Radio Control Jets - 2010/04

completely detailed interior sections.
The cockpit features workmanship and
attention to fine details that goes all the way
down to the lettering surrounding switches
and instrument sets. This is a new standard
for accuracy and completeness in a cockpit.
Joe made decals for all panels, so you can
actually read the lettering if you get out your
magnifying glass. This F-86 is more than a
flying machine; it’s a museum piece.
It was a pleasure to look at this model, let
alone watch Patrick Frost tear up the skies
with it. Great job, guys.
This F-86 could make a great mount for
the Jet World Masters US team qualifications.
How about it, Patrick?
It’s time to put in a plug for our AMA SIG:
the Jet Pilots’ Organization, otherwise known
as the JPO.
The coming years will be extremely
important to jet modeling as it pertains to new
112 MODEL AVIATION
Also included in this column:
• Joe Grice F-86
• The Jet Pilots’ Organization
• BVM Maverick
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Jets Jim Hiller
The Jet World Masters comes to the US
Scott Harris assists Patrick Frost with his Shailesh Patel F-86 at Route 66
Jets. Scott is an accomplished F-86 pilot, Jet World Masters competitor, and
great caller/coach when flying these sophisticated scale aircraft.
Day weekend (September 4-7) this year. The
location will be Litchfield, Illinois, and
flying will be off of a closed runway on the
airport. This excellent flying site has been
home to Route 66 Jets for many years; it’s a
nice setup.
This will be the most affordable Jet
World Masters for any of us to attend, so get
those scale jets out here for the team
qualifier. Let’s send our best to Dayton in
2011.
At last year’s Route 66 Jets, Patrick Frost
showed up with his latest find: a Shailesh
Patel ¼-scale F-86 Sabre that Joe Grice built.
Man, what a beauty. It’s great for a pilot
such as Patrick to get to own and fly such a
masterpiece.
The F-86 is special both for him and for
us as modeling enthusiasts. He not only
displays the aircraft to its fullest, but he also
flies it. If I remember correctly, the aircraft
has a 98-inch wingspan and an overall length
of 98 inches.
Joe Grice outdid himself with this model.
It is completely covered with aluminum foil,
with all exterior details such as rivets,
screws, panel lines, proper markings,
maint enance le ttering, and the li ke.
But a bi g surp rise is tha t Patr ick
d isplays t he Sab re with the s cale access
p anels removed . Consid ering the p anels
fit so ti ght, it ’s har d to believe that they
are removable. The gun access pa nel a nd
oxyge n tank h atch come o ff to show the
I HAVE A big announcement to make. The
Jet World Masters is coming to the US in
2011! Roger Shipley has worked hard and
secured this prestigious jet modeling event,
and he is leading the charge.
The International Jet Model Committee
(IJMC) contest will be held at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio. It
is the home of the National Museum of the
United States Air Force: a wonderful site and
one of the best aircraft museums in the world.
The Jet World Masters will take place
July 24-August 6 next year. Dewey
Davenport is one of the main players in
organizing this event, and he has secured a
Web site for the contest so we can keep
abreast of the latest information.
The IJMC also has a Web site. It contains
a great deal of information about previous Jet
World Masters and all rules and regulations
for competing in this event. The Jet World
Masters and IJMC Web addresses are in the
“Sources” list at the end of this column.
This Jet World Masters promises to be
one of the largest ever, with commitments
already coming in from countries that have
not previously competed. We should see a
heck of an international crowd with the best
jets from around the world.
So even if you are not competing, it will
be a great show. In addition, the US Air
Force Museum is on-site and will be open
during the competition.
The qualifier for the US team will be the
week before the Route 66 Jet Meet, on Labor
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This photo only begins to show the workmanship in Scott Harris’s
F-86 Sabre’s cockpit. Joe Grice’s attention to detail and
completeness must be viewed to be appreciated.
The F-86’s beauty isn’t only on the outside, but also hidden under
the hatches. Joe Grice outdid himself with this great-flying jet.
April 2010 113
rules and regulations from the FAA. As the
government continues to develop policies for
sUAS (small unmanned aerial systems),
define model airplanes, and put in place new
regulations, the JPO will support jet modeling.
If you read last year’s sUAS industry
recommendations, you would think that the
commercial sUAS industry does not want jet
modeling as we know it to continue to grow.
JPO’s leadership has stated that it will
represent the model jet pilots in these
changing times.
Check out the JPO Web site for
membership information. While you’re there,
read the hints and tips articles; many fantastic
subjects are covered in detail. I particularly
like the construction features that some
talented modelers have written; they share
some great ideas and experiences.
I have a new project in the shop: an old Bob
Violett Models Maverick converted to turbine
power.
The model was originally converted by
installing a 14-pound-thrust turbine in the aft
section of the hatch area, cutting off the inlets
approximately 2 inches in from the opening.
Then a 50-ounce fuel tank was stuffed
between the inlets and the turbine. This was a
simple installation.
The Maverick flew well that way—well
enough that the previous owner obtained his
turbine waiver with it—but man, was it slow.
The drag from that easy setup limited the
performance of this otherwise fun airplane.
In the summer last year, I took on the
Maverick with the intent to build a nice sport
jet for everyday flying. I fly two or three times
a week in the summer, so I need my models to
be simple and reliable. I hate doing
maintenance work during the flying season.
I got out the foam and carved simple
ductwork from the inlets back to, and
covering, the turbine. Then I covered the basic
shapes with packing tape, using a heat gun to
shrink and fit the best I could.
I waxed the molds and covered them with
two layers of 4.7-ounce fiberglass cloth and
West Systems 105 epoxy resin and 206 slow
hardener. This makes for a lightweight inlet
system for these smaller turbines.
The original large inlet openings are
retained, but the air is choked down to
roughly 9 square inches between the fuel
tanks. A simple cutout of the ducting
covering the turbine makes a simple hatch
cover for easily installing the turbine. I
retained the original tailpipe, because it was
sized right for my Wren 54 turbine.
The fuel system consists of two saddle
tanks, made in a similar fashion as the inlets.
Each tank is slightly more than 1 liter in size
and Y-connected to a 2-ounce header tank.
Don’t hold back on tackling a project
such as this. Fabricating fiberglass parts this
way is simple and quite a bit easier and
faster than using balsa for this process.
This is the second set of fuel tanks I have
made this way. The first was in the T-33 that
I have been flying for the last four years.
The tanks have presented no problems,
although, admittedly, this set is not as pretty
as it could or should be. It’s part of my
gaining experience with fiberglass.
With that work completed, last fall I set
up the Maverick and took it flying. What a
change!
Now this aircraft moves out like a jet
should. It currently weighs 15 pounds, so
my 14-pound-thrust Wren 54 pushes it
around with terrific speed. And with all fuel
onboard, the timer is set to seven minutes
from start of takeoff to setup for landing.
But, alas, there are issues. In this case I
ended up with 6 ounces of nose weight. The
wings had cracked top sheeting from
previous abuse, and the landing gear
continues to break the top sheeting. And for
some reason, the retract units are no longer
tight to the spars.
In addition, the fuel system is not
working for aerobatics. Too much air is
coming from the saddle tanks for that small
2-ounce header tank to handle during
inverted G maneuvers. Back to the shop.
Here is where good fortune sets in.
Gerry Kerr Sr. set me up with a fresh set of
Maverick foam wing cores, so it’s time to
go at the jet for Round Two.
The new wings will have some
sweepback, to help with the CG, and
improved looks. I will also update the old
plastic retracts with a heavier-duty set with
7/16-inch-diameter struts. This main landing
gear plan eliminates the original flex plates,
because the taller retract units need every bit
of vertical space to stay clear of the top wing
sheeting, so now is the time.
Since I’m building new wings, I have to
try some new ideas. I’ll hide the wing control
linkages, when possible, for the ailerons.
They will be top-hinged with the control horn
just above the bottom sheeting, so that the
control linkage is hidden inside the wing.
The flaps might have exposed linkages,
because I’m going to try a set of fowler flaps.
It’s time to see if they are as effective on a
model as they are on full-scale aircraft.
In the fuselage, I plan to redo the fuel
system by installing a larger header tank—
something in the 8- to 12-ounce range.
This will require me to modify the inlet
duct “Y” section for tank clearance. But
the flow area is too large in this area
anyway, so reducing it immediately as the
air enters the inlets shouldn’t be an issue. I
can use the tank as the mold for a
fiberglass retrofit piece, and then cut out
the “Y” section and fiberglass in this new
piece.
This is the type of project to take on for
the fun of building and trying new things. It
might be easier to buy a fully developed
ARF, but the journey is the fun with this
Maverick.
All you scale jet pilots, get your models ready
and go to Litchfield for the Jet World Masters
qualifier. It promises to be great fun! MA
Sources:
Jet World Masters 2011
www.jwm2011.com
International Jet Model Committee
www.ijmc.net
Jet Pilots’ Organization
www.jetpilots.org
BVM Jets
(407) 327-6333
www.bvmjets.com
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