powered by keroseneburning
turbine engines, and this year there
were also several true turboprop turbines in
competition. Next I hope to see a Harrier do a
vertical takeoff and landing; it’s only a matter
of time.
Electrics have made inroads in RC Scale
in the last 20 years. Updated battery systems
and Li-Poly batteries have made this possible,
as have the power and simplicity of outrunner
electric motors.
After its first two years, Top Gun had
been moved twice. It was held the first time
on the east coast of Florida and then in
Arizona. The event was moved back to
Florida for its third year and has stayed there.
The Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington,
where Top Gun was first held, was a special
place for a modeling contest for spectators.
But moving it to its present location—
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in
Lakeland—made more sense for the
modelers and spectators.
The competition site is a taxiway on one
corner of the airport. There is plenty of
parking and space for RVs. The grandstands
for spectators offer a great view, and those
who want to can buy pit passes for the
weekend.
The modelers’ pit area accommodates
large tents they can rent or they can take their
own. Many participants, especially those who
come from overseas, use the rented tents.
Concession stands and hobby goodies are
available on vendor row, which is behind the
pit area.
Top Gun is an international event, and
modelers from all over the world arrived this
year for its 20th annual celebration. Pilots
represented Great Britain, Norway, Germany,
France, Austria, Thailand, Canada, Mexico,
Brazil, Japan, and several other nations.
As is the event itself, the rules are Frank
Tiano’s. There is a loose rules committee,
and Frank allows input from interested parties
who have taken part as competitors. This lets
the rules evolve for a competition that is fair
to jets, propeller models, and composite and
scratch-built masterpieces. That’s a tall order
in anyone’s book.
This year, the jet models that were flown,
regardless of the power systems they
employed, received a 1.5% deduction in the
flight score. Any tricycle-gear, propellerdriven
aircraft, regardless of power plant,
received no additions or deductions.
Any tail-dragger aircraft, except jets, that
incorporated a tail wheel received a 1%
Dave Johnson puts in a practice flight with
his 1/3-scale Albatros D.Va before going on
to take second place in Masters.
David Hayes, flanked by Frank Tiano (L) and
Sam Wright, holds up his Mr. Top Gun cup.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Top Gun T A L L Y
All the Numbers
To see the contest results, visit the Frank Tiano Web site and click on Top Gun.
Those Who Make This Event Possible
• Primary Sponsors: Zap Products Pacer, Fly RC magazine
• Major Sponsors: Futaba, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Kempinski Hotels &
Resorts, JR, Red Bull, RCI, Robart, PST Jets, Tribe Organic Hummus, SOS
International
• Associate Sponsors: Nick Ziroli Plans, BVMJets.com, Model Airplane News
magazine, Warbirds Over the Rockies
• Supporting Sponsors: Saito, R/C Report magazine, Top Gun Hussies,
Composite-ARF.com, Traplet Publications, Sarasota Avionics Inc.,
Aerotech Models, Sport RC Flyer magazine, Fuji-Imvac R/C Gas Engines,
Sierra Giant Scale MA
David Hayes gives Werner Kopp of
Propwash Video Productions an
exclusive interview. Werner’s
videos are worth watching!
addition to the flight score. A tail-dragger
using a tail skid received a 2% addition to the
flight score.
There is a limit to the number of years you
can participate in Top Gun with a model that
has the same color scheme, and it has been
increased to five. In addition, you can
completely change the scheme and use the
same model for another three years. This rule
does not apply to models built from plans,
blown-up plans, “highly modified” kits, or
those that feature kit components along with
scratch-built components.
This year there were 111 competitors in the
five classes: Masters, which is much like
Designer Scale; Expert; Team Scale; Pro-Am
Am, for Top Gun novices; and Pro-Am Pro.
Several interesting models were in
competition, one of which was a Saab J 35
Draken fighter bomber that Frank Alvarez
flew in Expert. This was its first contest. The
48-pound aircraft was 121 inches long,
spanned 77 inches at the TE, and featured a
double delta wing. It was built from a kit by
Liebetrau, which also manufactured the
landing gear. A SimJet 3600 turbine powered
the large jet realistically.
David Wigley’s Westland Wyvern was
another fascinating entry. The full-scale post-
World War II design was actually used as a
torpedo bomber. Dave did a beautiful job of
scratch-building his model, which included
counter-rotating propellers.
The combined Pro-Am class comprised
46% of the contestants. Another significant
statistic is that 37—or 36.5%—of the entries
were jets. This is the largest number of jets
entered at any Scale contest I’m aware of, and
they were from a variety of designers.
Competition took place April 23-27. The
first two rounds of Pro-Am were contested on
Wednesday, while Team, Expert, and Masters
were static-judged in the pit area. Two
additional rounds of Pro-Am were flown
Thursday, and the final fifth round was flown
Sunday.
David Payne flew his beautiful B-17G in
Pro-Am. He selected its “Nine O Nine” color
scheme from an airplane that the Collins
Foundation owns and flies at locations across
the country in remembrance of World War II
veterans.
One of the B-17’s maneuvers is a
simulated engine out (smoking heavily) and
one main gear stuck in the up position.
Watching the big 144-inch-wingspan model
lumber overhead gave me chills.
In Pro-Am, most of the jets and several
World War II fighters were either built from
carbon fiber or fiberglass and were
premolded.
Jason Shulman’s F-16C stood out in an
arctic camouflage paint scheme with Czech
Republic markings. Kent Nogy flew a Bob
Violett Models (BVM) F-80. There was
nothing new there, except that it had electricducted-
fan power.
BVM developed the new system and is
marketing it as the Electric VioFan, designed
by propulsion engineer Lee Anderson. The F-
80 had good power and looked realistic in the
air with a few of the other jets, flying at what
seemed to be Mach 5.
Another great development for those of us
who love the smell of kerosene in the
mornings is the turboprop engine. (That is not
a typo.) Models of turbine-powered propeller
airplanes can now be powered by the real
thing.
There were several of those aircraft at Top
Gun, including the EMBRAER EMB-312
Tucano that Thomas Singer built and flew in
Pro-Am. It had an outstanding color scheme.
The big turboprop featured smoke as an
option for air-show work and all the normal
scale options including an opening canopy
and detailed cockpit.
Dino DiGiorgio flew a Pat McCurry
design to first place in Pro-Am Pro. The Me
109G-6 is available from Meister Scale,
which has an extensive line of World War II
Allied and Axis fighter aircraft.
The new kit, due out this August, is built
to 1/4 scale—a common size for warbirds at
contests such as this. Most models that size
with a single engine span 100-118 inches.
This 109 was powered by an 85cc engine with
a custom muffler. The Desert Aircraft DA-85
had plenty of power, and it runs extremely
smoothly for a single-cylinder power plant.
Second place in Pro-Am Pro went to Brian
O’Meara’s 1/4-scale Hawker Sea Fury. The
full-scale version was the last piston fighter
for many air forces, and Brian selected a
Cuban Air Force color scheme for his model.
It was powered by a Moki 250cc radial engine
and used Sierra retracts.
John Boyko flew his gorgeous Pitts S-1S
to a win in Pro-Am Am. He built the 50%-
scale model in four years and has flown it at
the AMA Scale Nationals. The big aerobatic
biplane is powered by a DA-150 engine and
features smoke control.
Friday saw the first round of flight
competition for Expert, Masters, and Team. In
most classes it could have been anyone’s win
within the first 10 places. At times, fractions
of a point separated first and second places.
Competition continued in those classes on
Saturday, with Pro-Am joining the action
Sunday with a total of five flightlines running
simultaneously. It was a sight!
Expert was one of the classes in which
fractions of a point separated the contestants.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s technical director,
entered a Beechcraft D-18 from a design by
Nick Ziroli Plans. The model of the large civil
transport that the military used spanned 114
inches and was powered by two Fuji 34 gas
engines, with Robart retracts and a flap
system that Greg designed.
He likes the reliability of the gas engines
in big models. Rarely do you have an engine
out on a twin, and reliability is more
important than brute power in any Scale
model.
Greg went on to win Expert by .82 tenths
of a point over Dennis Crooks with his P-38
Lightning. Dennis also employed gas engines:
3.3 cu. in. counter-rotating Husky
Challengers. The Ziroli Plans P-38 featured
Robart retracts and full-drop Fowler flaps.
Dennis has won at both the AMA Scale
Nationals and the US Scale Masters
Championships with that model.
Third place went to the Jack Diaz with his
BVM F-86F. That is the larger F-86 kit BVM
sells, and it spans 80 inches. He powered his
model with a JetCat Titan turbine. Jack
always has great documentation for his
models. His package featured not one, but
several photos of the full-scale aircraft.
Of the top 10 models in Expert, six were
powered by turbines and one of those was a
turboprop. Of the top 10 finishers, nine had
static scores of 94.000 or higher. There was
no room for error.
Team Scale had more entries this year.
Graeme Mears built a beautiful F-16C with a
wingspan of 108 inches that weighed just 49
pounds. The big US Air Force Thunderbirds
Falcon was powered by an AMT Olympus
turbine. The Penninx F-16 kit featured scale
retract gear and a beautiful cockpit. David
Shulman flew the jet to a first-place finish.
Graeme added beautiful details to the
Falcon, along with onboard computers to
monitor the various systems. He took the two
front panels off to show us where the
members of the Thunderbirds air-show team
had signed their names. Having the full-scale
pilot counterparts sign the model is something
to treasure. The pilots signed one panel, while
the ground crew signed the other.
Second place in Team went to an equally
impressive turbine-powered jet: the A-10
Warthog that Mike Selby built and Raymond
Johns, a US Air Force general, flew. It was
upstaged by the full-scale A-10 just after the
flag-raising ceremony Saturday morning,
though!
The model Warthog spanned 120 inches,
was 112 inches long, weighed 54 pounds, and
was powered by two PST 130R turbines. The
retract gear was from PST Jets. There was a
great story about this Team entry in Popular
Mechanics magazine—a great publicawareness
write-up.
Third place went to the team of builder
Wayne Siewert and pilot Scott Russell with
the beautiful Porsche Mooney. Wayne
competed with the same color scheme 20
years ago. The cockpit details were
something to behold. Check out the interior
photo!
In Masters class you not only have to
build and finish the model you compete with,
but you must have designed it from scale
drawings such as three-views or factory
drawings. Using someone else’s plans is
unacceptable, as in AMA Designer Scale.
This year’s competition was
extraordinarily close. Three modelers could
have taken the first-place trophy and all the
prizes that go with that honor: David Ribbe
with his MiG-15, David Johnson with his 1/3-
scale Albatros D.Va, or David Hayes with his
Rockwell Thrush crop duster.
After the last engine was shut down and
the math was done, David Hayes was
declared the winner by .010 point with his
scratch-built Thrush. His scores were good
enough to win not only Masters class but also
Mr. Top Gun.
If you’ve ever seen crops dusted, you will
know why David squeaked out the win this
year. He flew the model exceptionally low on
the crop-dusting passes, making a steep
Wingover at the end of each pass over the
fields. The maneuver is not only technically
complex, but it also requires great skill as a
pilot.
The Thrush spanned 108 inches, weighed
only 24 pounds, and was powered by a Saito
180 engine. The high-tech stuff was inside,
where David designed the pressurized system
to deliver the spray for each flight.
Top Gun is fierce competition and a display
of competitors giving each other help when
it’s needed. It’s old friends from around the
world getting together and catching up at
dinner or the banquets. It’s Scale competition
at its best.
Hope to see you there next year. Well done,
Frank! MA
Stan Alexander
[email protected]
Sources:
Frank Tiano Enterprises (Top Gun Rules,
scores, scale parts, equipment, Zap Glue, etc.)
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Meister Scale (Dino DiGiorgio, owner)
(772) 621-9692, (772) 812-2391
www.meister-scale.com
BVM
(407) 327-6333
www.bvmjets.com
PST Jets
+662 318-6918
www.pstjets.com
Aerotech Models
(612) 721-1285
www.aerotechmodels.com
JetArtes Gulf Coast (Jet Central)
(941) 468-1246
www.jetartes.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroliplans.com
Model Specialties Co.
(610) 692-4139
www.modelspecialties.com

18 MODEL AVIATION
Top Gun Top Gun Top
Top Gun 2008
Invitational
Top Gun
Top: Greg Hahn built and flew the winning Expert Beechcraft D-18. This masterpiece had a unique system for the three-piece wing; the
flaps came off the model when it was taken apart. Note the landing lights.
Above: Second place in Expert went to Dennis Crooks’s P-38 equipped with counter-rotating engines. The big “Forked Tail Devil,” a
Nick Ziroli design, has scale Fowler flaps.
by Stan Alexander
Below: The starboard-side access panel on Graeme
Mears’ Team Scale-winning F-16C shows the
PowerBox information display. The USAF
Thunderbirds signed the model’s accesspanel
doors at Sun ’n Fun, two
weeks before Top Gun.
August 2008 19
n Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
20 years of pure RC Scale entertainment!
as it been 20 years? The Top Gun
Invitational, held each spring, has
grown and changed in the two decades
since its inception, as has Scale competition
and modeling in general. Looking back at the
first Top Gun, which Frank Tiano conceived,
organized, and promoted tirelessly, you can
see how competition has generated change in
the models flown then vs. the ones at this
year’s event. Likewise, competition has
improved the models flown at national and
international events.
The first Top Gun Invitational was held in
1988 at the Condors R/C Flying Club field in
Coral Springs, Florida. There were 39 entries.
Bob Frey of the 1/8th Air Force flew an
invasion-striped P-47 from Bob Holman
Plans. This year he flew a P-47 built from a
Yellow Aircraft kit.
In 1988, Bob Violett flew a 58-inchwingspan
F-86 using a ducted-fan-engine
combination. This year he flew a larger
turbine-powered F-86. Dave Platt flew his
own-design A6M5-C Zero in 1988, while this
year he flew an A6M3 Zero of his own
design. Steve Sauger flew his Aeronca J5AC
Sedan 20 years ago, and this year he flew a
Stinson trimotor airliner.
Wayne Siewert competed with a new
Porsche-Mooney M20 both at the first Top
Gun and at this year’s edition. Wayne owns
Scale Composites, which produces an
assortment of large-scale kits in both 1/5 and
1/4 scale.
Bob Fiorenze’s F-18, which was the state
of the art in Scale competition at the time,
won at the first Top Gun. It was made from
fiberglass with twin ducted fans powered by
Rossi engines and weighed an astonishing 27
pounds. Now that model is lightweight by
comparison.
Radio systems have changed and
improved dramatically. Reliability is much
Right: Frank Alvarez entered his doubledelta-
wing Saab Draken in Expert. It is
modeled after the 13th of 24 delivered to
the Austrian government in 1987.
The model is 121 inches
long and powered
by a SimJet 3600 turbine.
The business end of the A-10 Warthog,
or Thunderbolt II, that Mike Selby built
for Team Scale. The full-scale A-10 has
a 30mm Gatling gun and Maverick airto-
ground missiles.
H
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Left: Jason Shulman finished 4th in Pro-Am
Pro with his 80-inch-span F-16C, which was
built from a Scale-Jets.com kit. It uses an
AMT Netherlands turbine and has an
overall length of 114 inches.
John Boyko won Pro-Am Am with his Pitts S-1S. Power is
provided by a DA-150 gas engine, and a Futaba 9Z radio system is
used for guidance.
Gerardo Galvez
came from Mexico
with this beautiful
Stearman PT-17.
It oozes detail.
Gerardo finished a
disappointing 15th
in Masters but had
the class’s high
static score of
97.333.
Below: David Wigley designed and built
this Westland Wyvern, which spans 100
inches and is 8 feet long. The back
propeller is powered; the front propeller
spins freely. This Masters-class model’s
various features include, as you can see, an
operational torpedo drop.
Photos by the author
20p9 two-line cutline goes here
Mitch Epstein’s B-17,
built from Don Smith
plans, demonstrates a
bombing run in Pro-Am
Am. As were most other
multiengine models, it
was powered by four
Zenoah G-23s.
The underside of David Hayes’ Masters-winning Rockwell
Thrush reveals the wind generator. It is operational, as are all
the pipes and tubing.
The Thrush
demonstrates a
crop-dusting run.
Thanks for killing
those bugs for us,
Dave!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Jack Diaz finished third in Expert with his F-86F:
“The Huff.” His documentation for this beauty
netted Jack a 94.833 static score. The jet was
built from a Bob Violett Models kit.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Thomas Singer’s EMB-312 Tucano on a landing approach back
to base. Notice that the flaps and gear are down. He finished
10th in Pro-Am Pro Scale.
Dave Malchione Jr. and his wife, Lauren, show off the Team entry
he flew for Mark Frankel, who designed and built this T-34B.
Sam Snyder built this twin-turbine-powered Avro Vulcan that Steven Ellzey flew in Team
Scale. The huge scratch-built bomber demonstrated a missile drop; they finished 10th.
Power was provided by two JetCat P120s.
A close-up of a rarely modeled F-107A. Built by
Masters-class model spans only 59 inches but is 98
An in-flight shot of the Porsche
Mooney that Scott Russell flew in
Team Scale. The model spans 108
inches and is powered by a DA-50.
Retracts are by Aerotech.
The interior of builder/designer Wayne Siewert’s Porsche Mooney
that finished third in Team class. The kit is available from
Aerotech Models.
On the flightline, Dennis and Linda Crooks listen to flight judge
George Buso before their first run.
Walt Fletcher’s Expert-class Fokker Dr.I was built from a Glenn Torrance Models kit. It
uses electric power and a three-speaker system for engine sound and machine-gun noise.
A full-scale A-10 brings it low for a
crowd-pleasing flyby Saturday
morning. The pilot did a wingover
at the end of the field, dropped his
gear, flaps, and slats, and made a
landing. He enjoyed the Scale show
that morning too.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Ron Schwarzkopf, a Lockheed engineer, the
inches long. It’s nice to see a scratch-built jet!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
A smiling Frank Tiano pilots Brazilian-team builder Octavio Depaula’s PT-19, flown by
Eduardo Esteves. The big 27%-scale, 118-inch-span trainer flew realistically with a ZDZ 60
engine and custom muffler.
Ed Newman with the 1/4-scale Fieseler Storch he designed and built. It spans 140 inches
and is powered with a Laser 3.60 four-stroke engine. Nick Ziroli Sr. flew the large model
in Team Scale.
Danny Corozza flew this 40% Laser 200 to a second-place finish in Pro-Am Am. Power
is provided by a 3W-140 engine.
better with frequencies, and now the 2.4 GHz
systems are starting to dominate. Servos in
general have improved as well.
Jet models are now powered by keroseneburning
turbine engines, and this year there
were also several true turboprop turbines in
competition. Next I hope to see a Harrier do a
vertical takeoff and landing; it’s only a matter
of time.
Electrics have made inroads in RC Scale
in the last 20 years. Updated battery systems
and Li-Poly batteries have made this possible,
as have the power and simplicity of outrunner
electric motors.
After its first two years, Top Gun had
been moved twice. It was held the first time
on the east coast of Florida and then in
Arizona. The event was moved back to
Florida for its third year and has stayed there.
The Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington,
where Top Gun was first held, was a special
place for a modeling contest for spectators.
But moving it to its present location—
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in
Lakeland—made more sense for the
modelers and spectators.
The competition site is a taxiway on one
corner of the airport. There is plenty of
parking and space for RVs. The grandstands
for spectators offer a great view, and those
who want to can buy pit passes for the
weekend.
The modelers’ pit area accommodates
large tents they can rent or they can take their
own. Many participants, especially those who
come from overseas, use the rented tents.
Concession stands and hobby goodies are
available on vendor row, which is behind the
pit area.
Top Gun is an international event, and
modelers from all over the world arrived this
year for its 20th annual celebration. Pilots
represented Great Britain, Norway, Germany,
France, Austria, Thailand, Canada, Mexico,
Brazil, Japan, and several other nations.
As is the event itself, the rules are Frank
Tiano’s. There is a loose rules committee,
and Frank allows input from interested parties
who have taken part as competitors. This lets
the rules evolve for a competition that is fair
to jets, propeller models, and composite and
scratch-built masterpieces. That’s a tall order
in anyone’s book.
This year, the jet models that were flown,
regardless of the power systems they
employed, received a 1.5% deduction in the
flight score. Any tricycle-gear, propellerdriven
aircraft, regardless of power plant,
received no additions or deductions.
Any tail-dragger aircraft, except jets, that
incorporated a tail wheel received a 1%
Dave Johnson puts in a practice flight with
his 1/3-scale Albatros D.Va before going on
to take second place in Masters.
David Hayes, flanked by Frank Tiano (L) and
Sam Wright, holds up his Mr. Top Gun cup.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Top Gun T A L L Y
All the Numbers
To see the contest results, visit the Frank Tiano Web site and click on Top Gun.
Those Who Make This Event Possible
• Primary Sponsors: Zap Products Pacer, Fly RC magazine
• Major Sponsors: Futaba, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Kempinski Hotels &
Resorts, JR, Red Bull, RCI, Robart, PST Jets, Tribe Organic Hummus, SOS
International
• Associate Sponsors: Nick Ziroli Plans, BVMJets.com, Model Airplane News
magazine, Warbirds Over the Rockies
• Supporting Sponsors: Saito, R/C Report magazine, Top Gun Hussies,
Composite-ARF.com, Traplet Publications, Sarasota Avionics Inc.,
Aerotech Models, Sport RC Flyer magazine, Fuji-Imvac R/C Gas Engines,
Sierra Giant Scale MA
David Hayes gives Werner Kopp of
Propwash Video Productions an
exclusive interview. Werner’s
videos are worth watching!
addition to the flight score. A tail-dragger
using a tail skid received a 2% addition to the
flight score.
There is a limit to the number of years you
can participate in Top Gun with a model that
has the same color scheme, and it has been
increased to five. In addition, you can
completely change the scheme and use the
same model for another three years. This rule
does not apply to models built from plans,
blown-up plans, “highly modified” kits, or
those that feature kit components along with
scratch-built components.
This year there were 111 competitors in the
five classes: Masters, which is much like
Designer Scale; Expert; Team Scale; Pro-Am
Am, for Top Gun novices; and Pro-Am Pro.
Several interesting models were in
competition, one of which was a Saab J 35
Draken fighter bomber that Frank Alvarez
flew in Expert. This was its first contest. The
48-pound aircraft was 121 inches long,
spanned 77 inches at the TE, and featured a
double delta wing. It was built from a kit by
Liebetrau, which also manufactured the
landing gear. A SimJet 3600 turbine powered
the large jet realistically.
David Wigley’s Westland Wyvern was
another fascinating entry. The full-scale post-
World War II design was actually used as a
torpedo bomber. Dave did a beautiful job of
scratch-building his model, which included
counter-rotating propellers.
The combined Pro-Am class comprised
46% of the contestants. Another significant
statistic is that 37—or 36.5%—of the entries
were jets. This is the largest number of jets
entered at any Scale contest I’m aware of, and
they were from a variety of designers.
Competition took place April 23-27. The
first two rounds of Pro-Am were contested on
Wednesday, while Team, Expert, and Masters
were static-judged in the pit area. Two
additional rounds of Pro-Am were flown
Thursday, and the final fifth round was flown
Sunday.
David Payne flew his beautiful B-17G in
Pro-Am. He selected its “Nine O Nine” color
scheme from an airplane that the Collins
Foundation owns and flies at locations across
the country in remembrance of World War II
veterans.
One of the B-17’s maneuvers is a
simulated engine out (smoking heavily) and
one main gear stuck in the up position.
Watching the big 144-inch-wingspan model
lumber overhead gave me chills.
In Pro-Am, most of the jets and several
World War II fighters were either built from
carbon fiber or fiberglass and were
premolded.
Jason Shulman’s F-16C stood out in an
arctic camouflage paint scheme with Czech
Republic markings. Kent Nogy flew a Bob
Violett Models (BVM) F-80. There was
nothing new there, except that it had electricducted-
fan power.
BVM developed the new system and is
marketing it as the Electric VioFan, designed
by propulsion engineer Lee Anderson. The F-
80 had good power and looked realistic in the
air with a few of the other jets, flying at what
seemed to be Mach 5.
Another great development for those of us
who love the smell of kerosene in the
mornings is the turboprop engine. (That is not
a typo.) Models of turbine-powered propeller
airplanes can now be powered by the real
thing.
There were several of those aircraft at Top
Gun, including the EMBRAER EMB-312
Tucano that Thomas Singer built and flew in
Pro-Am. It had an outstanding color scheme.
The big turboprop featured smoke as an
option for air-show work and all the normal
scale options including an opening canopy
and detailed cockpit.
Dino DiGiorgio flew a Pat McCurry
design to first place in Pro-Am Pro. The Me
109G-6 is available from Meister Scale,
which has an extensive line of World War II
Allied and Axis fighter aircraft.
The new kit, due out this August, is built
to 1/4 scale—a common size for warbirds at
contests such as this. Most models that size
with a single engine span 100-118 inches.
This 109 was powered by an 85cc engine with
a custom muffler. The Desert Aircraft DA-85
had plenty of power, and it runs extremely
smoothly for a single-cylinder power plant.
Second place in Pro-Am Pro went to Brian
O’Meara’s 1/4-scale Hawker Sea Fury. The
full-scale version was the last piston fighter
for many air forces, and Brian selected a
Cuban Air Force color scheme for his model.
It was powered by a Moki 250cc radial engine
and used Sierra retracts.
John Boyko flew his gorgeous Pitts S-1S
to a win in Pro-Am Am. He built the 50%-
scale model in four years and has flown it at
the AMA Scale Nationals. The big aerobatic
biplane is powered by a DA-150 engine and
features smoke control.
Friday saw the first round of flight
competition for Expert, Masters, and Team. In
most classes it could have been anyone’s win
within the first 10 places. At times, fractions
of a point separated first and second places.
Competition continued in those classes on
Saturday, with Pro-Am joining the action
Sunday with a total of five flightlines running
simultaneously. It was a sight!
Expert was one of the classes in which
fractions of a point separated the contestants.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s technical director,
entered a Beechcraft D-18 from a design by
Nick Ziroli Plans. The model of the large civil
transport that the military used spanned 114
inches and was powered by two Fuji 34 gas
engines, with Robart retracts and a flap
system that Greg designed.
He likes the reliability of the gas engines
in big models. Rarely do you have an engine
out on a twin, and reliability is more
important than brute power in any Scale
model.
Greg went on to win Expert by .82 tenths
of a point over Dennis Crooks with his P-38
Lightning. Dennis also employed gas engines:
3.3 cu. in. counter-rotating Husky
Challengers. The Ziroli Plans P-38 featured
Robart retracts and full-drop Fowler flaps.
Dennis has won at both the AMA Scale
Nationals and the US Scale Masters
Championships with that model.
Third place went to the Jack Diaz with his
BVM F-86F. That is the larger F-86 kit BVM
sells, and it spans 80 inches. He powered his
model with a JetCat Titan turbine. Jack
always has great documentation for his
models. His package featured not one, but
several photos of the full-scale aircraft.
Of the top 10 models in Expert, six were
powered by turbines and one of those was a
turboprop. Of the top 10 finishers, nine had
static scores of 94.000 or higher. There was
no room for error.
Team Scale had more entries this year.
Graeme Mears built a beautiful F-16C with a
wingspan of 108 inches that weighed just 49
pounds. The big US Air Force Thunderbirds
Falcon was powered by an AMT Olympus
turbine. The Penninx F-16 kit featured scale
retract gear and a beautiful cockpit. David
Shulman flew the jet to a first-place finish.
Graeme added beautiful details to the
Falcon, along with onboard computers to
monitor the various systems. He took the two
front panels off to show us where the
members of the Thunderbirds air-show team
had signed their names. Having the full-scale
pilot counterparts sign the model is something
to treasure. The pilots signed one panel, while
the ground crew signed the other.
Second place in Team went to an equally
impressive turbine-powered jet: the A-10
Warthog that Mike Selby built and Raymond
Johns, a US Air Force general, flew. It was
upstaged by the full-scale A-10 just after the
flag-raising ceremony Saturday morning,
though!
The model Warthog spanned 120 inches,
was 112 inches long, weighed 54 pounds, and
was powered by two PST 130R turbines. The
retract gear was from PST Jets. There was a
great story about this Team entry in Popular
Mechanics magazine—a great publicawareness
write-up.
Third place went to the team of builder
Wayne Siewert and pilot Scott Russell with
the beautiful Porsche Mooney. Wayne
competed with the same color scheme 20
years ago. The cockpit details were
something to behold. Check out the interior
photo!
In Masters class you not only have to
build and finish the model you compete with,
but you must have designed it from scale
drawings such as three-views or factory
drawings. Using someone else’s plans is
unacceptable, as in AMA Designer Scale.
This year’s competition was
extraordinarily close. Three modelers could
have taken the first-place trophy and all the
prizes that go with that honor: David Ribbe
with his MiG-15, David Johnson with his 1/3-
scale Albatros D.Va, or David Hayes with his
Rockwell Thrush crop duster.
After the last engine was shut down and
the math was done, David Hayes was
declared the winner by .010 point with his
scratch-built Thrush. His scores were good
enough to win not only Masters class but also
Mr. Top Gun.
If you’ve ever seen crops dusted, you will
know why David squeaked out the win this
year. He flew the model exceptionally low on
the crop-dusting passes, making a steep
Wingover at the end of each pass over the
fields. The maneuver is not only technically
complex, but it also requires great skill as a
pilot.
The Thrush spanned 108 inches, weighed
only 24 pounds, and was powered by a Saito
180 engine. The high-tech stuff was inside,
where David designed the pressurized system
to deliver the spray for each flight.
Top Gun is fierce competition and a display
of competitors giving each other help when
it’s needed. It’s old friends from around the
world getting together and catching up at
dinner or the banquets. It’s Scale competition
at its best.
Hope to see you there next year. Well done,
Frank! MA
Stan Alexander
[email protected]
Sources:
Frank Tiano Enterprises (Top Gun Rules,
scores, scale parts, equipment, Zap Glue, etc.)
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Meister Scale (Dino DiGiorgio, owner)
(772) 621-9692, (772) 812-2391
www.meister-scale.com
BVM
(407) 327-6333
www.bvmjets.com
PST Jets
+662 318-6918
www.pstjets.com
Aerotech Models
(612) 721-1285
www.aerotechmodels.com
JetArtes Gulf Coast (Jet Central)
(941) 468-1246
www.jetartes.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroliplans.com
Model Specialties Co.
(610) 692-4139
www.modelspecialties.com

18 MODEL AVIATION
Top Gun Top Gun Top
Top Gun 2008
Invitational
Top Gun
Top: Greg Hahn built and flew the winning Expert Beechcraft D-18. This masterpiece had a unique system for the three-piece wing; the
flaps came off the model when it was taken apart. Note the landing lights.
Above: Second place in Expert went to Dennis Crooks’s P-38 equipped with counter-rotating engines. The big “Forked Tail Devil,” a
Nick Ziroli design, has scale Fowler flaps.
by Stan Alexander
Below: The starboard-side access panel on Graeme
Mears’ Team Scale-winning F-16C shows the
PowerBox information display. The USAF
Thunderbirds signed the model’s accesspanel
doors at Sun ’n Fun, two
weeks before Top Gun.
August 2008 19
n Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
20 years of pure RC Scale entertainment!
as it been 20 years? The Top Gun
Invitational, held each spring, has
grown and changed in the two decades
since its inception, as has Scale competition
and modeling in general. Looking back at the
first Top Gun, which Frank Tiano conceived,
organized, and promoted tirelessly, you can
see how competition has generated change in
the models flown then vs. the ones at this
year’s event. Likewise, competition has
improved the models flown at national and
international events.
The first Top Gun Invitational was held in
1988 at the Condors R/C Flying Club field in
Coral Springs, Florida. There were 39 entries.
Bob Frey of the 1/8th Air Force flew an
invasion-striped P-47 from Bob Holman
Plans. This year he flew a P-47 built from a
Yellow Aircraft kit.
In 1988, Bob Violett flew a 58-inchwingspan
F-86 using a ducted-fan-engine
combination. This year he flew a larger
turbine-powered F-86. Dave Platt flew his
own-design A6M5-C Zero in 1988, while this
year he flew an A6M3 Zero of his own
design. Steve Sauger flew his Aeronca J5AC
Sedan 20 years ago, and this year he flew a
Stinson trimotor airliner.
Wayne Siewert competed with a new
Porsche-Mooney M20 both at the first Top
Gun and at this year’s edition. Wayne owns
Scale Composites, which produces an
assortment of large-scale kits in both 1/5 and
1/4 scale.
Bob Fiorenze’s F-18, which was the state
of the art in Scale competition at the time,
won at the first Top Gun. It was made from
fiberglass with twin ducted fans powered by
Rossi engines and weighed an astonishing 27
pounds. Now that model is lightweight by
comparison.
Radio systems have changed and
improved dramatically. Reliability is much
Right: Frank Alvarez entered his doubledelta-
wing Saab Draken in Expert. It is
modeled after the 13th of 24 delivered to
the Austrian government in 1987.
The model is 121 inches
long and powered
by a SimJet 3600 turbine.
The business end of the A-10 Warthog,
or Thunderbolt II, that Mike Selby built
for Team Scale. The full-scale A-10 has
a 30mm Gatling gun and Maverick airto-
ground missiles.
H
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Left: Jason Shulman finished 4th in Pro-Am
Pro with his 80-inch-span F-16C, which was
built from a Scale-Jets.com kit. It uses an
AMT Netherlands turbine and has an
overall length of 114 inches.
John Boyko won Pro-Am Am with his Pitts S-1S. Power is
provided by a DA-150 gas engine, and a Futaba 9Z radio system is
used for guidance.
Gerardo Galvez
came from Mexico
with this beautiful
Stearman PT-17.
It oozes detail.
Gerardo finished a
disappointing 15th
in Masters but had
the class’s high
static score of
97.333.
Below: David Wigley designed and built
this Westland Wyvern, which spans 100
inches and is 8 feet long. The back
propeller is powered; the front propeller
spins freely. This Masters-class model’s
various features include, as you can see, an
operational torpedo drop.
Photos by the author
20p9 two-line cutline goes here
Mitch Epstein’s B-17,
built from Don Smith
plans, demonstrates a
bombing run in Pro-Am
Am. As were most other
multiengine models, it
was powered by four
Zenoah G-23s.
The underside of David Hayes’ Masters-winning Rockwell
Thrush reveals the wind generator. It is operational, as are all
the pipes and tubing.
The Thrush
demonstrates a
crop-dusting run.
Thanks for killing
those bugs for us,
Dave!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Jack Diaz finished third in Expert with his F-86F:
“The Huff.” His documentation for this beauty
netted Jack a 94.833 static score. The jet was
built from a Bob Violett Models kit.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
Thomas Singer’s EMB-312 Tucano on a landing approach back
to base. Notice that the flaps and gear are down. He finished
10th in Pro-Am Pro Scale.
Dave Malchione Jr. and his wife, Lauren, show off the Team entry
he flew for Mark Frankel, who designed and built this T-34B.
Sam Snyder built this twin-turbine-powered Avro Vulcan that Steven Ellzey flew in Team
Scale. The huge scratch-built bomber demonstrated a missile drop; they finished 10th.
Power was provided by two JetCat P120s.
A close-up of a rarely modeled F-107A. Built by
Masters-class model spans only 59 inches but is 98
An in-flight shot of the Porsche
Mooney that Scott Russell flew in
Team Scale. The model spans 108
inches and is powered by a DA-50.
Retracts are by Aerotech.
The interior of builder/designer Wayne Siewert’s Porsche Mooney
that finished third in Team class. The kit is available from
Aerotech Models.
On the flightline, Dennis and Linda Crooks listen to flight judge
George Buso before their first run.
Walt Fletcher’s Expert-class Fokker Dr.I was built from a Glenn Torrance Models kit. It
uses electric power and a three-speaker system for engine sound and machine-gun noise.
A full-scale A-10 brings it low for a
crowd-pleasing flyby Saturday
morning. The pilot did a wingover
at the end of the field, dropped his
gear, flaps, and slats, and made a
landing. He enjoyed the Scale show
that morning too.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Ron Schwarzkopf, a Lockheed engineer, the
inches long. It’s nice to see a scratch-built jet!
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top G
A smiling Frank Tiano pilots Brazilian-team builder Octavio Depaula’s PT-19, flown by
Eduardo Esteves. The big 27%-scale, 118-inch-span trainer flew realistically with a ZDZ 60
engine and custom muffler.
Ed Newman with the 1/4-scale Fieseler Storch he designed and built. It spans 140 inches
and is powered with a Laser 3.60 four-stroke engine. Nick Ziroli Sr. flew the large model
in Team Scale.
Danny Corozza flew this 40% Laser 200 to a second-place finish in Pro-Am Am. Power
is provided by a 3W-140 engine.
better with frequencies, and now the 2.4 GHz
systems are starting to dominate. Servos in
general have improved as well.
Jet models are now powered by keroseneburning
turbine engines, and this year there
were also several true turboprop turbines in
competition. Next I hope to see a Harrier do a
vertical takeoff and landing; it’s only a matter
of time.
Electrics have made inroads in RC Scale
in the last 20 years. Updated battery systems
and Li-Poly batteries have made this possible,
as have the power and simplicity of outrunner
electric motors.
After its first two years, Top Gun had
been moved twice. It was held the first time
on the east coast of Florida and then in
Arizona. The event was moved back to
Florida for its third year and has stayed there.
The Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington,
where Top Gun was first held, was a special
place for a modeling contest for spectators.
But moving it to its present location—
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in
Lakeland—made more sense for the
modelers and spectators.
The competition site is a taxiway on one
corner of the airport. There is plenty of
parking and space for RVs. The grandstands
for spectators offer a great view, and those
who want to can buy pit passes for the
weekend.
The modelers’ pit area accommodates
large tents they can rent or they can take their
own. Many participants, especially those who
come from overseas, use the rented tents.
Concession stands and hobby goodies are
available on vendor row, which is behind the
pit area.
Top Gun is an international event, and
modelers from all over the world arrived this
year for its 20th annual celebration. Pilots
represented Great Britain, Norway, Germany,
France, Austria, Thailand, Canada, Mexico,
Brazil, Japan, and several other nations.
As is the event itself, the rules are Frank
Tiano’s. There is a loose rules committee,
and Frank allows input from interested parties
who have taken part as competitors. This lets
the rules evolve for a competition that is fair
to jets, propeller models, and composite and
scratch-built masterpieces. That’s a tall order
in anyone’s book.
This year, the jet models that were flown,
regardless of the power systems they
employed, received a 1.5% deduction in the
flight score. Any tricycle-gear, propellerdriven
aircraft, regardless of power plant,
received no additions or deductions.
Any tail-dragger aircraft, except jets, that
incorporated a tail wheel received a 1%
Dave Johnson puts in a practice flight with
his 1/3-scale Albatros D.Va before going on
to take second place in Masters.
David Hayes, flanked by Frank Tiano (L) and
Sam Wright, holds up his Mr. Top Gun cup.
Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun
Top Gun T A L L Y
All the Numbers
To see the contest results, visit the Frank Tiano Web site and click on Top Gun.
Those Who Make This Event Possible
• Primary Sponsors: Zap Products Pacer, Fly RC magazine
• Major Sponsors: Futaba, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Kempinski Hotels &
Resorts, JR, Red Bull, RCI, Robart, PST Jets, Tribe Organic Hummus, SOS
International
• Associate Sponsors: Nick Ziroli Plans, BVMJets.com, Model Airplane News
magazine, Warbirds Over the Rockies
• Supporting Sponsors: Saito, R/C Report magazine, Top Gun Hussies,
Composite-ARF.com, Traplet Publications, Sarasota Avionics Inc.,
Aerotech Models, Sport RC Flyer magazine, Fuji-Imvac R/C Gas Engines,
Sierra Giant Scale MA
David Hayes gives Werner Kopp of
Propwash Video Productions an
exclusive interview. Werner’s
videos are worth watching!
addition to the flight score. A tail-dragger
using a tail skid received a 2% addition to the
flight score.
There is a limit to the number of years you
can participate in Top Gun with a model that
has the same color scheme, and it has been
increased to five. In addition, you can
completely change the scheme and use the
same model for another three years. This rule
does not apply to models built from plans,
blown-up plans, “highly modified” kits, or
those that feature kit components along with
scratch-built components.
This year there were 111 competitors in the
five classes: Masters, which is much like
Designer Scale; Expert; Team Scale; Pro-Am
Am, for Top Gun novices; and Pro-Am Pro.
Several interesting models were in
competition, one of which was a Saab J 35
Draken fighter bomber that Frank Alvarez
flew in Expert. This was its first contest. The
48-pound aircraft was 121 inches long,
spanned 77 inches at the TE, and featured a
double delta wing. It was built from a kit by
Liebetrau, which also manufactured the
landing gear. A SimJet 3600 turbine powered
the large jet realistically.
David Wigley’s Westland Wyvern was
another fascinating entry. The full-scale post-
World War II design was actually used as a
torpedo bomber. Dave did a beautiful job of
scratch-building his model, which included
counter-rotating propellers.
The combined Pro-Am class comprised
46% of the contestants. Another significant
statistic is that 37—or 36.5%—of the entries
were jets. This is the largest number of jets
entered at any Scale contest I’m aware of, and
they were from a variety of designers.
Competition took place April 23-27. The
first two rounds of Pro-Am were contested on
Wednesday, while Team, Expert, and Masters
were static-judged in the pit area. Two
additional rounds of Pro-Am were flown
Thursday, and the final fifth round was flown
Sunday.
David Payne flew his beautiful B-17G in
Pro-Am. He selected its “Nine O Nine” color
scheme from an airplane that the Collins
Foundation owns and flies at locations across
the country in remembrance of World War II
veterans.
One of the B-17’s maneuvers is a
simulated engine out (smoking heavily) and
one main gear stuck in the up position.
Watching the big 144-inch-wingspan model
lumber overhead gave me chills.
In Pro-Am, most of the jets and several
World War II fighters were either built from
carbon fiber or fiberglass and were
premolded.
Jason Shulman’s F-16C stood out in an
arctic camouflage paint scheme with Czech
Republic markings. Kent Nogy flew a Bob
Violett Models (BVM) F-80. There was
nothing new there, except that it had electricducted-
fan power.
BVM developed the new system and is
marketing it as the Electric VioFan, designed
by propulsion engineer Lee Anderson. The F-
80 had good power and looked realistic in the
air with a few of the other jets, flying at what
seemed to be Mach 5.
Another great development for those of us
who love the smell of kerosene in the
mornings is the turboprop engine. (That is not
a typo.) Models of turbine-powered propeller
airplanes can now be powered by the real
thing.
There were several of those aircraft at Top
Gun, including the EMBRAER EMB-312
Tucano that Thomas Singer built and flew in
Pro-Am. It had an outstanding color scheme.
The big turboprop featured smoke as an
option for air-show work and all the normal
scale options including an opening canopy
and detailed cockpit.
Dino DiGiorgio flew a Pat McCurry
design to first place in Pro-Am Pro. The Me
109G-6 is available from Meister Scale,
which has an extensive line of World War II
Allied and Axis fighter aircraft.
The new kit, due out this August, is built
to 1/4 scale—a common size for warbirds at
contests such as this. Most models that size
with a single engine span 100-118 inches.
This 109 was powered by an 85cc engine with
a custom muffler. The Desert Aircraft DA-85
had plenty of power, and it runs extremely
smoothly for a single-cylinder power plant.
Second place in Pro-Am Pro went to Brian
O’Meara’s 1/4-scale Hawker Sea Fury. The
full-scale version was the last piston fighter
for many air forces, and Brian selected a
Cuban Air Force color scheme for his model.
It was powered by a Moki 250cc radial engine
and used Sierra retracts.
John Boyko flew his gorgeous Pitts S-1S
to a win in Pro-Am Am. He built the 50%-
scale model in four years and has flown it at
the AMA Scale Nationals. The big aerobatic
biplane is powered by a DA-150 engine and
features smoke control.
Friday saw the first round of flight
competition for Expert, Masters, and Team. In
most classes it could have been anyone’s win
within the first 10 places. At times, fractions
of a point separated first and second places.
Competition continued in those classes on
Saturday, with Pro-Am joining the action
Sunday with a total of five flightlines running
simultaneously. It was a sight!
Expert was one of the classes in which
fractions of a point separated the contestants.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s technical director,
entered a Beechcraft D-18 from a design by
Nick Ziroli Plans. The model of the large civil
transport that the military used spanned 114
inches and was powered by two Fuji 34 gas
engines, with Robart retracts and a flap
system that Greg designed.
He likes the reliability of the gas engines
in big models. Rarely do you have an engine
out on a twin, and reliability is more
important than brute power in any Scale
model.
Greg went on to win Expert by .82 tenths
of a point over Dennis Crooks with his P-38
Lightning. Dennis also employed gas engines:
3.3 cu. in. counter-rotating Husky
Challengers. The Ziroli Plans P-38 featured
Robart retracts and full-drop Fowler flaps.
Dennis has won at both the AMA Scale
Nationals and the US Scale Masters
Championships with that model.
Third place went to the Jack Diaz with his
BVM F-86F. That is the larger F-86 kit BVM
sells, and it spans 80 inches. He powered his
model with a JetCat Titan turbine. Jack
always has great documentation for his
models. His package featured not one, but
several photos of the full-scale aircraft.
Of the top 10 models in Expert, six were
powered by turbines and one of those was a
turboprop. Of the top 10 finishers, nine had
static scores of 94.000 or higher. There was
no room for error.
Team Scale had more entries this year.
Graeme Mears built a beautiful F-16C with a
wingspan of 108 inches that weighed just 49
pounds. The big US Air Force Thunderbirds
Falcon was powered by an AMT Olympus
turbine. The Penninx F-16 kit featured scale
retract gear and a beautiful cockpit. David
Shulman flew the jet to a first-place finish.
Graeme added beautiful details to the
Falcon, along with onboard computers to
monitor the various systems. He took the two
front panels off to show us where the
members of the Thunderbirds air-show team
had signed their names. Having the full-scale
pilot counterparts sign the model is something
to treasure. The pilots signed one panel, while
the ground crew signed the other.
Second place in Team went to an equally
impressive turbine-powered jet: the A-10
Warthog that Mike Selby built and Raymond
Johns, a US Air Force general, flew. It was
upstaged by the full-scale A-10 just after the
flag-raising ceremony Saturday morning,
though!
The model Warthog spanned 120 inches,
was 112 inches long, weighed 54 pounds, and
was powered by two PST 130R turbines. The
retract gear was from PST Jets. There was a
great story about this Team entry in Popular
Mechanics magazine—a great publicawareness
write-up.
Third place went to the team of builder
Wayne Siewert and pilot Scott Russell with
the beautiful Porsche Mooney. Wayne
competed with the same color scheme 20
years ago. The cockpit details were
something to behold. Check out the interior
photo!
In Masters class you not only have to
build and finish the model you compete with,
but you must have designed it from scale
drawings such as three-views or factory
drawings. Using someone else’s plans is
unacceptable, as in AMA Designer Scale.
This year’s competition was
extraordinarily close. Three modelers could
have taken the first-place trophy and all the
prizes that go with that honor: David Ribbe
with his MiG-15, David Johnson with his 1/3-
scale Albatros D.Va, or David Hayes with his
Rockwell Thrush crop duster.
After the last engine was shut down and
the math was done, David Hayes was
declared the winner by .010 point with his
scratch-built Thrush. His scores were good
enough to win not only Masters class but also
Mr. Top Gun.
If you’ve ever seen crops dusted, you will
know why David squeaked out the win this
year. He flew the model exceptionally low on
the crop-dusting passes, making a steep
Wingover at the end of each pass over the
fields. The maneuver is not only technically
complex, but it also requires great skill as a
pilot.
The Thrush spanned 108 inches, weighed
only 24 pounds, and was powered by a Saito
180 engine. The high-tech stuff was inside,
where David designed the pressurized system
to deliver the spray for each flight.
Top Gun is fierce competition and a display
of competitors giving each other help when
it’s needed. It’s old friends from around the
world getting together and catching up at
dinner or the banquets. It’s Scale competition
at its best.
Hope to see you there next year. Well done,
Frank! MA
Stan Alexander
[email protected]
Sources:
Frank Tiano Enterprises (Top Gun Rules,
scores, scale parts, equipment, Zap Glue, etc.)
(863) 607-6611
www.franktiano.com
Meister Scale (Dino DiGiorgio, owner)
(772) 621-9692, (772) 812-2391
www.meister-scale.com
BVM
(407) 327-6333
www.bvmjets.com
PST Jets
+662 318-6918
www.pstjets.com
Aerotech Models
(612) 721-1285
www.aerotechmodels.com
JetArtes Gulf Coast (Jet Central)
(941) 468-1246
www.jetartes.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
www.ziroliplans.com
Model Specialties Co.
(610) 692-4139
www.modelspecialties.com