Warbirds Over Texas 2013
At noon on the second day of the meet, pilots are asked to bring at least one of their planes to the center of the runway (above left) and spectators are invited to do a “walk-around”, visit with the pilot/owners and ask questions about their creations. That opportunity creates a large amount of good will and appreciation
It follows that bigger, more powerful en- gines beget bigger, and more powerful mod- els. That was certainly true this year. Where not too long ago a 1⁄3 scale plane was about as large as you could find, 135-inch Spads, 144-inch PT-19s, 138-inch B-24s, and 151-inch C-130s populated the pit ar- eas this year.
As far as spectator appeal is concerned,
between both groups, as subsequent conversations reveal. One of the increasing number of medium-sized electric-powered foam construction models (above right) is represented by this Durafly MK 24 Spitfire. The plane has servos, the ESC, the motor, and retracts already installed. It spans a nominal 43 inches, and flies well.
the spontaneously organized “gaggles” of multiple airplanes of one type or another, all in the air at once are a real hit. Seeing five WWI ships simultaneously engaged in flight and occasional mock-combat does catch the attention of everyone. A “gaggle” of WWII fighters and bombers simulate what the skies over Germany or Britain must have looked and sounded like as planes headed
out on their respective missions. Also, shut- ting down the flight line over noon hour to witness the spectacular flight of Dave Schaefer’s Me-163 Komet, and a demonstra- tion of a model size R/C guided sky jumper proved very entertaining.
Probably the most popular spectator inter- action was the opportunity for the non-mod- eling public to come out onto the runway to
The precise execution of the incredible details incorporated in Jim Dietrich’s 135-inch Spad XIII (above left) have to be seen to be believed. The stamped louvers and openings, the machine gun troughs, the scale turn-buckles and guy wires, the facial details of the pilot figure, treaded tires, exhaust pipes and outlets, and prop hub and protector plate details are just incredible. Dave Schaefer’s Me- 163 Komet (above right) departs in a spectacular launch from its specially designed launch cradle. The plane accelerates upward until the rocket engine
burns out, just as the full-scale version did, and then becomes a high speed glider. The full scale Kometbecame airborne using a wheeled dolly that dropped away as it left the ground, and then landed on a belly skid, just as Dave’s model does. This most unusual CIA inspired “Air America” Pilatus PC6-H2 Turbo Porter(below left) was the work of Bob Hubbard. Starting as a “Mr. Aerodesign” kit, the model is powered by a DLE 55 and features a caricature of the actor, Mel Gibson (below right), as the pilot.
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AUGUST 2013
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