Thrushdust

Okay, now that you're done playing around at JN, we're all waiting "patiently" for the good stuff about the real models that fly like full-scale airplanes.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Iam working on it as we speak!!!!

Ken

hedgehog

Does anyone have the dates for the 2010 Top Gun?

Ken

thunderbolt-RCU

My Feedback: (14)

Frank does have the date set for the next couple of years

dorjes

My Feedback: (19)

Anyone know if the full results have been posted online?

Dorin Luck

strtnlevel

My Feedback: (84)

They were posted today. Franktiano.com

xcead

name of the model? please!!! its very nice!

mbacon

The plane is a Stinson 108 flown by Len Bechtold.

Riddle4U

Wow, I second that emotion. Civil planes don't get much respect, and I am not familiar with that particular civil aircraft, but it IS a beauty! I wish these things would win once in a while! I like the military like everyone else, but here here to that one!

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Its interesting to note that Mr Top Gun was won by a civilian propellor powered plane.  No guns, no turbine.

Thrushdust

Two years in a row as a matter of fact! Previous Top Gun winners with civilian aircraft also include: Charlie Nelson - Waco, Corvin Miller - Swift, Grame Mears/ Dave Patrick - Super Cub...and there were others.

Riddle4U

Thanks for going with my drift guys!

Normally the military onesjust win the heart, but I gotta say that unknown Stinson is just beautifull...and a perfect picture comin' in to land! I remember getting my private license (amongst other ultimate ratings), and I just saw a nice Piper Tri-Pacer moving on the ramp.....so cool! On the military side, I saw a niceP something Korean war jet fighter on the ramp while I wasapproaching to land at St. Pete, Florida. I'm sorry to forget the designation, Bob Violett makes a model of it. I even think Marilyn Monroe crawled around one in a famous Korean era photo! P-80? F-80?It was just before the F-86 Sabre. A really neat vintage plane and I was taken back to another time as a young pilot. Vintage stuff all the way! I am not that young anymore, 47 in two weeks....ouch! Ok, not whining, ha ha!

Thrushdust: I forgot to say thanks for bringing up history of civilian winners. My memory doesn't have room for that I guess. I was into sailplanes as a kid...I built an Aquila after I met Skip Miller in a field near home at 13. He won the World Championships in Pretoria, South Africa shortly thereafter. I think he still flies something; I saw him flying a nice modern pattern ship 5 or 6 yrs. ago.

mbacon: thanks for identifying that gorgeous Stinson 108...now I know a new plane designation! Great picture! Kudos to the builder and flyer (Len Bechthold: flyer). Did Len build it too?

Thrushdust

.....[]

Still waiting.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Thrushdust,
 I am working just as fast as I can. I have tons of video from this event that I had to go through to get it and post. But the good news is that I am almost finished with it!

I do apologize for the delay

Ken

Thrushdust

Alright, I can understand that, I just didn't want the good stuff lost under the coverage of the "Toys @ JN" like the other sites.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Thrush,
Oh trust me, it won't get lost. Once the coverage is up we will have THE most complete coverage of Top Gun anywhere!!

Ken

Riddle4U

How can we reach the new modeler, or interested fellow (yes it is almost always a male), about the building part of the hobby. I have been a builder starting with free flight for thirty years. I remember reading articles by the old guysback then. Now, I at 47 (in a week) am one of those old schoolers keeping the flame. I will say I bring nicelycrafted sport models to the field (I think the uninitiated think they are ARF's, ouch!). I know, though; and personal pride about building the plane you fly is getting lost....let alone trying to get someone to build and document a nice scale plane! Let's keep it alive! Join AMAis numero uno! We all need to teach the younger guys (and gals, if they are interested)! We should....(insert answer here).

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

It's the instant gratification age. People seem to be so busy these days and I'm not sure there is a way to reverse the trend on a wide spread scale.  Sure you can take a person that shows some intrest at the field and teach thema but even the manufacturers are making less kits and more ARFs these days.

On an interesting side note, most of us on the helicopter side would prefer to build a kit heli rather than risk someone that doesnt actually fly helicopters assembling it and forgetting to put locktite somewhere important.

Riddle4U

Nice...can I say locktiting a heli is about as easy as changing a tire. If you can change a lightbulb you can build a helicopter. No offense, but little skill compared to building scale model aircraft from wood, andfrom plans (or your own plans). A whole different category. Not meaning to offend, I think helis are vey cool! Just, not quite like craftsmanship. We are still out there. You should look into it. The more you pour into it, the more you get out. I note that heli flying requires tremendous skill!

Yea, not meaning to offend, I got what you were saying. ARF's are ok if that is what it takes to hook some interest, you said everyone is "so busy these days", that has ALWAYS been the same. My dad was busy..his dad was "busy". Just no excuse. Say it. There is a LAZY generation, a neglected by there mom generation (joking), video junky generation, whatever. I would have been happy watching TV with only the four channels (includng PBS), I just started gluing little models from the L.H.S. My dreams then, were to get a Top Flite P-39 Airacobra! Itook out grid paper from books and tried to scale it up to a 36" span model. I never made that model, but I learned about trying with few resources. I ordered the "Grasshopper" plans from RCMand tried to cut outbulkheads from plywood with a silly hacksaw with a skinny blade. Then I spent hours sanding it down to the plan. I did a crappy job on it..ha ha! Neve got that done. I did build a couple nice free flight kits succesfully ("Top KIck" and another), covered them with silkspan and dope nicely (then the schnauzer stepped on it). Lots a bad luck, but never quit. Actually fun to laugh at the tries now.. These are fond memories, now I build and fly pretty nice planes. Building only makes the flying better.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I do both, dont worry.

In fact, I'm building a wood kit of an AH-1 Cobra, the scale fuselage is all built up wood.  Very light, very detailed, and since it's electric I can finish it how I please w/o regard to fuel proofing.  Approach Engineering kits, you could look them up

Riddle4U

Thanks Barracuda! I always thought I'd try a weedwhacker some day. I am not bored with fixed wing yet....probably never. The nice sweeping cuts you make out of the sky with a good fixed wing look nice to me. A certain ballet that choppers only try to emulate. Not against electrics, but I love a screaming nitro powered prop! Noise is alright if your field is in the countryside like ours....the cows hate it...but the prairie dogs sit upright like they are missing something (right next to our paved Boulder runway...I'm in Denver). I think those prairie rats actually want to be pilots. Little do they know how bad the pay is now.

Sorrrrry, shouldn't we be talking about those terrific pictures of excellent Top Gun models? Love em. Thanks for all the great pictures gentlemen! I really appreciate it. Maybe I'll see one of these comps. live someday.

Oh, Barracuda...when I was maybe thirteen, the helis were big .60 powered beasts by and large. I love the smoother looking Cobra and Super Cobra from the '70s. They made great glass fuselages for those then (it was Kavan and others). I don't know where scale heli flying has gone....nowhere really. Kind of a shame. The technology is better now, but the helis are all sport mostly and not scale (all plastic Japanese stuff with stickers for graphics and an O.S. engine for the masses). Give me a fat bladed slick, with a heavy aluminum frame and machined rotating assembly, flybars, no gyros...then we're talking! I would like a nice big, real, scale, gas snortin' Cobra...and then I might want to learn helis. Until then, I'm fixed wing scale and looking to join the best someday, God willing.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Check out my coverage of IRCHA, there's an entire section devoted to some scale machines, many of which  are Top Gun quality.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...rticle_id=1036

Thrushdust

d.d.d.d.d.d.d..d.d.d.d.^d.d.dd.d.d... as the Jeopardy music continues to play in the background...we wait.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

I apologize for the slight delay. I had a small catastrophe here. The drive that I render video to as I'm working decided to die on me and took about a week of edited video with it when it died. I am recreating the video just as fast as I can.

Sorry for the delay.

Ken

Thrushdust

Interesting that his thread has had almost 40,000 views and the full blown coverage isn't even up yet. To think some say there's no interest in scale competition anymore, hmphh.
Sorry to be pestering you, still waiting patiently.
DH