As the blue-and-white, half-scale J3 Cub moved to lift off the ground with Pete Rosas at the controls, his wife, Sandy, quickly folded her hands and closed her eyes. "I think it's a go," she said.

Model aviation has undergone considerable technical growth in recent years. All of this advancement will be in the air and on display at the Culpeper County Air Fest on October 8. Most model airplane ...