Author: Jim Hiller
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/08
Page Numbers: 112,113,114
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Hot times at Florida Jets

Jim Hiller <[email protected]>

Event overview

FLORIDA JETS this year was great. The weather was cool in Lakeland, but the skies were clear, winds were mild, there was no rain, and the flying was impressive.

This is a great event for snowbound pilots to start the season. Held in March, it provides early flying in warm weather, and many vendors show up with new products.

Jet Central and turbines

Jet Central had a courtesy tent (thank you very much) and some exciting product news. The Mammoth turbine is now in full production, and customers flew them at Florida Jets.

If you need brute force, this powerhouse puts out 48 pounds of thrust, yet it weighs just less than 5 pounds. What a package! If big jets are your thing, this monster will push any non-experimental-class airframe to awesome performance. Lewis Patton had a Mammoth turbine in his big F-15 Eagle. That aircraft has the power that a true scale jet deserves; F-15s are all about sheer strength.

The Rabbit and the Super Bee II are now available as kerosene-start turbines, and existing Rabbits are upgradable to kerosene start for a reasonable cost. I just got my Rabbit back from its 25-hour inspection, so its next trip should be this coming winter. The kerosene-start option will have to wait until then, but it will be upgraded.

Eric Clapp and Felipe Nieto rolled out the latest version of the Bee, and it has 16.5 pounds of thrust. Yes, 16.5 pounds — truly impressive power from such a small, lightweight power plant. I could see a Super Bee II in one of my aircraft.

For Super Bee owners who want to upgrade their turbines to the latest version and take advantage of the additional thrust and kerosene-start option, it can be done. It's a bit expensive at first glance, but many engineered parts must be replaced to gain the additional performance.

All Jet Central turbines carry a lifetime warranty, which the owner maintains by keeping up with the required 25-hour inspection period. It's a great time to upgrade that engine.

Bob Wilcox showed up in Lakeland with a new JetCat turbine: a small 5.25-pound-thrust P20-SE. It's a cute little engine that is capable of flying those 70mm electric-ducted-fan models with the authority, sound, and smell they deserve.

I didn't catch who was flying a Mirage powered by the P20-SE, but what a show! The small jet flew with authority and reliability—just the thing for keeping in the trunk for a quick flight on the way home from work. The turbine weighs in at a petite 13 ounces and is only 2.4 inches in diameter (61 mm). It will fit in many small airframes with ease.

CARF Models and BVM Jets

The latest version of the CARF Models UltraLighting was everywhere at Florida Jets, and David Shulman had his new one flying. It looked great pumping smoke into that beautiful blue sky as David flipped the jet about and spun it up high. Good show, David.

CARF Models also showed an impressive A-4 Skyhawk, flying it regularly to demonstrate how nicely this package performs. It is cool, complete with LE flaps and scale landing gear, packaged in a large jet.

The A-4 is big enough to be impressive, but not so large that you can't handle it yourself. It is 106 inches long, 68 inches in wingspan, and expected to weigh 40 pounds—great for 34- to 44-pound-thrust turbines. Optional ordnance and a scale cockpit kit are available for the Skyhawk. It is a warbird, after all; load it up and have some fun.

I have to mention the new T-33s at Florida Jets. Pablo Fernandez had his new Fei Bao T-33 flying in classic Thunderbirds colors. That thing is big! The new T-33 and P-80 became part of BVM Jets' inventory just in time for open-box display under Bob Violett's tent in Lakeland.

Skymaster models keep getting better. The molded detail and quality of the landing gear systems look wonderful. I'll bet that more details will be added to the T-33 and the P-80 as regular production starts and deliveries begin.

Der Jet Cougar

Then there was the Der Jet 1/6-scale F8F-9 Cougar, distributed in the US by Jet Central, hiding under Eric Clapp's tent. It's a great package.

One stock, from-the-box Cougar in the navy-blue scheme was pulled out and set up on the table. It had great workmanship on the fit and finish, and the paint work was top-notch—impressive for an ARF. Molded detail such as hatches, rivets, and panel lines are well done on the F8F-9. Add that incredible cockpit kit, and you have a spectacular scale model—not just another ARF.

The Der Jet Cougar is sized right for a 22- to 30-pound-thrust turbine, and Eric Clapp had a Jet Central Eagle in his. That's a great combination. The model has a 66-inch wingspan with a length of 82 inches and weighs 32 pounds empty.

Eric's own Cougar was on display in the white-and-orange scheme with a light touch of weathering added to bring out the molded details. On Sunday Eric removed it from the display table and invited me to fly it; you might know I did.

You might read about how an airplane flies, but there's no hiding the truth once you fly it yourself. And I like this model. Eric's Cougar has all flaps operating, including the inboard belly flaps. It's striking when it is dirtied up, with landing gear and flaps down.

This aircraft took off with authority. If you doubt its 32-pound weight, watch it fly when you can; you might swear that it's even lighter. This jet has ample wing area for its size, and it shows in maneuverability and slow flight, enhanced even more by the cuffed (or drooped) leading edges.

Setup for landing is straightforward with the Cougar. Slow it a bit and lower the gear and flaps, and leisurely flight on approach is solid. It has enough drag to make approach airspeed control easy; there are no excuses for coming in to land too high and fast.

I expected the Cougar to fly the way it looked—like a heavy super-scale model. Wrong! It flies like a sport aircraft. I wish time had allowed for more flights; it only allowed for one.

Electrics and KingTech K-80

Florida Jets featured plenty of impressive models and flying, and I didn't even mention the electrics. Bob Violett rolled out his new EVF-2 power system that offers more thrust on the same watts. Efficiency improvements made that happen.

The additional power allows BVM Jets to introduce the E Bandit ARF—one large jet for electric power—and Bob Violett flew his so everyone could see the impressive performance of this package. It has unreal flight times and great performance. He flew it alongside turbine-powered aircraft.

I spent a few days with a KingTech K-80 before it was delivered to the company's new representative, Joe Lewis. This turbine is out to break the price barrier, costing less than $2,000 with an introductory price of $1,750.

The K-80 is a good-looking package, but it's not quite as complete as others. No battery or onboard propane tank is included, but valves, engine control unit (ECU), fuel pump, and turbine are included.

The K-80 produces 17.5 pounds of thrust and is packaged in a 96 mm (3.78-inch) diameter case. That's excellent power for the size of this power plant.

Fuel requirements are 5% turbine oil mixed with kerosene. Experience is already being gained with Mobil DTE oil mixed at this ratio, and no problems are reported yet. Check with KingTech for final results.

Initial start and running on the test bench were positive. The K-80 is set up with a complete automatic start sequence utilizing propane or Powermax as the starting gas.

A FADEC ECU controls all turbine activities. This well-known, popular unit has an outstanding record in jet modeling. It is good to see that KingTech did not use a cheap ECU of limited capability. I have three turbines running on various versions of the FADEC ECU, all with excellent history.

The fuel pump is unique. It is a bit large, but it does have mounting lugs to aid in securing the pump in the aircraft. Overall, the K-80 looks like a quality package at a reasonable cost. Joe Lewis has completed his first flights with it, and it looks to be an interesting addition to the turbine market.

Upcoming events

Let's get back out flying, and remember to make it to the Jet World Masters USA Qualifier, September 4–7, followed by Route 66 Jets in Litchfield, Illinois. See the best scale jet modelers in the US shoot it out for a spot on the 2011 team.

Sources

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