Under a somber grey sky, a SR-71 Blackbird Spy plane taxies toward a stretch of black asphalt runway in Hausen Switzerland, its jet turbine engines roar as it hurtles down the runway and takes to the sky. An onlooker may think this a scene out of a James Bond film, as there would be no reason for it to be flying over neutral Switzerland. That is until they realize the scale of the plane and its unusual circular flight path.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lYGUROZ_Pg]Remote-Controlled Jet Turbine Engines (Source: RCHeliJet)
Remote-Controlled Jet Turbine Engines (Source: RCHeliJet)This SR-71 Blackbird is in fact the child of many hours of dedicated labor by a legend of the radio-controlled model aircraft community in Europe, Roger Knobel. Roger designed all the parts himself using Computer Aided Design, from the fuselage to the detailed and operable under-carriage. Each individual part is painstakingly milled and assembled by him. The plane uses two Behotec mini turbo jets so it flies just like the real thing.On the Blackbird’s maiden flight, Roger executed a perfect taxi, take off, fly and land procedure and it is overwhelming to watch. This Blackbird is one of four that he has made over the years but it is probably the best, the precision of its engineering and build, akin to the great tradition of Swiss craftsmanship.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1su1K8yb8k]Remote-Controlled Jet Turbine Engines (Source: RCHeliJet)Designing the SR-71 Blackbird from scratch really looks like a lot of work. The grueling hours, meticulous measurements and intricate designs will show Rodgers love for this hobby. We can learn a lot from Roger. Definitely, if you do what you love and love what you do, you can expect tremendous results! With practice, inspiration and effort, you will surely be able to bring out the outcome you want.
