RADIO CONTROL JETS
Jim Hiller, 6090 Downs Rd., Champion OH 44481
Winter building season
The snow is falling, the temperature is too cold to fly, and night comes early. It truly puts me in the building mood, and occasionally the writing mood. We are deep into the winter building season in Northeast Ohio.
The past year was a blast. The 2001 season will have begun by the time you read this, as we travel south for some great seasonal jet meets—excuses to beat the winter with trips to Florida. The first two big meets are Jets Over Deland and Florida Jets—both ideally timed to bring us down from the North.
Growing attendance at jet meets
Attendance at the jet meets has been growing in the last few years, and last year truly showed the strong interest in turbine and ducted-fan models. We have more contests than ever on the list of "must attends," and these events are getting larger.
The 10th annual Heart of Ohio meet in Columbus, Ohio, last year was one of the largest in the event's history, with some awesome flying weather to add to the overall enjoyment. The Superman jet fly continues to grow and to start earlier in the week. The field at the airport started with 30 pilots Monday and numbers grew each day, finally reaching a total of 231 registered pilots and more than 400 models.
This massive growth has caused Jerry Caudle to consider setting the official start day of the 2001 Superman as Monday, with a progressive entry fee based on the day of arrival. Watch for Jerry's press releases about this meet for details. "Superman Jet Week" has a nice ring.
This growth is not limited to the Midwest; almost all jet meets have been reporting similar expansion.
Turbine trends
Turbines have been leading the way at most meets; they have been proven by their durability, and their availability has finally started to keep up with the demand.
Turbine growth in the future will likely be in two prime areas:
- New electronics bringing additional features.
- Greater variety of available thrust-size turbines.
Public displays of prototype turbines in the 11- to 12-pound-thrust range are showing proof of modelers' interest. These turbines will bring some wonderful ducted-fan models back as turbine-powered models.
Other common thrust ranges:
- 17- to 18-pound-thrust turbines have become an established norm.
- 25- to 28-pound-thrust versions are bridging the gap to 30-pound-thrust turbine airframes.
We should see many large turbine models this year, with new airframes available for this building season.
Notable models and demonstrations at Superman
- BVM F-100 Super Sabre
The prototype F-100 Super Sabre from Bob Violett Models (BVM) was flown at Superman, and it brought back memories of the full-scale Super Sabres of my younger days. Bob's model flew extremely well, showing the speed range expected from a scale Super Sabre. His prototype was equipped with drop tanks, yet it hauled around the sky with awesome authority. Low-speed flight displayed no bad handling characteristics as Bob slowed the aircraft during landing approach and final flare. BVM F-100 Super Sabre kits should have been shipped to eager modelers by now.
- Crow Aviation, Inc. (CAI) Predator
CAI rolled out the new Predator for flight demonstration at Superman, and what a beauty it is in flight. This model is the third in CAI's ever-increasing sizes of sport jets, following the Razor and the Raptor.
- Scotty Bolduc's Giant Scale sport jet
Scotty Bolduc has brought us the first giant-scale sport jet, creating a wonderful increase in visibility in the air compared to the smaller hot rods we've been flying. Don't believe this model is slow; it hauled around the sky with the fastest of the speedsters. The jet's landing speed is gentle relative to its size, making it attractive to pilots who seek more gentle flying characteristics provided by larger models.
- Jet Model Products Firebird
The Jet Model Products Firebird made it to Superman for its first public flight demonstrations. Tom Cook gave an impressive showing. This is a large sport jet designed for the 25- to 30-pound-thrust turbines. The pattern-flying influence in Tom shows in this design: it is a midwing model, clearly designed for smooth precision flying. The Firebird is a beautiful jet with many unique design features, including a flying stabilizer and inlets located in the wing root. The Firebird is not just another airplane; it is a sculpted piece of art.
- Century Jets Cougar
Century Jets has been flying its Cougar throughout the Midwest this year, and it looks to be another big jet with good handling characteristics.
- Hot Flash (imported by Golden West Models)
Another model seen for the first time at Superman was the Hot Flash. This is a sport jet similar to the Kangaroo, but with more aggressive looks and a clear canopy. The Hot Flash's turbine is mounted down within the wing, creating a much sleeker appearance. This lower mounting location eliminates annoying pitch-down with throttle application and pitch-up when the throttle is pulled back. It flies on the wire.
- Shailesh Patel's F-86 Sabre
Shailesh Patel stunned everyone at Superman with his incredible F-86 Sabre. This is a large model, scaled at 4.78 to 1 with a 95 3/4-inch wingspan and a 94 3/4-inch overall length. The size alone is stunning, but the craftsmanship is impeccable. A model this size provides ample opportunity for detailing, and Shailesh did it all. This model's detail, fit, and overall appearance will make it a winner, should he decide to compete with it. Shailesh designed and built this model by himself, complete with all fiberglass work. He did not quite have it ready for flight as displayed, but that day is coming soon.
Finishing and paint work
The best thing about all of these jets is the beautiful finishes so many modelers apply to them. This is one of the reasons I enjoy jet modeling; our paint jobs rival some of the best anywhere, be it on custom cars, motorcycles, or airplanes. This has led us to keep up with some of the latest paint technologies.
I painted my CAI Razor with the new PPG Harlequin paint. It has a dramatic color change depending on the viewing angle and the angle of the light source. I went with the dark blue-to-red color change. It actually goes from dark blue when viewed directly, to purple, to reddish bronze, then to a total bronze when viewed at extreme angles. It's a cool effect.
This was my first attempt at using this paint. The Harlequin is a basecoat/clearcoat system that I had not sprayed up to this time. I used a PPG urethane clear as the transparent coat to protect the Harlequin base.
If you decide to try this paint, consider yourself forewarned: follow the directions. PPG provides detailed instructions and warnings about which products to use, from the primer through the clearcoat. Failure to use the right products can lead to adhesion problems. Ask your supplier for the manufacturer's paint information sheet when you buy automotive-type paints. The manufacturers provide excellent instructions on the sheets to keep us out of trouble; we just need to ask for them and abide by them.
Most of my models painted in the last 30+ years have been done with acrylic enamel paints—a system I've felt comfortable with. My choice to use the Harlequin basecoat moved me outside my comfort zone. One of the restrictions of this basecoat paint is that the clearcoat must be sprayed within 24 hours of painting the base color. This meant I would not have enough time to mask and paint the three trim colors I planned to use. My decisions on trim application were as follows:
- The clear is a urethane clear, compatible over enamel, allowing me to use acrylic enamel paints I had in stock for trim colors.
- All the trim was masked and painted in acrylic enamels. It is important to mask the primer so that the base color is applied over it only; the base color will have adhesion problems when applied over enamel paints.
- I sanded the trim colors with 1000-grit sandpaper to remove orange peel and dirt, then I masked the trim off prior to base-color application.
The PPG Harlequin paint is intimidating to spray until you've done it the first time. It lays on easy, similar to any metallic paint. The manufacturer recommended two coats, and it did look wonderful under the paint booth lights. Be careful though, and take the model out into the sunshine to check your coverage before applying the clearcoat. I could see through the paint down to the primer with two coats; I had to apply a third to get complete coverage in bright sunlight. Take your time.
Since I finished all my trim colors prior to applying the base color and I didn't intend to apply rivet and panel-line detailing, all I had to do was remove the masking and apply the final color—all in one morning. The clear can follow the base paint anytime after 15 minutes, but in no longer than 24 hours.
I cannot stress enough to get the manufacturer's paint information sheets and follow them. The paint store where I got my system was not familiar with the Harlequin paint, and I couldn't find anyone in the area who had experience with it. The instructions got me through the whole process without any problems.
If you are ready to try some of these trick paints, go for it. The last few years with jets have provided me with an opportunity to get into many areas of finishing. The composite construction most jet models use makes an excellent, hard surface for any type of finishing you want to do. The jet is the best type of model to trick out as wild as you can dream. Look at the aircraft at any jet meet, and you will see all types of finishes. I got most of my paint and detailing knowledge from fellow modelers, and just played with it on each new model.
Time to get back to building the next dream machine; gotta have it ready to turn and burn this summer.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
