66 MODEL AVIATION
THIS STORY STARTED during World
War II, somewhere over Germany in late
August 1944. At an altitude approaching
20,000 feet, a Boeing B-17 in formation with
approximately 700 other aircraft was heading
into the heart of Germany for a bombing
mission. At the controls, 23-year-old pilot Joe
Beshar focused on keeping his B-17 in place
with the others.
The mission’s smoothness ended quickly
when Joe noticed two fast, swept-wing
aircraft attacking the formation ahead of him.
They dove through the group of B-117s with
cannons blazing, damaging a number of
airplanes, and flew out of sight in an instant.
Joe unknowingly witnessed the beginning
of the Jet Age in fighter aircraft and the
ramifications of speed to an attacking aircraft.
The image of those airplanes would never
leave his memory; they were Messerschmitt
Me 163 Komets.
It is the present day, and AMA member Joe
Beshar has just watched another Komet fly;
but this time it was his 105-inch-wingspan,
turbine-powered model of the Me 163. The
pilot was Lucas Vallejo—a longtime friend of
Joe’s and a consummate turbine builder and
flier.
Joe smiles and shakes his head at the
success of the Komet design and at how much
fun he has had while building and flying his
aircraft. When I started asking Joe about his
airplane, my first question was about his
reasons for doing the project. He replied:
“It really did start in World War II. They
could wreak havoc on our B-17 formations.
The Komet was so fast, I just did not want to
be the target of one of those Komets; I wanted
to be the pilot. Fifty years later, flying a model
was the only way I could accomplish my
goal.”
Joe had forgotten about the Komet design
until he attended a flying meet on Long
Island, New York, and Sal Calvagna let him
fly an 85-inch-wingspan, propeller version of
the Me 163. Sal had built his aircraft from Jim
Kiehl plans, and it flew impressively with a
1.08 engine.
When Joe arrived home that night, he
thought about the airplane and how
spectacular it was in the air, but he did not
want to scratch-build one for himself; he
wanted to find a kit version of the model Sal
had let him fly.
Joe did not find an exact match, but he was
able to come up with a .40-powered, 65-inchwingspan
kit version from fellow modeler
John Sacolov. When Joe finished building that
model, it too flew very well. The one thought
in Joe’s mind was how similarly the airplane
performed in different sizes.
At that time, fellow club member Lucas
Vallejo became interested in the Komet
design. Joe would let Lucas pilot his airplane,
and they would compare notes on how
Me 163 Komet: F
Builder Joe Beshar (L) and pilot Lucas Vallejo with Joe’s sleek Komet. Joe’s WW II memories sparked this adventure.
by George Leu
From the looks of it, this photo could have
been taken in 1911 over Germany. It’s a
realistic model!
07sig3.QXD 4/23/04 12:59 pm Page 66
July 2004 67
Photos courtesy the author
delightful it was to fly. As their friendship grew, ideas about the Komet
design’s potential also started to grow. Soon, both came up with ideas
about a larger and more scalelike version of the model.
According to Joe:
“The thinking was to enlarge the airplane to about a 120-inchwingspan
version and power it with a turbine engine, just to eliminate
the propeller at the front of the fuselage. The flying characteristics were
so good on the 65-inch and 85-inch versions, it was a given that a larger
version would probably fly as well and be easier to see—something
necessary with the turbine.
“Lucas and I thought long and hard about the project, but all our
thoughts kept saying, ‘Yes,’ we have to do it.”
Joe found plans for a 105-inch-wingspan Me 163 from Jim Kiehl.
After calling him, Joe decided that this size would be more than
adequate to handle turbine power. It also saved him a great deal of time,
not having to design a large model from scratch. Joe told me:
“The Kiehl drawings were fantastic. It was easy to build the wing
panels and fuselage and have a lot of room in the fuselage for the turbine
installation.
“Building for a turbine-powered aircraft is not much different from
building a gas-engine-powered airplane. You do not have vibration
affecting your airplane, but you want to make sure you build it strong
because of the potential speeds involved. You also want to make sure
the engine receives plenty of air for cooling.
“My Komet has been clocked at 105 mph, which is plenty fast and
very realistic. It does not exceed the performance parameters of the
designer.”
I asked Joe if there were specific uses of carbon fiber or high-tech
materials in his aircraft. He said:
“No, it was built with balsa and plywood—basic materials, but used
in a number of current jet kits. I did use ProBond glue from Elmer’s for
most of the construction, and I did fiberglass-cloth-and-epoxy-resin the
fuselage. The wings were MonoKote covered.
“The original Komet was just a rocket aircraft that glided in to land
after its fuel was spent. We use a turbine for takeoff and flight, and then
glide it in to land at the end of each flight after our fuel has been spent. It
had no landing gear other than a dolly for takeoff. The dolly would drop
away once the airplane was airborne. My airplane does the same thing.”
“The Komet is powered by a JetCat P80 engine developing 17
pounds of thrust. It uses kerosene for fuel and has an electric starter
installed at the factory for ease of starting. The tailpipe was constructed
from TAM Manufacturing in California. I use an Airtronics radio
system with four high-torque servos.”
This Komet’s vibrant red color scheme was used by Wolfgang
Spate, Commander of EK 16, on May 13, 1944. It was not his intent to
have his airplane painted in such a bold color, but his mechanics thought
it would be good for morale.
“It sure is easy to see in the air,” said Joe. “I am sure Mr. Spate must
have thought every Allied fighter could see him just as clearly.”
In the past two years, Joe and Lucas have teamed up to fly the Komet
at various jet rallies and warbird events. Their reputation as a team has
been good, and Joe and Lucas were invited to attend Top Gun 2004 and
demonstrate the model’s flight performance as part of the midday
activities. I cannot think of a better “stage” on which the Komet can
perform. MA
George Leu
34 Barley Sheaf Rd.
Flemington NJ 08822
From Memory to Model
Joe shapes one of his Komet’s fluid fillets. He molded them from
Model Magic filler and then sanded them smooth.
The completed framework less the fuselage planking. Note
fiberglass nose cone. This is an experienced builder’s project.
The fuselage framework is built around the tailpipe for the
turbine. Notice the rudder servo mounted in the fin.
07sig3.QXD 4/23/04 1:00 pm Page 67
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 66,67
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 66,67
66 MODEL AVIATION
THIS STORY STARTED during World
War II, somewhere over Germany in late
August 1944. At an altitude approaching
20,000 feet, a Boeing B-17 in formation with
approximately 700 other aircraft was heading
into the heart of Germany for a bombing
mission. At the controls, 23-year-old pilot Joe
Beshar focused on keeping his B-17 in place
with the others.
The mission’s smoothness ended quickly
when Joe noticed two fast, swept-wing
aircraft attacking the formation ahead of him.
They dove through the group of B-117s with
cannons blazing, damaging a number of
airplanes, and flew out of sight in an instant.
Joe unknowingly witnessed the beginning
of the Jet Age in fighter aircraft and the
ramifications of speed to an attacking aircraft.
The image of those airplanes would never
leave his memory; they were Messerschmitt
Me 163 Komets.
It is the present day, and AMA member Joe
Beshar has just watched another Komet fly;
but this time it was his 105-inch-wingspan,
turbine-powered model of the Me 163. The
pilot was Lucas Vallejo—a longtime friend of
Joe’s and a consummate turbine builder and
flier.
Joe smiles and shakes his head at the
success of the Komet design and at how much
fun he has had while building and flying his
aircraft. When I started asking Joe about his
airplane, my first question was about his
reasons for doing the project. He replied:
“It really did start in World War II. They
could wreak havoc on our B-17 formations.
The Komet was so fast, I just did not want to
be the target of one of those Komets; I wanted
to be the pilot. Fifty years later, flying a model
was the only way I could accomplish my
goal.”
Joe had forgotten about the Komet design
until he attended a flying meet on Long
Island, New York, and Sal Calvagna let him
fly an 85-inch-wingspan, propeller version of
the Me 163. Sal had built his aircraft from Jim
Kiehl plans, and it flew impressively with a
1.08 engine.
When Joe arrived home that night, he
thought about the airplane and how
spectacular it was in the air, but he did not
want to scratch-build one for himself; he
wanted to find a kit version of the model Sal
had let him fly.
Joe did not find an exact match, but he was
able to come up with a .40-powered, 65-inchwingspan
kit version from fellow modeler
John Sacolov. When Joe finished building that
model, it too flew very well. The one thought
in Joe’s mind was how similarly the airplane
performed in different sizes.
At that time, fellow club member Lucas
Vallejo became interested in the Komet
design. Joe would let Lucas pilot his airplane,
and they would compare notes on how
Me 163 Komet: F
Builder Joe Beshar (L) and pilot Lucas Vallejo with Joe’s sleek Komet. Joe’s WW II memories sparked this adventure.
by George Leu
From the looks of it, this photo could have
been taken in 1911 over Germany. It’s a
realistic model!
07sig3.QXD 4/23/04 12:59 pm Page 66
July 2004 67
Photos courtesy the author
delightful it was to fly. As their friendship grew, ideas about the Komet
design’s potential also started to grow. Soon, both came up with ideas
about a larger and more scalelike version of the model.
According to Joe:
“The thinking was to enlarge the airplane to about a 120-inchwingspan
version and power it with a turbine engine, just to eliminate
the propeller at the front of the fuselage. The flying characteristics were
so good on the 65-inch and 85-inch versions, it was a given that a larger
version would probably fly as well and be easier to see—something
necessary with the turbine.
“Lucas and I thought long and hard about the project, but all our
thoughts kept saying, ‘Yes,’ we have to do it.”
Joe found plans for a 105-inch-wingspan Me 163 from Jim Kiehl.
After calling him, Joe decided that this size would be more than
adequate to handle turbine power. It also saved him a great deal of time,
not having to design a large model from scratch. Joe told me:
“The Kiehl drawings were fantastic. It was easy to build the wing
panels and fuselage and have a lot of room in the fuselage for the turbine
installation.
“Building for a turbine-powered aircraft is not much different from
building a gas-engine-powered airplane. You do not have vibration
affecting your airplane, but you want to make sure you build it strong
because of the potential speeds involved. You also want to make sure
the engine receives plenty of air for cooling.
“My Komet has been clocked at 105 mph, which is plenty fast and
very realistic. It does not exceed the performance parameters of the
designer.”
I asked Joe if there were specific uses of carbon fiber or high-tech
materials in his aircraft. He said:
“No, it was built with balsa and plywood—basic materials, but used
in a number of current jet kits. I did use ProBond glue from Elmer’s for
most of the construction, and I did fiberglass-cloth-and-epoxy-resin the
fuselage. The wings were MonoKote covered.
“The original Komet was just a rocket aircraft that glided in to land
after its fuel was spent. We use a turbine for takeoff and flight, and then
glide it in to land at the end of each flight after our fuel has been spent. It
had no landing gear other than a dolly for takeoff. The dolly would drop
away once the airplane was airborne. My airplane does the same thing.”
“The Komet is powered by a JetCat P80 engine developing 17
pounds of thrust. It uses kerosene for fuel and has an electric starter
installed at the factory for ease of starting. The tailpipe was constructed
from TAM Manufacturing in California. I use an Airtronics radio
system with four high-torque servos.”
This Komet’s vibrant red color scheme was used by Wolfgang
Spate, Commander of EK 16, on May 13, 1944. It was not his intent to
have his airplane painted in such a bold color, but his mechanics thought
it would be good for morale.
“It sure is easy to see in the air,” said Joe. “I am sure Mr. Spate must
have thought every Allied fighter could see him just as clearly.”
In the past two years, Joe and Lucas have teamed up to fly the Komet
at various jet rallies and warbird events. Their reputation as a team has
been good, and Joe and Lucas were invited to attend Top Gun 2004 and
demonstrate the model’s flight performance as part of the midday
activities. I cannot think of a better “stage” on which the Komet can
perform. MA
George Leu
34 Barley Sheaf Rd.
Flemington NJ 08822
From Memory to Model
Joe shapes one of his Komet’s fluid fillets. He molded them from
Model Magic filler and then sanded them smooth.
The completed framework less the fuselage planking. Note
fiberglass nose cone. This is an experienced builder’s project.
The fuselage framework is built around the tailpipe for the
turbine. Notice the rudder servo mounted in the fin.
07sig3.QXD 4/23/04 1:00 pm Page 67