Author: Joe Malinchak
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/03
Page Numbers: 87,88,89
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2012 JR Indoor Electric Festival

Joe Malinchak <[email protected]>

The JR Indoor Electric Festival is at the top of my list of favorite indoor events to attend. Terry Nitsch and his crew do a wonderful job of organizing this first-class event. I am not sure how they pull it off, but it gets better each year!

With its indoor water runway and separate areas for micro- and 3-D flying, the JR Indoor Electric Festival is hard to beat. However, the best part of the event for me and my wife, Cindy, is spending time with old friends and making some new ones.

The event is held as a fun-fly, but also features some friendly competition. Several awards are presented to recognize fliers and their outstanding modeling achievements. I love the friendly competition because it pushes people to do their best and helps promote the hobby.

It is wonderful when you win, but it doesn't matter if you win an award or not — simply enjoy the experience and do your best.

ParkZone Air Races

The ParkZone Air Races, sponsored by Horizon Hobby, are held each year at the JR Indoor Electric Festival. They traditionally start on Saturday evening after a fun-filled day of flying. Each year the races feature a specific Bind-N-Fly (BNF) model from the ParkZone Ultra Micro Series.

This year, the great-flying Ultra Micro T-28 Trojan was used. Ten models were decorated in racing markings. The models are randomly selected by each contestant to fly in each heat, and then bound to the contestant's transmitter. The modeler also randomly selected a battery to use in the model.

Each race starts with the models aligned on the ground. At the sound of a horn, six laps are flown, and the first- and second-place winners of each heat advance to the next round. With 32 contestants, the organizers did a wonderful job of keeping things moving. All of the races, including the finals, were held on Saturday. This was a great idea because many people like to leave early on Sunday.

This was a good year for me. Normally I practice at home to prepare for the races, but this year I did not and entered for the fun of it. I have entered the races every year since the start of the event. I made it to the finals one year and hit a pylon and crashed. At several previous events I had midair collisions. My goal this year was not to crash, not to hit anything, and just complete the race — I was racing for fun. Somehow I not only made it to the finals, but I won first place! It was a personal best for me. After the final race, the 10 ParkZone Ultra Micro T-28s were raffled off to those who competed. What a great idea!

Final results of the race:

  • Joe Malinchak — 1st place
  • Mark Gray — 2nd place
  • Eric Shauman — 3rd place

Other 2012 JR Indoor Electric Festival award results:

  • Best Original Design (sponsored by Zap): Matt Andren's six-engine scale flying boat
  • Best Multiengine (sponsored by Zap): Sean Cassidy's Vickers Vimy
  • Best Micro Aircraft (sponsored by Zap): Joe Malinchak's de Havilland DHC-8
  • Best Scale (sponsored by Hobbico): Sean Cassidy's Bristol F.2B
  • Best Performance (sponsored by Luke's RC): Joe Smith's foamy Champion Decathlon
  • Best Jet (sponsored by Zap): Joe Malinchak's Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)
  • Best New Product (sponsored by Hobbico): E-flite UMX MiG 15
  • Pilots' Choice (sponsored by Luke's RC): Dave Thacker's Wright Flyer
  • Special Recognition (sponsored by Zap): Missie Anderson
  • Special Recognition (sponsored by Zap): Marie Oldenburgh

Higher Plane Productions

A great way to see some of the highlights of the JR Indoor Electric Festival is to watch Higher Plane Productions' coverage of the event. You can access videos from the company's website. Other events held throughout the year are also available. The cost is $12.99 for 90 days of access or $39.99 for a full year. The company makes a calendar each year featuring beautiful models. Cindy and I were honored because her micro Butterflight Butterfly is featured for the month of December in the 2013 calendar.

RTF Micro F-86 Sabre

I had the opportunity to test-fly the new Great Planes RTF Micro F-86 with an electric ducted fan. The F-86 comes packaged in an attractive carrying/storage case and is ready to fly out of the box. It includes everything needed, including the Tactic TTX402 four-channel 2.4 GHz transmitter, transmitter batteries, LiPo battery, charger, pilot figure, and instructions.

The model is constructed from molded foam and is beautifully painted. It has a nice 15-inch wingspan. The RTF version features a new, larger 250 mAh 7.4-volt 20C battery. After reading the instructions and charging the battery, I was ready to fly.

On my first flight attempt I hand-launched the model; it climbed and made a loop. I chopped the power and landed. I tried it again and used less power on the launch. The model picked up speed and flew well. It seemed slightly tail-heavy, so I slid a quarter under the canopy all the way forward to give it some nose weight. This did the trick and I had no problems with the hand launch after adjusting the CG.

The model flies beautifully and is capable of loops, rolls, and many other maneuvers. The small Tactic TTX402 transmitter works great with the model and feels comfortable in your hands.

The RTF version is a great way to go for some quick flights at the field. I give the model two thumbs up!

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.