The RC Geek Blog

By: Chris Wolfe

Jets, Jets, JETS!!

In case you couldn’t tell, I love RC jets.  I suppose that comes from a combination of a secret desire I have always had to have been a military fighter pilot (my eyes went bad in Jr High, so ended that dream which led my trajectory towards engineering) and growing up watching my dad fly RC jets most every weekend.  He was one of the early pioneers of RC jets helping to make common place ducted fan and later turbine powered scale jets.  In fact, he was one of the first 10 to even hold a turbine waiver in the US.  So I suppose it’s a family passion that runs multiple generations, haha!

The Arizona RC Jet Rally

When it comes to events, the Arizona Jet Rally is probably mine and my Dad’s favorite event of the year.  My dad has not missed this event in it’s entire 27 year run thus far!  Always held on the weekending before Thanksgiving and hosted at Superstition Air Park in Mesa, AZ by the Arizona Model Aviators , the event is a great time.  The club is an awesome and hospitable group of folks and the field features a beautiful manicured runway nestled amidst the Superstition mountains providing a picturesque desert landscape that is just incredible.  Being in the fall, the AZ sky is about the purest blue imaginable and provides sunsets of blue and red that are absolutely unreal!  It gives you a new appreciation for the state flag and what inspired it.

AZJR15----A7-Cougar-F16At the event, I was flying the new Freewing F-14 Tomcat production prototype (kit review coming in my next article) along with my A-7 Corsair 90mm EDF (pics in gallery ) and logged a ton of flights.  My dad logged a number of flights on a Freewing T-45 (his F9F Cougar wasn’t quite ready).  Also, our dear friend Ted and his wife from England came to visit and worked out his stay to coincide with this event so he could join us!  That made this trip all the more delightful and enjoyable.  In the day leading up to the event, he and my dad put together a Phase III F-16 foam jet so he could have something to fly.  Of course, every time he visits he brings a transmitter with him just as any proper RC’er should do when staying with another RC’er!😉

What’s so great about this event is that it’s all about flying.  There’s not an insane number of pilots and so there’s not usually a wait for the flight line.  So folks can rack up flight after flight however they choose.  The weather on Friday was about as perfect as perfect can get….seriously, perfect!  That day alone I logged over a dozen flights between my two airplanes!  Unfortunately the winds picked up on Saturday and so there was less flying to be had as a whole.  One thing to note, there was a resurgence this year of some of the more high-end heavy metal RC jets (vids featured below).  They were all way too nice and were scale which I always appreciate.  My favorite of the event was probably the large 1/5 scale F-84F Thunderstreak (featured below).  Finished completely in aluminum tape (I’m guessing Flite Metal brand) with rivets etc. it was absolutely gorgeous.

 

VIDEO

The post Arizona RC Jet Rally 2015 appeared first on The RC Geek.

The RC Geek Blog is your place to learn about all aspects of the RC hobby. Learn to build, design, drive or fly that RC project you’ve always wanted to build, but have been intimidated to try. This blog is here to help you on your journey and provide tips and tricks as you go! My hope is to inspire builders both experienced and new! So, welcome, please look around, it’s an exciting beginning!  I’m currently documenting my latest competition scale RC jet build, a Mark Frankel F4D Skyray, along with some other fun tips and videos. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on this front page, click on any of the categories to the right and it will show just posts related to those categories. Please feel free to add comments and/or contact me directly if you have questions, I’m here to help! And don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel, I post new videos every week!

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The B-58 Hustler Saga - An Epic Journey of Hard Lessons

By Chris Wolfe • September 19, 2023
The B-58 Hustler Saga - From Triumph to Tragedy

Preparing for Battle: The ULTIMATE Guide to Scale Documentation

By Chris Wolfe • March 13, 2023
Preparing for Battle: The ULTIMATE Guide to Scale Documentation Maybe you've heard about RC Scale Aircraft competitions, but the thought it sounded intimidating, or the process of it all seemed daunting and discouraging. Well, fear not! I am here to encourage you and dispel any myths you may have heard if any. Scale competition is a fun and challenging segment of the hobby that will undoubtedly make you a better pilot! So, in light of this, I've started a new "Preparing for Battle" live series and in my first episode, "Preparing for Battle: The ULTIMATE Guide to Scale Documentation," we talk about the AMA Scale Nats with special guest Joe Vermilion from Balsa USA and peel back the layers of scale competition and provide information on what it's all about! As an experienced RC Scale Aircraft competitor and two time US Scale Masters National Champion, my hope is to share whatever knowledge and practical advice I can for newcomers and seasoned competitors alike.

FREE RC Airplane GIVEAWAY and the Next BIG Project!!

By Chris Wolfe • February 14, 2023
Are You Ready to Take Your RC Flying to the Next Level?? Then you’re in luck, because we’re giving away an FMS 1400mm F4U Corsair and an FMS 1100mm PC-21 ! But first, let's address the elephant in the room...it's been quite a while since my last blog post. With the move to TN and everything going on trying to get The RC Geek up and running full time, it's been difficult to sit down and set aside time to write. My goal is to change that going forward, so here's hoping! (check the vid below for even more details about everything mentioned here!)

Refinish a Foam Jet Ep5 - Freewing F-14 Final Mods, Custom Programming & Flights

By Chris Wolfe • January 25, 2022
Flight of the Flir Cat…The Sequel!! I tell you what, it has been quite the journey getting here! As a project, this Freewing F-14 Tomcat refinish took much longer than I had originally planned based on all of the other distractions that have come through the shop, but I'm so happy with how this model turned out in the end. It did take a few flights to get tuned and I have made a few small modifications in the process since our last installment, but otherwise I'm happy to report that the Tomcat is flying quite well. The F-14 Tomcat has such a great look and presence in the air, you just can't beat it!

Spektrum AR10360T Receiver Review, E-flite F-16 Custom Programming, & AS3X Setup

By Chris • January 10, 2022
10 channels of power…and 1 receiver to rule them all! I personally love having the option for more channels, especially when building my own scale aircraft. While not always necessary, having channel options available is almost always helpful and it opens up opportunities to add scale functions and/or customize the controls more to your liking. And that's not to mention having individual servo setup across the same functions. So, I was excited to finally see the AR103060T and AR10100T 10 channel receivers released from Spektrum. It opens of channel options in a lighter weight package while also supports all of their new technology. Having been flying the NX10 for some time it is nice to finally be able to utilize all of those 10 radio channels.

Scale Squadron Warbirds & Classics 2021

By Chris • January 10, 2022
Good times and Warbird Flying are back! Needless to say, the last year and a half plus has been hard on all of us. With so many of our normal routines and activities disrupted, it has only brought that many more challenges it seems. This hobby is not just about the airplanes and flying, it is about the friends and comradery that can be enjoyed together with others as well. So, when the Scale Squadron's Warbirds & Classics came up again this year after being cancelled in 2020, I was beyond excited to go; it had been almost 2 years since the last event I went to!

Refinish a Foam Jet Ep 4 – Freewing F-14 Tomcat Low-Viz Navy Weathering

By Chris • November 24, 2021
Refinish a Foam Jet Ep 4 – Freewing F-14 Tomcat Low-Viz Navy Weathering How low can you go?…a little low-viz Tomcat weathering. Finishing up the refinish work on the Freewing F-14 Tomcat, it’s time to apply some characteristic low-viz Navy weathering. The Flir Cat paint scheme is from the mid 90’s at a time when the Tomcats in service were painted primarily in Dark Ghost Grey (FS36320) with variations thereof. They were high maintenance workhorses at this time and the aircraft got extremely dirty during operation. This opens up lots of opportunities to apply different weathering techniques on the airplane to simulate those years of service on the carrier.

Refinish a Foam Jet Ep 3 – Freewing F-14 Tomcat Paint, Markings, & Panel Lines

By Chris • November 24, 2021
Refinish a Foam Jet Ep 3 – Freewing F-14 Tomcat Paint, Markings, & Panel Lines

Refinish A Foam Jet Ep 2 - Freewing F-14 Tomcat Cockpit 3D Printing, Painting and Moving Pilots

By Chris • September 27, 2021
Refinish A Foam Jet Ep 2 - Freewing F-14 Tomcat Cockpit 3D Printing, Painting and Moving Pilots

Refinish A Foam Jet Ep 1 - Freewing F-14 Tomcat Assembly Mods & Paint Prep

By Chris • September 27, 2021
Fill…sand…poly…sand…primer…sand…aaaannnnddd repeat… You've probably figured out by now, I have many favorite aircraft. ;) However, if I was to put together my top 5 favorite aircraft of all time, the F-14 Tomcat would probably be at or near the top of that list. The airplane was one of brute force, but packaged in an elegant and distinct looking airframe that truly personified its name, Tomcat. And that's not to mention, it was an extremely capable fighter that filled many roles through the years that operated from the early/mid 70's into the mid 2000s.
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