Toledo 2000

Model Airplane News, Jul 2000 by Sharp, Debra

For nearly half a century, the Toledo RC Expo has been the highlight of the RC airplane event calendar. Hosted by the Weak Signals R/C Club, this is the "grandaddy" of model airplane shows. Toledo is the place where leading manufacturers and thousands of modelers from across the country can meet to showcase and see new products, catch up on industry news and take stock of the latest developments in the hobby. By the end of the weekend, it was clear that the excitement and enthusiasic buzz at Toledo 2000 was extraordinary. At times, modelers stood shoulder to shoulder in the aisles, waiting to see the latest products firsthand, and at every turn, you could hear spectators talking excitedly about the latest RC treasure that they had discovered.

Throughout the weekend, everyone commented that "This is the best Toledo in years!" Several of the exhibitors we spoke to experienced record sales and had to send for additional products via express mail; it's doubtful that a single spectator went home empty-handed. The sheer variety of models and gear was astounding: products included everything from the Jet Hangar Hobbies' ARF ducted-fan BAe Hawk to a tiny, AAA-battery-size geared motor from AstroFlight to a 97inch-span ARF Extra 330L from Hangar 9.

Although the ARF trend continued as companies unveiled even more giant-scale aerobats and sport and park flyers, there were plenty of new balsa and ply kits to choose from as well. The RC airplane hobby is growing in many directions, and it seems as though "traditional" RC niches, such as jets, giant-scale and micro flyers, are slowly becoming mainstream parts of the hobby and are beginning to be enjoyed by everyone. For instance, modelers who marveled at Lanier's new, 40-percent Staudacher seemed to be equally impressed by the new, twin electric park flyer from Northeast Sailplane Products. For more details on the products that were unveiled at the 46th annual Toledo RC Expo, check out Chris Chianelli's special five-page "Air Scoop" starting on page 14.

One of the more impressive models on display in Toledo was Jim Weigle's MIoscale, 21-foot-long Concorde. With an 8-foot wingspan, the 225-pound jet is powered by four AMT Olympus AT 450 turbines-each of which produces nearly 50 pounds of thrust! Jim designed the jet using a scale plastic model, then had fiberglass molds made to spec. With only the radio equipment and some hardware to install, the jet should be ready to fly soon; we'll keep you posted.