by Tom Hunt
THE SECOND ANNUAL JR Indoor Electric Festival was
held November 6-7, 2004, at the Four Seasons Golf Dome in
Columbus, Ohio. The event director—well-known Scale
modeler/competitor Terry Nitsch—attracted almost 120 pilots,
22 vendors, and hundreds of spectators in his second year of
running the event.
The gathering featured mostly sport flying and
demonstrations. No competitions were scheduled, but awards
were given for Best Scale Aircraft, Best Original Design, Best
Multi-Engine Aircraft, Best Micro RC Aircraft, Best Jet, Best
Sport Performance, and Pilots Choice. To fly in the event,
models had to weigh less than 16 ounces with batteries
installed and must have been powered by “300”-class or
smaller motors.
Ten flight stations were set up in the 330-foot-wide x 270-
foot-deep x 100-foot-high dome. There were four stations for
3-D-type aircraft and six for all others, which were expected to
fly a left-hand racetrack-type pattern. All flight stations were
full many times during the two days.
Midairs did occur—but not as often as
you might think with more than 10 models
in the confined space at once—and few
resulted in crashes! They bumped,
tumbled, and flew away, typically
undamaged or with just a nick in the paint.
Those airplanes that were entangled did
not usually sustain any damage until they
hit the ground! Because of the models’
low weights and speeds, damage was
usually minor and easily repaired.
The primary sponsors for the event
were Horizon Hobby (specifically the JR
Remote Control division), Fly RC
magazine, and ZAP Adhesives.
Contributing sponsors were Radical RC,
Hobbico, ElectriFly, Hobby Lobby
International, E Cubed R/C, Futaba, DJ
Aerotech, and Castle Creations, many of
which also manned booths at this year’s
show.
Other vendors set up booths and displayed and sold their
wares at the show, including HobbyZone, Testors, ParkZone,
Net IBS, Clay’s Hobbies, Shulman Aviation, E-Flight,
Horsefly Hobbies, Litefly RC, and Z-Planes.
Prizes furnished by many of the sponsors and vendors were
raffled off to the pilots. Although there were no contest events,
tethered helium balloons were placed on the facility floor for
pilots to burst with their models. If you were lucky enough to
pop one, you were given a voucher for a prize at the
registration desk. I won a JR micro digital servo for my effort
(on takeoff, no less!).
Airplanes: By far the most popular model flown at the event
was the profile-fuselage, flat-slab-wing/tail, 3-D model.
Usually made from Zepron, Depron, or EPP foam strengthened
with carbon-fiber rod, they came in all shapes and sizes:
monoplanes, biplanes, and flying wings.
Balsa was a scarce commodity during the weekend! Many
aircraft came from kits and numerous models were ARFs, but
The second annual JR Indoor Electric Festival was held at the huge Four Seasons Golf Dome in Columbus, Ohio.
Event Director Terry Nitsch (second from left) with his volunteer crew of Columbus-area
modelers. They did a great job of organizing and conducting the event.
Photos by the author
Bernie Oldenburgh added built-up wings and twin floats to his GWS
Tiger Moth. It came out lighter than the original with foam wings.
Doug Ward won the Best Scale Aircraft award with his 3-ounce
Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat (1938). It spans 30 inches.
fly these types of models, two to three cells of a single-series
arrangement are all that are needed. This helps keep the cost
down. When one pack can fly a model for more than 20
minutes, you usually only buy two packs: one to fly with and
one to charge. The turnaround time is only long enough to get
in one good conversation, and it’s back to flying!
Cell capacities ranged from a diminutive 90 mAh to the
normally outdoor-only 2100 mAh!
Because of the expected high volume of modelers using Li-
Poly cells to power their aircraft (and the reported, though
erroneous, propensity to catch fire when properly handled), the
event director had a huge fire extinguisher and sand buckets
strategically placed throughout the pit areas.
Doug Ward holds his Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat. It is covered
with Esaki tissue applied with nitrate dope.
Dave Thacker of Radical RC was among the notable modelers who presented seminars on electric flight during the weekend.
Mike Glass (R) of Horsefly Hobbies—who designed and manufactures the popular Hell Raiser—with Alan Wander (L) and Don
Abramson holding their Hell Raisers.
from the mid position of the throttle channel, Scott made the
Blade literally “hover” nose-down! That’s not easy to do on a
small-model propeller!
Other maneuvers that drew the crowd’s attention were the
exceptionally slow nose-down descents after brisk climbs to
the dome’s roof. Backing the model up into its parking space
grabbed spectators’ attention too!
The AXI motor’s solid shaft was replaced with a steel tube,
which allowed the pitch-changing pushrod to pass. The pitch
servo was placed directly behind the motor. For his efforts,
Scott won the Best Sport Performance prize and the Pilots
Choice Award. We should see a production version of this
system soon.
Those who attended the festival seemed
to have had a great time, despite the fact
that many went home with bent and
busted models. Terry and his staff
provided a great venue and a wonderful
cocktail party at the host Ramada Inn
Saturday night. It gave us all a chance to
sit, talk, and exchange data on our
experiences with indoor RC.
We were never concerned with the
winds blowing steadily outside Saturday.
The protection of the dome, even though
it was a bit cool inside, was a far better
place to fly that day!
The dates for next year’s event have
been set for the same facility November
5-6. Put www.jriefestival.com/
index.html on your list of favorite Web
sites for more detailed information.
Make reservations well in advance; this
event is surely going to be more popular
each year! MA
Tom Hunt
1 Dianne Ave.
Centereach NY 11720
After the hundreds of flights that weekend (550 recorded on
Saturday alone), there were no instances of anyone needing the
sand or the extinguisher!
Festival Wow! The highlight of this year’s event for me was
watching Scott Foster fly his Northeast Sailplane Products
Blade 3D model. It is nothing special as 3-D airplanes go, but
adorned with Scott’s variable (and reversible)-pitch propeller,
it did some wild things!
Scott adapted the tail-rotor assembly from an Eco 8
helicopter to his AXI outrunner motor. With the throttle moved
to an auxiliary channel and the propeller’s pitch controlled
Z-Planes’ Stan Zolodz with two of his easy-flyer 3-D warbirds.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/03
Page Numbers: 49,50,51,52
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/03
Page Numbers: 49,50,51,52
by Tom Hunt
THE SECOND ANNUAL JR Indoor Electric Festival was
held November 6-7, 2004, at the Four Seasons Golf Dome in
Columbus, Ohio. The event director—well-known Scale
modeler/competitor Terry Nitsch—attracted almost 120 pilots,
22 vendors, and hundreds of spectators in his second year of
running the event.
The gathering featured mostly sport flying and
demonstrations. No competitions were scheduled, but awards
were given for Best Scale Aircraft, Best Original Design, Best
Multi-Engine Aircraft, Best Micro RC Aircraft, Best Jet, Best
Sport Performance, and Pilots Choice. To fly in the event,
models had to weigh less than 16 ounces with batteries
installed and must have been powered by “300”-class or
smaller motors.
Ten flight stations were set up in the 330-foot-wide x 270-
foot-deep x 100-foot-high dome. There were four stations for
3-D-type aircraft and six for all others, which were expected to
fly a left-hand racetrack-type pattern. All flight stations were
full many times during the two days.
Midairs did occur—but not as often as
you might think with more than 10 models
in the confined space at once—and few
resulted in crashes! They bumped,
tumbled, and flew away, typically
undamaged or with just a nick in the paint.
Those airplanes that were entangled did
not usually sustain any damage until they
hit the ground! Because of the models’
low weights and speeds, damage was
usually minor and easily repaired.
The primary sponsors for the event
were Horizon Hobby (specifically the JR
Remote Control division), Fly RC
magazine, and ZAP Adhesives.
Contributing sponsors were Radical RC,
Hobbico, ElectriFly, Hobby Lobby
International, E Cubed R/C, Futaba, DJ
Aerotech, and Castle Creations, many of
which also manned booths at this year’s
show.
Other vendors set up booths and displayed and sold their
wares at the show, including HobbyZone, Testors, ParkZone,
Net IBS, Clay’s Hobbies, Shulman Aviation, E-Flight,
Horsefly Hobbies, Litefly RC, and Z-Planes.
Prizes furnished by many of the sponsors and vendors were
raffled off to the pilots. Although there were no contest events,
tethered helium balloons were placed on the facility floor for
pilots to burst with their models. If you were lucky enough to
pop one, you were given a voucher for a prize at the
registration desk. I won a JR micro digital servo for my effort
(on takeoff, no less!).
Airplanes: By far the most popular model flown at the event
was the profile-fuselage, flat-slab-wing/tail, 3-D model.
Usually made from Zepron, Depron, or EPP foam strengthened
with carbon-fiber rod, they came in all shapes and sizes:
monoplanes, biplanes, and flying wings.
Balsa was a scarce commodity during the weekend! Many
aircraft came from kits and numerous models were ARFs, but
The second annual JR Indoor Electric Festival was held at the huge Four Seasons Golf Dome in Columbus, Ohio.
Event Director Terry Nitsch (second from left) with his volunteer crew of Columbus-area
modelers. They did a great job of organizing and conducting the event.
Photos by the author
Bernie Oldenburgh added built-up wings and twin floats to his GWS
Tiger Moth. It came out lighter than the original with foam wings.
Doug Ward won the Best Scale Aircraft award with his 3-ounce
Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat (1938). It spans 30 inches.
fly these types of models, two to three cells of a single-series
arrangement are all that are needed. This helps keep the cost
down. When one pack can fly a model for more than 20
minutes, you usually only buy two packs: one to fly with and
one to charge. The turnaround time is only long enough to get
in one good conversation, and it’s back to flying!
Cell capacities ranged from a diminutive 90 mAh to the
normally outdoor-only 2100 mAh!
Because of the expected high volume of modelers using Li-
Poly cells to power their aircraft (and the reported, though
erroneous, propensity to catch fire when properly handled), the
event director had a huge fire extinguisher and sand buckets
strategically placed throughout the pit areas.
Doug Ward holds his Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat. It is covered
with Esaki tissue applied with nitrate dope.
Dave Thacker of Radical RC was among the notable modelers who presented seminars on electric flight during the weekend.
Mike Glass (R) of Horsefly Hobbies—who designed and manufactures the popular Hell Raiser—with Alan Wander (L) and Don
Abramson holding their Hell Raisers.
from the mid position of the throttle channel, Scott made the
Blade literally “hover” nose-down! That’s not easy to do on a
small-model propeller!
Other maneuvers that drew the crowd’s attention were the
exceptionally slow nose-down descents after brisk climbs to
the dome’s roof. Backing the model up into its parking space
grabbed spectators’ attention too!
The AXI motor’s solid shaft was replaced with a steel tube,
which allowed the pitch-changing pushrod to pass. The pitch
servo was placed directly behind the motor. For his efforts,
Scott won the Best Sport Performance prize and the Pilots
Choice Award. We should see a production version of this
system soon.
Those who attended the festival seemed
to have had a great time, despite the fact
that many went home with bent and
busted models. Terry and his staff
provided a great venue and a wonderful
cocktail party at the host Ramada Inn
Saturday night. It gave us all a chance to
sit, talk, and exchange data on our
experiences with indoor RC.
We were never concerned with the
winds blowing steadily outside Saturday.
The protection of the dome, even though
it was a bit cool inside, was a far better
place to fly that day!
The dates for next year’s event have
been set for the same facility November
5-6. Put www.jriefestival.com/
index.html on your list of favorite Web
sites for more detailed information.
Make reservations well in advance; this
event is surely going to be more popular
each year! MA
Tom Hunt
1 Dianne Ave.
Centereach NY 11720
After the hundreds of flights that weekend (550 recorded on
Saturday alone), there were no instances of anyone needing the
sand or the extinguisher!
Festival Wow! The highlight of this year’s event for me was
watching Scott Foster fly his Northeast Sailplane Products
Blade 3D model. It is nothing special as 3-D airplanes go, but
adorned with Scott’s variable (and reversible)-pitch propeller,
it did some wild things!
Scott adapted the tail-rotor assembly from an Eco 8
helicopter to his AXI outrunner motor. With the throttle moved
to an auxiliary channel and the propeller’s pitch controlled
Z-Planes’ Stan Zolodz with two of his easy-flyer 3-D warbirds.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/03
Page Numbers: 49,50,51,52
by Tom Hunt
THE SECOND ANNUAL JR Indoor Electric Festival was
held November 6-7, 2004, at the Four Seasons Golf Dome in
Columbus, Ohio. The event director—well-known Scale
modeler/competitor Terry Nitsch—attracted almost 120 pilots,
22 vendors, and hundreds of spectators in his second year of
running the event.
The gathering featured mostly sport flying and
demonstrations. No competitions were scheduled, but awards
were given for Best Scale Aircraft, Best Original Design, Best
Multi-Engine Aircraft, Best Micro RC Aircraft, Best Jet, Best
Sport Performance, and Pilots Choice. To fly in the event,
models had to weigh less than 16 ounces with batteries
installed and must have been powered by “300”-class or
smaller motors.
Ten flight stations were set up in the 330-foot-wide x 270-
foot-deep x 100-foot-high dome. There were four stations for
3-D-type aircraft and six for all others, which were expected to
fly a left-hand racetrack-type pattern. All flight stations were
full many times during the two days.
Midairs did occur—but not as often as
you might think with more than 10 models
in the confined space at once—and few
resulted in crashes! They bumped,
tumbled, and flew away, typically
undamaged or with just a nick in the paint.
Those airplanes that were entangled did
not usually sustain any damage until they
hit the ground! Because of the models’
low weights and speeds, damage was
usually minor and easily repaired.
The primary sponsors for the event
were Horizon Hobby (specifically the JR
Remote Control division), Fly RC
magazine, and ZAP Adhesives.
Contributing sponsors were Radical RC,
Hobbico, ElectriFly, Hobby Lobby
International, E Cubed R/C, Futaba, DJ
Aerotech, and Castle Creations, many of
which also manned booths at this year’s
show.
Other vendors set up booths and displayed and sold their
wares at the show, including HobbyZone, Testors, ParkZone,
Net IBS, Clay’s Hobbies, Shulman Aviation, E-Flight,
Horsefly Hobbies, Litefly RC, and Z-Planes.
Prizes furnished by many of the sponsors and vendors were
raffled off to the pilots. Although there were no contest events,
tethered helium balloons were placed on the facility floor for
pilots to burst with their models. If you were lucky enough to
pop one, you were given a voucher for a prize at the
registration desk. I won a JR micro digital servo for my effort
(on takeoff, no less!).
Airplanes: By far the most popular model flown at the event
was the profile-fuselage, flat-slab-wing/tail, 3-D model.
Usually made from Zepron, Depron, or EPP foam strengthened
with carbon-fiber rod, they came in all shapes and sizes:
monoplanes, biplanes, and flying wings.
Balsa was a scarce commodity during the weekend! Many
aircraft came from kits and numerous models were ARFs, but
The second annual JR Indoor Electric Festival was held at the huge Four Seasons Golf Dome in Columbus, Ohio.
Event Director Terry Nitsch (second from left) with his volunteer crew of Columbus-area
modelers. They did a great job of organizing and conducting the event.
Photos by the author
Bernie Oldenburgh added built-up wings and twin floats to his GWS
Tiger Moth. It came out lighter than the original with foam wings.
Doug Ward won the Best Scale Aircraft award with his 3-ounce
Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat (1938). It spans 30 inches.
fly these types of models, two to three cells of a single-series
arrangement are all that are needed. This helps keep the cost
down. When one pack can fly a model for more than 20
minutes, you usually only buy two packs: one to fly with and
one to charge. The turnaround time is only long enough to get
in one good conversation, and it’s back to flying!
Cell capacities ranged from a diminutive 90 mAh to the
normally outdoor-only 2100 mAh!
Because of the expected high volume of modelers using Li-
Poly cells to power their aircraft (and the reported, though
erroneous, propensity to catch fire when properly handled), the
event director had a huge fire extinguisher and sand buckets
strategically placed throughout the pit areas.
Doug Ward holds his Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat. It is covered
with Esaki tissue applied with nitrate dope.
Dave Thacker of Radical RC was among the notable modelers who presented seminars on electric flight during the weekend.
Mike Glass (R) of Horsefly Hobbies—who designed and manufactures the popular Hell Raiser—with Alan Wander (L) and Don
Abramson holding their Hell Raisers.
from the mid position of the throttle channel, Scott made the
Blade literally “hover” nose-down! That’s not easy to do on a
small-model propeller!
Other maneuvers that drew the crowd’s attention were the
exceptionally slow nose-down descents after brisk climbs to
the dome’s roof. Backing the model up into its parking space
grabbed spectators’ attention too!
The AXI motor’s solid shaft was replaced with a steel tube,
which allowed the pitch-changing pushrod to pass. The pitch
servo was placed directly behind the motor. For his efforts,
Scott won the Best Sport Performance prize and the Pilots
Choice Award. We should see a production version of this
system soon.
Those who attended the festival seemed
to have had a great time, despite the fact
that many went home with bent and
busted models. Terry and his staff
provided a great venue and a wonderful
cocktail party at the host Ramada Inn
Saturday night. It gave us all a chance to
sit, talk, and exchange data on our
experiences with indoor RC.
We were never concerned with the
winds blowing steadily outside Saturday.
The protection of the dome, even though
it was a bit cool inside, was a far better
place to fly that day!
The dates for next year’s event have
been set for the same facility November
5-6. Put www.jriefestival.com/
index.html on your list of favorite Web
sites for more detailed information.
Make reservations well in advance; this
event is surely going to be more popular
each year! MA
Tom Hunt
1 Dianne Ave.
Centereach NY 11720
After the hundreds of flights that weekend (550 recorded on
Saturday alone), there were no instances of anyone needing the
sand or the extinguisher!
Festival Wow! The highlight of this year’s event for me was
watching Scott Foster fly his Northeast Sailplane Products
Blade 3D model. It is nothing special as 3-D airplanes go, but
adorned with Scott’s variable (and reversible)-pitch propeller,
it did some wild things!
Scott adapted the tail-rotor assembly from an Eco 8
helicopter to his AXI outrunner motor. With the throttle moved
to an auxiliary channel and the propeller’s pitch controlled
Z-Planes’ Stan Zolodz with two of his easy-flyer 3-D warbirds.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/03
Page Numbers: 49,50,51,52
by Tom Hunt
THE SECOND ANNUAL JR Indoor Electric Festival was
held November 6-7, 2004, at the Four Seasons Golf Dome in
Columbus, Ohio. The event director—well-known Scale
modeler/competitor Terry Nitsch—attracted almost 120 pilots,
22 vendors, and hundreds of spectators in his second year of
running the event.
The gathering featured mostly sport flying and
demonstrations. No competitions were scheduled, but awards
were given for Best Scale Aircraft, Best Original Design, Best
Multi-Engine Aircraft, Best Micro RC Aircraft, Best Jet, Best
Sport Performance, and Pilots Choice. To fly in the event,
models had to weigh less than 16 ounces with batteries
installed and must have been powered by “300”-class or
smaller motors.
Ten flight stations were set up in the 330-foot-wide x 270-
foot-deep x 100-foot-high dome. There were four stations for
3-D-type aircraft and six for all others, which were expected to
fly a left-hand racetrack-type pattern. All flight stations were
full many times during the two days.
Midairs did occur—but not as often as
you might think with more than 10 models
in the confined space at once—and few
resulted in crashes! They bumped,
tumbled, and flew away, typically
undamaged or with just a nick in the paint.
Those airplanes that were entangled did
not usually sustain any damage until they
hit the ground! Because of the models’
low weights and speeds, damage was
usually minor and easily repaired.
The primary sponsors for the event
were Horizon Hobby (specifically the JR
Remote Control division), Fly RC
magazine, and ZAP Adhesives.
Contributing sponsors were Radical RC,
Hobbico, ElectriFly, Hobby Lobby
International, E Cubed R/C, Futaba, DJ
Aerotech, and Castle Creations, many of
which also manned booths at this year’s
show.
Other vendors set up booths and displayed and sold their
wares at the show, including HobbyZone, Testors, ParkZone,
Net IBS, Clay’s Hobbies, Shulman Aviation, E-Flight,
Horsefly Hobbies, Litefly RC, and Z-Planes.
Prizes furnished by many of the sponsors and vendors were
raffled off to the pilots. Although there were no contest events,
tethered helium balloons were placed on the facility floor for
pilots to burst with their models. If you were lucky enough to
pop one, you were given a voucher for a prize at the
registration desk. I won a JR micro digital servo for my effort
(on takeoff, no less!).
Airplanes: By far the most popular model flown at the event
was the profile-fuselage, flat-slab-wing/tail, 3-D model.
Usually made from Zepron, Depron, or EPP foam strengthened
with carbon-fiber rod, they came in all shapes and sizes:
monoplanes, biplanes, and flying wings.
Balsa was a scarce commodity during the weekend! Many
aircraft came from kits and numerous models were ARFs, but
The second annual JR Indoor Electric Festival was held at the huge Four Seasons Golf Dome in Columbus, Ohio.
Event Director Terry Nitsch (second from left) with his volunteer crew of Columbus-area
modelers. They did a great job of organizing and conducting the event.
Photos by the author
Bernie Oldenburgh added built-up wings and twin floats to his GWS
Tiger Moth. It came out lighter than the original with foam wings.
Doug Ward won the Best Scale Aircraft award with his 3-ounce
Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat (1938). It spans 30 inches.
fly these types of models, two to three cells of a single-series
arrangement are all that are needed. This helps keep the cost
down. When one pack can fly a model for more than 20
minutes, you usually only buy two packs: one to fly with and
one to charge. The turnaround time is only long enough to get
in one good conversation, and it’s back to flying!
Cell capacities ranged from a diminutive 90 mAh to the
normally outdoor-only 2100 mAh!
Because of the expected high volume of modelers using Li-
Poly cells to power their aircraft (and the reported, though
erroneous, propensity to catch fire when properly handled), the
event director had a huge fire extinguisher and sand buckets
strategically placed throughout the pit areas.
Doug Ward holds his Taylor-Watkinson Ding-Bat. It is covered
with Esaki tissue applied with nitrate dope.
Dave Thacker of Radical RC was among the notable modelers who presented seminars on electric flight during the weekend.
Mike Glass (R) of Horsefly Hobbies—who designed and manufactures the popular Hell Raiser—with Alan Wander (L) and Don
Abramson holding their Hell Raisers.
from the mid position of the throttle channel, Scott made the
Blade literally “hover” nose-down! That’s not easy to do on a
small-model propeller!
Other maneuvers that drew the crowd’s attention were the
exceptionally slow nose-down descents after brisk climbs to
the dome’s roof. Backing the model up into its parking space
grabbed spectators’ attention too!
The AXI motor’s solid shaft was replaced with a steel tube,
which allowed the pitch-changing pushrod to pass. The pitch
servo was placed directly behind the motor. For his efforts,
Scott won the Best Sport Performance prize and the Pilots
Choice Award. We should see a production version of this
system soon.
Those who attended the festival seemed
to have had a great time, despite the fact
that many went home with bent and
busted models. Terry and his staff
provided a great venue and a wonderful
cocktail party at the host Ramada Inn
Saturday night. It gave us all a chance to
sit, talk, and exchange data on our
experiences with indoor RC.
We were never concerned with the
winds blowing steadily outside Saturday.
The protection of the dome, even though
it was a bit cool inside, was a far better
place to fly that day!
The dates for next year’s event have
been set for the same facility November
5-6. Put www.jriefestival.com/
index.html on your list of favorite Web
sites for more detailed information.
Make reservations well in advance; this
event is surely going to be more popular
each year! MA
Tom Hunt
1 Dianne Ave.
Centereach NY 11720
After the hundreds of flights that weekend (550 recorded on
Saturday alone), there were no instances of anyone needing the
sand or the extinguisher!
Festival Wow! The highlight of this year’s event for me was
watching Scott Foster fly his Northeast Sailplane Products
Blade 3D model. It is nothing special as 3-D airplanes go, but
adorned with Scott’s variable (and reversible)-pitch propeller,
it did some wild things!
Scott adapted the tail-rotor assembly from an Eco 8
helicopter to his AXI outrunner motor. With the throttle moved
to an auxiliary channel and the propeller’s pitch controlled
Z-Planes’ Stan Zolodz with two of his easy-flyer 3-D warbirds.