I am sure that Dave Wilshere is absolutely correct when he says that a correctly manufactured and assembled Hotspot is capable of handling high speeds. However, I have heard a number of stories of delamination with these kits and in -flight structural failure of such high speed, high energy models is unacceptable in the greater interest of safe flight operations and the interest of turbine modelling as a whole.

Any structural failure which results from the difference between wheel well contour shapes is unacceptable and the manufacturers should enure that this weakness is eliminated, perhaps by incorporating wheel well liners.

If reasonable structural modifications to incorporate rudders, an essential flight control on any aircraft which has freedom of movement in the yaw axis, can so weaken the model so as to cause structural failure then Graupner needs to develop a suitable and structurally sound rudder installation design.

Without, or even with, the detailed inspection procedure such as we have here in Australia we can never prevent inexperienced modellers from operating poorly built models but even a whisper of delamintaion or structutral failure needs a careful examination by the kit manufacturers and the issue taken very seriously indeed much as any airframe defect is most carefully and rapidly assessed by a fullsize airframe manufacturer.

If firm landings or grass field operation can cause damage in a predictable fashion then Graupner needs to strengthen, within reason, any weakness, and suggest an inspection prodedure as a guide to inexperienced jet modellers with limited knowledge of model airframe structures, particularly if internal and difficult to see internal structure is affected.

It is a fact that Hotspot/Kangaroo type prefabricated models are frequently chosen by new and inexperienced entrants to turbine operations and , therefore, these models need to have great reserve of structural strength and the highest standard of manufacturing quality assurance.

I have no hidden agenda but I strongly feel that if we dont have the highest standard of safe turbine operations of which airframe structural integrity is an essential element, then it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident and a fatal accident could well be the end of turbine flying as we know it. I saw two crashes (not Hospots) on my recent trip to the UK which could have been, in slightly differnt circumstances, catastrophic. As we know only too well in fullsize jet operations, saftey demands eternal vigilance.

I, for one, am not going to wait until such an accident occurs before speaking up about safety matters. I earnestly want, so far as possible, to ensure that turbine modelling continues with its current freedom of operation but for that to happen safety has got to have a higher priority and the manufacturers and distributors have a vital role to play.

BRG.

David Gladwin