The Skymaster F-80
A review by Dustin Buescher

   On September 1st, 2010, a prototype Skymaster F-80 was delivered to BVM.  Upon delivery we opened the box to check the contents for damage.  The large kit was packed in a surprisingly small box that allowed the aircraft to arrive unscratched.  Due to our event schedule, the project was put on hold until we had returned from E-Jets.  Then Chris Keene and I began to examine the prototype parts.  What we found was a well engineered and strong airframe thanks in part to the cooperation between Skymaster and BVM during the structure design of this model.  Before production is started, Mr. Anton Lin approached BVM for suggestions to improve his structure.  A few modifications were made, and the rest is history.
   A week before Monster Planes, it was decided we would push to get this project finished and test flown.  We had to work long days and into the night to develop component trays and mounts that would be easy for other modelers to install and replicate.  Every step along the way was thoroughly documented and will be available as a BVM upgrade package. 
   The completed project yielded an aircraft that weighs in at 43.5 Lbs dry.  The F-80 can be powered by JetCat P-160SX.  The radio system installation in this model is very neat.  We opted to use the new Spektrum Powerbox 12K.  The unit features an all-in-one receiver, dual regulators, servo matching, and info display.
   The landing gear system is very robust,  and the pneumatic tires are huge.  The struts are the usual air over oil that has become almost standard on all of the large Skymaster product.
   The optional sliding canopy and cockpit are somewhat tricky to install, but the BVM supplemental manual will take the guess work out of these steps.

Flying

   The F-80 is a joy to fly.  At 44 lbs. the aircraft handles like a trainer.  This is a "goes where you point it model", our prototype model took no trim and by the second flight I had the flaps set where I wanted them.  I now have about 15 flights on this bird and I bet you cannot rip the transmitter from my hands!

Dustin Buescher

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