BVM F-80 & T-33 Jet Kits

Specifications
LENGTH: F-80 - 64"T-33 - 69"
WEIGHT (Turbine): 19-22 lbs
WING SPAN: 79" with Fletcher tanks, 72" with Misawa or Lockheed tanks
PERFORMANCE: 35-180 m.p.h.
POWER: For 11-17 lb thrust engines

Click to view paint schemes T-33/F-80

T-33 and F-80
Easy to see jets
in the 11-17# thrust class

Because of its straight wings and long tip tanks (Fletcher type) with fins, these lightweight, small engine class scale jets offer 79 inches (call it 80") of span to view in flight.
To get this much visibility from a jet, normally one would have to buy into a larger class engine - not so with the BVM Shooting Stars.
This great visibility, convenient transport, one person handling, and economical operation are unique to the T-33/F-80 kits from BVM.
Certain areas of the early versions of these kits were difficult to assemble, so we paid particular attention to making the parts fit perfect and applied extreme detail to the instruction package.
The flaps, wing tank mounting and control linkages are examples where added emphasis was placed on simplification.
Good design and prudent use of the best materials for the job produced very light, yet very strong airframes. That's how you can get so much performance and size in a model that will fly great on just 11 pounds of thrust.
We think that many new jet jockeys will warm up to these time honored designs and they will again show up in numbers at the jet events.

The value in building
a BVM Jet

The hobby of building and flying models should be a rewarding experience. It should be a relaxing, non frustrating period of your leisure time activities.
If the parts are all there, they fit, and the instructions are explicit about how to install them, your "building time" is productive.
It is this feeling of accomplishment and pride in one's work that makes building and finishing models so important to us.
The staff at BVM keeps improving our trade. Our computer skills, software and machinery are constantly upgraded to be able to offer you a better product. And, we have to, because the new crop of model builders probably did not grow up building. Most likely, they got started with an ARF, learned to fly and now want something better.
BVM offers that "something better" in our new series of A.F.S. (Advanced Fabrication System) scale jets.
We invite you to take a close look at the F-86 (and Fury version) and the T-33 and F-80 Shooting Stars.
Probably the most convincing sales people BVM has are our customers, so talk to some of them about the value they got for their jet dollars.

T-33 & F-80 kits
receive A.F.S. upgrades

The application of the Advanced Fabrication System (A.F.S.) to the 60" BVM F-86 has been very well accepted by our customers. We have had many positive responses about how quickly and accurately it builds and how well the Sabre ground handles and flies. These same techniques and technologies have been applied to the "Shooting Stars".
The new kits feature the Super Bandit landing gear and mounting system that improve ground handling and better absorb wear and tear landings.
A completely new fuel system locates the fuel close to the center of gravity and increases capacity. There is also room for a full depth cockpit and this accessory, along with the BVM scale pilot, is an available option.
The very experienced R&D group at BVM has completely redesigned the components inside the fuselage to ease the time consuming chore of equipment installation. Detailed laser cut mounting systems provide quick installation of servos, switches, batteries, U.A.T., E.C.U., fuel pump, solenoid valves, air system valves, etc.
Designed for turbojet engines in the 11 to 17lb thrust range, these medium priced A.F.S. kits will offer modelers a lot of scale jet value.

Paint Scheme choices
click to view paint schemes - T-33 / F-80

The 1950's and 60's jets offer a plethora of paint scheme choices compared to the more current all grey aircraft. Their utilization by the US Air Force and the NAVY/Marines adds to the numbers of colorful aircraft you can replicate. The artwork, nomenclature, and 3-D stick-on panels that individualizes your choice are available from Pro-Mark.

Minor Changes to Fiberglass parts

A small amount of carbon fiber cloth has been added to the fuselage layup. The T-33 wing root leading edge has been modified to improve landings. The scale, but troublesome undercamber has been removed allowing the root section to stall before the washed-out tip.
The F-80 did not have this cusp and therefore did not need modification.

Take-Offs & Landings
What a difference!

The T-bird has always been a great flying machine, very stable in the turns and smooth in pitch control.
The stronger and more precision landing gear and its stiffer mounting system, coupled with the new fuel system that minimizes C.G. shift, now make the take-offs much straighter without gyro assistance.
The wing root leading edge modification and the landing gear made the difference. Rock solid, nose high final approaches with effortless touchdowns and straight rollouts are now the norm for the BVM T-33.
Previous application of stall strips to the leading edge root and "crowed" ailerons for landing are no longer required. We are sure T-bird enthusiasts are going to be very happy with the results of these improvements. The BVM T-33 now takes off, flys and lands like a jet trainer should - this one just happens to be scale.

SUV Transportable

Removing the wing panels of the F-80/T-33 models is a simple one bolt, one servo lead (F-80 = 2) per wing affair. Since the landing gear are mounted in the wing stubs, there are no other connections to be made. The flaps are mechanically engaged at both ends as the wing panels slide on to the aluminum tubes, a 5 minute assembly at the field.

Power Requirements

The JetCat P-70 makes an ideal power plant for a Shooting Star. Its compact size, 17 pounds of thrust and minimal fuel consumption make a very efficient installation.
The F-80 has been flying with a JetCat P-60 producing 13lbs of thrust. This competition capable model (5th place Team Scale at Top Gun '00) at about 19lbs handles very nicely with this engine. The P-60 is a light weight installation that gets great fuel mileage. 2 Liters is all you need for 8 minute flights.
The Shooting Stars are excellent scale airframe choices for these 11 to 17 lb class turbojets and BVM has all of the necessary installation components, tailpipes etc. and real plans and instructions to make your "Star" a success.

Available Now

Price quote sheet - click to enlarge.





*T-33 Undercarriage*
WING TANK CONFIGURATION Fletcher wing tanks come standard on all T-33 kits, however, you may change to the Lockheed or Misawa tanks with no charge when you order your kit. Just specify which tanks you want with your T-33.
The T-33 and F-80 kits come with this molded scale main gear door panel that features panel lines and 3 dimensional details.


T-33	F-80

See customers BVM F-80's in the Hot Shots (F-80) section.

See customers BVM T-33's in the Hot Shots (T-33) section.

T-33
Airframe Directive (A.D.)
And other helpful notes

Click here for older model T-33 wing modification addendum