It seems strange to me that Jetex stuff is apparently sold on eBay and, by all accounts, posted off to the lucky winner, without the restrictions that apparently apply to Rapiers. I have bought motors and pellets on eBay with good results.

Fuse, though, is definitely dodgy – to buy and to post – and some of the old stuff doesn't burn very well. I am told that Dr Zigmund is 'on the case' so if I hear anything I'll let you know. Meanwhile, I guard the good fuse I do have – the test is to see if it stays lit through a Jetex nozzle – and hope somebody clever comes up with an electric igniter.

This nice item appeared on eBay recently, but will the fuse (right) still work?

Our intrepid contact with Dr Zigmund (‘Nighthawk’) will soon be collecting Rapiers for the 2014 flying season.  He asks what types we would like him to collect, so I told him, “A repeat of the 2013 types please”.

These motors were favourably received by rocketeers, as the L-2X motors were perfect for models like the Aerographics Bell XS-1, Bluebottle Bell X1E, Mike Stuart’s Thunderstreak, and the larger profile models like Bill Dean's Hawker Hunter or my own F-100.

The L-2HP is potent enough for the older larger Flying Scale models and the Aerographics Sukhoi SU-11 or Steve Bage’s MiG 21,and the latest L-1s are just perfect for smaller profile models.

Above:  Rob Smith's unusual Jet Shinden flies splendidly with a Rapier L-1.

My thrust-time graphs I produced for the 2013 motors are shown below:

Above: L-2X

Above: L-2 HP - pretty potent!

Above:  The latest L-1s - a really great motor!

So (a) think about what jets you should be building this year, secure in the knowledge that, at least on this side of the pond, you will have something to power them with (b) ask yourself what motors you would like this year. 

And you could always  phone up SAMS Models in the UK and encourage  George to restock with his Rapier kits!

I recently bought some very nice vintage Tiger kits from a gentleman in Japan:

Tiger profile kits, made in Japan in the 1960's were nicely presented.
The F-102 Delta Dagger and MiG-19 are I think unique, and well worth replicating today.

Today's modeller has access to many computer techniques simply unknown in 'the old days' so that the parts of an old kit -– and the vast majority of 'Jetex' kits are old and date from the 1950's – can be scanned in, cleaned up and replicated. The trouble is, most of the modellers interested in such kits also date from the 1950's. We have problems getting the best out of sophisticated drawing/painting programs – well I do anyway – and modern modellers who can make the latest CAD or version of Paintshop sing and dance are not interested in granddad's latest antediluvian model. So I struggle on, cutting and pasting on bits here and there until that classic and evocative Jet from 1951 looks 'half right':

A Hawker P 1081 – the precursor of the Hunter - for Rapier L-2, designed and drawn using a popular 'Paintshop' program. Reproducing the 'eu de nil' pale blue/green caused an outburst of 'computer rage'.

But it takes hours, what a young expert can do in minutes takes me hours, and I end up truly pixellated. 'Never again' I say, until I find the next evocative prototype on the Internet.

Since first writing this, I have been putting together templates for an Alpha Jet, MiG 19 and an F-106 Delta Dart (which initially I derived from the Tiger Kits F-102 Delta Dagger).

Silver/grey is particularly tricky to reproduce - 'Fiffty Shades of Grey' isn't in it as it becomes blue/green  on printing and transferring to balsa with heat transfer paper.  Any suggestions?

Above:  progress so far with the F-106 for Rapier L-2.  All 'profile models' tend to be caricatures, and  note the wings are enlarged, but are the various shades of grey here 'over the top'?

We've just added some more models into the Jetex Store – if you go to the Store you can scroll to the bottom of the page and then navigate to the second and third pages which also now display models :)

You can now choose between L1 and L2 power for your new model. Simply click next to the power of your choice.

Other profile and semi-profile models are in the pipeline, including a MiG-19 and
F-102 based on the vintage Japanese Tiger models, and an original Alpha Jet.

Please contact Jetex.org for the latest availability of Rapier motors.