For the last quarter century, Model Airplane News has been proud to sponsor the prestigious Top Gun Scale Invitational, which will take place soon in Lakeland, Florida April 29 – May 4. Our editors are already gearing up for the event and their annual “Road to Top Gun” feature, which showcases the new planes and pilots who will be attending, is in the May issue. Check out this new Top Gun contender, a Stuka built by Brazilian national champion Fernando Bellegarde, and if you’re at the competition this year be sure to say hello to editors Gerry Yarrish and Debra Cleghorn, who will be on the flightline with cameras in hand.
Competing in Expert, this Stuka is a modified Ziroli kit that’s powered by a DLE 55 engine with a shaft extender. The plane’s modifications include a three-piece wing and dive siren, and the plane’s winter camo scheme is based on those of a Stuka that fought in Finland and Russia in 1942 and 1943. The paint job alone took Fernando over 70 days to complete! We don’t even want to ask how long it will take to build a crate to safely ship this beauty from Brazil to Lakeland! Safe travels, Fernando … we look forward to seeing you and your magnificent plane soon!
