E-Jets International - 2010/03

THE SUCCESS OF electric power systems
has been a source of rebirth, in many ways, to
aeromodeling. This technology’s development
has excited new and old enthusiasts about
trying it and, in doing so, has either
permanently hooked them on the activity or
re-established their wonderment about
aviation that went dormant long ago for one
reason or another.
The Columbus, Ohio, area has an
enormous modeling community; a swarm of
clubs accommodating almost every special
interest is located throughout the region. And,
naturally, the abundance in activity springs
innovation.
Evidence of that was the introduction of
the JR Indoor Electric Festival, which
arguably spurred the indoor RC movement
that has spread across the country. That
inspired Terry Nitsch and company to create
the Columbus Indoor Modelers Association,
to help encourage and satisfy the runaway
indoor RC activity.
Again, Terry has his hand on the pulse of
the electric RC community—this time with
the howl and that roar that is so in tune with
his Top Gun Scale contest success and activity
with the Jet Pilots’ Association (JPO). With
The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS) at
its Field of Dreams in Grove City (which is
roughly 8 miles south of Columbus), the JPO
converted the widely popular Ohio Jet
Scramble into the world-class E-Jets
International.
Last year marked the event’s second
anniversary, and electric ducted fans (EDFs)
March 2010 45
howled from September 10 through the 13th.
E-Jet pilots were welcomed from Canada,
Great Britain, Austria, Germany, Georgia
(Russia), and across the US. This event
welcomed attendees ranging from beginners
with RTF foamies to the pilot who was
declared the Top Speed Champion after a
three-day showdown.
Turbines are now only one of the avenues
to explore if you’re interested in a great jet
experience. In E-Jets, TORKS has created a
place where someone who is looking for the
best of the best in electric jet equipment can
go to see everything that is available.
Great vendors displayed their latest goods
at the event and peppered the site with experts
who were willing to help and answer
questions. Not only was this a weekend to see
the best E-jet action, but it was also an
opportunity for a person to win a raffle or lay
down money and take one home. That’s
instant “jetification”!
The TORKS field is located on the grounds
of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio
(SWACO), on Young Road south of Grove
City. Boasting a 20-year lease (signed in
1996), this premier flying site includes a 70 x
1,000-foot asphalt runway, a 100 x 700-foot
grass runway, a dedicated helicopter flying
area, a garage with a covered patio, and
plenty of parking.
For club members, the location is a dream
come true. Named exactly that—the Field of
Dreams—it’s ideal for flying all sizes and
types of aircraft, including large-scale
airplanes and turbine-powered jets.
Skydivers and a helicopter candy drop
were highlights of the Saturday and Sunday
halftime shows at E-Jets International.
General admission was only $5 per car, so the
public filled the field during the weekend.
The pilot fee was also reasonable. It
included on-site camping (no hookups) and
ample flightline space on which attendees
could plant their canopies for comfort and
shade.
At the field house area, special tables were
arranged under covering, close to the
facility’s electric power box. In that space, the
club set up at least a dozen power inverters
for guests to employ to charge batteries. In
addition, the area was secure under a TORKS
member’s watchful eye. For those who
weren’t self-sufficient for charging or didn’t
want to keep their car hoods up all day, this
was a considerate provision.
The pilot registration package included
what was close to the best information kit I
have seen. Had I not already been impressed
with the Grove City area, that packet could
have easily convinced me to move there.
Lodging and food were plentiful around
the TORKS field, but some of the best
commercial food vendors were on-site. There
was almost no reason to leave the venue
during weekend.
The event officially opened at 9 a.m. and
closed at 6 p.m. Before and after those times,
test-flying and non-electric-powered jets were
welcome.
The flight schedule was clearly organized;
tarmac-only time slots accommodated only
high-performance (exceeding 100 mph, of
Top Speed Standings
1. Rob Lynch: 193 mph
2. Larry Johnson: 190 mph
3. Tim Redelman: 189 mph
4. Bob Violett: 186 mph
5. Enrico Traby: 181 mph
E-Jets Awards
Best Finish: Ralf Dvorak’s BVM Electra
Outstanding Flight, Sport: Rob Lynch’s
BVM Electra
Outstanding Flight, Scale: Jim Drew/Scott
Balhde’s Byron F-15
Best Scale Jet: Bob Violett’s F-86
Best Foam Jet: Jason Cole’s Su-43
Best of Show: Bob Violett’s F4U
Hobby-Related Sponsors
Xtreme Power Systems
BVM Jets
Tam Jets R/C Model
Hoffman Magnetics
Model Airplane News
Horizon Hobby
Sapac America
Easy Tiger Models
Zap Adhesives—Frank Tiano Enterprises
Thunder Power RC
Esprit Model
Hobby Lobby International, Inc.
Castle Creations
Dyn-E-Max
Zurich Sunglasses
Luke’s RC Planes
TeeRific Jet Models
Pro-Mark Graphics
E-Jets Committee: Kevin Petrilla, Terry
Nitsch, Dave May, Bob Queen, Dave
Alden, Mike Redenshek
E-Jets International Notables
any composition) aircraft with landing gear.
Grass-and- tarmac time slots were carved out
for hand-launched, bungee-launched, and sub-
100 mph models with landing gear.
One of the conveniences I found
particularly delightful was the “corn dogs.”
No, not the food (although they were on the
menu).
These were the good volunteers who not
only ran out to get belly-landed airplanes
from the grass and returned them to pilots
with a smile, but they were also the saints
who drove to the cornfield on the near side of
the property to find models ditched within.
In the cornfield, a corn dog carried a tall
flag and a two-way radio. Employing a droppoint
guide, the pilot and a helper directed the
volunteer who, in short order, plucked the
model from the field. It’s a heck of a system.
A flightline boss managed the arrival and
departure of all the fast-moving models on the
field. In a shaded tent not far behind was an
air show personality who read pilot
information and aircraft statistics to the baited
audience via the personal-address system.
E-Jets is similar to a full-scale air show, only
smaller, making the pilots heroes of sorts. It’s
fun for the kids and family. In addition, a
sizable chunk of the proceeds go back to the
community and a local charity.
The event is also about being professional.
Well more than a dozen fliers signed up for
the challenge to become the 2009 Top Speed
Champion.
Many TORKS officials have time as
directors of precision aerobatics competitions,
and they understood how important rules and
conditions are in a fair contest. Any aircraft
was eligible, as long as it was electricpowered
with a ducted-fan system.
The course was set with a 200-footaltitude
limit, and the fastest of three passes
per heat was recorded as a jet’s top speed after
a successful landing. The flier launched from
downwind toward the runway centerline,
where a radar gun was located.
Energy management and a set of good
batteries appeared to be the keys to winning
the speed contest. Upon takeoff, the pilot
slowly warmed up the batteries by doing a
conservative climb to altitude and a trim pass
with the model. The first pass was the best
that any setup had to offer. I witnessed one
pass that clocked nearly 200 mph, but that
aircraft overstressed its batteries and found
the corn.
The winner was a smooth pilot, and he
owned a BVM model that was similar to the
other top four finalists’. These jets are only
starting to get fast.
E-Jets International is about pleasing the
pilots and ensuring that they are as
comfortable as possible with the event
conditions. In turn, they get their models to
the flightline more often and keep the show
going.
In celebration of that agreement, there was
a Saturday-night banquet at a nearby country
club that featured good food and drink.
Awards were given to people for their
contributions to the event’s success.
Everything I’ve mentioned in this article
makes E-Jets worth planning to attend this
year. MA
Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
Sources:
E-Jets International
www.ejetsinternational.com
TORKS
(614) 871-1384
www.torks.com
JPO
(904) 318-7171
www.jetpilots.org
03sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 1:04 PM Page 45

THE SUCCESS OF electric power systems
has been a source of rebirth, in many ways, to
aeromodeling. This technology’s development
has excited new and old enthusiasts about
trying it and, in doing so, has either
permanently hooked them on the activity or
re-established their wonderment about
aviation that went dormant long ago for one
reason or another.
The Columbus, Ohio, area has an
enormous modeling community; a swarm of
clubs accommodating almost every special
interest is located throughout the region. And,
naturally, the abundance in activity springs
innovation.
Evidence of that was the introduction of
the JR Indoor Electric Festival, which
arguably spurred the indoor RC movement
that has spread across the country. That
inspired Terry Nitsch and company to create
the Columbus Indoor Modelers Association,
to help encourage and satisfy the runaway
indoor RC activity.
Again, Terry has his hand on the pulse of
the electric RC community—this time with
the howl and that roar that is so in tune with
his Top Gun Scale contest success and activity
with the Jet Pilots’ Association (JPO). With
The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS) at
its Field of Dreams in Grove City (which is
roughly 8 miles south of Columbus), the JPO
converted the widely popular Ohio Jet
Scramble into the world-class E-Jets
International.
Last year marked the event’s second
anniversary, and electric ducted fans (EDFs)
March 2010 45
howled from September 10 through the 13th.
E-Jet pilots were welcomed from Canada,
Great Britain, Austria, Germany, Georgia
(Russia), and across the US. This event
welcomed attendees ranging from beginners
with RTF foamies to the pilot who was
declared the Top Speed Champion after a
three-day showdown.
Turbines are now only one of the avenues
to explore if you’re interested in a great jet
experience. In E-Jets, TORKS has created a
place where someone who is looking for the
best of the best in electric jet equipment can
go to see everything that is available.
Great vendors displayed their latest goods
at the event and peppered the site with experts
who were willing to help and answer
questions. Not only was this a weekend to see
the best E-jet action, but it was also an
opportunity for a person to win a raffle or lay
down money and take one home. That’s
instant “jetification”!
The TORKS field is located on the grounds
of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio
(SWACO), on Young Road south of Grove
City. Boasting a 20-year lease (signed in
1996), this premier flying site includes a 70 x
1,000-foot asphalt runway, a 100 x 700-foot
grass runway, a dedicated helicopter flying
area, a garage with a covered patio, and
plenty of parking.
For club members, the location is a dream
come true. Named exactly that—the Field of
Dreams—it’s ideal for flying all sizes and
types of aircraft, including large-scale
airplanes and turbine-powered jets.
Skydivers and a helicopter candy drop
were highlights of the Saturday and Sunday
halftime shows at E-Jets International.
General admission was only $5 per car, so the
public filled the field during the weekend.
The pilot fee was also reasonable. It
included on-site camping (no hookups) and
ample flightline space on which attendees
could plant their canopies for comfort and
shade.
At the field house area, special tables were
arranged under covering, close to the
facility’s electric power box. In that space, the
club set up at least a dozen power inverters
for guests to employ to charge batteries. In
addition, the area was secure under a TORKS
member’s watchful eye. For those who
weren’t self-sufficient for charging or didn’t
want to keep their car hoods up all day, this
was a considerate provision.
The pilot registration package included
what was close to the best information kit I
have seen. Had I not already been impressed
with the Grove City area, that packet could
have easily convinced me to move there.
Lodging and food were plentiful around
the TORKS field, but some of the best
commercial food vendors were on-site. There
was almost no reason to leave the venue
during weekend.
The event officially opened at 9 a.m. and
closed at 6 p.m. Before and after those times,
test-flying and non-electric-powered jets were
welcome.
The flight schedule was clearly organized;
tarmac-only time slots accommodated only
high-performance (exceeding 100 mph, of
Top Speed Standings
1. Rob Lynch: 193 mph
2. Larry Johnson: 190 mph
3. Tim Redelman: 189 mph
4. Bob Violett: 186 mph
5. Enrico Traby: 181 mph
E-Jets Awards
Best Finish: Ralf Dvorak’s BVM Electra
Outstanding Flight, Sport: Rob Lynch’s
BVM Electra
Outstanding Flight, Scale: Jim Drew/Scott
Balhde’s Byron F-15
Best Scale Jet: Bob Violett’s F-86
Best Foam Jet: Jason Cole’s Su-43
Best of Show: Bob Violett’s F4U
Hobby-Related Sponsors
Xtreme Power Systems
BVM Jets
Tam Jets R/C Model
Hoffman Magnetics
Model Airplane News
Horizon Hobby
Sapac America
Easy Tiger Models
Zap Adhesives—Frank Tiano Enterprises
Thunder Power RC
Esprit Model
Hobby Lobby International, Inc.
Castle Creations
Dyn-E-Max
Zurich Sunglasses
Luke’s RC Planes
TeeRific Jet Models
Pro-Mark Graphics
E-Jets Committee: Kevin Petrilla, Terry
Nitsch, Dave May, Bob Queen, Dave
Alden, Mike Redenshek
E-Jets International Notables
any composition) aircraft with landing gear.
Grass-and- tarmac time slots were carved out
for hand-launched, bungee-launched, and sub-
100 mph models with landing gear.
One of the conveniences I found
particularly delightful was the “corn dogs.”
No, not the food (although they were on the
menu).
These were the good volunteers who not
only ran out to get belly-landed airplanes
from the grass and returned them to pilots
with a smile, but they were also the saints
who drove to the cornfield on the near side of
the property to find models ditched within.
In the cornfield, a corn dog carried a tall
flag and a two-way radio. Employing a droppoint
guide, the pilot and a helper directed the
volunteer who, in short order, plucked the
model from the field. It’s a heck of a system.
A flightline boss managed the arrival and
departure of all the fast-moving models on the
field. In a shaded tent not far behind was an
air show personality who read pilot
information and aircraft statistics to the baited
audience via the personal-address system.
E-Jets is similar to a full-scale air show, only
smaller, making the pilots heroes of sorts. It’s
fun for the kids and family. In addition, a
sizable chunk of the proceeds go back to the
community and a local charity.
The event is also about being professional.
Well more than a dozen fliers signed up for
the challenge to become the 2009 Top Speed
Champion.
Many TORKS officials have time as
directors of precision aerobatics competitions,
and they understood how important rules and
conditions are in a fair contest. Any aircraft
was eligible, as long as it was electricpowered
with a ducted-fan system.
The course was set with a 200-footaltitude
limit, and the fastest of three passes
per heat was recorded as a jet’s top speed after
a successful landing. The flier launched from
downwind toward the runway centerline,
where a radar gun was located.
Energy management and a set of good
batteries appeared to be the keys to winning
the speed contest. Upon takeoff, the pilot
slowly warmed up the batteries by doing a
conservative climb to altitude and a trim pass
with the model. The first pass was the best
that any setup had to offer. I witnessed one
pass that clocked nearly 200 mph, but that
aircraft overstressed its batteries and found
the corn.
The winner was a smooth pilot, and he
owned a BVM model that was similar to the
other top four finalists’. These jets are only
starting to get fast.
E-Jets International is about pleasing the
pilots and ensuring that they are as
comfortable as possible with the event
conditions. In turn, they get their models to
the flightline more often and keep the show
going.
In celebration of that agreement, there was
a Saturday-night banquet at a nearby country
club that featured good food and drink.
Awards were given to people for their
contributions to the event’s success.
Everything I’ve mentioned in this article
makes E-Jets worth planning to attend this
year. MA
Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
Sources:
E-Jets International
www.ejetsinternational.com
TORKS
(614) 871-1384
www.torks.com
JPO
(904) 318-7171
www.jetpilots.org
03sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 1:04 PM Page 45