Author: Jim Hiller
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 110,112
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Radio Control Jets — Jim Hiller [[email protected]]

Don't miss the 2011 Jet World Masters

This promises to be a great summer for jet flying. One of the highlights will be the Jet World Masters contest that the International Jet Model Committee (IMJC) is hosting in Dayton, Ohio.

As stated in its constitution, the IMJC was established to bring jet modelers together to "bring jet scale competition to an internationally accepted class." It has done this by holding competitions throughout the world, and now in North America.

The contest will be held at the National Museum of the United States Air Force during the course of two weeks: July 24–August 6. This promises to be one of the largest Jet World Masters yet, featuring some of the best scale jets and the best scale jet modelers from around the world. As I write this, more than 80 pilots from 20 countries have preregistered.

Event details

Time will be allotted not only for competition flying, but also for practice, demonstration flights, and even open flying. Bring your jets and fly at one of the greatest sites in the world, tour the U.S. Air Force museum across from the airport, and watch this great contest.

Primitive camping is available on-site, and there are plenty of hotels in the area. The event schedule is posted on the Jet World Masters website, as is lodging and travel information, a listing of local activities, and almost any other information you might want.

Organizers and volunteers

Support for this event is coming along well, both with volunteers and sponsors. It takes many people and much funding to put on competitions such as this. Roger Shipley and Dewey Davenport have taken on organizing and running the event, and Lance Campbell is the contest director (CD). Roger and Dewey are past Jet World Masters competitors; check out Lance’s SR-71 on his website — what a craftsman!

Additional volunteers include David Brawley, who is organizing demonstration flying, and Lewis Patton, a U.S. team pilot and Kentucky Jets CD who is stepping up to CD the open flying. Many other volunteers are serving in numerous positions to make the Jet World Masters happen.

RC Universe has been a great help. Ken Isaac, the RC Universe forum manager, has informed me that he will be on-site and will make photographs available — just make sure to give RC Universe credit; that is a generous offer.

I hope to see you there; stop by and say hi! I won't be available during the flying competition because I have volunteered to be a judge. I couldn't miss an opportunity to be part of this prestigious event.

AMA Large Model Aircraft Program changes

The Academy of Model Aeronautics' (AMA) Large Model Aircraft Program has undergone some changes. Check out Document 520-A on the AMA's website to learn about them. If you already fly an experimental-class model, these will be a welcome set of new regulations.

Large Model Aircraft (LMA) are now divided into two basic weight categories:

  • LMA-1: models weighing 55.0–77.2 pounds.
  • LMA-2: models weighing 77.3–125.0 pounds.

For turbine-powered aircraft, the classifications are:

  • LTMA-1: 55.0–77.2 pounds.
  • LTMA-2: 77.3–100.0 pounds.

The permit-to-fly process and annual recertification for LTMA-1 and LTMA-2 are now simplified, based on the success of the existing program. The LTMA-2 and LMA-2 permit-to-fly process and recertification remain similar to the old experimental class.

What does this mean? The LTMA-1 rules require two witnesses for the permit-to-fly certification; they can be a CD, a Leader Member, or a Large Model Aircraft Inspector (LMAI). That class does not require an LMAI to be the sole witness to sign off on the permit.

If you have an interest in models this big or are CD of an event in which large models might participate, take the time to check out Document 520-A.

Florida Jets — Paradise Field

As I write this, I have just returned home from Florida Jets. The venue was Paradise Field in Lakeland.

It's a grass site, and that was controversial before the event, but all turned out well. We learned from this experience that not all jets are set up for grass-field operations.

I took my new Der Jet Model de Havilland Vampire, which is good for grass-field flying, but sand got into my new retract units. There was not enough clearance between the machined surfaces for the grit to fit, causing gears to stick. The retract mechanism slotted and the scissors-type nose gear's smooth motion was compromised. I had none of those problems on the bench or at my paved field back home.

Paradise Field was not as flat as a golf green; it had rollers that tested the shock struts on our jets, and only a few models had problems. The reasons were obvious for most of them.

Scale F-100s and similar aircraft were not designed for rough grass operation; their tires are too small for their weight. But Jack Diaz must have had more than a dozen flights in and out of the field with his F-100, so it wasn't that bad.

Aircraft performance and observations

Few of the large-scale jets had issues. My Vampire, with its 35-pound takeoff weight and only a 20-pound-thrust Jet Central Rabbit turbine, got a clean takeoff every time. I'll be back to Paradise Field for future events.

Even the smaller BVM BobCats, composite Habus, and JetCat P20-powered models had no issues with the grass; their landing gear setups worked well. I saw only two or three electric-powered and small aircraft that had difficulty getting off the ground, and their problems stemmed from power issues and small tires.

Big scale and sport models ruled at Florida Jets, and the new trend of large sport jets designed for aerobatics was evident. The BVM Ultra Bandit has been around for a while, and its sweet flying characteristics combined with its size made it one of the most popular turbine models on the field.

New sport jets: Futura and Tuono

Tomahawk Design has come out with the Futura — a big, slow-flying design made specifically for precision aerobatics. It spans 100 inches, is approximately 105 inches long, and has the largest, flattest fuselage I have ever seen. This jet is meant to knife edge.

Andy Kane flew a borrowed Futura as if it were his all week during Florida Jets. He demonstrated the aerobatic capabilities of this unusual design. The goal of this model is constant-speed aerobatics, so drag is its friend — and so is light weight for its size. The typical empty weight of the Futura is roughly 42 pounds, and the one Andy flew had plenty of power with its Jet Central Mammoth turbine.

The unusual thing about this jet is the intakes: it has no ductwork. The designer wants the drag to reduce top speed, reduce acceleration and speed on down-lines, and work toward constant-airspeed aerobatics. That setup works well for the Futura. Don't expect to keep up with an Ultra Bandit on the top end, but the Futura makes airspeed control in the box easier with all that drag. It's a different type of airplane for a different style of flying.

David Shulman flew a big sport jet from Pirotti called the Tuono. It has a wingspan of 93 inches and an overall length of 96 inches. The model was set up for David's aggressive flying. It went fast, could be flown hard, and then slowed to cruise through an aerobatic routine at speeds rivaling any International Miniature Aerobatic Club model — but with the sound and precision of a jet.

David put on quite an aerobatic show, flying the Tuono through its entire speed range: high-speed rolls, knife edge on the deck, and slow flight, demonstrating how sweet this aircraft is. The jet has a great deal of wing area for its size and an unusually large stabilizer designed for smooth, precision flying at all speeds. The manufacturer claims that with the right turbine setup, the Tuono can be kept as light as 33 pounds — impressive for a model this size.

I'll finish with a shot of Bob Violett's Skymaster A-4, painted to match the full-scale A-4 he flew back in the day. It was neat to see this model sitting out in front of the BVM tent at Florida Jets. I think this might become Bob's favorite jet. It's hard for him to decide, considering the selection of models and power systems on his product shelf.

Sources

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