Top Gun

This year’s Top Gun Scale Invitational event, held April 27-May 1, was another great one with ideal weather conditions, including light wind that was mostly down the runway. For those who are familiar with Paradise Field in Lakeland, Florida, where the event has been held since 2010, crosswinds are the norm. More than 100 Scale aircraft were entered in the contest. I’ll share a description of the different classes of competition.

Expert Class

Flying aircraft that they built from plans or kits, entrants in this class add scale detail and modify as needed. All airplanes entered in the Expert class receive a static score and fly four flight rounds. After the lowest flight score is dropped, the average of the rest is added to the static score for a final number.

Masters Class

These contestants do it all. They design, build, engineer, and fly the aircraft with which they compete. This class is static judged, and the entrants fly four scored flight rounds. After the lowest flight score is deleted, the average is added to their static points for their overall score.

Team Class

This class has a designated builder and a designated pilot who is also allowed to work on the aircraft. After the aircraft in the Team category are static judged, they fly four scored flight rounds. After the lowest flight score is removed, the average is added to the static points for the overall score.

Unlimited Class

This category doesn’t have a Builder of the Model rule, but it does have a single pilot throughout the event. Aircraft are static judged, and the average of the three best flight rounds (out of four) is added to the static score. All members of the seven teams competing this year wore matching shirts.

X Class

Now in its fourth year at Top Gun, the X class is open to ARF models only, either painted in the mold or covered from the manufacturer. The builder is encouraged to add additional paint and markings, but no covering can be removed or replaced. Scale details such as hatches, pitot tubes, and ordnance are allowed. All of the models are static judged, and the average of the three best flight rounds (out of four) is added to the static score.

Pro-Am Jet Class

Pilots in this class must have already placed twice in the top three spots of an AMA competition or in the top 30% of a Top Gun field. Each pilot is awarded 25 static points for showing scale documentation. This is added to the average of the best three out of four flight rounds for the total score.

Pro-Am Prop Class

Pilots in this class must have already placed twice in the top three spots of an AMA competition or in the 30% of a Top Gun field. This year, 20 pilots were eligible and competed.

Each Pro-Am Prop class pilot is awarded 25 static points for showing scale documentation. This is added to the average of the best three out of four flight rounds for the total score.

Pro-Am Sportsman Class

To compete in this class, pilots must have flown in an AMA competition but not have finished in the top three spots at any two events or higher than the top 30% of any class at a previous Top Gun event. Having scale documentation adds 25 points to each pilot’s overall score and is combined with the average of the best three out of four flight rounds for the total score. Sportsman is the most popular class at Top Gun, and 36 pilots competed in this category this year.

EDF Class

The EDF class features two categories: Stock and Modified. This class is open to any Top Gun participant regardless of how many classes he or she is already flying in and is open to anyone else who feels qualified to fly in the event. The model must be a commercially available product. Aircraft must be a scale EDF warbird model of a full-scale, crewed, jet-powered aircraft. The model’s entire airframe must be constructed of molded foam (a foamie). Both EDF classes are limited to a minimum fan diameter of 70mm and maximum of 105mm.

Mr. Top Gun

Peter Goldsmith won his first Mr. Top Gun title in 2016 with an F-104 Starfighter. His second win was in 2019 with the BAe Hawk 100, and he did it again this year with the same Hawk 100. Built from the Tomahawk Aviation all-composite kit, it has a wingspan of 112.2 inches and is 145.67 inches long. It is powered by a KingTech 210 turbine engine and controlled using a Spektrum DX20 with a Spektrum PowerSafe receiver and 6300 Spektrum servos. It weighs 48.2 pounds and is painted in the color scheme of Hawk Mk 127 of the Royal Australian Air Force No. 76 Squadron.

Attendance

Not only is this event attended by modelers from around the world, but it is also a huge spectator attraction. On Saturday and Sunday, there is a noontime air show while the competitors and judges take a break for lunch. This air show includes demonstrations by different aircraft manufacturers and highlights some of the different piloting skills with particular aircraft. Food vendors and a variety of model/accessory suppliers were present as well. If you’re into Scale aircraft, Top Gun is an event you should attend at least once. The detail and time put into these models is incredible, and seeing them through photos does not do them justice. SOURCES: Top Gun www.franktiano.com/top-gun