GP e-fest 2008

Pilots beat back
the chill of
winter at this hot
indoor fun-fly
by Mark Fadely
Scott DeTray of Model Aero kitted this AeroCat that
flies faster than 70 mph. Craig Koerner is the pilot,
and he flew it Saturday night in the Pylon Race.
Right: Dave Johnson enjoys flying this all-foam P-51.
He rigged tubes of ZAP glue that attach to the wings,
and the model can drop the glue bottles in-flight.
June 2008 17
I WAS LOOKING forward to February this year. That
may sound odd coming from someone who lives in the
frozen tundra of the Midwest. E-Fest was the reason for
my excitement. This was my third time attending the
midwinter get-together, which was held the first weekend
in February: the 9th and 10th.
The last couple treks to Champaign, Illinois, have been
Photos by the author
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:34 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Top left: Bobby Watts puts the
“Smack” in Smackdown while he
demonstrates his Miniature Aircraft
Bandit 450’s 3-D performance. It is built
with traditional X-Cell quality
throughout.
Top right: John Stokes and his daughter
look “stoked” while they enjoy a few
flights together with the new Revell
Piloto in the micro-airplane area.
Middle left: Kyle Stacy pilots this Gaui
200. It is even smaller than a T-Rex 450
but has mostly machined-aluminum
parts. The little machine can 3-D like its
bigger brothers.
Middle right: Dave Johnson scratch-built
this de Havilland D.H.2 mostly from
Depron foam. It uses a Rimfire 2822
motor and an ElectriFly 300 mAh Li-
Poly battery.
Left: Pete Foss pilots this Mosquito.
Bob Selman Designs kits the amazing
flier, which is powered by two
Plantraco 7mm motors.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:38 PM Page 18
June 2008 19
According to pilot Ron Richardson, this Billy Hell Phat Boy flies great.
It is built from balsa and covered with Litespan.
This young pilot is on the
move to relaunch her free
glider. The kids were
invited to participate in a
“Make It Take It” contest,
in which each child built a
model and then flew it.
Mike Fuller designed and built
this cool rocket just for fun. It
has a reversible propeller, so he
can point the model straight
down and stop the descent.
Brandon Chitty is all
smiles after winning
the 3-D airplane
contest. He put on a
clinic with his Maxum
biplane.
Above: Matt Andren’s Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar rounds
the corner for a photo pass in front of spectators. He won
Indoor Scale with his beautiful and unique model.
Below: Chase Wolk (Huntsville AL) gives his E-flite Enticement
a workout. He uses Thunder Power batteries and the
Spektrum Nanolite system.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:41 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Keith Sumler pilots this ParkZone Cessna like a pro after just two years of flying RC. The model’s unique electronics house the servos
and receiver on a single circuit board.
This Mini Butterfly’s framework is all carbon and is covered with
clear film. Its owner, Keith Sumler, says it will fly for 20 minutes
on one charge.
Above: “Go Colts!” Even though the Indianapolis Colts folded in last
year’s playoffs, Dave Sloan (Anderson IN) is proud to fly the flag.
Left: Mark Jorgenson readies his model amidst a sea of foam in
the E-Fest pits. A crowd of 372 registered pilots and tons of
spectators made for an action-packed show.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 1:49 PM Page 20
June 2008 21
Above: Jim T. Graham of RCGroups adjusts the
live Web cam. Feeds of the E-Fest ran
continuously to home computers around the
world. Thanks to Jim for maintaining the
technical aspects of all the equipment for those
who could not be there.
Above: The full-scale Demoiselle had a control stick
located behind the pilot, who would slip it through a
cutout in his flight suit. As he leaned left or right, the
airplane would bank accordingly.
Left: Alfred Fusco, who has been flying for six years,
was back this year flying better than ever. His Raptor is
powered by an AXi 2208/24 motor.
Jim Fassino has cool little airplanes and
helicopters. He scratch-built his tiny Demoiselle
from scaled-down plans. It is 100% balsa with silk
covering.
Futaba shows its
colors with this
biplane. The new
2.4 GHz FASST
control system was
used heavily during
the weekend. No
interference was
reported, and no
frequency pins were
needed with the
new technology.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:49 PM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Top left: This all-foam Taylorcraft pops
against the E-Fest arena’s dark
background. It is guided by Futaba
electronics.
Above: The Great Planes booth featured
flat-screen TVs with working RealFlight
simulators. Anyone could stop and have a
go with one of the many aircraft that the
G4 includes.
Left: Mike Fuller turned a foamie car
model into a sweet-flying airplane. It even
has a neon lighting set from Lazertoyz,
and the suspension and steering are
operable.
Below: Can you believe that this Sikorsky
S-55 is made from paper? Michael Lising,
who does a lot of graphic-design work,
drew and printed the templates using his
computer.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:53 PM Page 22
June 2008 23
during unseasonably cold weather. I was
hoping that this year would be different since
the temperatures were in the 50s a few days
before the event. That wishful thinking was
soon crushed; we ended up with some of the
coldest weather of the year.
Single-digit temperatures and bonechilling
winds greeted us Saturday evening as
we left the flying site. But that is exactly the
kind of weather that makes E-Fest a huge
draw to winter-worn RCers.
Many pilots find smaller local indoor
places to fly during the cold months, but not
too many of us have access to a venue as large
as the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign’s Armory. That is where all the
university’s indoor track and field events are
held. The place is huge and has 100-foot-high
ceilings.
CD Frank Noll, Great Planes, and Futaba
have done an awesome job of making this
gathering fun. The volunteers who worked the
event were super-nice and went out of their
way to help.
This year marked E-Fest’s third
anniversary. It was big—and I mean really
big. There were 372 registered pilots. Thank
goodness for spread spectrum RC equipment!
The flightlines were standing-room only, and
the air was filled with airplanes and
helicopters at all times. I’ll bet the air
molecules in the Armory were exhausted after
the long weekend of propeller and rotor
beatings.
Even with the large crowd, there was not a
long wait to find an open flight station. At
peak times the wait was only roughly 10
minutes, which was not bad at all.
I preregistered this year, which meant that
my pilot card and goody bag were ready for
me when I arrived early Saturday morning.
The items in the goody bag are worth way
more than the price of admission. There were
two Futaba S3114 microservos, Zap Foam
Safe CA, all kinds of other cool stuff, and
even a pack of gum to refresh a pilot’s breath.
(Frank, how did you know?)
One Pilot’s Perspective: I met a pilot named
Mike Fuller, and I quickly learned that we
have a lot in common. We both have a
lifelong love of aviation and RC, and the
obsession started when we were young boys.
Mike has been deeply involved in
competition and model design through the
years. I asked him for some information about
the models he brought to E-Fest. And I
wanted to learn a little more about him; he is
an extremely interesting person.
He said:
“On to a short bio. I’ve been flying RC
since 1974 as a 12-year-old boy, when my dad
told me, ‘You build a trainer plane and I’ll
outfit the rest.’ I actually hated building back
in the day, but it was an evil necessity.
“I enjoy every RC flying facet of this
hobby from 5-ounce foamies to 35-pound
turbine jets. The ability to compete and be
competitive in different venues over the years,
I believe, is rooted in those early years of
building from scratch and kit bashing.
“Now, with present-day electrics, wow!
What a breath of fresh air. With Depron foam
and power-to-weight ratios of 2-plus:1,
AMA’s Park Pilot Program
When the weather does get better, the same models flown at the 2008 E-Fest will be flown
outdoors. The fastest-growing segment of RC is park flyers. The AMA wants everyone to
know that it is supporting this aspect of RC with the new Park Pilot Program (PPP).
In the next few years, many park flyer clubs will be established in various regions. This is an
exciting program because it is our chance to bring organized RC back to urban areas. Most
flying fields for larger models have been moving farther away from the cities as new
development takes over. The PPP is a great opportunity for our hobby to be visible and
promoted within the city again.
The parks that have been contacted so far have been receptive because the park flyers are
small and quiet. There is a 2-pound weight limit for PPP aircraft, and a special membership
includes insurance, a magazine, direction and support from AMA staff members, and a few
other goodies. All this is available to the park flyer pilot at a reduced cost of $29.95 per year.
To learn more about this program, go to www.modelaircraft.org/parkflyer.aspx or contact the
Academy at (800) I-FLY-AMA ([800] 435-9262). MA
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 1:58 PM Page 23
anything is possible of giving the illusion of
flight, when in reality all that really happens
is thrust vectoring of the prop.
“My latest creation is of a kit-bashed GT
racecar from www.troysrc.com. The object of
my obsession is to start with a kit and then
make it perform better through weight
reductions and features, setting them apart
from the original. The kit is very complete,
including all wheels and machined axle parts.
Using a mix of 3 and 6mm Depron, it is
mostly 2-D looks with excellent
performance.”
Mike also had a cool rocket he designed
and flew. I remember last year when he flew
the hydroplane boats that can take off from
land or water. That is amazing stuff, Mike.
Thanks for sharing.
“Make It Take It” for the Kids: All the kids
who attend the event are invited to make their
own balsa airplanes. After the models are
assembled, all flying is halted for a few
minutes. The girls and boys are lined up
across the arena, and all at once they throw
their aircraft into the air to see whose travels
the farthest.
This event is a great deal of fun. We older
pilots sat back and reminisced about our days
as young modelers. It is a great introduction
into our hobby, and from the looks on some
of the participants’ faces I’ll bet there were
some lifelong aviators in that group.
On the subject of younger fliers, there
were quite a few at E-Fest this year. In the last
several years there has been a resurgence of
kids coming back to the hobby. The
equipment is so much more user-friendly
now, and tools such as simulators have taken
many pitfalls and expenses out of the learning
curve.
Vendors: There were many RC vendors at
the event. The outer area was filled with
various booths that were full of cool stuff. I
bought some nice tools at this year’s show. It
was nice to see the business people of the
hobby supporting this event.
Airplanes: The diversity of aircraft was
amazing. I was impressed with some of the
micro stuff.
The venue had certain areas designated to
fly each type of model. This helps keep the
peace when there are so many vehicles in the
air simultaneously. It made good sense to
keep the fire-breathing, foam-chewing
helicopters on the opposite end from the
delicate micro-size airplanes.
I wanted to learn more about the micro
world, so I walked down to that corner of the
arena and parked myself in the middle of the
five active pilots. Most of these little aircraft
weighed just grams. Some had full fourchannel
control with servos, and others had
micro-size actuators to move the control
surfaces. There were scale models and even
twins!
Plantraco makes several varieties of supersmall
airplanes that come complete with
transmitters and carrying cases. These models
are so small that it is incredible that you can
even control them.
The micro-size flyers are designed with a
control-surface actuator, which is different
from a conventional servo. The actuators have
no gears; they work with electromagnetic
charges and a coil of wire. It’s amazing that
the controls are fully proportional, identical to
the bigger servo-controlled models. Watching
those micromodels fly and talking to the
pilots was intriguing.
There were many other cool airplanes at
E-Fest 2008. Foamies were everywhere, and
the advances in aerodynamic design were
stepped up this year.
Pilots and designers are learning a great
deal about how these light, slow models
respond to their environment. Side-force
generators, slits, slats, drag panels, and a host
of other unique ideas are constantly being
developed in the hopes of designing that
“perfect” airplane.
Andrew Jesky and Larry Markey designed
a new biplane called the “Blender.” There
were other new prototype models, such as the
ElectriFly YAK 54 and the E-flite Enticement
F3P. The YAK will be ready late in the
season, but the Enticement has been in the
hobby shops for a while. Both are terrific
examples of how light and precise flat foam
models can be made.
Saturday evening there was a 3-D airplane
contest for all the hot pilots. They put on a
great show, and their piloting skills have to be
seen to be believed. It was amazing stuff,
guys!
Most of the top fliers who compete in the
XFC (Extreme Flight Championships) were
24 MODEL AVIATION
in the 3-D competition. Newcomer Brandon
Chitty won the contest; he flew great with his
Maxum biplane. Jason Noll, Andrew Jesky,
Mark Leseberg, Sean McMurtry, Jason
Shulman, Nick Maxwell, Brian Bremmer, and
others rounded out the field. That is some
serious name-dropping!
I really liked some of the Scale models
that flew. Several builders had taken the time
to make built-up balsa airplanes covered with
silklike skin. Jason Noll and Matt Andren
won the Scale contest with their home-built
creations.
Those aircraft were fantastic to watch fly
because they reminded me of how many of
those I had built through the years. It is also
nice to see that there is still an interest in the
stick-built models. There was also a Pylon
Race and a couple other impromptu events.
Helicopters: The helicopters made a big
splash at E-Fest ’08. Somehow the pilots’
skills are getting better each year. There were
also many beginner and intermediate fliers. I
had fun seeing the pilots I knew and meeting
new ones.
The machine that stood out this year was
the new Miniature Aircraft Bandit 450. This
little dynamo upholds the X-Cell tradition of
high quality and attention to detail. The head
is new, and it can withstand a rotor rpm of
more than 4,000! High rotor speed is the key
to getting the small helicopters to perform.
Bobby Watts, Nick Maxwell, and Kyle
Stacy flew Bandits. Nick won the 3-D Heli
Smackdown contest for the third year in a
row. Way to go! A stellar group of pilots
competed in the Smackdown event.
Chris Harmon is an excellent pilot, and he
was representing with the Beam 450 from
Advantage Hobby. The Beam is also new to
the market, and it appears to be a top
performer. Matt Botos flew the Thunder
Tiger mini Titan E325, and Bert Kammerer
represented Align flying the T-Rex 450SE
V2.
The helicopter people had a section to
themselves on the south side of the Armory.
There were pilots pounding their 3-D
machines while coaxial helicopters hovered in
the middle of the mayhem. Nobody seemed to
get too upset about all the commotion. There
was typically a small line of pilots waiting to
fly in the helicopter area, but the delay was
minimal.
Fix-It and Charge-It: A wonderful
convenience was the fixing and charging
tables at E-Fest. The organizers thought of
everything! You could take your batteries or
disabled aircraft to a free table to charge or
fix, where you could use the glue and
accessories for no charge.
That was a nice touch. Thanks, E-Fest!
I hope you enjoyed the write-up. This
gathering is one of the best times of the year
for me. Everyone is ready to fly when
February rolls around!
If you have a chance to get to the E-Fest in
2009, you won’t regret it. I hope to see you
next time. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 2:01 PM Page 24

Pilots beat back
the chill of
winter at this hot
indoor fun-fly
by Mark Fadely
Scott DeTray of Model Aero kitted this AeroCat that
flies faster than 70 mph. Craig Koerner is the pilot,
and he flew it Saturday night in the Pylon Race.
Right: Dave Johnson enjoys flying this all-foam P-51.
He rigged tubes of ZAP glue that attach to the wings,
and the model can drop the glue bottles in-flight.
June 2008 17
I WAS LOOKING forward to February this year. That
may sound odd coming from someone who lives in the
frozen tundra of the Midwest. E-Fest was the reason for
my excitement. This was my third time attending the
midwinter get-together, which was held the first weekend
in February: the 9th and 10th.
The last couple treks to Champaign, Illinois, have been
Photos by the author
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:34 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Top left: Bobby Watts puts the
“Smack” in Smackdown while he
demonstrates his Miniature Aircraft
Bandit 450’s 3-D performance. It is built
with traditional X-Cell quality
throughout.
Top right: John Stokes and his daughter
look “stoked” while they enjoy a few
flights together with the new Revell
Piloto in the micro-airplane area.
Middle left: Kyle Stacy pilots this Gaui
200. It is even smaller than a T-Rex 450
but has mostly machined-aluminum
parts. The little machine can 3-D like its
bigger brothers.
Middle right: Dave Johnson scratch-built
this de Havilland D.H.2 mostly from
Depron foam. It uses a Rimfire 2822
motor and an ElectriFly 300 mAh Li-
Poly battery.
Left: Pete Foss pilots this Mosquito.
Bob Selman Designs kits the amazing
flier, which is powered by two
Plantraco 7mm motors.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:38 PM Page 18
June 2008 19
According to pilot Ron Richardson, this Billy Hell Phat Boy flies great.
It is built from balsa and covered with Litespan.
This young pilot is on the
move to relaunch her free
glider. The kids were
invited to participate in a
“Make It Take It” contest,
in which each child built a
model and then flew it.
Mike Fuller designed and built
this cool rocket just for fun. It
has a reversible propeller, so he
can point the model straight
down and stop the descent.
Brandon Chitty is all
smiles after winning
the 3-D airplane
contest. He put on a
clinic with his Maxum
biplane.
Above: Matt Andren’s Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar rounds
the corner for a photo pass in front of spectators. He won
Indoor Scale with his beautiful and unique model.
Below: Chase Wolk (Huntsville AL) gives his E-flite Enticement
a workout. He uses Thunder Power batteries and the
Spektrum Nanolite system.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:41 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Keith Sumler pilots this ParkZone Cessna like a pro after just two years of flying RC. The model’s unique electronics house the servos
and receiver on a single circuit board.
This Mini Butterfly’s framework is all carbon and is covered with
clear film. Its owner, Keith Sumler, says it will fly for 20 minutes
on one charge.
Above: “Go Colts!” Even though the Indianapolis Colts folded in last
year’s playoffs, Dave Sloan (Anderson IN) is proud to fly the flag.
Left: Mark Jorgenson readies his model amidst a sea of foam in
the E-Fest pits. A crowd of 372 registered pilots and tons of
spectators made for an action-packed show.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 1:49 PM Page 20
June 2008 21
Above: Jim T. Graham of RCGroups adjusts the
live Web cam. Feeds of the E-Fest ran
continuously to home computers around the
world. Thanks to Jim for maintaining the
technical aspects of all the equipment for those
who could not be there.
Above: The full-scale Demoiselle had a control stick
located behind the pilot, who would slip it through a
cutout in his flight suit. As he leaned left or right, the
airplane would bank accordingly.
Left: Alfred Fusco, who has been flying for six years,
was back this year flying better than ever. His Raptor is
powered by an AXi 2208/24 motor.
Jim Fassino has cool little airplanes and
helicopters. He scratch-built his tiny Demoiselle
from scaled-down plans. It is 100% balsa with silk
covering.
Futaba shows its
colors with this
biplane. The new
2.4 GHz FASST
control system was
used heavily during
the weekend. No
interference was
reported, and no
frequency pins were
needed with the
new technology.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:49 PM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Top left: This all-foam Taylorcraft pops
against the E-Fest arena’s dark
background. It is guided by Futaba
electronics.
Above: The Great Planes booth featured
flat-screen TVs with working RealFlight
simulators. Anyone could stop and have a
go with one of the many aircraft that the
G4 includes.
Left: Mike Fuller turned a foamie car
model into a sweet-flying airplane. It even
has a neon lighting set from Lazertoyz,
and the suspension and steering are
operable.
Below: Can you believe that this Sikorsky
S-55 is made from paper? Michael Lising,
who does a lot of graphic-design work,
drew and printed the templates using his
computer.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:53 PM Page 22
June 2008 23
during unseasonably cold weather. I was
hoping that this year would be different since
the temperatures were in the 50s a few days
before the event. That wishful thinking was
soon crushed; we ended up with some of the
coldest weather of the year.
Single-digit temperatures and bonechilling
winds greeted us Saturday evening as
we left the flying site. But that is exactly the
kind of weather that makes E-Fest a huge
draw to winter-worn RCers.
Many pilots find smaller local indoor
places to fly during the cold months, but not
too many of us have access to a venue as large
as the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign’s Armory. That is where all the
university’s indoor track and field events are
held. The place is huge and has 100-foot-high
ceilings.
CD Frank Noll, Great Planes, and Futaba
have done an awesome job of making this
gathering fun. The volunteers who worked the
event were super-nice and went out of their
way to help.
This year marked E-Fest’s third
anniversary. It was big—and I mean really
big. There were 372 registered pilots. Thank
goodness for spread spectrum RC equipment!
The flightlines were standing-room only, and
the air was filled with airplanes and
helicopters at all times. I’ll bet the air
molecules in the Armory were exhausted after
the long weekend of propeller and rotor
beatings.
Even with the large crowd, there was not a
long wait to find an open flight station. At
peak times the wait was only roughly 10
minutes, which was not bad at all.
I preregistered this year, which meant that
my pilot card and goody bag were ready for
me when I arrived early Saturday morning.
The items in the goody bag are worth way
more than the price of admission. There were
two Futaba S3114 microservos, Zap Foam
Safe CA, all kinds of other cool stuff, and
even a pack of gum to refresh a pilot’s breath.
(Frank, how did you know?)
One Pilot’s Perspective: I met a pilot named
Mike Fuller, and I quickly learned that we
have a lot in common. We both have a
lifelong love of aviation and RC, and the
obsession started when we were young boys.
Mike has been deeply involved in
competition and model design through the
years. I asked him for some information about
the models he brought to E-Fest. And I
wanted to learn a little more about him; he is
an extremely interesting person.
He said:
“On to a short bio. I’ve been flying RC
since 1974 as a 12-year-old boy, when my dad
told me, ‘You build a trainer plane and I’ll
outfit the rest.’ I actually hated building back
in the day, but it was an evil necessity.
“I enjoy every RC flying facet of this
hobby from 5-ounce foamies to 35-pound
turbine jets. The ability to compete and be
competitive in different venues over the years,
I believe, is rooted in those early years of
building from scratch and kit bashing.
“Now, with present-day electrics, wow!
What a breath of fresh air. With Depron foam
and power-to-weight ratios of 2-plus:1,
AMA’s Park Pilot Program
When the weather does get better, the same models flown at the 2008 E-Fest will be flown
outdoors. The fastest-growing segment of RC is park flyers. The AMA wants everyone to
know that it is supporting this aspect of RC with the new Park Pilot Program (PPP).
In the next few years, many park flyer clubs will be established in various regions. This is an
exciting program because it is our chance to bring organized RC back to urban areas. Most
flying fields for larger models have been moving farther away from the cities as new
development takes over. The PPP is a great opportunity for our hobby to be visible and
promoted within the city again.
The parks that have been contacted so far have been receptive because the park flyers are
small and quiet. There is a 2-pound weight limit for PPP aircraft, and a special membership
includes insurance, a magazine, direction and support from AMA staff members, and a few
other goodies. All this is available to the park flyer pilot at a reduced cost of $29.95 per year.
To learn more about this program, go to www.modelaircraft.org/parkflyer.aspx or contact the
Academy at (800) I-FLY-AMA ([800] 435-9262). MA
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 1:58 PM Page 23
anything is possible of giving the illusion of
flight, when in reality all that really happens
is thrust vectoring of the prop.
“My latest creation is of a kit-bashed GT
racecar from www.troysrc.com. The object of
my obsession is to start with a kit and then
make it perform better through weight
reductions and features, setting them apart
from the original. The kit is very complete,
including all wheels and machined axle parts.
Using a mix of 3 and 6mm Depron, it is
mostly 2-D looks with excellent
performance.”
Mike also had a cool rocket he designed
and flew. I remember last year when he flew
the hydroplane boats that can take off from
land or water. That is amazing stuff, Mike.
Thanks for sharing.
“Make It Take It” for the Kids: All the kids
who attend the event are invited to make their
own balsa airplanes. After the models are
assembled, all flying is halted for a few
minutes. The girls and boys are lined up
across the arena, and all at once they throw
their aircraft into the air to see whose travels
the farthest.
This event is a great deal of fun. We older
pilots sat back and reminisced about our days
as young modelers. It is a great introduction
into our hobby, and from the looks on some
of the participants’ faces I’ll bet there were
some lifelong aviators in that group.
On the subject of younger fliers, there
were quite a few at E-Fest this year. In the last
several years there has been a resurgence of
kids coming back to the hobby. The
equipment is so much more user-friendly
now, and tools such as simulators have taken
many pitfalls and expenses out of the learning
curve.
Vendors: There were many RC vendors at
the event. The outer area was filled with
various booths that were full of cool stuff. I
bought some nice tools at this year’s show. It
was nice to see the business people of the
hobby supporting this event.
Airplanes: The diversity of aircraft was
amazing. I was impressed with some of the
micro stuff.
The venue had certain areas designated to
fly each type of model. This helps keep the
peace when there are so many vehicles in the
air simultaneously. It made good sense to
keep the fire-breathing, foam-chewing
helicopters on the opposite end from the
delicate micro-size airplanes.
I wanted to learn more about the micro
world, so I walked down to that corner of the
arena and parked myself in the middle of the
five active pilots. Most of these little aircraft
weighed just grams. Some had full fourchannel
control with servos, and others had
micro-size actuators to move the control
surfaces. There were scale models and even
twins!
Plantraco makes several varieties of supersmall
airplanes that come complete with
transmitters and carrying cases. These models
are so small that it is incredible that you can
even control them.
The micro-size flyers are designed with a
control-surface actuator, which is different
from a conventional servo. The actuators have
no gears; they work with electromagnetic
charges and a coil of wire. It’s amazing that
the controls are fully proportional, identical to
the bigger servo-controlled models. Watching
those micromodels fly and talking to the
pilots was intriguing.
There were many other cool airplanes at
E-Fest 2008. Foamies were everywhere, and
the advances in aerodynamic design were
stepped up this year.
Pilots and designers are learning a great
deal about how these light, slow models
respond to their environment. Side-force
generators, slits, slats, drag panels, and a host
of other unique ideas are constantly being
developed in the hopes of designing that
“perfect” airplane.
Andrew Jesky and Larry Markey designed
a new biplane called the “Blender.” There
were other new prototype models, such as the
ElectriFly YAK 54 and the E-flite Enticement
F3P. The YAK will be ready late in the
season, but the Enticement has been in the
hobby shops for a while. Both are terrific
examples of how light and precise flat foam
models can be made.
Saturday evening there was a 3-D airplane
contest for all the hot pilots. They put on a
great show, and their piloting skills have to be
seen to be believed. It was amazing stuff,
guys!
Most of the top fliers who compete in the
XFC (Extreme Flight Championships) were
24 MODEL AVIATION
in the 3-D competition. Newcomer Brandon
Chitty won the contest; he flew great with his
Maxum biplane. Jason Noll, Andrew Jesky,
Mark Leseberg, Sean McMurtry, Jason
Shulman, Nick Maxwell, Brian Bremmer, and
others rounded out the field. That is some
serious name-dropping!
I really liked some of the Scale models
that flew. Several builders had taken the time
to make built-up balsa airplanes covered with
silklike skin. Jason Noll and Matt Andren
won the Scale contest with their home-built
creations.
Those aircraft were fantastic to watch fly
because they reminded me of how many of
those I had built through the years. It is also
nice to see that there is still an interest in the
stick-built models. There was also a Pylon
Race and a couple other impromptu events.
Helicopters: The helicopters made a big
splash at E-Fest ’08. Somehow the pilots’
skills are getting better each year. There were
also many beginner and intermediate fliers. I
had fun seeing the pilots I knew and meeting
new ones.
The machine that stood out this year was
the new Miniature Aircraft Bandit 450. This
little dynamo upholds the X-Cell tradition of
high quality and attention to detail. The head
is new, and it can withstand a rotor rpm of
more than 4,000! High rotor speed is the key
to getting the small helicopters to perform.
Bobby Watts, Nick Maxwell, and Kyle
Stacy flew Bandits. Nick won the 3-D Heli
Smackdown contest for the third year in a
row. Way to go! A stellar group of pilots
competed in the Smackdown event.
Chris Harmon is an excellent pilot, and he
was representing with the Beam 450 from
Advantage Hobby. The Beam is also new to
the market, and it appears to be a top
performer. Matt Botos flew the Thunder
Tiger mini Titan E325, and Bert Kammerer
represented Align flying the T-Rex 450SE
V2.
The helicopter people had a section to
themselves on the south side of the Armory.
There were pilots pounding their 3-D
machines while coaxial helicopters hovered in
the middle of the mayhem. Nobody seemed to
get too upset about all the commotion. There
was typically a small line of pilots waiting to
fly in the helicopter area, but the delay was
minimal.
Fix-It and Charge-It: A wonderful
convenience was the fixing and charging
tables at E-Fest. The organizers thought of
everything! You could take your batteries or
disabled aircraft to a free table to charge or
fix, where you could use the glue and
accessories for no charge.
That was a nice touch. Thanks, E-Fest!
I hope you enjoyed the write-up. This
gathering is one of the best times of the year
for me. Everyone is ready to fly when
February rolls around!
If you have a chance to get to the E-Fest in
2009, you won’t regret it. I hope to see you
next time. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 2:01 PM Page 24

Pilots beat back
the chill of
winter at this hot
indoor fun-fly
by Mark Fadely
Scott DeTray of Model Aero kitted this AeroCat that
flies faster than 70 mph. Craig Koerner is the pilot,
and he flew it Saturday night in the Pylon Race.
Right: Dave Johnson enjoys flying this all-foam P-51.
He rigged tubes of ZAP glue that attach to the wings,
and the model can drop the glue bottles in-flight.
June 2008 17
I WAS LOOKING forward to February this year. That
may sound odd coming from someone who lives in the
frozen tundra of the Midwest. E-Fest was the reason for
my excitement. This was my third time attending the
midwinter get-together, which was held the first weekend
in February: the 9th and 10th.
The last couple treks to Champaign, Illinois, have been
Photos by the author
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:34 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Top left: Bobby Watts puts the
“Smack” in Smackdown while he
demonstrates his Miniature Aircraft
Bandit 450’s 3-D performance. It is built
with traditional X-Cell quality
throughout.
Top right: John Stokes and his daughter
look “stoked” while they enjoy a few
flights together with the new Revell
Piloto in the micro-airplane area.
Middle left: Kyle Stacy pilots this Gaui
200. It is even smaller than a T-Rex 450
but has mostly machined-aluminum
parts. The little machine can 3-D like its
bigger brothers.
Middle right: Dave Johnson scratch-built
this de Havilland D.H.2 mostly from
Depron foam. It uses a Rimfire 2822
motor and an ElectriFly 300 mAh Li-
Poly battery.
Left: Pete Foss pilots this Mosquito.
Bob Selman Designs kits the amazing
flier, which is powered by two
Plantraco 7mm motors.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:38 PM Page 18
June 2008 19
According to pilot Ron Richardson, this Billy Hell Phat Boy flies great.
It is built from balsa and covered with Litespan.
This young pilot is on the
move to relaunch her free
glider. The kids were
invited to participate in a
“Make It Take It” contest,
in which each child built a
model and then flew it.
Mike Fuller designed and built
this cool rocket just for fun. It
has a reversible propeller, so he
can point the model straight
down and stop the descent.
Brandon Chitty is all
smiles after winning
the 3-D airplane
contest. He put on a
clinic with his Maxum
biplane.
Above: Matt Andren’s Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar rounds
the corner for a photo pass in front of spectators. He won
Indoor Scale with his beautiful and unique model.
Below: Chase Wolk (Huntsville AL) gives his E-flite Enticement
a workout. He uses Thunder Power batteries and the
Spektrum Nanolite system.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:41 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Keith Sumler pilots this ParkZone Cessna like a pro after just two years of flying RC. The model’s unique electronics house the servos
and receiver on a single circuit board.
This Mini Butterfly’s framework is all carbon and is covered with
clear film. Its owner, Keith Sumler, says it will fly for 20 minutes
on one charge.
Above: “Go Colts!” Even though the Indianapolis Colts folded in last
year’s playoffs, Dave Sloan (Anderson IN) is proud to fly the flag.
Left: Mark Jorgenson readies his model amidst a sea of foam in
the E-Fest pits. A crowd of 372 registered pilots and tons of
spectators made for an action-packed show.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 1:49 PM Page 20
June 2008 21
Above: Jim T. Graham of RCGroups adjusts the
live Web cam. Feeds of the E-Fest ran
continuously to home computers around the
world. Thanks to Jim for maintaining the
technical aspects of all the equipment for those
who could not be there.
Above: The full-scale Demoiselle had a control stick
located behind the pilot, who would slip it through a
cutout in his flight suit. As he leaned left or right, the
airplane would bank accordingly.
Left: Alfred Fusco, who has been flying for six years,
was back this year flying better than ever. His Raptor is
powered by an AXi 2208/24 motor.
Jim Fassino has cool little airplanes and
helicopters. He scratch-built his tiny Demoiselle
from scaled-down plans. It is 100% balsa with silk
covering.
Futaba shows its
colors with this
biplane. The new
2.4 GHz FASST
control system was
used heavily during
the weekend. No
interference was
reported, and no
frequency pins were
needed with the
new technology.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:49 PM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Top left: This all-foam Taylorcraft pops
against the E-Fest arena’s dark
background. It is guided by Futaba
electronics.
Above: The Great Planes booth featured
flat-screen TVs with working RealFlight
simulators. Anyone could stop and have a
go with one of the many aircraft that the
G4 includes.
Left: Mike Fuller turned a foamie car
model into a sweet-flying airplane. It even
has a neon lighting set from Lazertoyz,
and the suspension and steering are
operable.
Below: Can you believe that this Sikorsky
S-55 is made from paper? Michael Lising,
who does a lot of graphic-design work,
drew and printed the templates using his
computer.
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 12:53 PM Page 22
June 2008 23
during unseasonably cold weather. I was
hoping that this year would be different since
the temperatures were in the 50s a few days
before the event. That wishful thinking was
soon crushed; we ended up with some of the
coldest weather of the year.
Single-digit temperatures and bonechilling
winds greeted us Saturday evening as
we left the flying site. But that is exactly the
kind of weather that makes E-Fest a huge
draw to winter-worn RCers.
Many pilots find smaller local indoor
places to fly during the cold months, but not
too many of us have access to a venue as large
as the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign’s Armory. That is where all the
university’s indoor track and field events are
held. The place is huge and has 100-foot-high
ceilings.
CD Frank Noll, Great Planes, and Futaba
have done an awesome job of making this
gathering fun. The volunteers who worked the
event were super-nice and went out of their
way to help.
This year marked E-Fest’s third
anniversary. It was big—and I mean really
big. There were 372 registered pilots. Thank
goodness for spread spectrum RC equipment!
The flightlines were standing-room only, and
the air was filled with airplanes and
helicopters at all times. I’ll bet the air
molecules in the Armory were exhausted after
the long weekend of propeller and rotor
beatings.
Even with the large crowd, there was not a
long wait to find an open flight station. At
peak times the wait was only roughly 10
minutes, which was not bad at all.
I preregistered this year, which meant that
my pilot card and goody bag were ready for
me when I arrived early Saturday morning.
The items in the goody bag are worth way
more than the price of admission. There were
two Futaba S3114 microservos, Zap Foam
Safe CA, all kinds of other cool stuff, and
even a pack of gum to refresh a pilot’s breath.
(Frank, how did you know?)
One Pilot’s Perspective: I met a pilot named
Mike Fuller, and I quickly learned that we
have a lot in common. We both have a
lifelong love of aviation and RC, and the
obsession started when we were young boys.
Mike has been deeply involved in
competition and model design through the
years. I asked him for some information about
the models he brought to E-Fest. And I
wanted to learn a little more about him; he is
an extremely interesting person.
He said:
“On to a short bio. I’ve been flying RC
since 1974 as a 12-year-old boy, when my dad
told me, ‘You build a trainer plane and I’ll
outfit the rest.’ I actually hated building back
in the day, but it was an evil necessity.
“I enjoy every RC flying facet of this
hobby from 5-ounce foamies to 35-pound
turbine jets. The ability to compete and be
competitive in different venues over the years,
I believe, is rooted in those early years of
building from scratch and kit bashing.
“Now, with present-day electrics, wow!
What a breath of fresh air. With Depron foam
and power-to-weight ratios of 2-plus:1,
AMA’s Park Pilot Program
When the weather does get better, the same models flown at the 2008 E-Fest will be flown
outdoors. The fastest-growing segment of RC is park flyers. The AMA wants everyone to
know that it is supporting this aspect of RC with the new Park Pilot Program (PPP).
In the next few years, many park flyer clubs will be established in various regions. This is an
exciting program because it is our chance to bring organized RC back to urban areas. Most
flying fields for larger models have been moving farther away from the cities as new
development takes over. The PPP is a great opportunity for our hobby to be visible and
promoted within the city again.
The parks that have been contacted so far have been receptive because the park flyers are
small and quiet. There is a 2-pound weight limit for PPP aircraft, and a special membership
includes insurance, a magazine, direction and support from AMA staff members, and a few
other goodies. All this is available to the park flyer pilot at a reduced cost of $29.95 per year.
To learn more about this program, go to www.modelaircraft.org/parkflyer.aspx or contact the
Academy at (800) I-FLY-AMA ([800] 435-9262). MA
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 1:58 PM Page 23
anything is possible of giving the illusion of
flight, when in reality all that really happens
is thrust vectoring of the prop.
“My latest creation is of a kit-bashed GT
racecar from www.troysrc.com. The object of
my obsession is to start with a kit and then
make it perform better through weight
reductions and features, setting them apart
from the original. The kit is very complete,
including all wheels and machined axle parts.
Using a mix of 3 and 6mm Depron, it is
mostly 2-D looks with excellent
performance.”
Mike also had a cool rocket he designed
and flew. I remember last year when he flew
the hydroplane boats that can take off from
land or water. That is amazing stuff, Mike.
Thanks for sharing.
“Make It Take It” for the Kids: All the kids
who attend the event are invited to make their
own balsa airplanes. After the models are
assembled, all flying is halted for a few
minutes. The girls and boys are lined up
across the arena, and all at once they throw
their aircraft into the air to see whose travels
the farthest.
This event is a great deal of fun. We older
pilots sat back and reminisced about our days
as young modelers. It is a great introduction
into our hobby, and from the looks on some
of the participants’ faces I’ll bet there were
some lifelong aviators in that group.
On the subject of younger fliers, there
were quite a few at E-Fest this year. In the last
several years there has been a resurgence of
kids coming back to the hobby. The
equipment is so much more user-friendly
now, and tools such as simulators have taken
many pitfalls and expenses out of the learning
curve.
Vendors: There were many RC vendors at
the event. The outer area was filled with
various booths that were full of cool stuff. I
bought some nice tools at this year’s show. It
was nice to see the business people of the
hobby supporting this event.
Airplanes: The diversity of aircraft was
amazing. I was impressed with some of the
micro stuff.
The venue had certain areas designated to
fly each type of model. This helps keep the
peace when there are so many vehicles in the
air simultaneously. It made good sense to
keep the fire-breathing, foam-chewing
helicopters on the opposite end from the
delicate micro-size airplanes.
I wanted to learn more about the micro
world, so I walked down to that corner of the
arena and parked myself in the middle of the
five active pilots. Most of these little aircraft
weighed just grams. Some had full fourchannel
control with servos, and others had
micro-size actuators to move the control
surfaces. There were scale models and even
twins!
Plantraco makes several varieties of supersmall
airplanes that come complete with
transmitters and carrying cases. These models
are so small that it is incredible that you can
even control them.
The micro-size flyers are designed with a
control-surface actuator, which is different
from a conventional servo. The actuators have
no gears; they work with electromagnetic
charges and a coil of wire. It’s amazing that
the controls are fully proportional, identical to
the bigger servo-controlled models. Watching
those micromodels fly and talking to the
pilots was intriguing.
There were many other cool airplanes at
E-Fest 2008. Foamies were everywhere, and
the advances in aerodynamic design were
stepped up this year.
Pilots and designers are learning a great
deal about how these light, slow models
respond to their environment. Side-force
generators, slits, slats, drag panels, and a host
of other unique ideas are constantly being
developed in the hopes of designing that
“perfect” airplane.
Andrew Jesky and Larry Markey designed
a new biplane called the “Blender.” There
were other new prototype models, such as the
ElectriFly YAK 54 and the E-flite Enticement
F3P. The YAK will be ready late in the
season, but the Enticement has been in the
hobby shops for a while. Both are terrific
examples of how light and precise flat foam
models can be made.
Saturday evening there was a 3-D airplane
contest for all the hot pilots. They put on a
great show, and their piloting skills have to be
seen to be believed. It was amazing stuff,
guys!
Most of the top fliers who compete in the
XFC (Extreme Flight Championships) were
24 MODEL AVIATION
in the 3-D competition. Newcomer Brandon
Chitty won the contest; he flew great with his
Maxum biplane. Jason Noll, Andrew Jesky,
Mark Leseberg, Sean McMurtry, Jason
Shulman, Nick Maxwell, Brian Bremmer, and
others rounded out the field. That is some
serious name-dropping!
I really liked some of the Scale models
that flew. Several builders had taken the time
to make built-up balsa airplanes covered with
silklike skin. Jason Noll and Matt Andren
won the Scale contest with their home-built
creations.
Those aircraft were fantastic to watch fly
because they reminded me of how many of
those I had built through the years. It is also
nice to see that there is still an interest in the
stick-built models. There was also a Pylon
Race and a couple other impromptu events.
Helicopters: The helicopters made a big
splash at E-Fest ’08. Somehow the pilots’
skills are getting better each year. There were
also many beginner and intermediate fliers. I
had fun seeing the pilots I knew and meeting
new ones.
The machine that stood out this year was
the new Miniature Aircraft Bandit 450. This
little dynamo upholds the X-Cell tradition of
high quality and attention to detail. The head
is new, and it can withstand a rotor rpm of
more than 4,000! High rotor speed is the key
to getting the small helicopters to perform.
Bobby Watts, Nick Maxwell, and Kyle
Stacy flew Bandits. Nick won the 3-D Heli
Smackdown contest for the third year in a
row. Way to go! A stellar group of pilots
competed in the Smackdown event.
Chris Harmon is an excellent pilot, and he
was representing with the Beam 450 from
Advantage Hobby. The Beam is also new to
the market, and it appears to be a top
performer. Matt Botos flew the Thunder
Tiger mini Titan E325, and Bert Kammerer
represented Align flying the T-Rex 450SE
V2.
The helicopter people had a section to
themselves on the south side of the Armory.
There were pilots pounding their 3-D
machines while coaxial helicopters hovered in
the middle of the mayhem. Nobody seemed to
get too upset about all the commotion. There
was typically a small line of pilots waiting to
fly in the helicopter area, but the delay was
minimal.
Fix-It and Charge-It: A wonderful
convenience was the fixing and charging
tables at E-Fest. The organizers thought of
everything! You could take your batteries or
disabled aircraft to a free table to charge or
fix, where you could use the glue and
accessories for no charge.
That was a nice touch. Thanks, E-Fest!
I hope you enjoyed the write-up. This
gathering is one of the best times of the year
for me. Everyone is ready to fly when
February rolls around!
If you have a chance to get to the E-Fest in
2009, you won’t regret it. I hope to see you
next time. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
06sig1.QXD 4/24/08 2:01 PM Page 24