RC JETS - 2012/06

Florida Jets
was a blast!
by Jim Hiller
[email protected]
What a weekend! I just returned
from four days at Florida Jets;
what a blast! We went down
to Florida for some great weather, good
 ying, good food, and visiting with
friends.
I drove down with Billy D., from
UsaRCJets.com. This was his  rst trip to
Florida Jets. He was surprised by all the
vendors that attended Florida Jets and
displayed the latest hardware available
for jet modelers.
We took down my DerJet Vampire
and Billy’s 90mm EDF Jet-Teng Models
Viper and Hawk.
All models
proved capable
of grass- eld
operations.
To walk
vendor row, we
started from
our pits and
immediately
went to the
Bob Violett
Models (BVM)
tents. What a
display of highperformance
models! The line
of ARF electric
ducted-fan
models was
impressive.
The MiG-15 was the most popular jet
at the meet, and for good reason. It’s a
good airframe with a well-matched, solid
power package that’s hard to beat. This
is not to slight the E-Bandit; it makes a
wonderful  ying Sport EDF jet, and as
a top-quality ARF, it builds easily. The
selection of EDF models from BVM is
extensive and all perform with authority.
That’s just part of the BVM line. You
can’t forget the many turbine jet models
such as the F-86 and F-100—two classic
kits that remain the standard in Scale jet
competition. Jack Diaz and his F-100
continue to bring home awards. This
time, Jack earned a Special Recognition
 ying award.
Also at the event were the Skymaster
Jets imported by BVM—beautifully
detailed Scale jet models
appropriately sized for
your needs. The prototype
of the new Skymaster
F-104 was on display,
complete with all the
panel line and rivet detail
one has come to expect
from Skymaster jets.
This is one long, mean
machine modeled at 1/5
scale. At more than 130
inches in length, it has a
52.6-inch wingspan and
is Scale throughout. The
main landing gear is a
work of art, duplicating
the scale rotation as it
retracts tightly into the
fuselage.
Dustin Buescher put
in many  ights on a Skymaster F-9F
Cougar, displaying its sweet handling
characteristics. This model is also 1/5
scale. With a wingspan of 85 inches
and 92.5 inches in length, it makes for
an impressively sized airplane. Like
all Skymaster models, the Cougar is
accurately detailed when it comes to
panel lines and rivets, creating a realistic
model.
Options for this ARF kit include a
strong landing system, detailed cockpit,
an ordnance kit, and even an option
for an opening canopy. Dustin and his
Cougar captured the award for Best
Scale Jet Performance. This model  ew
well in Dustin’s experienced hands.
Dreamworks Model Products brought
a set of Electron electric retracts to the
event. This gear set appeared robust,
with the main frame machined from a
solid block of aluminum. This is stiffer
than the common construction of side
frames bolted together. The company
also brought many samples of its jet-
 nishing products.
Our next stop was the Global Jet
Club booth, which had some aircraft on
display, including the new Aermacchi
M-346 for 26- to 36-pound thrust
turbines. This model is produced by
C&C Models of Italy and distributed in
the United States by Global Jet Club.
This is a good size model at 90.5
inches long with a 76.75-inch wingspan,
but its presence is much greater. The
fuselage is wide and deep and the  n
is large. The MB-346 is a sophisticated
composite aircraft that appears well
made using the latest technology for
lightweight construction.
The MB-346 also includes an
electric retractable landing gear system,
complete with scale struts and electric
brakes. The entire system is handled
by an electronic control unit, which
regulates gear operation, gear doors,
C&C of Italy’s Aermacchi MB-346 is
distributed by Global Jet Club and shown here
at Florida Jets 2012. This is a large, sophisticated, allcomposite
ARF model for the serious jet modeler.
and the main electric brakes. The unit is
designed to work with a two-cell LiPo
battery.
The gear door operation is designed to
power a servo for either direct operation
or an air valve for pneumatic cylinder
movement of the gear doors. This is a
sophisticated and innovative model with
a complete landing gear system. It will
be interesting to see it in operation.
Global Jet Club also displayed some
of its existing product line, including
an F-5, a CT-114 Tudor, and the new
Hawker Hunter, which is also for 26-
to 36-pound thrust turbines. The new
Hawker Hunter looks as though it will
make a good-size model for lovers of this
classic British jet.
We finished our tour of the
commercial displays with Shulman
Aviation and its models. The product line
is evolving, making the company known
for supplying quality performance jets.
Company representatives flew the classic
Turbinator— a gentle-flying jet designed
for introduction into jet modeling, and
perfect for grass-field operations.
David Shulman aggressively flew his
classic Pirotti Tuono jet, showing off the
aircraft’s performance range, from highspeed
aerobatics to low, slow passes. It’s
an impressive aircraft.
The Tuono is a large model with a 96-
inch wingspan and 92 inches in overall
length. It can be purchased unpainted
from the molds, painted, or custom
ordered. David can also arrange for a
complete build with custom paint. An
example was in the tent at the event,
awaiting the arrival of landing gear to
complete delivery to the customer.
The Tuono features wide landing gear
spacing for good ground handling, all
mounted to the fuselage. Only the outer
wing panels are removable, providing
a solid structure for this aircraft. The
stabilizers and fin are removable to aide
in transport. No matter how you look at
it, the Tuono is a large model.
The next Shulman Aviation aircraft
was the Shockwave. Two were flying at
Florida Jets 2012. What a performance
aircraft this is!
The Shockwave is a classic Sport jet.
Scott Marr and David Shulman flew it
at the event and both took home awards
for their performances: Scott for Best
Sport Jet, and David for Best Sport Jet
Performance.
Jet Central Turbines was well
represented by Eric Clapp and Felipe
Nieto, and the full turbine line was on
display. Also on-site was Jet Central’s
new USA repair site man, Kerry Sterner,
to help with problems. Kerry has signed
on to support the Jet Central line for
repairs and warranty inspections in
the United States. This will avoid the
expense of shipping our Jet Central
turbines to Mexico for what has become
an annual warranty inspection for me.
Before shipping your Jet Central
turbine for repairs or warranty
inspection, call Eric Clapp for shipping
information and a repair tag number.
Failure to obtain the repair tag number,
which is required for proper logging,
tracking, and billing of your turbine,
will slow the process. Kerry Sterner is
experienced in turbine repairs and is a
welcome addition to Jet Central.
Bob Wilcox was set up and ready
to help his JetCat USA customers at
Florida Jets. This support was welcomed
by many, for everything from simple onsite
upgrades to ECU software programs.
The new JetCat P100-RX and P140-RX
are rapidly growing in popularity, which
was apparent at Florida Jets.
There also were some sweet models
at Florida Jets 2012, including Kim and
Scott Foster’s new Futura model. The
paint job on this model is colorful and
really pops.
RCPete took his Futura in a different
direction, with a futuristic look that
enhances the unusual lines of the model.
Check out the Florida Jets pictures
on Frank Tiano’s website to see how
differently these two modelers finished
this unique Sport jet model.
The Chuck Storrie tent was filled with
some interesting models that belonged
to Chuck and his friends. Ali Mashinchy
was sharing the tent, so airplanes were
quickly coming and going because he
never quits flying. Ali is a machine.
Also under this tent was RCPete’s
growing collection of models. This was a
crowded, award-winning group. Chuck
received a special recognition award for
his Mibo A-10, which is powered by a
pair of Jet Central Cheetahs.
Ali and Graeme Mears brought
out a Scale Jets T33 built by Graeme,
which was up to his usual outstanding
standards. This promises to be quite a
Scale competitor.
The Scale Jets T33 kit is built to a
scale of 1:4.5, with a 110-inch wingspan
and accurate outlines. This accuracy is
present in the model’s correctly sized
and positioned gear doors and correct
dihedral. The Best Craftsmanship and
Critics Choice was awarded, which were
well deserved.
SOURCES:
Florida Jets
www.franktiano.com/FljetsFrameset.htm
Jet Pilot’s Organization
www.jetpilots.org
The Shockwave from Shulman Aviation is a large, highperformance
jet for the discriminating modeler. David
Shulman and Scott Marr took home awards at Florida
Jets for their models