I  am very pleased that our website has (so far) resisted all attacks and I hope the shop will soon be open for business.  I'm not yet able to give the site the attention it needs - the gallery for example needs greatly expanding  and I've not been as assiduous with the 'blogs' as I should be.  I have also, so far, resisted all requests to go on to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like!

It's not too early to be thinking about models for 2018, and, since we know what sort of motors we've got (powerful L-1's, feisty L-2X's and very nice, if low power (< 10 0mN)) L-2 LT's we can design/ size our models accordingly.  As some of you will know, I have a 'thing' about the idiosyncratic Swedish jets like the Draken,and Viggen and have medelled these more than once.  As to the earlier, rather more conventional  Lansen, read on! Some years ago Howard Metcalfe came across a very colourful ARTF Lansen:

Dr Zigmund, developer and manufacturer of our 'one shot' Rapier motors, delivered a fresh batch of three types of L-2's (L-2 LT, L-2-X and L-2 HP) when he visited Old Warden's model meeting in July.

I have now tested these with the following results 

 

 

Tiger Rockety Type A – a Japanese Jetex 50 clone

 

Ben Nead, owner of the Tiger Rockety Type A pictured here, says of it:

"[My example was] distributed in Australia by Aero-Flyte Products Pty Ltd, Panorama, SA and, curiously, carries the name 'Jet-X' on the box. I have seen photos of mint copies of the same motor on ebay but with Japanese labeled packaging.

"Mine was originally purchased by a US serviceman stationed in Australia in the late 60s / early 70s. He bought it in a local hobby shop, fired it once, but didn't clean it afterwards.

"The entire thing was almost black when I got it. With the help of a jeweller, I gave it the cleaning of its life. The aft closure cap was completely covered in black soot and rust which soon gave way to pitted brass. A mint condition copy of this motor would have this brass area finished with an electroplating of dark brown (as opposed to bright red) copper based material.

"The level of workmanship is really extraordinary. Notice that when it is disassembled, the small dark copper disc comes off the end of the aluminum casing. The nozzle is supposed to have this copper plating on it as well. You can clearly see the pitted brass underneath where this copper plating was supposed to be."

motor-tiger-jet

Photos by Ben Nead

The Type A motor illustrated here used Jetex Red Spot fuel. There was also a Type B (100 equivalent) motor. Both models were dimensional copies of their Jetex counterparts.

The manufacturer was Tiger Manufacturing Inc., 3-1-16 Rokugo, Otaku, Tokyo, Zip 144.

{modal url=index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40|width=600|height=800}[ More photos - click here{/modal}

pic 2-tiger rockety a50-whh-030422Bill Henderson contributed these photos of his Tiger Rockety Type A motor, these are now in the possession of Ben Nead.

A special feature of the Tiger Rockety motor was the light aluminium tubular heat shield to protect the model. Note also the hollow central core of the fuel pellets, intended to promote speedier ignition.

pic 1-tiger rockety a50-whh-030422

I really should update info on the availability of Rapiers more often  as there still seems to be the 'fake news' out there that you can't get them!

Well, we still have stocks of L-2 and L-1 motors of good performance.  The current L-2LT motors are particularly nice:L2 LT blog

This, in old money, is about 1/2oz for nearly 20 seconds - which is equivelent thrust to a Jetex 50 for a gratifying 6-7 sec longer.  They work splendidly in my Veron Quickies and Keil Kraft shadow profile models, f'rinstance the Shooting Star:

 

Shooting Star blog

Note the Rapier in a Jetex mounting clip -this allows comparisons of the L-2LT and original Jetex 50  to be made easily.  Interesting!

 

So: I will be at Old Warden 13/14 May, hopefully making lots of smoke trails, and our Rapier supplier will also be there.  Time to stock up!  Tell me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you want me to pick up any motors for you.

Hurry whilst stocks last!  Dr Z hopes to be in the UK in July with fresh supplies - contact me for updates.

Another slightly 'off topic' topic, but one that will, I hope, interest Jetex enthusiasts:

PVL Penguin

Model flyers naturally have a great interest in the old FROG flying models, and Mike Stuart's wonderful website: http://www.houseoffrog.co.uk contains a plethora of plans to enable the replication of many classic FROG models. FROG nostalgia has been well served too, by "FROG Model Aircraft" by Richard Lines and Leif Hellstrӧm which was published in 1989. This marvelous book covers well the history of the founding of FROG by Charles and John Wilmot and Joe Mansour and the development of their innovative products like the prewar Interceptor, the Junior and Senior range of model aircraft after the war (including the World's first all-metal modelaircraft) and the well-respected FROG plastic kits that are still with us.