Top Gun

Great RC Scale tradition continues at new Florida venue with two new classes THIS WAS A year of change for the Top Gun Invitational, held April 24-28, which in many ways is good for the continued growth of the yearly Scale championship. The location of the event—formerly the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club at West Palm Beach, Florida—was changed to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, which is approximately four hours northwest of the polo club. This is the same airport at which the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) holds Sun 'n Fun: its annual southern version of the Oshkosh. Wisconsin gathering. The EAA site at the airport is sort of like a small Oshkosh, with a nice museum, gift shop, administrative offices, hangars, etc. The airport location offers unlimited overfly area at both ends as well as at the back of the site. The runway isn't as wide as the field at the polo club, but many modelers appreciated the adjacent grass strip. Glen Torrance Models added grass next to the asphalt runway for the World War I vintage aircraft and tail-draggers. This year's contest —the I4th annual —began Tuesday with practice flying and setup for all events. The public was invited to come out free of charge the first two days and see just what Top Gun is about. This year it included Scale Free Flight competition, the Scale Radio Control event, a Scale Helicopter category, midday air shows, and AMA Delta Dart competition for kids during the weekend. Vendors and sponsors filled the area behind the grandstands with merchandise and souvenirs for modelers and the public. There was a food court, and everyone was grateful for the shade provided by tents and an abundance of trees in the parking area. New models garner a great deal of attention each year at Top Gun. There were several to check out this time, and there will be quite a few in the next year or two. The Top Gun rule is that you can compete with a model for three years, then you must build a new one or repaint the one you have. Standouts at this event included Al Kret/'s SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans, the Bob Violett Models (BVM) F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. Bob Violett's F-IOO Super Sabre Designer Scale entry, and Gustavo Campana's Jet Tech Aero L-I59 Albatros attack jet. Several favorites were taken out by mechanical problems or crashes before the competition started. Last year's winner in Expert.Terry Nitsch. lost his Rafale B.OI Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz Like the mythical Phoenix that rose from ashes, so too did Charlie Nelson's WACO YKS-7 which returned from last year's bad crash. It's a spectacular rebuild job! September 2002 19 Results in "Focus on Competition" Ramon Torres's flawless T-34C returns to base after capturing first place in the World Scale category. This BVM MiG-15 placed fifth in Team Scale. It was built by Sam Snyder and piloted by Thomas Dodgen. Cliff Tacie's Aeronca L-16 shoots a landing. The gorgeous aircraft placed second in World Scale. That's not a B-29! It's the Russian Tu-4 Team Scale entry built by George Maiorana and flown to third place by David Pinegar. 20 MeoaAmiUH Peter Wales captured the high static score with his Aerospatiale Lama. This Swiss design has many intricate details. Doug Bruns' Bell OH-13 Sioux finished in fourth place. It's reminiscent of the helicopters on the MASH television show! Winner Russell Mattieni with his Bell LongRanger. Inset: Russell guides his Ranger through winning flight scored 179.666. Scale Helicopter Competition Last year Top Gun included a Scale Helicopter competition for the first time. The category wasn't run according to standard AMA rules and limitations: it used specifically designed Top Gun rules. One of the main changes was the increase in weight limit. Static competition went well, and several contestants brought out hangar queens and some beautiful Scale helicopters in general. This year was the first time Top Gun had flight competition and static judging for the helicopter modelers. The aircraft were set up at the end of the field, with plenty of shade for the contest administration. Contest Director Jerry Hicks took care of promoting and preplanning the event, which grew from last year. Requirements and rules for models are open, with a weight limit of 50 pounds dry, and there is no limit to how they are electronically equipped as long as one-pilot transmitters fly them. Any size of piston engine is allowed. As in Scale fixed-wing competition, any modification from the full-scale aircraft may be included with a deduction in static points. Models are safety-checked, and each one must have been tlown at least three times before appearing at Top Gun. The Builder-of-the-Model rule applies; each contestant has to sign a statement that his or her model is scratch-built or from a kit and list all the components he or she did not make. There were nine entries—including military, civil, and work helicopters—in static and flight competition. Bell helicopters were the favorite, with four variations present. Peter Wales earned the high static score this year with his Coniituti'il on pu^i' 30 Second-place finisher Jeff Green's Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin with the retract gear down. Notice the four blades. September 2002 21 Roy Vaillancourt's powerful-looking Hawker Typhoon makes perfect "wheel" landing. Bob Benjamin's electric-powered Taylorcraft World Scale entry flies fine! during a practice flight. It was a freak accident at roughly show center. Terry said that when he dropped the external dummy wing tanks, one evidently caught the tip of a missile on the underside of the model. With the tank on the left side caught on the missile tip, it pushed the left aileron up and forced the model into the ground. Another jet went out of control and into a wooded area at the end of the runway. Drought conditions contributed to a fire that was put out quickly. Crossed trims on the transmitter may have caused this loss. Static tables were set up in various parts of the field, and judges spent several days completing their tasks on each group of models. High static scores help put competitors in good positions for the rest of the competition. This year the modelers who took the high static scores went on to do well in the flight competition. The high static scores included Ramon Torres with his T-34C-1 in World Scale and Joe Grice's F-100 in Team Scale. Jeff Foley had the high static score with his own-design Bf 109E-3 in Designer Scale, and Mike Gross's S.E.5a built from Dennis Bryant plans took high static in Expert. Some of the more interesting models at this event included the Aero L-159 Albatros that Gustavo Campana built. The full-scale L-159 is built in the Czech Republic by Aero, which has been around since before World War I. This is a multipurpose subsonic jet used in training and attack roles, called an Advanced Light Combat Airplane (ALCA). It is an outgrowth of the L-39, which is an earlier version. The new Jet Tech L-159 kit comes with GFK Honeycomb construction with rivets and panel lines molded in. It lists for approximately $2,000 with the current exchange rate from Switzerland. Add the retracts, gear, and brakes for $920. This model has a wingspan of 58.3 inches and a length of 91.1 inches. The weight comes out to roughly 30 pounds. Powered by a Tommy Wood finished fourth in Expert with this stunning Yellow Aircraft F-18. Power is provided by a RAM 750 turbine. 22 MoaaAmnm ••••,'•. Pilot David Shulman (L) and builder Joe Grice won Best Jet, Critics' Choice, and Team Scale with this flawless F-100. Tom Kosewski prepares his Fokker D.VII for flight. The model has a Quadra 50 for power. Note the intricate camouflage scheme. September 2002 23 Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, from Great Britain, entered this fine F-100 and placed second in Team Scale. Builder Paul Donofrio, pilot Anthony Greco entered this awesome Sikorsky S-39 in Team Scale. It featured a multitude of details including intricate radial engine and hull rivets. Pat McCurry's Me 109K won Best Cockpit, Best t Joe Rafalowski's JMP T-33 was the Expert-class winner. It's a stable model! 24 MooaAvunm Joe Grice's Team Scale-winning F-100 gets set to take off with pilot David Shulman at the controls. Dave Platt (L) and Dave Fogarty hold Dave Platt's Miles M.20 for static judging in Designer Scale. He finished ninth and won the Grey Eagle award. Military, and Craftsmanship awards. US. AIR FORCE Tom Czikk's P-47 Razorback with invasion stripes awaits static judging in Expert. September 2002 25 David and Peter Malchione prepare their Bob Violett Models F-4 Phantom for a flight in Team Scale competition. The team finished in fifth place. Lee Rice lost his gorgeous KM 00 when the engine quit at the wrong moment. RAM 1000 turbine, it's finished with PPG automotive paint. II looks nice. David Shulman flew the F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. The BVM kit wasn't finished in a standard fashion; Joe spent time working individual pieces of aluminum sheet sold especially for modeling use. The Flite-Metal covering is .0015-inch thick. Joe burnished it onto the airframe using tools supplied with the material, taking his time to weather and buff each panel. The finish made the model a work of art. Joe's efforts were rewarded with the static score, and he took home the Critics' Choice and Best Jet awards. The "Pretty Penny" with nose art spanned 70 inches, weighed 35 pounds, and was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine. Al Kretz's new Douglas SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans was finished in the same paint scheme as that on the full-scale aircraft in the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. The 85-inch-span model is powered by a Saito two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The cockpit is complete, with a fully functional canopy. The rear-firing machine guns are mounted, and they retract into the fuselage as on the full-scale aircraft. The canopy is a feature to check out; all the moving pieces work properly, and they open and close completely. Constructing a model that is in a museum allows modelers full access with a chance to build a complete documentation pack—not just one or two photos. This was the first year for World Scale at Top Gun. The entry list included nine contestants; the same number as in the Helicopter category. World class is a form of Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Scale competition with a few changes. There are only two static and flight judges, and a model's weight limit is 33.33 pounds, or 15 kilograms (which will be the maximum weight at the Scale World Championships beginning in 2005). Multiple flightlines and standard score sheets are used. Scale modelers who draw their own BVM's Bob Violett flew this rendition of the F-100D Super Sabre to a win in Designer Scale. Check out the ordnance! plans or build from plans excel in this event in the USA and around the world. The FAI form of this category is considered the "Scale Olympics" worldwide. Documentation and a good selection of photos of the full-scale aircraft you model are valuable in this class. Flight maneuvers are similar to AMA maneuvers with a few exceptions including the Descending 360. For more information about FAI Scale, check out the AMA Web site, then go to the F4 section of the aeromodeling section under CIAM (the International Aeromodeling Committee). Veteran US team members made up a large portion of the World Scale contestants this year. Current FAI team member Steve Sauger finished third with his Fairchild. The '/4-scale model had a wingspan of 108 inches but only weighed 22 pounds. Cliff Tacie came to compete with a beautiful but simple model of an Aeronca L-16. He finished second with the O.S. 1.60-twin-powered model. Ramon Torres of Miami, Florida brought his own design of a T-34C, which he sells through RTR Engineering. The turbo version of the T- 34 is painted in a Moroccan Air Force color scheme, spans 80 inches, and is powered by a YS 140 four-stroke engine. Ramon took home first place with the high static score and high flight score. It was a battle of the jets in Team Scale. The new BVM F-100s seemed to be everywhere, but the team of builder George Maiorana and pilot David Pinegar finished third with their version of a Tu-4 (Russian B-29). The interesting thing about this model is that it's electric-powered by four MaxCim NEO 13Y motors. The 25-pound bomber has four speed controllers and is covered and finished with Flite-Metal aluminum. Builder Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, a team from Great Britain, flew a BVM F-IOOD (the two-seat version) to second place. The D model is the latest addition to the BVM lineup, and this one was finished in the color scheme of Colonel Art Johnson's aircraft. The Century Series jet was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine and weighed in at 31 pounds. Builder Joe Grice stunned everyone with his all-aluminum-covered F-100. He and David Shulman took home a set of first-place trophies. There was a larger variety of aircraft types in Designer Scale, from a World War I Siemens to an F-100 jet fighter and almost everything in between. Roy Vaillancourt finished third with a Hawker Typhoon that he designed and kits to sell through Vailly Aviation. The '/5-scale model spans 97 inches and weighs 47 pounds. Flying his familiar Bf 109E-3, Jeff Foley squeaked by Roy into second place by only .709 point with a score of 189.792. Jeff has his model finished in a North African paint scheme for the desert as he did last year. Flying his new F-IOOF two-seat fighter design to his first first-place finish in Designer Scale was Bob Violett. His flight scores of 96.625, 97.000. and 96.625 in the last three rounds locked up the win. The F-100 is a stable-flying jet. and it looks great on the ground with operating slats, brakes, flaps, retracts, canopy, and probably a bunch of things I didn't catch. Bob has something in common with Expert Scale winner Joe Rafalowski: both are former US Navy carrier pilots. Expert class had the most entries from outside the US. Jets took six of the first 10 places this year, but Kim Foster flew his I I0-inch-span. Laser 150-powered de Havilland Moth Minor to third. The plans were from Jerry Bates Plans. Argentina native Gustavo Campana flew the aforementioned Aero L-159 to a second-place finish, but he only missed out on first place by .041 point to Joe Rafalowski. That is so close that a half point on one flight maneuver made the difference between winning and being runner-up. Joe, who is a two-year veteran of Top Gun and has flown for Delta Airlines for 17 years, brought his Jet Model Products Lockheed T-33. The large 85-inch-span aircraft is powered by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Joe flew this 10-year-old design throughout the weekend. He included scale details such as the yaw indicator on the upper cowl area in front of the cockpit and an instrument training hood for the rear cockpit. These hoods were used to train new pilots to fly by instruments only in the 1950s and later with the Air National Guard units. George Jenkins High School in Lakeland provided the color guard for the Hag ceremony each morning. It was a great patriotic beginning to each day. As always, parties in the evening and dinners are popular venues for socializing after a day at the field. The half-time shows are a hit each year, and Terry Nitsch stayed and flew his BVM BobCat XL with the Captain Salami sound-barrier performance with Frank Tiano on the public-address system. It was a good time. Join everyone next year! This event had many vendors which filled a row behind the pits this year, to include almost everyone from Airtronics to Zurich International, as well as the Imperial RC Club. Any event this large takes a lot of support. Top Gun couldn't happen without primary sponsors such as Model Airplane News, Pacer® Technology/ZAP®, and Super Chips. Additional sponsors were Airtronics, Bob Violett Models, Cyber Heli, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Glen Torrance Models, O.S. Engines/Futaba, Robart Manufacturing, a friend. Aerotech Models, American Eagle Aircraft, Altech Marketing, Century Helicopters, Dave Platt Models, JR, RC Report magazine, Ron Norris, Testers Corp., Traplet Publications, Mini Hobby, Top Gun Hussies, and Aircraft International. Judges/Officials: Chief judge, Bill Holland; assistant chief judge. Bill DeVerna; flight captain, Jim Parker; flight judges, Mike Marecki, John Smith, David Anderson, Russell Le'Pre, Harry Andren, and Chauncey Dance; static judges, Lee Henderson, Rich Uravitch, Bob Curry, Mike Bacon, Steve Harris, Len Bechtold, and Narve Jensen (also World flight judge); scoring, Rosella (Rosie) Curry. Fair skies and tail winds. AM Stan Alexander 3709 Vallev Ridge Dr. Nashville TN 37211-3831 [email protected] Sources: ..<••,-, -- f . ^ • ,-,•• Jet Tech Franz Walti Bleicherhubelweg 10 CH-4852 Rothrist Switzerland . 41-62-79431 54 Fax:41-62-794-3785 www jettech .ch/e-eingang .html Flite-Metal 16115 Espinosa Dr. Houston TX 77083 (281)530-5823 www.flitemetal.com Bob Violett Models 170 SR 419 Winter Springs FL 32708 (407) 327-6333 Fax: (407) 327-5020 www.bvmjets.com R.T. Aerospace 3601 S.W. 137th Ave. Miramar FL 33027 (954)441-7479 www .rtaerospace .com Vailly Aviation 18 Oakdale Ave. Farmingville NY 11738-2828 (631)732-4715 www.vaillyaviation.com Jerry Bates Plans 102 Glenwood St. Mobile AL 36606 (251)478-6720 www .scaleaero .com/jerrybates .htm National Museum of Naval Aviation Naval Air Station Pensacola FL 32508 (800) AIR-NAVY www.navalaviation.com Jet Model Products 211 N.MullenRd. BeltonMO64012 (816)331-0356 Fax:(816)331-3930 www.jetmodelproducts.com Glen Torrance Models 2404 Bane Rd. Efland NC 27243 (919)643-1001 Fax:(919)392-1094 w w w .gtmodels .com Now you can cut foam fuselages to go with your foam wings. Whether gas, electric, slope or park flyers, enjoy the convenience of creating your dream ship out of foam -and do it fast! These new machines make fuselages and cowlings with ease and -best of all - they function in concert with the Feather/Cut Wingmachine. TEKOA: The Center of Design www.tekoa.com FEATHER/CU' ROTO/CUT MULTI/CUT-CROSS/CUT-STRAIGHT/CUT CIRCL/CUT 49380 Sky Harbor Way Aguanga . CA . 92536 909.763.0464 fax.0109 Top Gun Helicopters Continued from page 21 Aerospatiale Lama, which started as a Swiss kit from Hirobo. Painted in a Swiss color scheme for search-and-rescue work, the 23-pound model was powered by an O.S. 3500. Peter added many scale details which included the rescue equipment for mountain work. Russell Matteini was this year's overall winner with his Bell LongRanger III. He combined a static score of 317.333 with two final flight scores of 149.333 and 179.666 to take first place. The colorful model not only did well in the static circle, but it flew well. Jeff Green flew his Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin to an impressive second-place finish. I saw his last flight and was particularly impressed with the autorotation landing. If he had blown that, the model would have been finished—especially from the height at which he started the maneuver. Jeff received the award for Best Finish. Third place went to Dan St. John with his Bell Model 47G. He received awards for Best Civilian and Best Cockpit. This is the civilian version of the Bell 47 that some of us know from the television series MASH. Doug Bruns. who owns The Heli-Center (5004 Spirit Lake Rd., Winter Haven FL 33880; Tel.: [863] 299-8863), flew his military version of the Bell 47 to sixth place overall. I talked to Doug about the rule of flying with or without a flybar. Competitors lose half their points if they use a nonscale flybar during the competition. In other words, modelers use their static blades and set up to fly without the flybar. These have to meet safety regulations. "A model helicopter doesn't fly well without a flybar," Doug explained to me. "It's sort of like driving a car without power steering and slick tires. So I didn't feel comfortable or safe flying my model without the flybar and took the downgrade in score." Inclusion of the flybar for flight performance without the 50% penalty could increase the number of competitors in the future. This would be much like how fixed-wing aircraft have static propellers and flight propellers. Many fixed-wing models wouldn't fly with correctly proportioned static propellers. Those who run the event may learn that the tlybar is needed even for Scale helicopters because of event popularity, safety's sake, and equipment costs. Several modelers registered but didn't make it to Top Gun this year. I sincerely hope that they get to attend next year's event at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Thanks to the contest administration and judges, who worked with the sponsors to make this event happen. Sponsors for this event were Altech Marketing/Hirobo, Century Helicopters, Airstar/Vario USA. Testers, SupcrChips, and Cyber Heli. MA —Stan Alexander

Great RC Scale tradition continues at new Florida venue with two new classes THIS WAS A year of change for the Top Gun Invitational, held April 24-28, which in many ways is good for the continued growth of the yearly Scale championship. The location of the event—formerly the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club at West Palm Beach, Florida—was changed to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, which is approximately four hours northwest of the polo club. This is the same airport at which the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) holds Sun 'n Fun: its annual southern version of the Oshkosh. Wisconsin gathering. The EAA site at the airport is sort of like a small Oshkosh, with a nice museum, gift shop, administrative offices, hangars, etc. The airport location offers unlimited overfly area at both ends as well as at the back of the site. The runway isn't as wide as the field at the polo club, but many modelers appreciated the adjacent grass strip. Glen Torrance Models added grass next to the asphalt runway for the World War I vintage aircraft and tail-draggers. This year's contest —the I4th annual —began Tuesday with practice flying and setup for all events. The public was invited to come out free of charge the first two days and see just what Top Gun is about. This year it included Scale Free Flight competition, the Scale Radio Control event, a Scale Helicopter category, midday air shows, and AMA Delta Dart competition for kids during the weekend. Vendors and sponsors filled the area behind the grandstands with merchandise and souvenirs for modelers and the public. There was a food court, and everyone was grateful for the shade provided by tents and an abundance of trees in the parking area. New models garner a great deal of attention each year at Top Gun. There were several to check out this time, and there will be quite a few in the next year or two. The Top Gun rule is that you can compete with a model for three years, then you must build a new one or repaint the one you have. Standouts at this event included Al Kret/'s SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans, the Bob Violett Models (BVM) F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. Bob Violett's F-IOO Super Sabre Designer Scale entry, and Gustavo Campana's Jet Tech Aero L-I59 Albatros attack jet. Several favorites were taken out by mechanical problems or crashes before the competition started. Last year's winner in Expert.Terry Nitsch. lost his Rafale B.OI Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz Like the mythical Phoenix that rose from ashes, so too did Charlie Nelson's WACO YKS-7 which returned from last year's bad crash. It's a spectacular rebuild job! September 2002 19 Results in "Focus on Competition" Ramon Torres's flawless T-34C returns to base after capturing first place in the World Scale category. This BVM MiG-15 placed fifth in Team Scale. It was built by Sam Snyder and piloted by Thomas Dodgen. Cliff Tacie's Aeronca L-16 shoots a landing. The gorgeous aircraft placed second in World Scale. That's not a B-29! It's the Russian Tu-4 Team Scale entry built by George Maiorana and flown to third place by David Pinegar. 20 MeoaAmiUH Peter Wales captured the high static score with his Aerospatiale Lama. This Swiss design has many intricate details. Doug Bruns' Bell OH-13 Sioux finished in fourth place. It's reminiscent of the helicopters on the MASH television show! Winner Russell Mattieni with his Bell LongRanger. Inset: Russell guides his Ranger through winning flight scored 179.666. Scale Helicopter Competition Last year Top Gun included a Scale Helicopter competition for the first time. The category wasn't run according to standard AMA rules and limitations: it used specifically designed Top Gun rules. One of the main changes was the increase in weight limit. Static competition went well, and several contestants brought out hangar queens and some beautiful Scale helicopters in general. This year was the first time Top Gun had flight competition and static judging for the helicopter modelers. The aircraft were set up at the end of the field, with plenty of shade for the contest administration. Contest Director Jerry Hicks took care of promoting and preplanning the event, which grew from last year. Requirements and rules for models are open, with a weight limit of 50 pounds dry, and there is no limit to how they are electronically equipped as long as one-pilot transmitters fly them. Any size of piston engine is allowed. As in Scale fixed-wing competition, any modification from the full-scale aircraft may be included with a deduction in static points. Models are safety-checked, and each one must have been tlown at least three times before appearing at Top Gun. The Builder-of-the-Model rule applies; each contestant has to sign a statement that his or her model is scratch-built or from a kit and list all the components he or she did not make. There were nine entries—including military, civil, and work helicopters—in static and flight competition. Bell helicopters were the favorite, with four variations present. Peter Wales earned the high static score this year with his Coniituti'il on pu^i' 30 Second-place finisher Jeff Green's Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin with the retract gear down. Notice the four blades. September 2002 21 Roy Vaillancourt's powerful-looking Hawker Typhoon makes perfect "wheel" landing. Bob Benjamin's electric-powered Taylorcraft World Scale entry flies fine! during a practice flight. It was a freak accident at roughly show center. Terry said that when he dropped the external dummy wing tanks, one evidently caught the tip of a missile on the underside of the model. With the tank on the left side caught on the missile tip, it pushed the left aileron up and forced the model into the ground. Another jet went out of control and into a wooded area at the end of the runway. Drought conditions contributed to a fire that was put out quickly. Crossed trims on the transmitter may have caused this loss. Static tables were set up in various parts of the field, and judges spent several days completing their tasks on each group of models. High static scores help put competitors in good positions for the rest of the competition. This year the modelers who took the high static scores went on to do well in the flight competition. The high static scores included Ramon Torres with his T-34C-1 in World Scale and Joe Grice's F-100 in Team Scale. Jeff Foley had the high static score with his own-design Bf 109E-3 in Designer Scale, and Mike Gross's S.E.5a built from Dennis Bryant plans took high static in Expert. Some of the more interesting models at this event included the Aero L-159 Albatros that Gustavo Campana built. The full-scale L-159 is built in the Czech Republic by Aero, which has been around since before World War I. This is a multipurpose subsonic jet used in training and attack roles, called an Advanced Light Combat Airplane (ALCA). It is an outgrowth of the L-39, which is an earlier version. The new Jet Tech L-159 kit comes with GFK Honeycomb construction with rivets and panel lines molded in. It lists for approximately $2,000 with the current exchange rate from Switzerland. Add the retracts, gear, and brakes for $920. This model has a wingspan of 58.3 inches and a length of 91.1 inches. The weight comes out to roughly 30 pounds. Powered by a Tommy Wood finished fourth in Expert with this stunning Yellow Aircraft F-18. Power is provided by a RAM 750 turbine. 22 MoaaAmnm ••••,'•. Pilot David Shulman (L) and builder Joe Grice won Best Jet, Critics' Choice, and Team Scale with this flawless F-100. Tom Kosewski prepares his Fokker D.VII for flight. The model has a Quadra 50 for power. Note the intricate camouflage scheme. September 2002 23 Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, from Great Britain, entered this fine F-100 and placed second in Team Scale. Builder Paul Donofrio, pilot Anthony Greco entered this awesome Sikorsky S-39 in Team Scale. It featured a multitude of details including intricate radial engine and hull rivets. Pat McCurry's Me 109K won Best Cockpit, Best t Joe Rafalowski's JMP T-33 was the Expert-class winner. It's a stable model! 24 MooaAvunm Joe Grice's Team Scale-winning F-100 gets set to take off with pilot David Shulman at the controls. Dave Platt (L) and Dave Fogarty hold Dave Platt's Miles M.20 for static judging in Designer Scale. He finished ninth and won the Grey Eagle award. Military, and Craftsmanship awards. US. AIR FORCE Tom Czikk's P-47 Razorback with invasion stripes awaits static judging in Expert. September 2002 25 David and Peter Malchione prepare their Bob Violett Models F-4 Phantom for a flight in Team Scale competition. The team finished in fifth place. Lee Rice lost his gorgeous KM 00 when the engine quit at the wrong moment. RAM 1000 turbine, it's finished with PPG automotive paint. II looks nice. David Shulman flew the F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. The BVM kit wasn't finished in a standard fashion; Joe spent time working individual pieces of aluminum sheet sold especially for modeling use. The Flite-Metal covering is .0015-inch thick. Joe burnished it onto the airframe using tools supplied with the material, taking his time to weather and buff each panel. The finish made the model a work of art. Joe's efforts were rewarded with the static score, and he took home the Critics' Choice and Best Jet awards. The "Pretty Penny" with nose art spanned 70 inches, weighed 35 pounds, and was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine. Al Kretz's new Douglas SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans was finished in the same paint scheme as that on the full-scale aircraft in the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. The 85-inch-span model is powered by a Saito two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The cockpit is complete, with a fully functional canopy. The rear-firing machine guns are mounted, and they retract into the fuselage as on the full-scale aircraft. The canopy is a feature to check out; all the moving pieces work properly, and they open and close completely. Constructing a model that is in a museum allows modelers full access with a chance to build a complete documentation pack—not just one or two photos. This was the first year for World Scale at Top Gun. The entry list included nine contestants; the same number as in the Helicopter category. World class is a form of Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Scale competition with a few changes. There are only two static and flight judges, and a model's weight limit is 33.33 pounds, or 15 kilograms (which will be the maximum weight at the Scale World Championships beginning in 2005). Multiple flightlines and standard score sheets are used. Scale modelers who draw their own BVM's Bob Violett flew this rendition of the F-100D Super Sabre to a win in Designer Scale. Check out the ordnance! plans or build from plans excel in this event in the USA and around the world. The FAI form of this category is considered the "Scale Olympics" worldwide. Documentation and a good selection of photos of the full-scale aircraft you model are valuable in this class. Flight maneuvers are similar to AMA maneuvers with a few exceptions including the Descending 360. For more information about FAI Scale, check out the AMA Web site, then go to the F4 section of the aeromodeling section under CIAM (the International Aeromodeling Committee). Veteran US team members made up a large portion of the World Scale contestants this year. Current FAI team member Steve Sauger finished third with his Fairchild. The '/4-scale model had a wingspan of 108 inches but only weighed 22 pounds. Cliff Tacie came to compete with a beautiful but simple model of an Aeronca L-16. He finished second with the O.S. 1.60-twin-powered model. Ramon Torres of Miami, Florida brought his own design of a T-34C, which he sells through RTR Engineering. The turbo version of the T- 34 is painted in a Moroccan Air Force color scheme, spans 80 inches, and is powered by a YS 140 four-stroke engine. Ramon took home first place with the high static score and high flight score. It was a battle of the jets in Team Scale. The new BVM F-100s seemed to be everywhere, but the team of builder George Maiorana and pilot David Pinegar finished third with their version of a Tu-4 (Russian B-29). The interesting thing about this model is that it's electric-powered by four MaxCim NEO 13Y motors. The 25-pound bomber has four speed controllers and is covered and finished with Flite-Metal aluminum. Builder Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, a team from Great Britain, flew a BVM F-IOOD (the two-seat version) to second place. The D model is the latest addition to the BVM lineup, and this one was finished in the color scheme of Colonel Art Johnson's aircraft. The Century Series jet was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine and weighed in at 31 pounds. Builder Joe Grice stunned everyone with his all-aluminum-covered F-100. He and David Shulman took home a set of first-place trophies. There was a larger variety of aircraft types in Designer Scale, from a World War I Siemens to an F-100 jet fighter and almost everything in between. Roy Vaillancourt finished third with a Hawker Typhoon that he designed and kits to sell through Vailly Aviation. The '/5-scale model spans 97 inches and weighs 47 pounds. Flying his familiar Bf 109E-3, Jeff Foley squeaked by Roy into second place by only .709 point with a score of 189.792. Jeff has his model finished in a North African paint scheme for the desert as he did last year. Flying his new F-IOOF two-seat fighter design to his first first-place finish in Designer Scale was Bob Violett. His flight scores of 96.625, 97.000. and 96.625 in the last three rounds locked up the win. The F-100 is a stable-flying jet. and it looks great on the ground with operating slats, brakes, flaps, retracts, canopy, and probably a bunch of things I didn't catch. Bob has something in common with Expert Scale winner Joe Rafalowski: both are former US Navy carrier pilots. Expert class had the most entries from outside the US. Jets took six of the first 10 places this year, but Kim Foster flew his I I0-inch-span. Laser 150-powered de Havilland Moth Minor to third. The plans were from Jerry Bates Plans. Argentina native Gustavo Campana flew the aforementioned Aero L-159 to a second-place finish, but he only missed out on first place by .041 point to Joe Rafalowski. That is so close that a half point on one flight maneuver made the difference between winning and being runner-up. Joe, who is a two-year veteran of Top Gun and has flown for Delta Airlines for 17 years, brought his Jet Model Products Lockheed T-33. The large 85-inch-span aircraft is powered by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Joe flew this 10-year-old design throughout the weekend. He included scale details such as the yaw indicator on the upper cowl area in front of the cockpit and an instrument training hood for the rear cockpit. These hoods were used to train new pilots to fly by instruments only in the 1950s and later with the Air National Guard units. George Jenkins High School in Lakeland provided the color guard for the Hag ceremony each morning. It was a great patriotic beginning to each day. As always, parties in the evening and dinners are popular venues for socializing after a day at the field. The half-time shows are a hit each year, and Terry Nitsch stayed and flew his BVM BobCat XL with the Captain Salami sound-barrier performance with Frank Tiano on the public-address system. It was a good time. Join everyone next year! This event had many vendors which filled a row behind the pits this year, to include almost everyone from Airtronics to Zurich International, as well as the Imperial RC Club. Any event this large takes a lot of support. Top Gun couldn't happen without primary sponsors such as Model Airplane News, Pacer® Technology/ZAP®, and Super Chips. Additional sponsors were Airtronics, Bob Violett Models, Cyber Heli, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Glen Torrance Models, O.S. Engines/Futaba, Robart Manufacturing, a friend. Aerotech Models, American Eagle Aircraft, Altech Marketing, Century Helicopters, Dave Platt Models, JR, RC Report magazine, Ron Norris, Testers Corp., Traplet Publications, Mini Hobby, Top Gun Hussies, and Aircraft International. Judges/Officials: Chief judge, Bill Holland; assistant chief judge. Bill DeVerna; flight captain, Jim Parker; flight judges, Mike Marecki, John Smith, David Anderson, Russell Le'Pre, Harry Andren, and Chauncey Dance; static judges, Lee Henderson, Rich Uravitch, Bob Curry, Mike Bacon, Steve Harris, Len Bechtold, and Narve Jensen (also World flight judge); scoring, Rosella (Rosie) Curry. Fair skies and tail winds. AM Stan Alexander 3709 Vallev Ridge Dr. Nashville TN 37211-3831 [email protected] Sources: ..<••,-, -- f . ^ • ,-,•• Jet Tech Franz Walti Bleicherhubelweg 10 CH-4852 Rothrist Switzerland . 41-62-79431 54 Fax:41-62-794-3785 www jettech .ch/e-eingang .html Flite-Metal 16115 Espinosa Dr. Houston TX 77083 (281)530-5823 www.flitemetal.com Bob Violett Models 170 SR 419 Winter Springs FL 32708 (407) 327-6333 Fax: (407) 327-5020 www.bvmjets.com R.T. Aerospace 3601 S.W. 137th Ave. Miramar FL 33027 (954)441-7479 www .rtaerospace .com Vailly Aviation 18 Oakdale Ave. Farmingville NY 11738-2828 (631)732-4715 www.vaillyaviation.com Jerry Bates Plans 102 Glenwood St. Mobile AL 36606 (251)478-6720 www .scaleaero .com/jerrybates .htm National Museum of Naval Aviation Naval Air Station Pensacola FL 32508 (800) AIR-NAVY www.navalaviation.com Jet Model Products 211 N.MullenRd. BeltonMO64012 (816)331-0356 Fax:(816)331-3930 www.jetmodelproducts.com Glen Torrance Models 2404 Bane Rd. Efland NC 27243 (919)643-1001 Fax:(919)392-1094 w w w .gtmodels .com Now you can cut foam fuselages to go with your foam wings. Whether gas, electric, slope or park flyers, enjoy the convenience of creating your dream ship out of foam -and do it fast! These new machines make fuselages and cowlings with ease and -best of all - they function in concert with the Feather/Cut Wingmachine. TEKOA: The Center of Design www.tekoa.com FEATHER/CU' ROTO/CUT MULTI/CUT-CROSS/CUT-STRAIGHT/CUT CIRCL/CUT 49380 Sky Harbor Way Aguanga . CA . 92536 909.763.0464 fax.0109 Top Gun Helicopters Continued from page 21 Aerospatiale Lama, which started as a Swiss kit from Hirobo. Painted in a Swiss color scheme for search-and-rescue work, the 23-pound model was powered by an O.S. 3500. Peter added many scale details which included the rescue equipment for mountain work. Russell Matteini was this year's overall winner with his Bell LongRanger III. He combined a static score of 317.333 with two final flight scores of 149.333 and 179.666 to take first place. The colorful model not only did well in the static circle, but it flew well. Jeff Green flew his Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin to an impressive second-place finish. I saw his last flight and was particularly impressed with the autorotation landing. If he had blown that, the model would have been finished—especially from the height at which he started the maneuver. Jeff received the award for Best Finish. Third place went to Dan St. John with his Bell Model 47G. He received awards for Best Civilian and Best Cockpit. This is the civilian version of the Bell 47 that some of us know from the television series MASH. Doug Bruns. who owns The Heli-Center (5004 Spirit Lake Rd., Winter Haven FL 33880; Tel.: [863] 299-8863), flew his military version of the Bell 47 to sixth place overall. I talked to Doug about the rule of flying with or without a flybar. Competitors lose half their points if they use a nonscale flybar during the competition. In other words, modelers use their static blades and set up to fly without the flybar. These have to meet safety regulations. "A model helicopter doesn't fly well without a flybar," Doug explained to me. "It's sort of like driving a car without power steering and slick tires. So I didn't feel comfortable or safe flying my model without the flybar and took the downgrade in score." Inclusion of the flybar for flight performance without the 50% penalty could increase the number of competitors in the future. This would be much like how fixed-wing aircraft have static propellers and flight propellers. Many fixed-wing models wouldn't fly with correctly proportioned static propellers. Those who run the event may learn that the tlybar is needed even for Scale helicopters because of event popularity, safety's sake, and equipment costs. Several modelers registered but didn't make it to Top Gun this year. I sincerely hope that they get to attend next year's event at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Thanks to the contest administration and judges, who worked with the sponsors to make this event happen. Sponsors for this event were Altech Marketing/Hirobo, Century Helicopters, Airstar/Vario USA. Testers, SupcrChips, and Cyber Heli. MA —Stan Alexander

Great RC Scale tradition continues at new Florida venue with two new classes THIS WAS A year of change for the Top Gun Invitational, held April 24-28, which in many ways is good for the continued growth of the yearly Scale championship. The location of the event—formerly the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club at West Palm Beach, Florida—was changed to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, which is approximately four hours northwest of the polo club. This is the same airport at which the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) holds Sun 'n Fun: its annual southern version of the Oshkosh. Wisconsin gathering. The EAA site at the airport is sort of like a small Oshkosh, with a nice museum, gift shop, administrative offices, hangars, etc. The airport location offers unlimited overfly area at both ends as well as at the back of the site. The runway isn't as wide as the field at the polo club, but many modelers appreciated the adjacent grass strip. Glen Torrance Models added grass next to the asphalt runway for the World War I vintage aircraft and tail-draggers. This year's contest —the I4th annual —began Tuesday with practice flying and setup for all events. The public was invited to come out free of charge the first two days and see just what Top Gun is about. This year it included Scale Free Flight competition, the Scale Radio Control event, a Scale Helicopter category, midday air shows, and AMA Delta Dart competition for kids during the weekend. Vendors and sponsors filled the area behind the grandstands with merchandise and souvenirs for modelers and the public. There was a food court, and everyone was grateful for the shade provided by tents and an abundance of trees in the parking area. New models garner a great deal of attention each year at Top Gun. There were several to check out this time, and there will be quite a few in the next year or two. The Top Gun rule is that you can compete with a model for three years, then you must build a new one or repaint the one you have. Standouts at this event included Al Kret/'s SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans, the Bob Violett Models (BVM) F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. Bob Violett's F-IOO Super Sabre Designer Scale entry, and Gustavo Campana's Jet Tech Aero L-I59 Albatros attack jet. Several favorites were taken out by mechanical problems or crashes before the competition started. Last year's winner in Expert.Terry Nitsch. lost his Rafale B.OI Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz Like the mythical Phoenix that rose from ashes, so too did Charlie Nelson's WACO YKS-7 which returned from last year's bad crash. It's a spectacular rebuild job! September 2002 19 Results in "Focus on Competition" Ramon Torres's flawless T-34C returns to base after capturing first place in the World Scale category. This BVM MiG-15 placed fifth in Team Scale. It was built by Sam Snyder and piloted by Thomas Dodgen. Cliff Tacie's Aeronca L-16 shoots a landing. The gorgeous aircraft placed second in World Scale. That's not a B-29! It's the Russian Tu-4 Team Scale entry built by George Maiorana and flown to third place by David Pinegar. 20 MeoaAmiUH Peter Wales captured the high static score with his Aerospatiale Lama. This Swiss design has many intricate details. Doug Bruns' Bell OH-13 Sioux finished in fourth place. It's reminiscent of the helicopters on the MASH television show! Winner Russell Mattieni with his Bell LongRanger. Inset: Russell guides his Ranger through winning flight scored 179.666. Scale Helicopter Competition Last year Top Gun included a Scale Helicopter competition for the first time. The category wasn't run according to standard AMA rules and limitations: it used specifically designed Top Gun rules. One of the main changes was the increase in weight limit. Static competition went well, and several contestants brought out hangar queens and some beautiful Scale helicopters in general. This year was the first time Top Gun had flight competition and static judging for the helicopter modelers. The aircraft were set up at the end of the field, with plenty of shade for the contest administration. Contest Director Jerry Hicks took care of promoting and preplanning the event, which grew from last year. Requirements and rules for models are open, with a weight limit of 50 pounds dry, and there is no limit to how they are electronically equipped as long as one-pilot transmitters fly them. Any size of piston engine is allowed. As in Scale fixed-wing competition, any modification from the full-scale aircraft may be included with a deduction in static points. Models are safety-checked, and each one must have been tlown at least three times before appearing at Top Gun. The Builder-of-the-Model rule applies; each contestant has to sign a statement that his or her model is scratch-built or from a kit and list all the components he or she did not make. There were nine entries—including military, civil, and work helicopters—in static and flight competition. Bell helicopters were the favorite, with four variations present. Peter Wales earned the high static score this year with his Coniituti'il on pu^i' 30 Second-place finisher Jeff Green's Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin with the retract gear down. Notice the four blades. September 2002 21 Roy Vaillancourt's powerful-looking Hawker Typhoon makes perfect "wheel" landing. Bob Benjamin's electric-powered Taylorcraft World Scale entry flies fine! during a practice flight. It was a freak accident at roughly show center. Terry said that when he dropped the external dummy wing tanks, one evidently caught the tip of a missile on the underside of the model. With the tank on the left side caught on the missile tip, it pushed the left aileron up and forced the model into the ground. Another jet went out of control and into a wooded area at the end of the runway. Drought conditions contributed to a fire that was put out quickly. Crossed trims on the transmitter may have caused this loss. Static tables were set up in various parts of the field, and judges spent several days completing their tasks on each group of models. High static scores help put competitors in good positions for the rest of the competition. This year the modelers who took the high static scores went on to do well in the flight competition. The high static scores included Ramon Torres with his T-34C-1 in World Scale and Joe Grice's F-100 in Team Scale. Jeff Foley had the high static score with his own-design Bf 109E-3 in Designer Scale, and Mike Gross's S.E.5a built from Dennis Bryant plans took high static in Expert. Some of the more interesting models at this event included the Aero L-159 Albatros that Gustavo Campana built. The full-scale L-159 is built in the Czech Republic by Aero, which has been around since before World War I. This is a multipurpose subsonic jet used in training and attack roles, called an Advanced Light Combat Airplane (ALCA). It is an outgrowth of the L-39, which is an earlier version. The new Jet Tech L-159 kit comes with GFK Honeycomb construction with rivets and panel lines molded in. It lists for approximately $2,000 with the current exchange rate from Switzerland. Add the retracts, gear, and brakes for $920. This model has a wingspan of 58.3 inches and a length of 91.1 inches. The weight comes out to roughly 30 pounds. Powered by a Tommy Wood finished fourth in Expert with this stunning Yellow Aircraft F-18. Power is provided by a RAM 750 turbine. 22 MoaaAmnm ••••,'•. Pilot David Shulman (L) and builder Joe Grice won Best Jet, Critics' Choice, and Team Scale with this flawless F-100. Tom Kosewski prepares his Fokker D.VII for flight. The model has a Quadra 50 for power. Note the intricate camouflage scheme. September 2002 23 Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, from Great Britain, entered this fine F-100 and placed second in Team Scale. Builder Paul Donofrio, pilot Anthony Greco entered this awesome Sikorsky S-39 in Team Scale. It featured a multitude of details including intricate radial engine and hull rivets. Pat McCurry's Me 109K won Best Cockpit, Best t Joe Rafalowski's JMP T-33 was the Expert-class winner. It's a stable model! 24 MooaAvunm Joe Grice's Team Scale-winning F-100 gets set to take off with pilot David Shulman at the controls. Dave Platt (L) and Dave Fogarty hold Dave Platt's Miles M.20 for static judging in Designer Scale. He finished ninth and won the Grey Eagle award. Military, and Craftsmanship awards. US. AIR FORCE Tom Czikk's P-47 Razorback with invasion stripes awaits static judging in Expert. September 2002 25 David and Peter Malchione prepare their Bob Violett Models F-4 Phantom for a flight in Team Scale competition. The team finished in fifth place. Lee Rice lost his gorgeous KM 00 when the engine quit at the wrong moment. RAM 1000 turbine, it's finished with PPG automotive paint. II looks nice. David Shulman flew the F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. The BVM kit wasn't finished in a standard fashion; Joe spent time working individual pieces of aluminum sheet sold especially for modeling use. The Flite-Metal covering is .0015-inch thick. Joe burnished it onto the airframe using tools supplied with the material, taking his time to weather and buff each panel. The finish made the model a work of art. Joe's efforts were rewarded with the static score, and he took home the Critics' Choice and Best Jet awards. The "Pretty Penny" with nose art spanned 70 inches, weighed 35 pounds, and was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine. Al Kretz's new Douglas SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans was finished in the same paint scheme as that on the full-scale aircraft in the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. The 85-inch-span model is powered by a Saito two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The cockpit is complete, with a fully functional canopy. The rear-firing machine guns are mounted, and they retract into the fuselage as on the full-scale aircraft. The canopy is a feature to check out; all the moving pieces work properly, and they open and close completely. Constructing a model that is in a museum allows modelers full access with a chance to build a complete documentation pack—not just one or two photos. This was the first year for World Scale at Top Gun. The entry list included nine contestants; the same number as in the Helicopter category. World class is a form of Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Scale competition with a few changes. There are only two static and flight judges, and a model's weight limit is 33.33 pounds, or 15 kilograms (which will be the maximum weight at the Scale World Championships beginning in 2005). Multiple flightlines and standard score sheets are used. Scale modelers who draw their own BVM's Bob Violett flew this rendition of the F-100D Super Sabre to a win in Designer Scale. Check out the ordnance! plans or build from plans excel in this event in the USA and around the world. The FAI form of this category is considered the "Scale Olympics" worldwide. Documentation and a good selection of photos of the full-scale aircraft you model are valuable in this class. Flight maneuvers are similar to AMA maneuvers with a few exceptions including the Descending 360. For more information about FAI Scale, check out the AMA Web site, then go to the F4 section of the aeromodeling section under CIAM (the International Aeromodeling Committee). Veteran US team members made up a large portion of the World Scale contestants this year. Current FAI team member Steve Sauger finished third with his Fairchild. The '/4-scale model had a wingspan of 108 inches but only weighed 22 pounds. Cliff Tacie came to compete with a beautiful but simple model of an Aeronca L-16. He finished second with the O.S. 1.60-twin-powered model. Ramon Torres of Miami, Florida brought his own design of a T-34C, which he sells through RTR Engineering. The turbo version of the T- 34 is painted in a Moroccan Air Force color scheme, spans 80 inches, and is powered by a YS 140 four-stroke engine. Ramon took home first place with the high static score and high flight score. It was a battle of the jets in Team Scale. The new BVM F-100s seemed to be everywhere, but the team of builder George Maiorana and pilot David Pinegar finished third with their version of a Tu-4 (Russian B-29). The interesting thing about this model is that it's electric-powered by four MaxCim NEO 13Y motors. The 25-pound bomber has four speed controllers and is covered and finished with Flite-Metal aluminum. Builder Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, a team from Great Britain, flew a BVM F-IOOD (the two-seat version) to second place. The D model is the latest addition to the BVM lineup, and this one was finished in the color scheme of Colonel Art Johnson's aircraft. The Century Series jet was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine and weighed in at 31 pounds. Builder Joe Grice stunned everyone with his all-aluminum-covered F-100. He and David Shulman took home a set of first-place trophies. There was a larger variety of aircraft types in Designer Scale, from a World War I Siemens to an F-100 jet fighter and almost everything in between. Roy Vaillancourt finished third with a Hawker Typhoon that he designed and kits to sell through Vailly Aviation. The '/5-scale model spans 97 inches and weighs 47 pounds. Flying his familiar Bf 109E-3, Jeff Foley squeaked by Roy into second place by only .709 point with a score of 189.792. Jeff has his model finished in a North African paint scheme for the desert as he did last year. Flying his new F-IOOF two-seat fighter design to his first first-place finish in Designer Scale was Bob Violett. His flight scores of 96.625, 97.000. and 96.625 in the last three rounds locked up the win. The F-100 is a stable-flying jet. and it looks great on the ground with operating slats, brakes, flaps, retracts, canopy, and probably a bunch of things I didn't catch. Bob has something in common with Expert Scale winner Joe Rafalowski: both are former US Navy carrier pilots. Expert class had the most entries from outside the US. Jets took six of the first 10 places this year, but Kim Foster flew his I I0-inch-span. Laser 150-powered de Havilland Moth Minor to third. The plans were from Jerry Bates Plans. Argentina native Gustavo Campana flew the aforementioned Aero L-159 to a second-place finish, but he only missed out on first place by .041 point to Joe Rafalowski. That is so close that a half point on one flight maneuver made the difference between winning and being runner-up. Joe, who is a two-year veteran of Top Gun and has flown for Delta Airlines for 17 years, brought his Jet Model Products Lockheed T-33. The large 85-inch-span aircraft is powered by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Joe flew this 10-year-old design throughout the weekend. He included scale details such as the yaw indicator on the upper cowl area in front of the cockpit and an instrument training hood for the rear cockpit. These hoods were used to train new pilots to fly by instruments only in the 1950s and later with the Air National Guard units. George Jenkins High School in Lakeland provided the color guard for the Hag ceremony each morning. It was a great patriotic beginning to each day. As always, parties in the evening and dinners are popular venues for socializing after a day at the field. The half-time shows are a hit each year, and Terry Nitsch stayed and flew his BVM BobCat XL with the Captain Salami sound-barrier performance with Frank Tiano on the public-address system. It was a good time. Join everyone next year! This event had many vendors which filled a row behind the pits this year, to include almost everyone from Airtronics to Zurich International, as well as the Imperial RC Club. Any event this large takes a lot of support. Top Gun couldn't happen without primary sponsors such as Model Airplane News, Pacer® Technology/ZAP®, and Super Chips. Additional sponsors were Airtronics, Bob Violett Models, Cyber Heli, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Glen Torrance Models, O.S. Engines/Futaba, Robart Manufacturing, a friend. Aerotech Models, American Eagle Aircraft, Altech Marketing, Century Helicopters, Dave Platt Models, JR, RC Report magazine, Ron Norris, Testers Corp., Traplet Publications, Mini Hobby, Top Gun Hussies, and Aircraft International. Judges/Officials: Chief judge, Bill Holland; assistant chief judge. Bill DeVerna; flight captain, Jim Parker; flight judges, Mike Marecki, John Smith, David Anderson, Russell Le'Pre, Harry Andren, and Chauncey Dance; static judges, Lee Henderson, Rich Uravitch, Bob Curry, Mike Bacon, Steve Harris, Len Bechtold, and Narve Jensen (also World flight judge); scoring, Rosella (Rosie) Curry. Fair skies and tail winds. AM Stan Alexander 3709 Vallev Ridge Dr. Nashville TN 37211-3831 [email protected] Sources: ..<••,-, -- f . ^ • ,-,•• Jet Tech Franz Walti Bleicherhubelweg 10 CH-4852 Rothrist Switzerland . 41-62-79431 54 Fax:41-62-794-3785 www jettech .ch/e-eingang .html Flite-Metal 16115 Espinosa Dr. Houston TX 77083 (281)530-5823 www.flitemetal.com Bob Violett Models 170 SR 419 Winter Springs FL 32708 (407) 327-6333 Fax: (407) 327-5020 www.bvmjets.com R.T. Aerospace 3601 S.W. 137th Ave. Miramar FL 33027 (954)441-7479 www .rtaerospace .com Vailly Aviation 18 Oakdale Ave. Farmingville NY 11738-2828 (631)732-4715 www.vaillyaviation.com Jerry Bates Plans 102 Glenwood St. Mobile AL 36606 (251)478-6720 www .scaleaero .com/jerrybates .htm National Museum of Naval Aviation Naval Air Station Pensacola FL 32508 (800) AIR-NAVY www.navalaviation.com Jet Model Products 211 N.MullenRd. BeltonMO64012 (816)331-0356 Fax:(816)331-3930 www.jetmodelproducts.com Glen Torrance Models 2404 Bane Rd. Efland NC 27243 (919)643-1001 Fax:(919)392-1094 w w w .gtmodels .com Now you can cut foam fuselages to go with your foam wings. Whether gas, electric, slope or park flyers, enjoy the convenience of creating your dream ship out of foam -and do it fast! These new machines make fuselages and cowlings with ease and -best of all - they function in concert with the Feather/Cut Wingmachine. TEKOA: The Center of Design www.tekoa.com FEATHER/CU' ROTO/CUT MULTI/CUT-CROSS/CUT-STRAIGHT/CUT CIRCL/CUT 49380 Sky Harbor Way Aguanga . CA . 92536 909.763.0464 fax.0109 Top Gun Helicopters Continued from page 21 Aerospatiale Lama, which started as a Swiss kit from Hirobo. Painted in a Swiss color scheme for search-and-rescue work, the 23-pound model was powered by an O.S. 3500. Peter added many scale details which included the rescue equipment for mountain work. Russell Matteini was this year's overall winner with his Bell LongRanger III. He combined a static score of 317.333 with two final flight scores of 149.333 and 179.666 to take first place. The colorful model not only did well in the static circle, but it flew well. Jeff Green flew his Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin to an impressive second-place finish. I saw his last flight and was particularly impressed with the autorotation landing. If he had blown that, the model would have been finished—especially from the height at which he started the maneuver. Jeff received the award for Best Finish. Third place went to Dan St. John with his Bell Model 47G. He received awards for Best Civilian and Best Cockpit. This is the civilian version of the Bell 47 that some of us know from the television series MASH. Doug Bruns. who owns The Heli-Center (5004 Spirit Lake Rd., Winter Haven FL 33880; Tel.: [863] 299-8863), flew his military version of the Bell 47 to sixth place overall. I talked to Doug about the rule of flying with or without a flybar. Competitors lose half their points if they use a nonscale flybar during the competition. In other words, modelers use their static blades and set up to fly without the flybar. These have to meet safety regulations. "A model helicopter doesn't fly well without a flybar," Doug explained to me. "It's sort of like driving a car without power steering and slick tires. So I didn't feel comfortable or safe flying my model without the flybar and took the downgrade in score." Inclusion of the flybar for flight performance without the 50% penalty could increase the number of competitors in the future. This would be much like how fixed-wing aircraft have static propellers and flight propellers. Many fixed-wing models wouldn't fly with correctly proportioned static propellers. Those who run the event may learn that the tlybar is needed even for Scale helicopters because of event popularity, safety's sake, and equipment costs. Several modelers registered but didn't make it to Top Gun this year. I sincerely hope that they get to attend next year's event at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Thanks to the contest administration and judges, who worked with the sponsors to make this event happen. Sponsors for this event were Altech Marketing/Hirobo, Century Helicopters, Airstar/Vario USA. Testers, SupcrChips, and Cyber Heli. MA —Stan Alexander

Great RC Scale tradition continues at new Florida venue with two new classes THIS WAS A year of change for the Top Gun Invitational, held April 24-28, which in many ways is good for the continued growth of the yearly Scale championship. The location of the event—formerly the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club at West Palm Beach, Florida—was changed to the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, which is approximately four hours northwest of the polo club. This is the same airport at which the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) holds Sun 'n Fun: its annual southern version of the Oshkosh. Wisconsin gathering. The EAA site at the airport is sort of like a small Oshkosh, with a nice museum, gift shop, administrative offices, hangars, etc. The airport location offers unlimited overfly area at both ends as well as at the back of the site. The runway isn't as wide as the field at the polo club, but many modelers appreciated the adjacent grass strip. Glen Torrance Models added grass next to the asphalt runway for the World War I vintage aircraft and tail-draggers. This year's contest —the I4th annual —began Tuesday with practice flying and setup for all events. The public was invited to come out free of charge the first two days and see just what Top Gun is about. This year it included Scale Free Flight competition, the Scale Radio Control event, a Scale Helicopter category, midday air shows, and AMA Delta Dart competition for kids during the weekend. Vendors and sponsors filled the area behind the grandstands with merchandise and souvenirs for modelers and the public. There was a food court, and everyone was grateful for the shade provided by tents and an abundance of trees in the parking area. New models garner a great deal of attention each year at Top Gun. There were several to check out this time, and there will be quite a few in the next year or two. The Top Gun rule is that you can compete with a model for three years, then you must build a new one or repaint the one you have. Standouts at this event included Al Kret/'s SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans, the Bob Violett Models (BVM) F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. Bob Violett's F-IOO Super Sabre Designer Scale entry, and Gustavo Campana's Jet Tech Aero L-I59 Albatros attack jet. Several favorites were taken out by mechanical problems or crashes before the competition started. Last year's winner in Expert.Terry Nitsch. lost his Rafale B.OI Photos by the author Graphic Design by Carla Kunz Like the mythical Phoenix that rose from ashes, so too did Charlie Nelson's WACO YKS-7 which returned from last year's bad crash. It's a spectacular rebuild job! September 2002 19 Results in "Focus on Competition" Ramon Torres's flawless T-34C returns to base after capturing first place in the World Scale category. This BVM MiG-15 placed fifth in Team Scale. It was built by Sam Snyder and piloted by Thomas Dodgen. Cliff Tacie's Aeronca L-16 shoots a landing. The gorgeous aircraft placed second in World Scale. That's not a B-29! It's the Russian Tu-4 Team Scale entry built by George Maiorana and flown to third place by David Pinegar. 20 MeoaAmiUH Peter Wales captured the high static score with his Aerospatiale Lama. This Swiss design has many intricate details. Doug Bruns' Bell OH-13 Sioux finished in fourth place. It's reminiscent of the helicopters on the MASH television show! Winner Russell Mattieni with his Bell LongRanger. Inset: Russell guides his Ranger through winning flight scored 179.666. Scale Helicopter Competition Last year Top Gun included a Scale Helicopter competition for the first time. The category wasn't run according to standard AMA rules and limitations: it used specifically designed Top Gun rules. One of the main changes was the increase in weight limit. Static competition went well, and several contestants brought out hangar queens and some beautiful Scale helicopters in general. This year was the first time Top Gun had flight competition and static judging for the helicopter modelers. The aircraft were set up at the end of the field, with plenty of shade for the contest administration. Contest Director Jerry Hicks took care of promoting and preplanning the event, which grew from last year. Requirements and rules for models are open, with a weight limit of 50 pounds dry, and there is no limit to how they are electronically equipped as long as one-pilot transmitters fly them. Any size of piston engine is allowed. As in Scale fixed-wing competition, any modification from the full-scale aircraft may be included with a deduction in static points. Models are safety-checked, and each one must have been tlown at least three times before appearing at Top Gun. The Builder-of-the-Model rule applies; each contestant has to sign a statement that his or her model is scratch-built or from a kit and list all the components he or she did not make. There were nine entries—including military, civil, and work helicopters—in static and flight competition. Bell helicopters were the favorite, with four variations present. Peter Wales earned the high static score this year with his Coniituti'il on pu^i' 30 Second-place finisher Jeff Green's Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin with the retract gear down. Notice the four blades. September 2002 21 Roy Vaillancourt's powerful-looking Hawker Typhoon makes perfect "wheel" landing. Bob Benjamin's electric-powered Taylorcraft World Scale entry flies fine! during a practice flight. It was a freak accident at roughly show center. Terry said that when he dropped the external dummy wing tanks, one evidently caught the tip of a missile on the underside of the model. With the tank on the left side caught on the missile tip, it pushed the left aileron up and forced the model into the ground. Another jet went out of control and into a wooded area at the end of the runway. Drought conditions contributed to a fire that was put out quickly. Crossed trims on the transmitter may have caused this loss. Static tables were set up in various parts of the field, and judges spent several days completing their tasks on each group of models. High static scores help put competitors in good positions for the rest of the competition. This year the modelers who took the high static scores went on to do well in the flight competition. The high static scores included Ramon Torres with his T-34C-1 in World Scale and Joe Grice's F-100 in Team Scale. Jeff Foley had the high static score with his own-design Bf 109E-3 in Designer Scale, and Mike Gross's S.E.5a built from Dennis Bryant plans took high static in Expert. Some of the more interesting models at this event included the Aero L-159 Albatros that Gustavo Campana built. The full-scale L-159 is built in the Czech Republic by Aero, which has been around since before World War I. This is a multipurpose subsonic jet used in training and attack roles, called an Advanced Light Combat Airplane (ALCA). It is an outgrowth of the L-39, which is an earlier version. The new Jet Tech L-159 kit comes with GFK Honeycomb construction with rivets and panel lines molded in. It lists for approximately $2,000 with the current exchange rate from Switzerland. Add the retracts, gear, and brakes for $920. This model has a wingspan of 58.3 inches and a length of 91.1 inches. The weight comes out to roughly 30 pounds. Powered by a Tommy Wood finished fourth in Expert with this stunning Yellow Aircraft F-18. Power is provided by a RAM 750 turbine. 22 MoaaAmnm ••••,'•. Pilot David Shulman (L) and builder Joe Grice won Best Jet, Critics' Choice, and Team Scale with this flawless F-100. Tom Kosewski prepares his Fokker D.VII for flight. The model has a Quadra 50 for power. Note the intricate camouflage scheme. September 2002 23 Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, from Great Britain, entered this fine F-100 and placed second in Team Scale. Builder Paul Donofrio, pilot Anthony Greco entered this awesome Sikorsky S-39 in Team Scale. It featured a multitude of details including intricate radial engine and hull rivets. Pat McCurry's Me 109K won Best Cockpit, Best t Joe Rafalowski's JMP T-33 was the Expert-class winner. It's a stable model! 24 MooaAvunm Joe Grice's Team Scale-winning F-100 gets set to take off with pilot David Shulman at the controls. Dave Platt (L) and Dave Fogarty hold Dave Platt's Miles M.20 for static judging in Designer Scale. He finished ninth and won the Grey Eagle award. Military, and Craftsmanship awards. US. AIR FORCE Tom Czikk's P-47 Razorback with invasion stripes awaits static judging in Expert. September 2002 25 David and Peter Malchione prepare their Bob Violett Models F-4 Phantom for a flight in Team Scale competition. The team finished in fifth place. Lee Rice lost his gorgeous KM 00 when the engine quit at the wrong moment. RAM 1000 turbine, it's finished with PPG automotive paint. II looks nice. David Shulman flew the F-100 Team Scale entry that Joe Grice built. The BVM kit wasn't finished in a standard fashion; Joe spent time working individual pieces of aluminum sheet sold especially for modeling use. The Flite-Metal covering is .0015-inch thick. Joe burnished it onto the airframe using tools supplied with the material, taking his time to weather and buff each panel. The finish made the model a work of art. Joe's efforts were rewarded with the static score, and he took home the Critics' Choice and Best Jet awards. The "Pretty Penny" with nose art spanned 70 inches, weighed 35 pounds, and was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine. Al Kretz's new Douglas SBD Dauntless built from Jerry Bates Plans was finished in the same paint scheme as that on the full-scale aircraft in the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. The 85-inch-span model is powered by a Saito two-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The cockpit is complete, with a fully functional canopy. The rear-firing machine guns are mounted, and they retract into the fuselage as on the full-scale aircraft. The canopy is a feature to check out; all the moving pieces work properly, and they open and close completely. Constructing a model that is in a museum allows modelers full access with a chance to build a complete documentation pack—not just one or two photos. This was the first year for World Scale at Top Gun. The entry list included nine contestants; the same number as in the Helicopter category. World class is a form of Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Scale competition with a few changes. There are only two static and flight judges, and a model's weight limit is 33.33 pounds, or 15 kilograms (which will be the maximum weight at the Scale World Championships beginning in 2005). Multiple flightlines and standard score sheets are used. Scale modelers who draw their own BVM's Bob Violett flew this rendition of the F-100D Super Sabre to a win in Designer Scale. Check out the ordnance! plans or build from plans excel in this event in the USA and around the world. The FAI form of this category is considered the "Scale Olympics" worldwide. Documentation and a good selection of photos of the full-scale aircraft you model are valuable in this class. Flight maneuvers are similar to AMA maneuvers with a few exceptions including the Descending 360. For more information about FAI Scale, check out the AMA Web site, then go to the F4 section of the aeromodeling section under CIAM (the International Aeromodeling Committee). Veteran US team members made up a large portion of the World Scale contestants this year. Current FAI team member Steve Sauger finished third with his Fairchild. The '/4-scale model had a wingspan of 108 inches but only weighed 22 pounds. Cliff Tacie came to compete with a beautiful but simple model of an Aeronca L-16. He finished second with the O.S. 1.60-twin-powered model. Ramon Torres of Miami, Florida brought his own design of a T-34C, which he sells through RTR Engineering. The turbo version of the T- 34 is painted in a Moroccan Air Force color scheme, spans 80 inches, and is powered by a YS 140 four-stroke engine. Ramon took home first place with the high static score and high flight score. It was a battle of the jets in Team Scale. The new BVM F-100s seemed to be everywhere, but the team of builder George Maiorana and pilot David Pinegar finished third with their version of a Tu-4 (Russian B-29). The interesting thing about this model is that it's electric-powered by four MaxCim NEO 13Y motors. The 25-pound bomber has four speed controllers and is covered and finished with Flite-Metal aluminum. Builder Ian Richardson and Steve Elias, a team from Great Britain, flew a BVM F-IOOD (the two-seat version) to second place. The D model is the latest addition to the BVM lineup, and this one was finished in the color scheme of Colonel Art Johnson's aircraft. The Century Series jet was powered by an AMT Pegasus turbine and weighed in at 31 pounds. Builder Joe Grice stunned everyone with his all-aluminum-covered F-100. He and David Shulman took home a set of first-place trophies. There was a larger variety of aircraft types in Designer Scale, from a World War I Siemens to an F-100 jet fighter and almost everything in between. Roy Vaillancourt finished third with a Hawker Typhoon that he designed and kits to sell through Vailly Aviation. The '/5-scale model spans 97 inches and weighs 47 pounds. Flying his familiar Bf 109E-3, Jeff Foley squeaked by Roy into second place by only .709 point with a score of 189.792. Jeff has his model finished in a North African paint scheme for the desert as he did last year. Flying his new F-IOOF two-seat fighter design to his first first-place finish in Designer Scale was Bob Violett. His flight scores of 96.625, 97.000. and 96.625 in the last three rounds locked up the win. The F-100 is a stable-flying jet. and it looks great on the ground with operating slats, brakes, flaps, retracts, canopy, and probably a bunch of things I didn't catch. Bob has something in common with Expert Scale winner Joe Rafalowski: both are former US Navy carrier pilots. Expert class had the most entries from outside the US. Jets took six of the first 10 places this year, but Kim Foster flew his I I0-inch-span. Laser 150-powered de Havilland Moth Minor to third. The plans were from Jerry Bates Plans. Argentina native Gustavo Campana flew the aforementioned Aero L-159 to a second-place finish, but he only missed out on first place by .041 point to Joe Rafalowski. That is so close that a half point on one flight maneuver made the difference between winning and being runner-up. Joe, who is a two-year veteran of Top Gun and has flown for Delta Airlines for 17 years, brought his Jet Model Products Lockheed T-33. The large 85-inch-span aircraft is powered by a JetCat P-160 turbine. Joe flew this 10-year-old design throughout the weekend. He included scale details such as the yaw indicator on the upper cowl area in front of the cockpit and an instrument training hood for the rear cockpit. These hoods were used to train new pilots to fly by instruments only in the 1950s and later with the Air National Guard units. George Jenkins High School in Lakeland provided the color guard for the Hag ceremony each morning. It was a great patriotic beginning to each day. As always, parties in the evening and dinners are popular venues for socializing after a day at the field. The half-time shows are a hit each year, and Terry Nitsch stayed and flew his BVM BobCat XL with the Captain Salami sound-barrier performance with Frank Tiano on the public-address system. It was a good time. Join everyone next year! This event had many vendors which filled a row behind the pits this year, to include almost everyone from Airtronics to Zurich International, as well as the Imperial RC Club. Any event this large takes a lot of support. Top Gun couldn't happen without primary sponsors such as Model Airplane News, Pacer® Technology/ZAP®, and Super Chips. Additional sponsors were Airtronics, Bob Violett Models, Cyber Heli, Frank Tiano Enterprises, Glen Torrance Models, O.S. Engines/Futaba, Robart Manufacturing, a friend. Aerotech Models, American Eagle Aircraft, Altech Marketing, Century Helicopters, Dave Platt Models, JR, RC Report magazine, Ron Norris, Testers Corp., Traplet Publications, Mini Hobby, Top Gun Hussies, and Aircraft International. Judges/Officials: Chief judge, Bill Holland; assistant chief judge. Bill DeVerna; flight captain, Jim Parker; flight judges, Mike Marecki, John Smith, David Anderson, Russell Le'Pre, Harry Andren, and Chauncey Dance; static judges, Lee Henderson, Rich Uravitch, Bob Curry, Mike Bacon, Steve Harris, Len Bechtold, and Narve Jensen (also World flight judge); scoring, Rosella (Rosie) Curry. Fair skies and tail winds. AM Stan Alexander 3709 Vallev Ridge Dr. Nashville TN 37211-3831 [email protected] Sources: ..<••,-, -- f . ^ • ,-,•• Jet Tech Franz Walti Bleicherhubelweg 10 CH-4852 Rothrist Switzerland . 41-62-79431 54 Fax:41-62-794-3785 www jettech .ch/e-eingang .html Flite-Metal 16115 Espinosa Dr. Houston TX 77083 (281)530-5823 www.flitemetal.com Bob Violett Models 170 SR 419 Winter Springs FL 32708 (407) 327-6333 Fax: (407) 327-5020 www.bvmjets.com R.T. Aerospace 3601 S.W. 137th Ave. Miramar FL 33027 (954)441-7479 www .rtaerospace .com Vailly Aviation 18 Oakdale Ave. Farmingville NY 11738-2828 (631)732-4715 www.vaillyaviation.com Jerry Bates Plans 102 Glenwood St. Mobile AL 36606 (251)478-6720 www .scaleaero .com/jerrybates .htm National Museum of Naval Aviation Naval Air Station Pensacola FL 32508 (800) AIR-NAVY www.navalaviation.com Jet Model Products 211 N.MullenRd. BeltonMO64012 (816)331-0356 Fax:(816)331-3930 www.jetmodelproducts.com Glen Torrance Models 2404 Bane Rd. Efland NC 27243 (919)643-1001 Fax:(919)392-1094 w w w .gtmodels .com Now you can cut foam fuselages to go with your foam wings. Whether gas, electric, slope or park flyers, enjoy the convenience of creating your dream ship out of foam -and do it fast! These new machines make fuselages and cowlings with ease and -best of all - they function in concert with the Feather/Cut Wingmachine. TEKOA: The Center of Design www.tekoa.com FEATHER/CU' ROTO/CUT MULTI/CUT-CROSS/CUT-STRAIGHT/CUT CIRCL/CUT 49380 Sky Harbor Way Aguanga . CA . 92536 909.763.0464 fax.0109 Top Gun Helicopters Continued from page 21 Aerospatiale Lama, which started as a Swiss kit from Hirobo. Painted in a Swiss color scheme for search-and-rescue work, the 23-pound model was powered by an O.S. 3500. Peter added many scale details which included the rescue equipment for mountain work. Russell Matteini was this year's overall winner with his Bell LongRanger III. He combined a static score of 317.333 with two final flight scores of 149.333 and 179.666 to take first place. The colorful model not only did well in the static circle, but it flew well. Jeff Green flew his Aerospatiale SA 365 Dauphin to an impressive second-place finish. I saw his last flight and was particularly impressed with the autorotation landing. If he had blown that, the model would have been finished—especially from the height at which he started the maneuver. Jeff received the award for Best Finish. Third place went to Dan St. John with his Bell Model 47G. He received awards for Best Civilian and Best Cockpit. This is the civilian version of the Bell 47 that some of us know from the television series MASH. Doug Bruns. who owns The Heli-Center (5004 Spirit Lake Rd., Winter Haven FL 33880; Tel.: [863] 299-8863), flew his military version of the Bell 47 to sixth place overall. I talked to Doug about the rule of flying with or without a flybar. Competitors lose half their points if they use a nonscale flybar during the competition. In other words, modelers use their static blades and set up to fly without the flybar. These have to meet safety regulations. "A model helicopter doesn't fly well without a flybar," Doug explained to me. "It's sort of like driving a car without power steering and slick tires. So I didn't feel comfortable or safe flying my model without the flybar and took the downgrade in score." Inclusion of the flybar for flight performance without the 50% penalty could increase the number of competitors in the future. This would be much like how fixed-wing aircraft have static propellers and flight propellers. Many fixed-wing models wouldn't fly with correctly proportioned static propellers. Those who run the event may learn that the tlybar is needed even for Scale helicopters because of event popularity, safety's sake, and equipment costs. Several modelers registered but didn't make it to Top Gun this year. I sincerely hope that they get to attend next year's event at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Thanks to the contest administration and judges, who worked with the sponsors to make this event happen. Sponsors for this event were Altech Marketing/Hirobo, Century Helicopters, Airstar/Vario USA. Testers, SupcrChips, and Cyber Heli. MA —Stan Alexander