The Jet World Masters comes to the US
Jim Hiller [[email protected]]
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.
Event details
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, 2011. Dewey Davenport is one of the main organizers and has secured a website for the contest so we can keep abreast of the latest information.
The IJMC also has a website that contains a great deal of information about previous Jet World Masters and all rules and regulations for competing. 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 terrific international crowd with the best jets from around the world. Even if you are not competing, it will be a great show. In addition, the US Air Force Museum will be on-site and open during the competition.
US team qualifier and Route 66 Jet Meet
The qualifier for the US team will be the week before the Route 66 Jet Meet, on Labor Day weekend (September 4–7) this year. The location will be Litchfield, Illinois, with flying off a closed runway at 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 many of us to attend, so get those scale jets out for the team qualifier. Let’s send our best to Dayton in 2011.
Patrick Frost’s Shailesh Patel 1/4-scale F-86 Sabre
At last year’s Route 66 Jets, Patrick Frost showed up with his latest find: a Shailesh Patel 1/4-scale F-86 Sabre that Joe Grice built. What a beauty. It’s great for a pilot such as Patrick 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, maintenance lettering, and the like.
A big surprise is that Patrick displays the Sabre with the scale access panels removed. Considering the panels fit so tightly, it’s hard to believe they are removable. The gun access panel and oxygen tank hatch come off to show the completely detailed interior sections.
The cockpit features workmanship and attention to fine details that extend down to the lettering surrounding switches and instrument sets. This sets a new standard for accuracy and completeness in a cockpit.
Joe made decals for all panels, so you can actually read the lettering with a 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?
Jet Pilots’ Organization (JPO)
It’s time to put in a plug for our AMA Special Interest Group (SIG): the Jet Pilots’ Organization, otherwise known as the JPO.
The coming years will be extremely important to jet modeling as the FAA develops new rules and regulations. As the government continues to develop policies for sUAS (small unmanned aerial systems), define model airplanes, and put new regulations in place, the JPO will support jet modeling.
If you read last year’s sUAS industry recommendations, you might think 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 model jet pilots in these changing times.
Check out the JPO website 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 great ideas and experiences.
Maverick conversion project
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 it was slow. The drag from that easy setup limited the performance of this otherwise fun airplane.
Last summer 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 dislike doing maintenance work during the flying season.
I carved simple ductwork from the inlets back to and covering the turbine out of foam. Then I covered the basic shapes with packing tape, using a heat gun to shrink and fit as best I could.
I waxed the molds and covered them with two layers of 4.7-ounce fiberglass cloth and West System 105 epoxy resin with 206 slow hardener. This makes 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 hatch cover for easy turbine installation. I retained the original tailpipe because it was sized right for my Wren 54 turbine.
The fuel system consists of two saddle tanks, made similarly to 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 like this. Fabricating fiberglass parts this way is simple and quite a bit easier and faster than using balsa for the same 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 this set is not as pretty as it could 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. With all fuel onboard, the timer is set to seven minutes from start or takeoff to setup for landing.
But there are issues. 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. 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.
Round Two — new wings and updates
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.
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 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 modifying the inlet duct Y section for tank clearance. 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, 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!
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
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
