Flying Scale Jet Aircraft Models
While model planes have been (and are being) used by the military to fly unmanned missions, the majority of flying scale jet aircraft models are used by hobbyists for fun. Clubs and societies of people sharing this interest in aeronautics have sprung up around the world. Within the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration keeps a watch on model aircraft and can restrict their flight as needed. Flying scale models allow those who would otherwise never pilot jet aircraft the ability to do so.
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History
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Model aircraft have been around longer than full-scale versions, helping soothe man's desire to fly. As a hobby rather than a science, experts place model aircraft flying as early as the 1920's. Flying scale models of jet powered aircraft have been around since the 1970's, with the introduction of ducted fan electric engines in the Kress, Scozzi, and Turbax brands. Turbine jet engines operating with real jet fuel joined their older prop-driven cousins in the 1980's. Recent innovations in electronics have allowed for smaller transmitters and receivers, which allows for lighter remote controlled (RC) aircraft.
Types
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Model jets typically utilize ducted fan electric, pulse jet engines or miniature turbine engines. Miniature turbine jet engines sound and work like a big jet's turbines, though the design is not an exact scale replica. Models of both military and civilian jet aircraft are available to the hobbyist. Two major types of model flying aircraft are the control line craft, which are staked to a central point and limited in their flight path, or the free-flying RC planes.
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Features
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As with any RC aircraft, the model jet aircraft is constructed of lightweight materials, such as balsa wood or fiberglass. Innovations in materials have led to high-tech plasticized fabrics that can stretch over a wood or other lightweight-material frame. Placement of the jet engine varies depending on the airplane being modeled, but generally the jet engine is built on the wings or on the tail of the fuselage.
Size
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Model jet aircraft range in size from under three feet nose-to-tail to over nine feet in length. Scale models are miniatures of the original, but the end size varies. Many scales are available to the model hobbyist, from 1/9 true size to 1/72 true size.
Warning
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Model jets move extremely fast and require strict user control. They operate on flammable fuels. Crashing one will not only be expensive, but the potential for damage to people and property is also high.
Expert Insight
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According to RO Jets, an RC jet aircraft manufacturer in Bangkok, Thailand, model jet aircraft can reach speeds of 230-280 miles per hour. Flying scale model jets successfully requires quick reflexes and many hours of flight experience---flying model jets is not for beginners.
For more information, travel to the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) website or the National Free Flight Society forum.
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