Having got yourself an engine like the MW54, shown on page 1 of this review, you need something to put it in!
A big mistake, especially for experienced 2-stroke pilots, is to go for something hot an scale - like an F16. Gas Turbines are, I'm told, a whole new experience to operate and you ideally want your first jet aircraft to be simple to handle and fly with the engine as accessible as possible..
When I first saw the Jet Trainer, below, This example owned by John Benson, my immediate thought was "what a waste of a jet engine!". However having seen it fly (it looks and sounds great in the air and is faster than you would think), I realised that it is an ideal jet trainer and well worth thinking about as a first gas turbine powered aircraft. It was also the first jet that I have seen that would clearly be happy on the average club grass strip, in particular it has a good slow approach speed even with the engine running.
John Benson's Jet Trainer
The Trainer Takes Off - Note the Angle of Climb!
...and Lands - Good Springy Undercarriage Too!
I don't have the details of the designer, although I know that the plan is available. I'll update this page when I have this information.
Another home built aircraft and engine combination that saw plenty of flying was Howard Denyer's design which won the trophy for best flights of the day.
Howard Denyer's Own Design flies By.
And Comes In To Land.
Mick Reeves and a friend came along with two superb First World War Biplanes, a 3rd scale Camel and only slightly smaller Pup and no they were not jet powered!. I don't have time to include these here, but I'll add a page all about them when I next update the site in about 3 weeks time.
Mick also brought along his new Lightning - not yet finished and therefore not yet flown - it still had plenty of people drooling.
Mick Reeves and His New Lightning
