Radio Control Jets-2011/08

I’LL CONTINUE this month with the rollout of products seen at
Florida Jets. This event is a great place to see the new jets from
throughout the world, and in my last column I barely touched on what
was there.
Let’s start at Bob Violett Models (BVM) and see what the company
has been up to. You can bet it has something to do with electricpowered
ducted-fans. BVM is introducing the EVF 3-12S, an
incremental improvement to the famous Electric VioFan series of
power systems.
Now, it has additional stators behind the fan to further straighten the
air off the fan, gaining another 5% in performance. The system is a
workhorse, providing power for many of the models in the BVM line.
The next item—and a nice addition—is the infamous MiG-15,
now available as an ARF. It’s offered in a variety of color
schemes for either turbine or electric power.
I’m sure Bob Violett himself had to have a MiG-15 ARF for
demonstration, powered
with the new EVF 3-12S
system. He was up there
putting in 4- and 5-minute
flights with no compromise
in aerobatics, all while
keeping up with the jets in
the pattern. The electricpowered
jet’s performance
is for real when done right.
BVM is out there leading
the pack.
The new MiG is the same
size as the original built-up
version, so it should retain
the excellent flight qualities.
With the same original
rugged landing gear, the
MiG-15 will continue to be
a wonderful model. Powered
with a 7700 mAh 12C pack,
the MiG-15 weighs roughly
20 pounds. This is a big,
Also included in this column:
• Bob Violett Models
• Jet Central Turbines
• Der Jet Models
• Shulman Aviation
• Boomerang Jets
• JetCat USA
August 2011 119
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Jets Jim Hiller
New products at Florida Jets
Der Jet Models is expanding its line with the introduction of a scale ARF de
Havilland Vampire. Because of its efficient design, this 93-inch-span Vampire flies
on a 20-pound-thrust Jet Central Rabbit.
The P100 is the new JetCat 20-pound-class turbine with
only one electrical connection and one kerosene line—no
more external kerosene valves.
The BVM electric-powered, ducted-fan
EV 3-12S puts out 5% more thrust than
the previous version.
Below: A sweet addition to the Boomerang
line is the new Torus ARF for 30- to 40-
pound-thrust turbines.
y
08sig4xx_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 1:36 PM Page 119
powerful, electric-powered airplane.
When you walk around the packed BVM
tents, you can’t help but be amazed at the
variety—especially with the addition of the
second tent holding Skymaster models. The
quantity of jet models and products available
from just one company—all of such high
quality and performance—is amazing.
I have always loved the T-33, and the
Skymaster T-33 and P-80 are now in
modelers’ hands. Last year only some
unpainted, incomplete airframes were on
display to tease us.
Both aircraft flew each day. They’re a
great sight in the sky; the big impressive
models present well.
Continuing down the line, you come to
Jet Central Turbines and Der Jet Models
where the new de Havilland D.H.100
Vampire was introduced. It’s my Vampire
sitting there, and it only just made it to
Florida Jets. I flew the test flights on the
Monday before I left.
The 93-inch-wingspan Vampire is quite
large and it does have some wing area. These
old straight-wing jets are made to fly on the
wing.
This is a complete ARF model, detailed
and painted when it arrives, and it even
includes much of the miscellaneous
nomenclature already in place. The landing
gear system is sturdy, but with the ease of
flying this big jet, it will probably not be
tested very often.
This Vampire is powered by the Jet
Central Rabbit turbine engine I had
converted to kerosene start while it was at Jet
Central for its 25-hour inspection. It has
slightly more than 5 hours on the clock since
the conversion and I can’t say enough good
things about the ease of kerosene start and its
reliability. It hasn’t failed to light off on
kerosene yet.
The Rabbit is now up one more pound of
120 MODEL AVIATION
thrust to a full 20 pounds. It has made just
the right package for the Vampire for scale
operations. This Der Jet Models Vampire
weighs in at 32 pounds; it’s no lightweight
for a 20-pound turbine.
A scale straight-wing jet of this vintage
isn’t meant to go vertically ballistic. The
Rabbit pushes this model along just right.
It’s surprisingly fast in level flight, which
results in the ability to perform large looping
maneuvers as the momentum carries the
Vampire vertically.
I was concerned about the grass field
operations because the power-to-weight
ratio, especially when fully fueled with 4
liters (roughly a gallon) of fuel, resulted in a
takeoff weight of more than 38 pounds. But
that big wing lifted the Vampire off the grass
with no problems. That rugged landing gear
soaked up the bumps and rolls of Paradise
Field with no problems.
I am looking forward to flying this
model all summer; the more I fly it, the
more I like it.
Moving down the line, you hit the
Shulman Aviation tent where one can find
some high-end, top-quality RTF jets. David
had some nice turnkey jets for sale, complete
and ready-to-fly, including his awardwinning
Der Jet Cougar, a tricked-out
Futura, and a sweet Composite-ARF
Lightning—big jets for big boys.
The company also carries many items to
support jet modeling, and of course, David’s
personal Tuono jet was there. It’s a niceflying,
large sport jet.
For the balsa builders, Shulman Aviation
carries the Ziroli Turbinator, a true sport jet
with an incredible speed range, plenty of
wing area for slow landings, yet still capable
of hauling the mail when pushed to run hard.
The Turbinator has a 72-inch wingspan, but
has 1,130 sq. in. of wing area so the wing
loading doesn’t get out of hand.
When you watch the Shulmans fly this
well-made jet, they don’t baby it. They push
their Turbinator hard.
Most know and love the Boomerang jets,
and many have flown a Boomerang jet in
one of its many derivatives from the original
Boomerang, the Boomerang XL, the Elan,
and the Sprint, but now there’s the Torus.
This big, twin-boom, straight-wing jet is for
30- to 48-pound-thrust turbines.
The ARF Torus has an impressive 83-
inch wingspan—90 inches with tip tanks—
and quite a wing chord. The prototypes
weigh in at nearly 30 pounds dry, so the
Taurus isn’t heavy for its size. It has plenty
of wing area to keep slow-speed flight under
control. After all, it has Boomerang heritage.
People flew the Torus often at Florida
Jets. This looks like another winner.
Boomerangs are great jets with excellent
landing qualities. Gotta love them.
Many pilots have gotten their jet waivers
flying Boomerangs, and they just don’t seem
to let go of them too quickly. They make
good, tough, sport jets that can handle grass
field operations well.
I’ll finish the tour with a look at the new
JetCat P100. Finally, a smaller-case
powerhouse with 22 pounds of thrust from
JetCat. The P100 is a 97mm-diameter
turbine, which allows it to fit in many
airframes that the larger-diameter P80
couldn’t, but with the same power. The
weight of this turbine comes in at 1,080
grams, or approximately 2 pounds, 6 ounces.
This is a nice weight reduction.
The P100 comes with all the quality one
expects from JetCat, including its latest
electronic control unit (ECU) and quality
fuel pump. A new innovation with the P100
is the improved packaging of the accessories,
including the connections to the turbine.
There is a minimum of electrical
connections: only one on the side of the front
cover and one kerosene connection on the
front case.
No more separate valves for fuel and
kerosene. It is built right into the turbine,
which will make installation in your favorite
jet model that much cleaner and simpler.
There will be fewer opportunities for those
dreaded kerosene leaks. This is a nice
innovation.
I’m looking forward to the new P100
turbine. It’s definitely a welcome addition to
the famous JetCat line. The P100 shown at
Florida Jets is an early version with final
delivery dates to be determined.
That’s a quick look at a few more of the
new things at Florida Jets 2011. Kudos to
Frank Tiano for bringing jet modelers and
suppliers throughout world together at
another successful Florida Jets gathering. I
wish him luck as he continues to develop
Paradise Field. MA
Bob Violett Models
(407) 327-6333
www.bvmjets.com
Skymaster Jets
[email protected]
www.skymasterjet.com/
Jet Central Turbines
(941) 468-1246
www.jetcentral.com.mx/english
Der Jet Models
[email protected]
www.derjetmodel.com
Shulman Aviation
(407) 409-8000
www.shulmanaviation.com
Nick Ziroli Plans
(631) 467-4765
http://ziroliplans.com
Boomerang Jets
(972) 991-1499
www.boomerangjets.com
JetCat USA
(805) 226-8700
www.jetcatusa.com
Jet Pilots’ Organization
www.jetpilots.org
08sig4xx_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 1:36 PM Page 120