August 2006 27
BY GREG GIMLICK
Flight Festival 2006
Bob Whitney launches an F5F 10-cell Avionik powered by a Neu 1509/10 motor pulling
close to 200 amps. That’s power!
THE 5TH ANNUAL Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF), held May 4-7,
2006, was bigger and better than each of
the previous versions. I don’t know how
Jeff Meyers and the Fayette Flyers of
Georgia do it, but those of us who attend
each year are glad they find a way. This
year they even managed to get help from
the weatherman, and the rain held off
until most attendees were packing to
leave on Sunday.
The meet is held in Americus,
Georgia, which is near many historical
sites including the Andersonville
battleground; Plains, Georgia (home of
former president Jimmy Carter); and a
small airfield where Charles Lindbergh
soloed. The countryside is picturesque
and the people welcome event
participants with old-fashioned southern
hospitality.
Among the most gracious hosts is Mac
Hodges, who owns the flying field and
Got Georgia on your mind?
Then plan on attending this
fantastic electric-only event
Doug Foy of Fox Lite Models brought his
new Husky in for a close look. The scale
appearance of this “park flyer” is incredible.
It is available through Radical RC.
S o u t h e a s t E l e c t r i c
28 MODEL AVIATION
one of the finest hobby shops you could
hope to find. He goes all out to make
sure everyone’s needs are taken care of,
from providing plenty of RV parking to
shelter and electricity. He even gave free
airplane rides in his full-scale J-3 Cub.
The field is set up in three sections to
accommodate park flyers, 3-D aircraft
and helicopters, and sport fliers. With a
1,700-foot runway and the locations of
the pilot stations, there were no conflicts
other than the occasional overflight of a
boundary that didn’t cause any problem.
Frequency control at a large event is
usually a nightmare. However, with the
paging system and staff at this gathering,
it went smoothly and pins could always
be found when kept out too long. This is
the best system I’ve seen.
Sponsorship of any big event can be a
double-edged sword, but Jeff and his
crew kept it well balanced. Even with the
large number of factory demonstration
teams present to show off their models,
there were enough frequencies and
airspace for pilots to fly all they wanted.
More than 300 fliers registered and,
as with most electric meets, each
participant had several airplanes. Many
of the vendors brought new models they
wanted to show off, and many of us got a
chance to fly them. What a great way to
see and decide how you want to spend
your money.
Thursday was set aside for a Limited
Motor Run Sailplane competition and an
F5B contest.
Three flights were made in the “No
Excuses” class. That is a two-minute
motor-run window, and then 13 more
minutes of thermal flight, to land in a 20-
foot-radius circle. Ernie Schlumberger
won this contest.
The Class B Sailplane event brought
out the big power, with as many as 30
cells and only a 30-second motor run.
That is more than enough for those big
models to almost disappear, and Mike
McGowan won the event. More than 30
pilots participated in the Sailplane
events. The field was open to flying at 3
p.m., and by then the flightline was full.
The next three days featured open
flying, with the only shutdown being for
the noon demos. This allowed everyone
time to eat, rest, and watch some of the
best pilots in the country show their
stuff.
Horizon Hobby and Hobby Lobby
each had roughly 30 airplanes, flown in
less than 20 minutes, with multiple pilots
and models in the air at the same time.
The Hangar 9 warbird demo was a big
hit with the crowd.
Each year I have noticed that expert
Fox Lite’s new SAAB prototype performed its maiden flight at the SEFF. There is no
date on availability yet, but the initial test flights went extremely well.
Mike Waffird flew his modified Alpha Models Fw 190 powered by an MPI 370 motor on
2S 2100 Thunder Power Li-Polys. He added many scale details and did some paint work
to get it perfect.
Dave Blum of Raleigh NC will kit this gorgeous OV-10 Bronco “long nose” version soon.
It spans 40 inches with 300 squares, weighing only 24 ounces with two PJS 300 motors on
3S 2100 mAh Li-Polys.
Photos by the author
August 2006 29
Jim Ryan makes a pass with his Scott Black F-86 Sabre on its
maiden flight.
Charlie Kerr scratch-built Jeff Carr’s 94-inch Storch, which was
converted to electric with an AXI 4130/20, Jeti 77 ESC, and
Thunder Power 7S4P 8000 mAh pack.
Jim Ryan flew his F4D Skyray built from an RBC kit. It’s powered
by a Mega motor on a Wemotec fan.
“Best of Show” award winner Dick Scott flies his immaculate 57-
inch D.H.2. The Mega 22/45/3 spins the custom-made 17 x 10
four-blade propeller on a Kokam 5S 3200 mAh pack and Castle
Creations Phoenix-45 ESC.
This is just one-third of the total pit area; each pit has one more behind it, out of view. Mac Hodges provided more than ample space for
more than 300 pilots along with vehicles and RVs.
30 MODEL AVIATION
RC Aerobatics pilot Quique Somenzini
pits among the “regular” attendees at the
event, and he is approachable and open
with his advice and encouragement. His
attitude and friendliness doesn’t go
unnoticed among the event participants;
what a great ambassador for our hobby!
One of the great things about this year
was the advent of the new Spektrum
radio and how it made flying at a large
event that much easier. The park flyer
pilots who had these systems never had
to bother with frequency control and
could fly whenever there was a station
open on the line.
That also freed up many frequencies
for the fliers at the other two stations and
made for good will up and down the line.
Gone are the days of “frequency hogs”
among the park flyers; one can only hope
this technology will soon cover the whole
spectrum of model flying.
The jets that were flown this year
stepped up the performance. Chris True
showed off his Bob Violett Models Viper
and the Century Jets Sport Hawk, each
sporting power exceeding 200 watts per
pound.
Jim Ryan performed the maiden flight
of a gorgeous Sabre designed by Scott
Black of Canada. Jim also flew his RBC
Kits F4D Skyray that was featured in the
September 2005 Model Airplane News.
Two other things—big and small—
stood out this year. The big models are
getting easier to fly, with the advent of
large motors from AstroFlight, E-flite,
PJS, and AXI. All of these are now direct
Chris True’s BVM Viper leaves the ground powered by a Lehner 2250-14 motor and
WM1000 fan unit. Thunder Power 9S4P 8.0 Ah batteries carry the 12.6-pound jet to
blazing speeds through a Castle Creations HV-110 ESC at 186 watts/pound.
Dave Blum’s cute Little 185 comes as a laser-cut kit. Spanning 23 inches and weighing a
mere 3 ounces, it’s powered by a GWS IPS C geared motor spinning a 7 x 6 slow flyer
propeller on 2S 250 Li-Polys.
Mike Hines of Hobby Lobby launches its new Me 262B with David Payne at the controls. Two 56mm X-fans power the jet with their
5100 Kv motors on a 2S Li-Poly pack. It should be available by the time you read this.
August 2006 31
drive, which eliminates the problems
that have been previously encountered
with gearboxes and large asymmetrical
loading during aerobatics. The
AstroFlight 160 is not an outrunner, as
the others are, and it will be selling for
approximately $300.
How things have changed. The view
is just as exciting from the small side, as
littler, more efficient motors and radio
gear emerge. This is also an area where
building is still valued as part of the
process, and most of the small (tiny)
park flyers are constructed from lasercut
kits. Great examples of this are Dave
Blum’s Little 185 and Harvard and Fox
Lite’s Husky.
Saturday night was the annual
barbecue and night fly. The dinner was
excellent, and it ended with each adult
receiving a specially brewed bottle of
SEFF beer. Each year the brewmeister
comes up with something special for the
event and the bottles have unique labels
to match. The people who participated
in the night-flying had to wait to sample
theirs.
Ric Vaughn had the biggest lighted
airplane I’ve ever seen, and it has the
loading of a park flyer. It employs more
than 300 lights, plus a landing light, and
is a crowd pleaser.
Sunday is bittersweet because you know
that when you go to the field it will be
the last time of the event. Overcast skies
foretold the future and rain started at
Team Astro’s Terry Mann prepares the big 30% Christen Eagle for Steve Bayens to fly. The Astro 160 motor gives incredible
vertical performance and duration.
The SEFF pit area was full of all sorts of airplanes, ranging from Giant Scale to tiny.
Everything from built-up, scratch-built designs to ARFs shared the space and air.
roughly noon, with quite a line of storms
passing through. People packed up and
headed for home, with dreams already in
place for next year’s trip.
This is the premier electric-power flying
event in the country. The site can
accommodate more than any of the others
I’ve been to, and Mac Hodges is constantly
trying to improve it for his guests.
Jeff Meyers has to be the most
energetic and patient CD around, doing
the most thankless job possible, but he
never sways from his affable style and
professionalism. If you can work this
event into your schedule, you won’t be
sorry.
See you there next year! MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
08sig1.QXD 6/22/06 1:35 PM Page 31
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30,31
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30,31
August 2006 27
BY GREG GIMLICK
Flight Festival 2006
Bob Whitney launches an F5F 10-cell Avionik powered by a Neu 1509/10 motor pulling
close to 200 amps. That’s power!
THE 5TH ANNUAL Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF), held May 4-7,
2006, was bigger and better than each of
the previous versions. I don’t know how
Jeff Meyers and the Fayette Flyers of
Georgia do it, but those of us who attend
each year are glad they find a way. This
year they even managed to get help from
the weatherman, and the rain held off
until most attendees were packing to
leave on Sunday.
The meet is held in Americus,
Georgia, which is near many historical
sites including the Andersonville
battleground; Plains, Georgia (home of
former president Jimmy Carter); and a
small airfield where Charles Lindbergh
soloed. The countryside is picturesque
and the people welcome event
participants with old-fashioned southern
hospitality.
Among the most gracious hosts is Mac
Hodges, who owns the flying field and
Got Georgia on your mind?
Then plan on attending this
fantastic electric-only event
Doug Foy of Fox Lite Models brought his
new Husky in for a close look. The scale
appearance of this “park flyer” is incredible.
It is available through Radical RC.
S o u t h e a s t E l e c t r i c
28 MODEL AVIATION
one of the finest hobby shops you could
hope to find. He goes all out to make
sure everyone’s needs are taken care of,
from providing plenty of RV parking to
shelter and electricity. He even gave free
airplane rides in his full-scale J-3 Cub.
The field is set up in three sections to
accommodate park flyers, 3-D aircraft
and helicopters, and sport fliers. With a
1,700-foot runway and the locations of
the pilot stations, there were no conflicts
other than the occasional overflight of a
boundary that didn’t cause any problem.
Frequency control at a large event is
usually a nightmare. However, with the
paging system and staff at this gathering,
it went smoothly and pins could always
be found when kept out too long. This is
the best system I’ve seen.
Sponsorship of any big event can be a
double-edged sword, but Jeff and his
crew kept it well balanced. Even with the
large number of factory demonstration
teams present to show off their models,
there were enough frequencies and
airspace for pilots to fly all they wanted.
More than 300 fliers registered and,
as with most electric meets, each
participant had several airplanes. Many
of the vendors brought new models they
wanted to show off, and many of us got a
chance to fly them. What a great way to
see and decide how you want to spend
your money.
Thursday was set aside for a Limited
Motor Run Sailplane competition and an
F5B contest.
Three flights were made in the “No
Excuses” class. That is a two-minute
motor-run window, and then 13 more
minutes of thermal flight, to land in a 20-
foot-radius circle. Ernie Schlumberger
won this contest.
The Class B Sailplane event brought
out the big power, with as many as 30
cells and only a 30-second motor run.
That is more than enough for those big
models to almost disappear, and Mike
McGowan won the event. More than 30
pilots participated in the Sailplane
events. The field was open to flying at 3
p.m., and by then the flightline was full.
The next three days featured open
flying, with the only shutdown being for
the noon demos. This allowed everyone
time to eat, rest, and watch some of the
best pilots in the country show their
stuff.
Horizon Hobby and Hobby Lobby
each had roughly 30 airplanes, flown in
less than 20 minutes, with multiple pilots
and models in the air at the same time.
The Hangar 9 warbird demo was a big
hit with the crowd.
Each year I have noticed that expert
Fox Lite’s new SAAB prototype performed its maiden flight at the SEFF. There is no
date on availability yet, but the initial test flights went extremely well.
Mike Waffird flew his modified Alpha Models Fw 190 powered by an MPI 370 motor on
2S 2100 Thunder Power Li-Polys. He added many scale details and did some paint work
to get it perfect.
Dave Blum of Raleigh NC will kit this gorgeous OV-10 Bronco “long nose” version soon.
It spans 40 inches with 300 squares, weighing only 24 ounces with two PJS 300 motors on
3S 2100 mAh Li-Polys.
Photos by the author
August 2006 29
Jim Ryan makes a pass with his Scott Black F-86 Sabre on its
maiden flight.
Charlie Kerr scratch-built Jeff Carr’s 94-inch Storch, which was
converted to electric with an AXI 4130/20, Jeti 77 ESC, and
Thunder Power 7S4P 8000 mAh pack.
Jim Ryan flew his F4D Skyray built from an RBC kit. It’s powered
by a Mega motor on a Wemotec fan.
“Best of Show” award winner Dick Scott flies his immaculate 57-
inch D.H.2. The Mega 22/45/3 spins the custom-made 17 x 10
four-blade propeller on a Kokam 5S 3200 mAh pack and Castle
Creations Phoenix-45 ESC.
This is just one-third of the total pit area; each pit has one more behind it, out of view. Mac Hodges provided more than ample space for
more than 300 pilots along with vehicles and RVs.
30 MODEL AVIATION
RC Aerobatics pilot Quique Somenzini
pits among the “regular” attendees at the
event, and he is approachable and open
with his advice and encouragement. His
attitude and friendliness doesn’t go
unnoticed among the event participants;
what a great ambassador for our hobby!
One of the great things about this year
was the advent of the new Spektrum
radio and how it made flying at a large
event that much easier. The park flyer
pilots who had these systems never had
to bother with frequency control and
could fly whenever there was a station
open on the line.
That also freed up many frequencies
for the fliers at the other two stations and
made for good will up and down the line.
Gone are the days of “frequency hogs”
among the park flyers; one can only hope
this technology will soon cover the whole
spectrum of model flying.
The jets that were flown this year
stepped up the performance. Chris True
showed off his Bob Violett Models Viper
and the Century Jets Sport Hawk, each
sporting power exceeding 200 watts per
pound.
Jim Ryan performed the maiden flight
of a gorgeous Sabre designed by Scott
Black of Canada. Jim also flew his RBC
Kits F4D Skyray that was featured in the
September 2005 Model Airplane News.
Two other things—big and small—
stood out this year. The big models are
getting easier to fly, with the advent of
large motors from AstroFlight, E-flite,
PJS, and AXI. All of these are now direct
Chris True’s BVM Viper leaves the ground powered by a Lehner 2250-14 motor and
WM1000 fan unit. Thunder Power 9S4P 8.0 Ah batteries carry the 12.6-pound jet to
blazing speeds through a Castle Creations HV-110 ESC at 186 watts/pound.
Dave Blum’s cute Little 185 comes as a laser-cut kit. Spanning 23 inches and weighing a
mere 3 ounces, it’s powered by a GWS IPS C geared motor spinning a 7 x 6 slow flyer
propeller on 2S 250 Li-Polys.
Mike Hines of Hobby Lobby launches its new Me 262B with David Payne at the controls. Two 56mm X-fans power the jet with their
5100 Kv motors on a 2S Li-Poly pack. It should be available by the time you read this.
August 2006 31
drive, which eliminates the problems
that have been previously encountered
with gearboxes and large asymmetrical
loading during aerobatics. The
AstroFlight 160 is not an outrunner, as
the others are, and it will be selling for
approximately $300.
How things have changed. The view
is just as exciting from the small side, as
littler, more efficient motors and radio
gear emerge. This is also an area where
building is still valued as part of the
process, and most of the small (tiny)
park flyers are constructed from lasercut
kits. Great examples of this are Dave
Blum’s Little 185 and Harvard and Fox
Lite’s Husky.
Saturday night was the annual
barbecue and night fly. The dinner was
excellent, and it ended with each adult
receiving a specially brewed bottle of
SEFF beer. Each year the brewmeister
comes up with something special for the
event and the bottles have unique labels
to match. The people who participated
in the night-flying had to wait to sample
theirs.
Ric Vaughn had the biggest lighted
airplane I’ve ever seen, and it has the
loading of a park flyer. It employs more
than 300 lights, plus a landing light, and
is a crowd pleaser.
Sunday is bittersweet because you know
that when you go to the field it will be
the last time of the event. Overcast skies
foretold the future and rain started at
Team Astro’s Terry Mann prepares the big 30% Christen Eagle for Steve Bayens to fly. The Astro 160 motor gives incredible
vertical performance and duration.
The SEFF pit area was full of all sorts of airplanes, ranging from Giant Scale to tiny.
Everything from built-up, scratch-built designs to ARFs shared the space and air.
roughly noon, with quite a line of storms
passing through. People packed up and
headed for home, with dreams already in
place for next year’s trip.
This is the premier electric-power flying
event in the country. The site can
accommodate more than any of the others
I’ve been to, and Mac Hodges is constantly
trying to improve it for his guests.
Jeff Meyers has to be the most
energetic and patient CD around, doing
the most thankless job possible, but he
never sways from his affable style and
professionalism. If you can work this
event into your schedule, you won’t be
sorry.
See you there next year! MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
08sig1.QXD 6/22/06 1:35 PM Page 31
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30,31
August 2006 27
BY GREG GIMLICK
Flight Festival 2006
Bob Whitney launches an F5F 10-cell Avionik powered by a Neu 1509/10 motor pulling
close to 200 amps. That’s power!
THE 5TH ANNUAL Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF), held May 4-7,
2006, was bigger and better than each of
the previous versions. I don’t know how
Jeff Meyers and the Fayette Flyers of
Georgia do it, but those of us who attend
each year are glad they find a way. This
year they even managed to get help from
the weatherman, and the rain held off
until most attendees were packing to
leave on Sunday.
The meet is held in Americus,
Georgia, which is near many historical
sites including the Andersonville
battleground; Plains, Georgia (home of
former president Jimmy Carter); and a
small airfield where Charles Lindbergh
soloed. The countryside is picturesque
and the people welcome event
participants with old-fashioned southern
hospitality.
Among the most gracious hosts is Mac
Hodges, who owns the flying field and
Got Georgia on your mind?
Then plan on attending this
fantastic electric-only event
Doug Foy of Fox Lite Models brought his
new Husky in for a close look. The scale
appearance of this “park flyer” is incredible.
It is available through Radical RC.
S o u t h e a s t E l e c t r i c
28 MODEL AVIATION
one of the finest hobby shops you could
hope to find. He goes all out to make
sure everyone’s needs are taken care of,
from providing plenty of RV parking to
shelter and electricity. He even gave free
airplane rides in his full-scale J-3 Cub.
The field is set up in three sections to
accommodate park flyers, 3-D aircraft
and helicopters, and sport fliers. With a
1,700-foot runway and the locations of
the pilot stations, there were no conflicts
other than the occasional overflight of a
boundary that didn’t cause any problem.
Frequency control at a large event is
usually a nightmare. However, with the
paging system and staff at this gathering,
it went smoothly and pins could always
be found when kept out too long. This is
the best system I’ve seen.
Sponsorship of any big event can be a
double-edged sword, but Jeff and his
crew kept it well balanced. Even with the
large number of factory demonstration
teams present to show off their models,
there were enough frequencies and
airspace for pilots to fly all they wanted.
More than 300 fliers registered and,
as with most electric meets, each
participant had several airplanes. Many
of the vendors brought new models they
wanted to show off, and many of us got a
chance to fly them. What a great way to
see and decide how you want to spend
your money.
Thursday was set aside for a Limited
Motor Run Sailplane competition and an
F5B contest.
Three flights were made in the “No
Excuses” class. That is a two-minute
motor-run window, and then 13 more
minutes of thermal flight, to land in a 20-
foot-radius circle. Ernie Schlumberger
won this contest.
The Class B Sailplane event brought
out the big power, with as many as 30
cells and only a 30-second motor run.
That is more than enough for those big
models to almost disappear, and Mike
McGowan won the event. More than 30
pilots participated in the Sailplane
events. The field was open to flying at 3
p.m., and by then the flightline was full.
The next three days featured open
flying, with the only shutdown being for
the noon demos. This allowed everyone
time to eat, rest, and watch some of the
best pilots in the country show their
stuff.
Horizon Hobby and Hobby Lobby
each had roughly 30 airplanes, flown in
less than 20 minutes, with multiple pilots
and models in the air at the same time.
The Hangar 9 warbird demo was a big
hit with the crowd.
Each year I have noticed that expert
Fox Lite’s new SAAB prototype performed its maiden flight at the SEFF. There is no
date on availability yet, but the initial test flights went extremely well.
Mike Waffird flew his modified Alpha Models Fw 190 powered by an MPI 370 motor on
2S 2100 Thunder Power Li-Polys. He added many scale details and did some paint work
to get it perfect.
Dave Blum of Raleigh NC will kit this gorgeous OV-10 Bronco “long nose” version soon.
It spans 40 inches with 300 squares, weighing only 24 ounces with two PJS 300 motors on
3S 2100 mAh Li-Polys.
Photos by the author
August 2006 29
Jim Ryan makes a pass with his Scott Black F-86 Sabre on its
maiden flight.
Charlie Kerr scratch-built Jeff Carr’s 94-inch Storch, which was
converted to electric with an AXI 4130/20, Jeti 77 ESC, and
Thunder Power 7S4P 8000 mAh pack.
Jim Ryan flew his F4D Skyray built from an RBC kit. It’s powered
by a Mega motor on a Wemotec fan.
“Best of Show” award winner Dick Scott flies his immaculate 57-
inch D.H.2. The Mega 22/45/3 spins the custom-made 17 x 10
four-blade propeller on a Kokam 5S 3200 mAh pack and Castle
Creations Phoenix-45 ESC.
This is just one-third of the total pit area; each pit has one more behind it, out of view. Mac Hodges provided more than ample space for
more than 300 pilots along with vehicles and RVs.
30 MODEL AVIATION
RC Aerobatics pilot Quique Somenzini
pits among the “regular” attendees at the
event, and he is approachable and open
with his advice and encouragement. His
attitude and friendliness doesn’t go
unnoticed among the event participants;
what a great ambassador for our hobby!
One of the great things about this year
was the advent of the new Spektrum
radio and how it made flying at a large
event that much easier. The park flyer
pilots who had these systems never had
to bother with frequency control and
could fly whenever there was a station
open on the line.
That also freed up many frequencies
for the fliers at the other two stations and
made for good will up and down the line.
Gone are the days of “frequency hogs”
among the park flyers; one can only hope
this technology will soon cover the whole
spectrum of model flying.
The jets that were flown this year
stepped up the performance. Chris True
showed off his Bob Violett Models Viper
and the Century Jets Sport Hawk, each
sporting power exceeding 200 watts per
pound.
Jim Ryan performed the maiden flight
of a gorgeous Sabre designed by Scott
Black of Canada. Jim also flew his RBC
Kits F4D Skyray that was featured in the
September 2005 Model Airplane News.
Two other things—big and small—
stood out this year. The big models are
getting easier to fly, with the advent of
large motors from AstroFlight, E-flite,
PJS, and AXI. All of these are now direct
Chris True’s BVM Viper leaves the ground powered by a Lehner 2250-14 motor and
WM1000 fan unit. Thunder Power 9S4P 8.0 Ah batteries carry the 12.6-pound jet to
blazing speeds through a Castle Creations HV-110 ESC at 186 watts/pound.
Dave Blum’s cute Little 185 comes as a laser-cut kit. Spanning 23 inches and weighing a
mere 3 ounces, it’s powered by a GWS IPS C geared motor spinning a 7 x 6 slow flyer
propeller on 2S 250 Li-Polys.
Mike Hines of Hobby Lobby launches its new Me 262B with David Payne at the controls. Two 56mm X-fans power the jet with their
5100 Kv motors on a 2S Li-Poly pack. It should be available by the time you read this.
August 2006 31
drive, which eliminates the problems
that have been previously encountered
with gearboxes and large asymmetrical
loading during aerobatics. The
AstroFlight 160 is not an outrunner, as
the others are, and it will be selling for
approximately $300.
How things have changed. The view
is just as exciting from the small side, as
littler, more efficient motors and radio
gear emerge. This is also an area where
building is still valued as part of the
process, and most of the small (tiny)
park flyers are constructed from lasercut
kits. Great examples of this are Dave
Blum’s Little 185 and Harvard and Fox
Lite’s Husky.
Saturday night was the annual
barbecue and night fly. The dinner was
excellent, and it ended with each adult
receiving a specially brewed bottle of
SEFF beer. Each year the brewmeister
comes up with something special for the
event and the bottles have unique labels
to match. The people who participated
in the night-flying had to wait to sample
theirs.
Ric Vaughn had the biggest lighted
airplane I’ve ever seen, and it has the
loading of a park flyer. It employs more
than 300 lights, plus a landing light, and
is a crowd pleaser.
Sunday is bittersweet because you know
that when you go to the field it will be
the last time of the event. Overcast skies
foretold the future and rain started at
Team Astro’s Terry Mann prepares the big 30% Christen Eagle for Steve Bayens to fly. The Astro 160 motor gives incredible
vertical performance and duration.
The SEFF pit area was full of all sorts of airplanes, ranging from Giant Scale to tiny.
Everything from built-up, scratch-built designs to ARFs shared the space and air.
roughly noon, with quite a line of storms
passing through. People packed up and
headed for home, with dreams already in
place for next year’s trip.
This is the premier electric-power flying
event in the country. The site can
accommodate more than any of the others
I’ve been to, and Mac Hodges is constantly
trying to improve it for his guests.
Jeff Meyers has to be the most
energetic and patient CD around, doing
the most thankless job possible, but he
never sways from his affable style and
professionalism. If you can work this
event into your schedule, you won’t be
sorry.
See you there next year! MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
08sig1.QXD 6/22/06 1:35 PM Page 31
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30,31
August 2006 27
BY GREG GIMLICK
Flight Festival 2006
Bob Whitney launches an F5F 10-cell Avionik powered by a Neu 1509/10 motor pulling
close to 200 amps. That’s power!
THE 5TH ANNUAL Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF), held May 4-7,
2006, was bigger and better than each of
the previous versions. I don’t know how
Jeff Meyers and the Fayette Flyers of
Georgia do it, but those of us who attend
each year are glad they find a way. This
year they even managed to get help from
the weatherman, and the rain held off
until most attendees were packing to
leave on Sunday.
The meet is held in Americus,
Georgia, which is near many historical
sites including the Andersonville
battleground; Plains, Georgia (home of
former president Jimmy Carter); and a
small airfield where Charles Lindbergh
soloed. The countryside is picturesque
and the people welcome event
participants with old-fashioned southern
hospitality.
Among the most gracious hosts is Mac
Hodges, who owns the flying field and
Got Georgia on your mind?
Then plan on attending this
fantastic electric-only event
Doug Foy of Fox Lite Models brought his
new Husky in for a close look. The scale
appearance of this “park flyer” is incredible.
It is available through Radical RC.
S o u t h e a s t E l e c t r i c
28 MODEL AVIATION
one of the finest hobby shops you could
hope to find. He goes all out to make
sure everyone’s needs are taken care of,
from providing plenty of RV parking to
shelter and electricity. He even gave free
airplane rides in his full-scale J-3 Cub.
The field is set up in three sections to
accommodate park flyers, 3-D aircraft
and helicopters, and sport fliers. With a
1,700-foot runway and the locations of
the pilot stations, there were no conflicts
other than the occasional overflight of a
boundary that didn’t cause any problem.
Frequency control at a large event is
usually a nightmare. However, with the
paging system and staff at this gathering,
it went smoothly and pins could always
be found when kept out too long. This is
the best system I’ve seen.
Sponsorship of any big event can be a
double-edged sword, but Jeff and his
crew kept it well balanced. Even with the
large number of factory demonstration
teams present to show off their models,
there were enough frequencies and
airspace for pilots to fly all they wanted.
More than 300 fliers registered and,
as with most electric meets, each
participant had several airplanes. Many
of the vendors brought new models they
wanted to show off, and many of us got a
chance to fly them. What a great way to
see and decide how you want to spend
your money.
Thursday was set aside for a Limited
Motor Run Sailplane competition and an
F5B contest.
Three flights were made in the “No
Excuses” class. That is a two-minute
motor-run window, and then 13 more
minutes of thermal flight, to land in a 20-
foot-radius circle. Ernie Schlumberger
won this contest.
The Class B Sailplane event brought
out the big power, with as many as 30
cells and only a 30-second motor run.
That is more than enough for those big
models to almost disappear, and Mike
McGowan won the event. More than 30
pilots participated in the Sailplane
events. The field was open to flying at 3
p.m., and by then the flightline was full.
The next three days featured open
flying, with the only shutdown being for
the noon demos. This allowed everyone
time to eat, rest, and watch some of the
best pilots in the country show their
stuff.
Horizon Hobby and Hobby Lobby
each had roughly 30 airplanes, flown in
less than 20 minutes, with multiple pilots
and models in the air at the same time.
The Hangar 9 warbird demo was a big
hit with the crowd.
Each year I have noticed that expert
Fox Lite’s new SAAB prototype performed its maiden flight at the SEFF. There is no
date on availability yet, but the initial test flights went extremely well.
Mike Waffird flew his modified Alpha Models Fw 190 powered by an MPI 370 motor on
2S 2100 Thunder Power Li-Polys. He added many scale details and did some paint work
to get it perfect.
Dave Blum of Raleigh NC will kit this gorgeous OV-10 Bronco “long nose” version soon.
It spans 40 inches with 300 squares, weighing only 24 ounces with two PJS 300 motors on
3S 2100 mAh Li-Polys.
Photos by the author
August 2006 29
Jim Ryan makes a pass with his Scott Black F-86 Sabre on its
maiden flight.
Charlie Kerr scratch-built Jeff Carr’s 94-inch Storch, which was
converted to electric with an AXI 4130/20, Jeti 77 ESC, and
Thunder Power 7S4P 8000 mAh pack.
Jim Ryan flew his F4D Skyray built from an RBC kit. It’s powered
by a Mega motor on a Wemotec fan.
“Best of Show” award winner Dick Scott flies his immaculate 57-
inch D.H.2. The Mega 22/45/3 spins the custom-made 17 x 10
four-blade propeller on a Kokam 5S 3200 mAh pack and Castle
Creations Phoenix-45 ESC.
This is just one-third of the total pit area; each pit has one more behind it, out of view. Mac Hodges provided more than ample space for
more than 300 pilots along with vehicles and RVs.
30 MODEL AVIATION
RC Aerobatics pilot Quique Somenzini
pits among the “regular” attendees at the
event, and he is approachable and open
with his advice and encouragement. His
attitude and friendliness doesn’t go
unnoticed among the event participants;
what a great ambassador for our hobby!
One of the great things about this year
was the advent of the new Spektrum
radio and how it made flying at a large
event that much easier. The park flyer
pilots who had these systems never had
to bother with frequency control and
could fly whenever there was a station
open on the line.
That also freed up many frequencies
for the fliers at the other two stations and
made for good will up and down the line.
Gone are the days of “frequency hogs”
among the park flyers; one can only hope
this technology will soon cover the whole
spectrum of model flying.
The jets that were flown this year
stepped up the performance. Chris True
showed off his Bob Violett Models Viper
and the Century Jets Sport Hawk, each
sporting power exceeding 200 watts per
pound.
Jim Ryan performed the maiden flight
of a gorgeous Sabre designed by Scott
Black of Canada. Jim also flew his RBC
Kits F4D Skyray that was featured in the
September 2005 Model Airplane News.
Two other things—big and small—
stood out this year. The big models are
getting easier to fly, with the advent of
large motors from AstroFlight, E-flite,
PJS, and AXI. All of these are now direct
Chris True’s BVM Viper leaves the ground powered by a Lehner 2250-14 motor and
WM1000 fan unit. Thunder Power 9S4P 8.0 Ah batteries carry the 12.6-pound jet to
blazing speeds through a Castle Creations HV-110 ESC at 186 watts/pound.
Dave Blum’s cute Little 185 comes as a laser-cut kit. Spanning 23 inches and weighing a
mere 3 ounces, it’s powered by a GWS IPS C geared motor spinning a 7 x 6 slow flyer
propeller on 2S 250 Li-Polys.
Mike Hines of Hobby Lobby launches its new Me 262B with David Payne at the controls. Two 56mm X-fans power the jet with their
5100 Kv motors on a 2S Li-Poly pack. It should be available by the time you read this.
August 2006 31
drive, which eliminates the problems
that have been previously encountered
with gearboxes and large asymmetrical
loading during aerobatics. The
AstroFlight 160 is not an outrunner, as
the others are, and it will be selling for
approximately $300.
How things have changed. The view
is just as exciting from the small side, as
littler, more efficient motors and radio
gear emerge. This is also an area where
building is still valued as part of the
process, and most of the small (tiny)
park flyers are constructed from lasercut
kits. Great examples of this are Dave
Blum’s Little 185 and Harvard and Fox
Lite’s Husky.
Saturday night was the annual
barbecue and night fly. The dinner was
excellent, and it ended with each adult
receiving a specially brewed bottle of
SEFF beer. Each year the brewmeister
comes up with something special for the
event and the bottles have unique labels
to match. The people who participated
in the night-flying had to wait to sample
theirs.
Ric Vaughn had the biggest lighted
airplane I’ve ever seen, and it has the
loading of a park flyer. It employs more
than 300 lights, plus a landing light, and
is a crowd pleaser.
Sunday is bittersweet because you know
that when you go to the field it will be
the last time of the event. Overcast skies
foretold the future and rain started at
Team Astro’s Terry Mann prepares the big 30% Christen Eagle for Steve Bayens to fly. The Astro 160 motor gives incredible
vertical performance and duration.
The SEFF pit area was full of all sorts of airplanes, ranging from Giant Scale to tiny.
Everything from built-up, scratch-built designs to ARFs shared the space and air.
roughly noon, with quite a line of storms
passing through. People packed up and
headed for home, with dreams already in
place for next year’s trip.
This is the premier electric-power flying
event in the country. The site can
accommodate more than any of the others
I’ve been to, and Mac Hodges is constantly
trying to improve it for his guests.
Jeff Meyers has to be the most
energetic and patient CD around, doing
the most thankless job possible, but he
never sways from his affable style and
professionalism. If you can work this
event into your schedule, you won’t be
sorry.
See you there next year! MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
08sig1.QXD 6/22/06 1:35 PM Page 31
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 27,28,29,30,31
August 2006 27
BY GREG GIMLICK
Flight Festival 2006
Bob Whitney launches an F5F 10-cell Avionik powered by a Neu 1509/10 motor pulling
close to 200 amps. That’s power!
THE 5TH ANNUAL Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF), held May 4-7,
2006, was bigger and better than each of
the previous versions. I don’t know how
Jeff Meyers and the Fayette Flyers of
Georgia do it, but those of us who attend
each year are glad they find a way. This
year they even managed to get help from
the weatherman, and the rain held off
until most attendees were packing to
leave on Sunday.
The meet is held in Americus,
Georgia, which is near many historical
sites including the Andersonville
battleground; Plains, Georgia (home of
former president Jimmy Carter); and a
small airfield where Charles Lindbergh
soloed. The countryside is picturesque
and the people welcome event
participants with old-fashioned southern
hospitality.
Among the most gracious hosts is Mac
Hodges, who owns the flying field and
Got Georgia on your mind?
Then plan on attending this
fantastic electric-only event
Doug Foy of Fox Lite Models brought his
new Husky in for a close look. The scale
appearance of this “park flyer” is incredible.
It is available through Radical RC.
S o u t h e a s t E l e c t r i c
28 MODEL AVIATION
one of the finest hobby shops you could
hope to find. He goes all out to make
sure everyone’s needs are taken care of,
from providing plenty of RV parking to
shelter and electricity. He even gave free
airplane rides in his full-scale J-3 Cub.
The field is set up in three sections to
accommodate park flyers, 3-D aircraft
and helicopters, and sport fliers. With a
1,700-foot runway and the locations of
the pilot stations, there were no conflicts
other than the occasional overflight of a
boundary that didn’t cause any problem.
Frequency control at a large event is
usually a nightmare. However, with the
paging system and staff at this gathering,
it went smoothly and pins could always
be found when kept out too long. This is
the best system I’ve seen.
Sponsorship of any big event can be a
double-edged sword, but Jeff and his
crew kept it well balanced. Even with the
large number of factory demonstration
teams present to show off their models,
there were enough frequencies and
airspace for pilots to fly all they wanted.
More than 300 fliers registered and,
as with most electric meets, each
participant had several airplanes. Many
of the vendors brought new models they
wanted to show off, and many of us got a
chance to fly them. What a great way to
see and decide how you want to spend
your money.
Thursday was set aside for a Limited
Motor Run Sailplane competition and an
F5B contest.
Three flights were made in the “No
Excuses” class. That is a two-minute
motor-run window, and then 13 more
minutes of thermal flight, to land in a 20-
foot-radius circle. Ernie Schlumberger
won this contest.
The Class B Sailplane event brought
out the big power, with as many as 30
cells and only a 30-second motor run.
That is more than enough for those big
models to almost disappear, and Mike
McGowan won the event. More than 30
pilots participated in the Sailplane
events. The field was open to flying at 3
p.m., and by then the flightline was full.
The next three days featured open
flying, with the only shutdown being for
the noon demos. This allowed everyone
time to eat, rest, and watch some of the
best pilots in the country show their
stuff.
Horizon Hobby and Hobby Lobby
each had roughly 30 airplanes, flown in
less than 20 minutes, with multiple pilots
and models in the air at the same time.
The Hangar 9 warbird demo was a big
hit with the crowd.
Each year I have noticed that expert
Fox Lite’s new SAAB prototype performed its maiden flight at the SEFF. There is no
date on availability yet, but the initial test flights went extremely well.
Mike Waffird flew his modified Alpha Models Fw 190 powered by an MPI 370 motor on
2S 2100 Thunder Power Li-Polys. He added many scale details and did some paint work
to get it perfect.
Dave Blum of Raleigh NC will kit this gorgeous OV-10 Bronco “long nose” version soon.
It spans 40 inches with 300 squares, weighing only 24 ounces with two PJS 300 motors on
3S 2100 mAh Li-Polys.
Photos by the author
August 2006 29
Jim Ryan makes a pass with his Scott Black F-86 Sabre on its
maiden flight.
Charlie Kerr scratch-built Jeff Carr’s 94-inch Storch, which was
converted to electric with an AXI 4130/20, Jeti 77 ESC, and
Thunder Power 7S4P 8000 mAh pack.
Jim Ryan flew his F4D Skyray built from an RBC kit. It’s powered
by a Mega motor on a Wemotec fan.
“Best of Show” award winner Dick Scott flies his immaculate 57-
inch D.H.2. The Mega 22/45/3 spins the custom-made 17 x 10
four-blade propeller on a Kokam 5S 3200 mAh pack and Castle
Creations Phoenix-45 ESC.
This is just one-third of the total pit area; each pit has one more behind it, out of view. Mac Hodges provided more than ample space for
more than 300 pilots along with vehicles and RVs.
30 MODEL AVIATION
RC Aerobatics pilot Quique Somenzini
pits among the “regular” attendees at the
event, and he is approachable and open
with his advice and encouragement. His
attitude and friendliness doesn’t go
unnoticed among the event participants;
what a great ambassador for our hobby!
One of the great things about this year
was the advent of the new Spektrum
radio and how it made flying at a large
event that much easier. The park flyer
pilots who had these systems never had
to bother with frequency control and
could fly whenever there was a station
open on the line.
That also freed up many frequencies
for the fliers at the other two stations and
made for good will up and down the line.
Gone are the days of “frequency hogs”
among the park flyers; one can only hope
this technology will soon cover the whole
spectrum of model flying.
The jets that were flown this year
stepped up the performance. Chris True
showed off his Bob Violett Models Viper
and the Century Jets Sport Hawk, each
sporting power exceeding 200 watts per
pound.
Jim Ryan performed the maiden flight
of a gorgeous Sabre designed by Scott
Black of Canada. Jim also flew his RBC
Kits F4D Skyray that was featured in the
September 2005 Model Airplane News.
Two other things—big and small—
stood out this year. The big models are
getting easier to fly, with the advent of
large motors from AstroFlight, E-flite,
PJS, and AXI. All of these are now direct
Chris True’s BVM Viper leaves the ground powered by a Lehner 2250-14 motor and
WM1000 fan unit. Thunder Power 9S4P 8.0 Ah batteries carry the 12.6-pound jet to
blazing speeds through a Castle Creations HV-110 ESC at 186 watts/pound.
Dave Blum’s cute Little 185 comes as a laser-cut kit. Spanning 23 inches and weighing a
mere 3 ounces, it’s powered by a GWS IPS C geared motor spinning a 7 x 6 slow flyer
propeller on 2S 250 Li-Polys.
Mike Hines of Hobby Lobby launches its new Me 262B with David Payne at the controls. Two 56mm X-fans power the jet with their
5100 Kv motors on a 2S Li-Poly pack. It should be available by the time you read this.
August 2006 31
drive, which eliminates the problems
that have been previously encountered
with gearboxes and large asymmetrical
loading during aerobatics. The
AstroFlight 160 is not an outrunner, as
the others are, and it will be selling for
approximately $300.
How things have changed. The view
is just as exciting from the small side, as
littler, more efficient motors and radio
gear emerge. This is also an area where
building is still valued as part of the
process, and most of the small (tiny)
park flyers are constructed from lasercut
kits. Great examples of this are Dave
Blum’s Little 185 and Harvard and Fox
Lite’s Husky.
Saturday night was the annual
barbecue and night fly. The dinner was
excellent, and it ended with each adult
receiving a specially brewed bottle of
SEFF beer. Each year the brewmeister
comes up with something special for the
event and the bottles have unique labels
to match. The people who participated
in the night-flying had to wait to sample
theirs.
Ric Vaughn had the biggest lighted
airplane I’ve ever seen, and it has the
loading of a park flyer. It employs more
than 300 lights, plus a landing light, and
is a crowd pleaser.
Sunday is bittersweet because you know
that when you go to the field it will be
the last time of the event. Overcast skies
foretold the future and rain started at
Team Astro’s Terry Mann prepares the big 30% Christen Eagle for Steve Bayens to fly. The Astro 160 motor gives incredible
vertical performance and duration.
The SEFF pit area was full of all sorts of airplanes, ranging from Giant Scale to tiny.
Everything from built-up, scratch-built designs to ARFs shared the space and air.
roughly noon, with quite a line of storms
passing through. People packed up and
headed for home, with dreams already in
place for next year’s trip.
This is the premier electric-power flying
event in the country. The site can
accommodate more than any of the others
I’ve been to, and Mac Hodges is constantly
trying to improve it for his guests.
Jeff Meyers has to be the most
energetic and patient CD around, doing
the most thankless job possible, but he
never sways from his affable style and
professionalism. If you can work this
event into your schedule, you won’t be
sorry.
See you there next year! MA
Greg Gimlick
[email protected]
08sig1.QXD 6/22/06 1:35 PM Page 31