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Model Airplane News - UP CLOSE WITH MATT CHAPMAN

A 20-YEAR VETERAN OF THE AIRSHOW WORLD, MATT CHAPMAN OF KENNETT SQUARE, PA, has gained the respect of the industry with crowd-thrilling maneuvers in his now-famous CAP 580 aerobatic machine. Matt's blend of precision flying (honed after years of world aerobatic competition) mixed with his unpredictable and wild airshow routines leaves spectators in a state of awe. When you watch Matt Chapman perform in his one-of-a-kind, paintball-splattered Lycoming CAP 580, no single word seems adequate to convey the excitement. The pilot, aircraft and presentation all blend together into a total adrenaline-filled package.

While performing his airshow routines, Matt pushes the CAP 580 to speeds in excess of 240mph and pulls up to 10G, all within a few feet of the ground. The aircraft's custom-modified Lycoming IO-580 engine spits out a gravity-defying 360hp and pushes both the man and the aircraft right to the limit.

When not in the aerobatic hot seat, Matt is a captain for American Airlines flying the MD-80 jetliner. He came up through the ranks as a flight instructor, charter pilot and corporate pilot before beginning his career with American. With more than 16,000 hours of flight time (3,000 in aerobatic aircraft), Matt brings unparalleled experience and from-the-heart love and commitment to aviation and the airshow industry.

Matt is also an experienced RC pilot who loves to fly giant-scale aerobatic and warbird models. He is also an established RC heli pilot. Whenever his schedule allows, he tries to attend big national RC meets such as the Joe Nall Fly-In and has been known to fly his impressive P-51 Mustang at the Warbirds over Delaware meet! Matt is now building a 35-percent-scale Pitts Model-12 from Bigairplanes.com.

Matt loves to share his experiences and passion with the public and loves to get to know his fans. At airshows, he encourages people to ask him questions and tell him about their own airshow experiences. Check Matt's website, mattchapman.com, for more information about his CAP 580 and his airshow travel schedule.

TO SEE THE FULL-SIZE CAP 580