Warbirds Over the Rockies 2014

by Stan Alexander The RC Giant aircraft of WWI Read the RC Scale column in the August 2014 issue of Model Aviation.

Warbirds Over the Rockies 2014 will be held at a new site and location on September 12-14 in Arvada, Colorado. The facility covers approximately 60 acres for parking, tents, and infrastructure, a 750-foot concrete runway, and an open flying field of roughly 200 acres. If you haven’t been to this Scale fly-in, you need to try to attend. There are vendors, air shows, thousands of spectators, and plenty of food for sale. The event is conducted by people who know what they are doing. It’s a highlight of the year for many modelers. The Saturday night banquet and auction are great. The aviation speakers who attend the event are always interesting, and the auction is a great place to pick up some goodies at fantastic prices. I went two years ago and to say that I was impressed is an understatement. I had a great time.

Warbrids Over the Rockies 2012

A full-scale Hawker Sea Fury does a smoke pass during the noontime air show at Warbirds Over the Rockies.

Col. Chuck McGee looks on as the air show takes place. A Tuskegee Airman and retired career officer in the U.S. Air Force, he spoke at the banquet on Saturday night.

Bill Holland’s 1/3-scale Nieuport 17 features lights in the machine guns that fired with the propeller to simulate the firing machine guns.

Pyrotechnics played a big part in these air shows for the public.

An A-10 Warthog makes a fly-by. The twin-turbine-powered model was realistic in the air.

This aluminum sheet-covered P-47 Thunderbolt is one of many that flew during the weekend.

A Messerschmitt Me 262 makes a “dirty fly-by” with all the gear down, flaps out, etc. It was powered by a single turbine.

A full-scale T-33 makes a low fly-by above the field for the spectators. There were all sizes of models there, from 1/10 scale to full scale.

The B-26 Flak Bait drops its deadly load of bombs. It is owned by Brian O’Meara.

This F-100 Super Sabre built from a BVM kit is making a landing approach.

The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, flown by Eduardo Esteves, makes a bomb run.