Top Gun 2006
By Stan Alexander
This year’s Top Gun Invitational Tournament was held, as it has been for the past few years, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, home to the Florida Aviation Museum and the Sun ’n Fun full-scale fly-in. The contest site was moved from an area on the other side of the museum to a taxiway that featured the length and width to accommodate all the models.
Wind was a major factor this year. It blew across the runway at almost 90° for nearly the duration of the invitational, with reported speeds of 20–25 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Flying in this strong crosswind made the final turn before landing—after flying the downwind leg—especially tricky for many pilots.
There were jets, jets, and more jets in competition this year—a total of 29—which dominated the contest. World War II aircraft (fighters, bombers, etc.) were the next largest group with 26 entries. Approximately 95 pilots put in flights at this contest. In the Pro-Am events, the Professional and Amateur classes were separated after the first three rounds; the top 15 in each class flew in the fourth and final round to determine the winners.
Expert
- Jack Diaz’s F-86 Sabre impressed many over the weekend. He flew a large, new-generation BVM model in Expert—the most contested class—and finished just 0.417 points shy of winning. Jack took home the Best Jet Performance award. His Sabre was beautifully finished and featured many added details, including speed-brake details. His documentation booklet was among the best checked; the checkerboard on the fin and rudder was intentionally depicted with blurred paint to match the full-scale references—well done.
- Tim Redelman flew a large BVM Phantom with a menacing shark mouth to a 10th-place finish in Expert.
- Greg Hahn took first place in the fourth round of flying with his Mitchell B-25 built from Ziroli plans. The huge WWII bomber was powered by two Fuji BT-43EI gas engines, controlled by a Futaba 14MZ radio, and had Robart retracts with Glennis wheels and brakes. Greg researched field-converted D-model B-25 gunships and based his model on the famous "Tondelayo." He used 23 servos and multiple battery systems to power the model’s systems.
- Second place went to builder Mike Selby and pilot Ray Johns for their Vought Vindicator dive bomber. The large model spanned 112 inches, was powered by a BME 110 engine, and weighed 42 pounds.
- Third place went to Top Gun organizer and pilot Frank Tiano and builder Octavio DePaula with their 1/3-scale Piper L-4 Grasshopper, powered by a ZDZ-60 engine and spanning 144 inches.
Pro-Am
Pro-Am allows "Pro" modelers who have used up their models' three-year time limit in Top Gun Expert, Team, or Masters classes to continue competing, and it also allows less-experienced "Am" competitors to gain contest experience. There are 25 points available for static judging; after static judging, competitors fly in front of the judges. Pro-Am resembles Fun Scale but does not permit ARFs. Many entries in Pro-Am are aircraft that have flown for three years in higher-skill categories and are now re-entered in Pro-Am.
- Pro side (top finishers):
- David Shulman — F-86 Sabre (large BVM kit)
- Geraldo Diaz — F-100
- John Christensen — F9F Cougar (Airworld kit)
- Am side (top finishers):
- Joey Tamez — F-4 Phantom (BVM kit)
- Donald McLellan — Australian Boomerang (plans-built)
- David Johnson — Albatros D.III
- David’s Albatros was documented from a childhood book and other sources (including Dan San Abbott) and duplicated Werner Voss’s D.III. It was powered by a G-62 engine, had a 118-inch wingspan, and was flown with a Futaba 14MZ radio system.
Masters
This class is for modelers who design and then build their own models. The top two places went to designers whose aircraft later became production kits.
- 1st: Bob Violett — North American F-86 "Pretty Patty"
- Bob also received the Mr. Top Gun award for the highest overall score (combined static and four flight scores).
- 2nd: David Ribbe — MiG-15 (also produced by BVM)
Both jets were flown with JR radio systems.
Other Top Finishers
- Third through fifth places in one category went to modelers flying the Top Flite T-34:
- Brad Foley — third (last flight score 90.500)
- Eric Karl — fourth (problems on last flight dropped his placing)
- Sean Curry — fifth (also had issues on final flight)
Top Gun Standouts
- Greg Hahn — notable mission flights and bombing runs with the B-25
- Pat McCurry — smooth flights with his Do 335 push-pull fighter
- Mick Reeves — realistic flights and impressive detailing on his FAI Sopwith 1½-Strutter
- Dave Voglund — first-contest flight and excellent detailing on his own-design Ki-43 Oscar Japanese fighter
Modelers traveled from across the U.S. and around the world to compete. Countries represented included Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Argentina, Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil. Top Gun is a major event—a combination manufacturers’ show, scale contest, and social gathering.
Sponsors and Thanks
Primary sponsors:
- Fly RC magazine
- ZAP Glue
Major sponsors:
- Airtronics
- Frank Tiano Enterprises Inc.
- Futaba
- JR Radio
- Kempinski Hotels
- Ocean Beauty Seafood
- PST Engines
- Robart Manufacturing
Associate sponsors:
- Bob Violett Models
- Glenn Torrance Models
- Gunners Mate
- RC Jet International
- Nick Ziroli Plans
Supporting sponsors:
- Aero Tech Models
- Composite-ARF USA
- Fuji Engines
- O.S. Engines
- RC Report magazine
- Saito Engines
- Sarasota Avionics
- Top Gun Hobbies
Special thanks:
- City of Lakeland
- Imperial RC Club
See you there next year! Fair skies and tailwinds.
Stan Alexander [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
