Superman '99
246 entries - A new record.

Jets now challenge the giant scale events in numbers of registered pilots. If you are a jet pilot who attended this great event - you know it's hard to imagine having more fun with this much new technology.

The turbine engine has breathed unbelievable enthusiasm into jet modeling.

Jerry Caudle, his dedicated staff, industry sponsors, and the city of Metropolis, IL provided all of us the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy the many aspects of fulfillment that jet modeling offers.

It's not just the most active flyers that have all the fun either. The jet mechanics, pit crews, photographers, vendors, and spectators seemed all very busy doing what they like to do best.

There were 12 hours of action each of the official 3 days of scheduled activity. Some even showed up days early just to take advantage of the great weather and flying facility.

We are pleased to report that BVM jets filled the skies again with dozens of Bandits, 5 F-4's (3 turbine powered), 2 Rafale twin turbines, 6 turbine MiG-15's, some T-33's, F-86's, and lots of Mavericks.

Our staff was there with plenty of parts and technical help to keep them all flying.

Proven products and in-the-field support contribute to the sky time that the BVM jets so convincingly dominate.

Extensive coverage of the event can be seen on our web page and upcoming Model Airplane News and RCJI magazines.

Award Name Plane
Best Scale Tommy Wood BVM F-4 (powered by RAM 1000)
Best Craftsmanship Sam Snyder MiG-15
Cockpit Excellence Sam Snyder MiG-15
Honorable Mention Kent Nogy
Jack Diaz
Craig Gottschang		 Rafale B O1
F-4 (Pegasus powered)
F-4 (twin VIOFAN's/.96s)

Superman himself, Jerry Caudle & wife Lou relax for just a moment at the end of a very busy day of providing for the 246 registered pilots. The '99 event was the biggest jet happening yet, reflecting the growth of the sport.

The BVM F-4 converted to single turbine power was one of the highlights of this years event. Terry Nitsch (L) and Jack Diaz (R ) flew Pegasus powered Phantoms utilizing the AMT conversion. Tommy Wood (C ) flew the just released RAM 1000 conversion. Not available at photo time were 2 more BVM F-4's with twin VIOFAN/.96 power systems flown by Craig Gottschang and Vernon Montgomery.

Tommy Wood of Miami, Fl flew his F-4 at least a dozen times during the 3 day event. This photo taken just after a late evening landing. In Naval Air, we called these "pinkies" that's a night landing the easy way.

When Tommy wasn't flying the F-4 it was in the BVM display booth so that you could see how simple this power and fuel system installation really is. Conversion kit parts are on the table next to the model.

The finished model is actually lighter that the twin fan version which allows even slower approach and landing speeds.

The rakish lines of the F-4 are striking - some even say ugly but whatever your opinion it is definitely easy to identify in the air. Photos like these are easiest when model is slowed down below 100mph for fly-by.

Wing tanks add to the presence and in-flight visibility, larger centerline tank and missiles are also available accessories.

US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot Paul Bagman seems to be enjoying his RAM powered Bandit. He is ably assisted by Marine Captain Buck Garza an F-18 Hornet pilot and Harley Condra (Bandit pilot). They all came from California to attend the world's greatest jet show.

BVM Jet Cases helped make the trip easier.

Jose Que from Denver, Colorado did a fantastic finish job on his Bandit. Arriving with only 4 flights on this mirror finished model, Jose thoroughly enjoyed his weekend and his jet. He is a great asset to the RAM team - helping many of their customers with technical assistance.

Six MiG-15's were present but only 4 available at photo time. From close to far is the new factory demo model, the Polish scheme was done by Steve Gabrys, the RAM team MiG in their colors and Sam Snyder's magnificent scale replica. Sam won trophies for having the best scale cockpit detail and craftsmanship.

Steve Gabrys' green and silver MiG in Polish markings looks and flew great with the newly available wing tanks and pylons kit. Steve has a lot of good things to say about his MiG. You can see him fly it at the Winimac, Indiana club field if you get to that area.

Super size wall trophies are standard at Superman. The Tom Dodgen and Sam Snyder team prompted good scores for the BVM MiG-15 while Tommy Wood gathered some hardware for their F-4 and Bandit flying.


This was the first of the production kits from BVM. Kent helped us smooth out some drawing/instruction problems during his building process. Powered by (2) RAM 750F's, this Rafale really gets it on. We learned some things about rudder servos - it seems that the JR 2721 as used in the original model is still the right choice. Gyro setup was also fine tuned with a convenient gear up, gear down mix. More info on this later.

A new Rafale sponsored by Horizon Hobby Distributors was built and flown by Kent Nogy. A more colorful JR paint scheme will adorn this model for the upcoming T.O.C. demo.