In this DIY special Chris Chianelli, host of DIY Radio Control Hobbies, attends the Top Gun radio-control scale-model competition held annually in Lakeland, Florida. Top Gun is an annual invitational competition that brings together the most advanced and meticulously built scale-model planes in the world, along with the most accomplished model-builders and flyers.
Away from the runways and flight areas at Topgun is Pit Row, a designated and restricted area where expert contestants prepare, repair and fuel their planes for competition. In this segment, Chris Chianelli goes behind the scenes to talk with some of the pros about their competitive secrets and techniques.
T-33 Air-Force Trainer - Joe Rafalowski of Fayatteville, Georgia prepares his one-sixth scale T-33 Air-Force trainer for flight competition. This plane has an 85-inch wingspan and 77-inch fuselage length. The model weighs about 35 pounds. The full-sized T-33 was used mainly by the Air Force to train pilots during the 1950s.
- Joe has built a stand from PVC pipe that holds his model suspended as he works on it. One of the impressive features of this particular scale plane is the operational retractable landing gear powered by pneumatic controls (figure A). The landing gear, which faithfully matches its full-scale counterpart on the real plane, is operated by radio control.
Boeing PT-17
- Nick Ziroli is one of the participants in this year's Topgun, and has been an influential participant in the scale-model hobby for years. Many of Ziroli's designs can be seen among the models entered in Topgun.
- Ziroli's Boeing PT-17 (figure B) is scaled at 22-1/2 percent of its full-scale counterpart. This particular scale flyer has an actual 7-cylinder, four-stroke radial engine and a 26-inch propeller.
- In flight (figure C), the PT-17's prop turns at about 5,000 rpm.
McDonnell-Douglas F4 Phantom
- Pete and Dave Malchione are competing at Topgun with their scale-model McDonnell-Douglas F4 Phantom (figure D), one of the most successful fighter jets ever built.
- The color of their replica is bright orange, the color of the original prototype of the aircraft which was a test-aircraft for missile systems. The high-visibility orange was necessary for tracking and camera-recording the early F4 when it was in use. The Phantom first went into active service in 1962 during the Vietnam war.
RESOURCES :
Hobbico
Manufacturer of radio controlled model planes.
Web site: www.hobbico.com
Distributed by Great Planes Model Distributors
Great Planes Model Distributors
Website: www.greatplanes.com
Bob Violett Models (Radio-Control Jets)
Bob Violet Models (Radio-Control Jets)
Website: www.bvmjets.com
Airtronics RC Transmitters
Airtronics, Inc
Anaheim, CA 92805
Phone: 714-978-1895
Fax: 714-978-1540
Email: info@airtronics.com
Website: www.airtronics.com
Frank Tiano Enterprises
Frank Tiano Enterprises
Phone: 561-795-6600
Website: www.franktiano.com
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