A digital recording of the Daimler Benz 605 engine (also used in the ME 109) is played by two(2) 4” Model Sound Inc. speakers mounted behind the dummy exhausts.  The heaviest components - batteries--are well forward in the nose.  Wheels are off-road knobby RC car tires.  A first draft of the plans nearly covered one wall of the meeting room. They are complete except for the landing gear. 

Three major retract suppliers promised retracts for this design but none delivered.  So the design has been shelved.

Joe Grice demonstrated the latest in RC technology, a JETI DS16 transmitter sold by Esprit Models.  Joe received the new transmitter “like a starving man at a buffet.”  It is the first “professional grade” transmitter.  It features 16 channels expandable by firmware download to 32 channels.  It has redundant dual RF links, both 2.4 GHz spread spectrum.  Gear and door sequences are programmable at the transmitter.

Telemetry of up to 40 sensors is possible—battery reserve, fuel, airspeed, stall warning, flaps setting, time, antenna signal quality, etc.  Readouts appear on screen or by voice -  “55 MPH,” “Too fast,” “Flaps,” “Do you want to bind?” etc.

Some readouts, such as air speed on final, can be programmed to be initiated by tilting the transmitter.  Stick tension is adjustable.  LiPo batteries.  Controls up to 4 receivers.  The transmitter costs approx. $1500.  Receivers are $130.  Earbuds can be cordless via Blue Tooth.

Jon Bomers will be moving the MNBigBirds Website to a new server in a couple months.  He's open to considerations to take advantage of the latest access tools. ie: cell phones & iPad devices so please contact with recommendations!

Our own Warbirds and Classics Alliance (Owatonna) had a booth at Toledo this year.  Jeff Quesenberry headed it up and was assisted by; Kirk Hall, Shane (Opie) Logue, Phil Schwarz, Chris Laune and others.

In addition, Cal Branton’s 17-ft span B-17 "Memphis Belle" won 2nd in Military Sport Scale and Roy Maynard’s BAE Hawk won Best Jet & Best Finish.  Congratulations Guys!

Novel cooling draws air in thru the under-wing radiator, directs it forward thru a 1” x 2” tube and then split to each cylinder.  Way to pull it all together Phil!

Scott Russell showed his CAI Raptor purchased in Chicago.  14 years old.  81” long by 81” span.  31 lbs with Jetcat 160.  Similar model was clocked at 265 MPH with an AMT 162.   This airplane was one of the first to use honeycomb carbon fiber internal structure - very stiff, wings don’t flex.  Scott added vacuum-formed gear doors.  Will upgrade to bigger tanks to allow 6-7 minute flights.  This model was originally designed for a ducted fan.  Scott explained that ducted fans need much bigger intakes than turbines because they do not heat the incoming air and thus do not “explode” the air.