12 O’Clock High
Low-pressure fly-in with top-caliber planes and pilots
It never ceases to amaze me (and I’ve been involved in the hobby for quite some time) just what a variety of wide-ranging talents are possessed by those involved in RC scale modeling. From design and fabrication right up to the flying, you’d be hard-pressed to find another pastime that requires as broad a range of skills as RC airplanes. Even considering the overshadowing of the traditional “building” phase by the now-prevalent ARF model, the general outlook for the hobby looks fairly healthy and will likely continue to do so. If you want clear evidence of the evolution, all you need do is attend an event like 12 O’Clock High to be convinced.
This event, like the others presented by Frank Tiano (Top Gun and Florida Jets, for example), all take place at a great-flying site located at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida, and are spread out across the calendar to take advantage of some of the best-flying weather available.
FROM THE FLIGHTLINE
What can be considered “typical” or representative of both the type of model and the event? First of all, quality. Some entries are scratch-built, many are constructed from kits, while others come from highly prefabricated, often composite-structure
“kits” that continue to amaze us. Let there be no doubt that very few of the models on hand are in the old ARF tradition as we’ve come to know it. Clearly, the folks participating at this event realize that their chosen type of model demanded some extraordinary attention to detail, and it showed.
The second element of the event is the noticeable willingness of everyone to share information on materials, techniques, and sources with others. Even if you are not a participant, you can consider this event an outdoor, multiday seminar on big, bigger, and biggest RC airplanes. Not that all RC’ers don’t do the same—there just seems to be more of it here. Maybe it’s the smaller number of those involved; they seem anxious for their numbers to grow, and it appears to be working.
As you might expect, most of the models being flown are scale types, replicating full-scale aircraft of different types, such as warbirds, jets, civilian aerobatic types, and commercial subjects. There is something for everyone. Although this is not a competition, participants are eligible for awards in a variety of categories, and you can see the variety of models in the listing included here. It’s often been said that interest in scratch building is declining and that prefabrication is the way of the future. With this in mind, I decided to take a close look at the subjects on hand to get some feel for the truth in this widely held opinion.
STANDOUTS
Proof that there are still a lot of people who enjoy building their models—you know, using glue, X-Acto blades, and pins, plus covering with real fabric like in the “old” days—were the number of WW I models on hand. There’s no way in the world are you ever going to produce one of these in fiberglass and offer it in an ARF version. I counted six Fokker D.VIIs and a bunch of Sopwith Pups, all constructed from Balsa USA kits. All the D.VIIs are unique; there was no duplication of color, markings, or detail. Among the nicer examples was Don Janssen’s 1/3-scale (113-inch-span) black-andcamo beauty, powered by a belt-drive Zenoah G62 gas engine. He earned both the Best WW I and the Critics’ Choice Runner-Up awards.
There were a number of excellent projects on hand, not the least of which was the huge J-3 Cub flown by Kenny Hurtado. This Cub in Marine markings is 40% scale (that’s 14 feet of wing!), GT80 gas-powered, well finished, and nicely detailed. The plane is a Bill Hempel design, and Kenny seemingly flew the model backward in a slight headwind! This, along with the full range of Cub-type maneuvers—including some of the prettiest slipped landings that only rag-covered classic tail-draggers can do—made it a real crowd-pleaser. Arnold Marcus can always be counted on to put on a great-flying show. This year, he flew his Ziroli Plans–based P-38 Lightning in a civilian racer scheme as used by Lefty Gardner on his full-scale aircraft. A pair of Brison 3.2 gas burners pulled the model through big loops, point rolls, and a whole lot of other crisp maneuvers. I’m sure it was mostly Arnold, but that model sure looked smooth and fun to fly. Proving that model flying can preserve at least some of the qualities of youth, I’m told that Arnold is “80-something” and could hold his own with many of the younger hotshots.
While speaking of flying ability, I have to mention Rob Lynch, recipient of the Steel Balls award. After watching him fly at a number of contests, I’m certain he can fly anything, although he favors jets, especially those from BVM. All his flying is spectacular, but his performance this time with the BVM L-39 Albatros was amazing, particularly the low-level, high-speed
knife-edge passes, which had one tip tank literally inches off the ground. That’s not a particularly
“scale” maneuver for an L-39—more of a hotdogger performance—but it’s as smooth as I’ve ever seen, especially with a jet model.
The Best WW II award went to Greg Foushi for his gorgeous Lavochkin La-7. I’ve always liked this model as a warbird subject, and this one is from the imported Scale Wings kit. Pictures don’t do it justice. The Moki 350 is electric start–equipped and provides the sound of a multicylinder radial we’ve all come to know and love. The model was, unfortunately, seriously damaged in a crash.
There were tons of other eye candy on hand, each with something special to offer. It makes no difference what your preference is, at least one representative of the period of the event was there. From WW I and
WW II to Vietnam and from biplanes and monoplanes to jets of earlier eras, there was something for everyone. The event had a relaxed fly-in environment. It is a great site with spectacular Florida weather, a variety of amenities, on-site vendor support, and a great bunch of folks who really enjoy, and are immersed in, the hobby and who are fun to be around. With those items in place, the result can only be positive and good for everyone involved. Although overall participation and attendance was noticeably down and may threaten the continuation of the event, this get-together should be on everyone’s “don’t miss” list for 2019. Mark your calendars now. The next events coming up at Paradise Field are Florida Jets and the Top Gun Invitational 2019. Try to make at least one of them. You won’t be disappointed.