February 2012 117
I FINALLY DID IT. I attended E-Jets
International—an electric-powered, ductedfan
event in Grove City, Ohio, where turbines
aren’t welcome—for the first time, thanks to
the prodding of my friends, Doug Drenth and
Billy DiRenzo. They promised me access to
their new Jet Teng Viper prototype, along
with a Jet Teng Hawk. Both airplanes are
well-set-up, 90mm ducted-fan models,
manufactured by their company, USA RCJets.
They have been trying to convince me to
become an electric-powered jet pilot
throughout the years. They are close, but I’ve
not quite converted.
I helped both Billy and Doug get their turbine waivers last fall,
following E-Jets. Congratulations!
The Hawk has a Stumax 90mm fan and motor with a Castle
Creations speed controller, and is powered by an XPS 10-cell, 4,000
mAh setup—great for a comfortable 6 minutes of flying. We flew this
model in the speed runs; it ran well at roughly 150 mph straight-andlevel
with this setup. It’s an impressive flying machine that not only
looks good, but hauls well.
The Viper Jet had the 90mm HET fan setup, again with an XPS 10-
cell, 4,000 mAh battery. It had similar performance, but in an aerobatic
airframe. Both aircraft weigh approximately 10½ pounds with
batteries, and have better than a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. It’s fun to
embrace the power on these models, because they carry speed well and
full power is only required on the verticals.
Back to the E-Jets speed runs; it sure was fun to do that again. I
haven’t made a speed run since the old internal-combustion, ducted-fan
speed days. The only thing missing was the sound of a BVM .91
unloading in the big dive, and yes, that was
part of the speed runs, too.
Qualifying and all runs, from left to right,
were made from an entry level of
approximately 100 feet. Dropping down
coming out of the turn to the pass gave a
realistic measure of the level-speed potential
of the pilot and aircraft.
While our little Hawk whipped off 150
mph-plus speeds, those big, bad Bob Violett
Models Electras recorded passes in the 170-
mph range. Those electric-powered ducted
fans do move out! During the finals, passes
from right to left had to be made from a split S
to avoid flying over a nearby house; off with
the gloves and let them rip.
It was fun to see the Unlimited class
aircraft diving out of the sky at speeds of more
than 220 mph. It was just as much fun as the
old days, and great to see the speed runs alive
and well.
E-Jets is a fun, well-organized event hosted
by The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS)
club. It was good to see many of the club
members. It has been quite a few years since I
last attended one of the club’s events.
Also included in this column:
• Turbine-powered jets
• Adding LED lights
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Jets Jim Hiller
E-Jets International is still a fun event
Installation of a wingtip light requires pulling
wires through the wing. A carbon rod is
routed from the wingtip to the center
section, then the light wires are taped to the
rod and pulled the length of the wing panel.
The final installation: tip LEDs in place, lens covers glued back in
place, and the lights are on. The ElectroDynamics light system is
visible in daylight, improving visibility on overcast days.
The owners of USA RCJets invited me to visit E-Jets and have some fun with their personal
collection of electric ducted-fan models. They can change your impression of the modern
electric-powered jet.
The tip light is
positioned in the
hole and glued in
place in the properly
sized hole. Metal foil
is used to provide a
surface similar in
appearance to the
full-scale Vampire.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:42 PM Page 117I was saddened to hear the club is now
facing a dilemma. It built this wonderful
flying site, an RC dream field, but now the
club may lose it and be forced to relocate. I
wish the club members the best of luck with
developing their next field. This is a group of
can-do modelers who I trust will again create
one of the best flying sites in the country.
These upbeat people are promising next
year’s E-Jets will be good as ever and have
already lined up the event location. If electricpowered
jets are your thing, this is the event
to attend.
Have you considered adding lights to your
jet, particularly a Scale jet? This has become
mainstream, and lights are easy to install.
Let’s walk through the installation on my
DerJet Vampire to show how straightforward
it can be.
In the case of the Vampire, there are only
wingtip lights; one red, one green, and a
blinking rear position light located on the left
tailboom. I also wanted some landing lights,
although I am still looking for documentation
on landing lights for a single-seat, full-scale
Vampire.
Let’s start with the basic system. I used the
ElectroDynamics package with the three
lights and a landing light. I added a second
landing light and lenses for both landing
lights. These lenses are designed to focus the
light into a concentrated cone. The actual
ElectroDynamics LEDs come with 24 inches
of wire leads with a JST connector, all feeding
back to a central control unit to power and
control the lights. Now for the difficult part:
routing the wires throughout the model.
I started my wire pulls with the
straightforward run, from the wingtip to the
center section of each wing panel. The
Vampire already has molded lenses for the tip
lights, so I carefully removed them by cutting
through the soft glue. I cleaned them and
removed the red and green transparent paint
on the lenses with alcohol, making them clear,
just like the full-scale Vampires.
I drilled a 5/16-inch diameter hole in the
proper location for the tip light, and covered
the inside of the tip-light lens area with some
aluminum foil to duplicate the look of the
prototype.
I pushed a piece of carbon rod through the
wing panel from the tip hole back to the
center section, creating all hollow ribs. The
JST connector of the tip light was then taped
to the rod, and I used it to pull the light wires
through the wing. Had solid ribs been used, I
would have had to cut holes through each of
the ribs to route the wires.
I prefer to use a 36-inch sharpened brass
tube to make the holes in the ribs. I took my
time and rotated the brass tube as I cut
through each wing rib.
Careful alignment is critical when cutting
through the second rib, because the second cut
sets the path. You don’t want to wander up or
down and cut through the wing sheeting.
Making your own holes in the ribs can be a
lengthy process, but it can be done well. The
5/16-inch diameter hole is the diameter of the
LED, so I applied a little glue and positioned
the light.
After the wing panel wiring was complete,
the tailboom was done the same way. To
make the wiring harness in the center section,
I picked up some spare JST connectors and
wire and used a soldering iron. I used a “Y”
connector with three tails for the tip and
tailboom lights, with each part of the “Y”
long enough to reach its respective wing panel
or tailboom. The blinker unit for the tail lamp
is used as an extension inside the center
section to reach the tailboom.
I chose the landing gear legs as my
mounting point for the lights. They are set to
turn on when the landing gear is extended and
off when retracted—simple and convenient.
This feature was easily handled by the light
controller.
When shopping for your lights, check out
the features of the light controller to see if
they meet your needs. Many of the light
package manufacturers offer a variety of
features; some are set up for certain Scale
aircraft. The LEDs for the landing lights are
mounted in the lenses, available from
ElectoDynamics. I mount these lenses in
simple aluminum brackets I fabricated to
align and attach the landing lights to the
landing gear struts.
The brackets were mounted to the landing
gear legs with J-B Weld—that good, old
epoxy. This product is great for attaching
items to landing gear legs. Another advantage
of J-B Weld is that you can use it to create
details to dress up the landing gear—both to
attach, and in some cases, build up a detail
and carve it to shape once it has set. So far,
any time I’ve used this product on landing
gears it has held up well, and it looks good
painted.
I am carrying a second battery, an A123
2300 mAh two-cell, just for the lights. I use
roughly 300 mAh per flight on the Vampire’s
lighting system. My flights typically include 7
to 8 minutes of normal flying, followed by a
couple of touch-and-gos, and some full-stop
landings and takeoffs. My high-current-draw
landing lights tend to be on for 10 to 15
minutes.
The Vampire carries plenty of fuel for fun
times. Using a separate battery for the lights
makes me feel more comfortable because I
don’t have to worry about drawing from the
main radio-system battery. It has enough to
do by powering the servos.
Again, it’s time to get back to building.
Summer will be coming soon, and I want the
fleet ready for trouble-free flying. MA
Sources:
E-Jets International
www.ejetsinternational.com
TORKS
www.torks.com
USA RCJets
(800) 991-7631
www.ohiousarc.com
ElectroDynamics
(734) 422-5420
www.electrodynam.com
Jet Pilots Organization
www.jetpilots.org
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:42 PM Page 118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 117,118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 117,118
February 2012 117
I FINALLY DID IT. I attended E-Jets
International—an electric-powered, ductedfan
event in Grove City, Ohio, where turbines
aren’t welcome—for the first time, thanks to
the prodding of my friends, Doug Drenth and
Billy DiRenzo. They promised me access to
their new Jet Teng Viper prototype, along
with a Jet Teng Hawk. Both airplanes are
well-set-up, 90mm ducted-fan models,
manufactured by their company, USA RCJets.
They have been trying to convince me to
become an electric-powered jet pilot
throughout the years. They are close, but I’ve
not quite converted.
I helped both Billy and Doug get their turbine waivers last fall,
following E-Jets. Congratulations!
The Hawk has a Stumax 90mm fan and motor with a Castle
Creations speed controller, and is powered by an XPS 10-cell, 4,000
mAh setup—great for a comfortable 6 minutes of flying. We flew this
model in the speed runs; it ran well at roughly 150 mph straight-andlevel
with this setup. It’s an impressive flying machine that not only
looks good, but hauls well.
The Viper Jet had the 90mm HET fan setup, again with an XPS 10-
cell, 4,000 mAh battery. It had similar performance, but in an aerobatic
airframe. Both aircraft weigh approximately 10½ pounds with
batteries, and have better than a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. It’s fun to
embrace the power on these models, because they carry speed well and
full power is only required on the verticals.
Back to the E-Jets speed runs; it sure was fun to do that again. I
haven’t made a speed run since the old internal-combustion, ducted-fan
speed days. The only thing missing was the sound of a BVM .91
unloading in the big dive, and yes, that was
part of the speed runs, too.
Qualifying and all runs, from left to right,
were made from an entry level of
approximately 100 feet. Dropping down
coming out of the turn to the pass gave a
realistic measure of the level-speed potential
of the pilot and aircraft.
While our little Hawk whipped off 150
mph-plus speeds, those big, bad Bob Violett
Models Electras recorded passes in the 170-
mph range. Those electric-powered ducted
fans do move out! During the finals, passes
from right to left had to be made from a split S
to avoid flying over a nearby house; off with
the gloves and let them rip.
It was fun to see the Unlimited class
aircraft diving out of the sky at speeds of more
than 220 mph. It was just as much fun as the
old days, and great to see the speed runs alive
and well.
E-Jets is a fun, well-organized event hosted
by The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS)
club. It was good to see many of the club
members. It has been quite a few years since I
last attended one of the club’s events.
Also included in this column:
• Turbine-powered jets
• Adding LED lights
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Jets Jim Hiller
E-Jets International is still a fun event
Installation of a wingtip light requires pulling
wires through the wing. A carbon rod is
routed from the wingtip to the center
section, then the light wires are taped to the
rod and pulled the length of the wing panel.
The final installation: tip LEDs in place, lens covers glued back in
place, and the lights are on. The ElectroDynamics light system is
visible in daylight, improving visibility on overcast days.
The owners of USA RCJets invited me to visit E-Jets and have some fun with their personal
collection of electric ducted-fan models. They can change your impression of the modern
electric-powered jet.
The tip light is
positioned in the
hole and glued in
place in the properly
sized hole. Metal foil
is used to provide a
surface similar in
appearance to the
full-scale Vampire.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:42 PM Page 117I was saddened to hear the club is now
facing a dilemma. It built this wonderful
flying site, an RC dream field, but now the
club may lose it and be forced to relocate. I
wish the club members the best of luck with
developing their next field. This is a group of
can-do modelers who I trust will again create
one of the best flying sites in the country.
These upbeat people are promising next
year’s E-Jets will be good as ever and have
already lined up the event location. If electricpowered
jets are your thing, this is the event
to attend.
Have you considered adding lights to your
jet, particularly a Scale jet? This has become
mainstream, and lights are easy to install.
Let’s walk through the installation on my
DerJet Vampire to show how straightforward
it can be.
In the case of the Vampire, there are only
wingtip lights; one red, one green, and a
blinking rear position light located on the left
tailboom. I also wanted some landing lights,
although I am still looking for documentation
on landing lights for a single-seat, full-scale
Vampire.
Let’s start with the basic system. I used the
ElectroDynamics package with the three
lights and a landing light. I added a second
landing light and lenses for both landing
lights. These lenses are designed to focus the
light into a concentrated cone. The actual
ElectroDynamics LEDs come with 24 inches
of wire leads with a JST connector, all feeding
back to a central control unit to power and
control the lights. Now for the difficult part:
routing the wires throughout the model.
I started my wire pulls with the
straightforward run, from the wingtip to the
center section of each wing panel. The
Vampire already has molded lenses for the tip
lights, so I carefully removed them by cutting
through the soft glue. I cleaned them and
removed the red and green transparent paint
on the lenses with alcohol, making them clear,
just like the full-scale Vampires.
I drilled a 5/16-inch diameter hole in the
proper location for the tip light, and covered
the inside of the tip-light lens area with some
aluminum foil to duplicate the look of the
prototype.
I pushed a piece of carbon rod through the
wing panel from the tip hole back to the
center section, creating all hollow ribs. The
JST connector of the tip light was then taped
to the rod, and I used it to pull the light wires
through the wing. Had solid ribs been used, I
would have had to cut holes through each of
the ribs to route the wires.
I prefer to use a 36-inch sharpened brass
tube to make the holes in the ribs. I took my
time and rotated the brass tube as I cut
through each wing rib.
Careful alignment is critical when cutting
through the second rib, because the second cut
sets the path. You don’t want to wander up or
down and cut through the wing sheeting.
Making your own holes in the ribs can be a
lengthy process, but it can be done well. The
5/16-inch diameter hole is the diameter of the
LED, so I applied a little glue and positioned
the light.
After the wing panel wiring was complete,
the tailboom was done the same way. To
make the wiring harness in the center section,
I picked up some spare JST connectors and
wire and used a soldering iron. I used a “Y”
connector with three tails for the tip and
tailboom lights, with each part of the “Y”
long enough to reach its respective wing panel
or tailboom. The blinker unit for the tail lamp
is used as an extension inside the center
section to reach the tailboom.
I chose the landing gear legs as my
mounting point for the lights. They are set to
turn on when the landing gear is extended and
off when retracted—simple and convenient.
This feature was easily handled by the light
controller.
When shopping for your lights, check out
the features of the light controller to see if
they meet your needs. Many of the light
package manufacturers offer a variety of
features; some are set up for certain Scale
aircraft. The LEDs for the landing lights are
mounted in the lenses, available from
ElectoDynamics. I mount these lenses in
simple aluminum brackets I fabricated to
align and attach the landing lights to the
landing gear struts.
The brackets were mounted to the landing
gear legs with J-B Weld—that good, old
epoxy. This product is great for attaching
items to landing gear legs. Another advantage
of J-B Weld is that you can use it to create
details to dress up the landing gear—both to
attach, and in some cases, build up a detail
and carve it to shape once it has set. So far,
any time I’ve used this product on landing
gears it has held up well, and it looks good
painted.
I am carrying a second battery, an A123
2300 mAh two-cell, just for the lights. I use
roughly 300 mAh per flight on the Vampire’s
lighting system. My flights typically include 7
to 8 minutes of normal flying, followed by a
couple of touch-and-gos, and some full-stop
landings and takeoffs. My high-current-draw
landing lights tend to be on for 10 to 15
minutes.
The Vampire carries plenty of fuel for fun
times. Using a separate battery for the lights
makes me feel more comfortable because I
don’t have to worry about drawing from the
main radio-system battery. It has enough to
do by powering the servos.
Again, it’s time to get back to building.
Summer will be coming soon, and I want the
fleet ready for trouble-free flying. MA
Sources:
E-Jets International
www.ejetsinternational.com
TORKS
www.torks.com
USA RCJets
(800) 991-7631
www.ohiousarc.com
ElectroDynamics
(734) 422-5420
www.electrodynam.com
Jet Pilots Organization
www.jetpilots.org
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:42 PM Page 118
