INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
July 2007 9
Longtime modeler David Robelen passed away Saturday, April 7,
2007. He was the first person to be inducted into the National Indoor
RC Aircraft Council Hall of Fame, and he was one of the most
respected indoor and micro RC modelers.
Dave had many construction articles published in national
aeromodeling magazines. At the time of his death he wrote MA’s
bimonthly “Micro-Flying” column, moderated an electronic bulletin
board, and had been the chairman of AMA’s Electric Contest Board
since 2002.
He started his National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) career in October 1958, on the day NACA (National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) ended and NASA began. Dave
graduated from the NASA apprentice school and served as a machinist
and instrument maker in what would become the Fabrication Division.
Dave transferred from the Instrument Construction Section to the
Operations Support Division in 1976 and worked in the Dynamics and
Stability Branch at the 30- x 60-foot full-scale wind tunnel, where his
knowledge and skills in model aviation were extremely important. He
received many Tech Brief Awards and at least one patent on work he
had done.
Dave retired from NASA in March 1995, and he and his family
moved to Farmville, Virginia, where they bought a small farm. He will
be missed by his many friends and family. To learn more about Dave,
you can read his autobiography at https:// www.modelaircraft.org/
museum/biolist.asp. MA
—Marny Skora
District IV
Dave Robelen experienced all interests of modeling, from
micro to Giant Scale. His Perky Grande was featured in the
April 2007 MA.
David B. Robelen: 1940-2007
AMA to Open New DSS Fields!
AMA is in the process of expanding the usability of the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) for day-to-day
radio-controlled flying.
In the past only the main runways (Stage Center) have
been available for daily RC use. This has made frequency
control a fairly simple matter; there has been a control
board at this site. But some events close this venue, and at
times it can become congested.
The Academy is going to open Site Four (the
southernmost grass runway) to daily use by members using
digital spread spectrum (DSS) equipment. There are no size
restrictions for models flown at this site as long as they are
controlled with DSS radio systems.
However, normal size/type restrictions accompanying
some DSS systems do apply. If your radio is for park-size
aircraft only, that is all you may fly with it at the IAC.
The Academy is also opening a new park-size modelonly
area just to the northwest of the Site Four area. A
grass runway will be cut in. This is a test project to judge
site-location suitability and frequency of use.
The park-size model site is also restricted to DSS
systems only. Some 72 MHz channels may eventually be
made available. Since no improvements will be made to the
site for the time being, most small aircraft will have to be
launched by hand.
Please contact AMA Headquarters if you have any
questions. MA
—Steve Kaluf
Technical Director
We wish you were here attending the 81st Nats: the
world’s largest model-aviation event. The Indoor FF
activity has already concluded in Johnson City,
Tennessee.
More than 1,000 participants are expected to fill the
skies with virtually every form of flying model
imaginable at the Outdoor Nats June 29-August 5. For
more information and a schedule for this thrilling contest
that comprises more than 165 events, go to www.model
aircraft.org/events.
The next best thing to being at the Nats is enjoying it
by signing up for the NatsNews online newsletter at
www.modelaircraft.org/subscribe.aspx. It features
detailed daily reports, great photos, in-depth stories, and
all unofficial scores.
The subscription is free to all members, who will
enjoy daily E-mail notifications of each posting. Or you
can bookmark www.natsnews.org and find the
publication just as easily.
In addition to day-to-day events covered in a bold
style that brings them to life, this year’s NatsNews gets
moving with online video footage. Stories about the
participants, technology, and fun will be brought to the
viewer in a whole new way. MA
—Michael Ramsey
MA Associate Editor
NatsNews and Multimedia Action!
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INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
• On the cover is Sheri Smothers: the
granddaughter of L.F. Randolph, who
designed and authored this month’s
construction article about the RC
Neighvion. The little 1/2A-powered model
looks and behaves well even in the wind.
• Other construction features include
Larry Kruse’s CL Cassutt II—a sporty
profile model for .35 engines that brings
visions of racing airplanes of the late
1950s—and J. van Hattum’s 24-inchspan
Marissa: a rubber-powered model
for the FF newcomer that builds quickly
and trims easily.
• Bill Winter’s “Just for the Fun of It”
explores what’s new and some nostalgia
with varied subjects such as recent contests,
old-time modelers, and an RC blimp.
• George M. Myers writes an informative
article about frequency monitoring and
control. He advocates using a scanner to
avoid interference.
• John Brownlee’s “Do We Really
Understand Our Propellers?” includes the
math involved in determining propeller
pitch, speed, and performance.
• You can make your own specialized
fuel tank with the help of Clarence
Haught’s article. It shows in detail
how to bend and solder a tank.
• Maynard L. Hill and crew set a world’s
duration record of just more than 20 hours
by one pilot. The “20 Hours Non-Stop”
feature tells how it was done.
• Timothy and George Myers present
“Filters for Better B&W Pictures,” which
shows how to improve your photography by
using the
correct filter.
• The AMA
building fund
has reached
$137,762.96, with
40 AMA clubs
donating more than
$70,000 in the past
month.
• New products
include an all-chrome
.40 engine from Enya,
an RC airship kit from Peck-Polymers, a 1/4-
scale J-3 Cub for $169.95 and a Riser Two-
Meter Sailplane for $24.95 from Sig
Manufacturing, and an A-4 Skyhawk kit for
$248.88 from Byron Originals. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
25 Years Ago in MA: July 1982
Jack Albrecht and his magnificent Giant
Scale P-51.
Jack Albrecht has been an active
modeler for 79 years. He has also been a
competitor and a leader in the model-hobby
industry, with exceptional knowledge
concerning RC technology. Jack has
received many honors in his lifetime, yet he
is a quiet, unassuming man who is quick to
give credit to those he has worked with rather
than promote himself.
In the 1970s RC was a relatively young
and struggling activity, governed by
restrictive rules concerning what could be
flown and by whom. AMA’s Frequency
Committee was a group of dedicated
modelers with electronics expertise who
were trying to change the government
regulations to allow more hobbyists to
participate.
Five years of committee work resulted in
RC model hobbyists receiving “a slice of the
radio frequency spectrum you can have for
your activity, if you can figure out how to use
it to benefit the most people, with the least
harm to other users of the spectrum.”
The new frequency assignment and
distribution plan was given to Jack, who
devised the RC frequency plan that we use
now. His contribution was the focus of what
Buddy Box Program
AMA’s new-member buddy-box
program ended April 30, 2007. We are
pleased with the response from those
who were eager to start flying using this
method. Roughly 2,800 new members
took advantage of this fledgling
program. Keep checking the AMA Web
site and MA for future programs and
promotions. MA
—Tom Schwyn
Marketing Director
Bill and Joan Hannan are scaling back
their mail-order book business after
roughly 20 years of successful operation.
The Web site, Hannan’s Runway’s
publications, and Frank Zaic books will
continue to be available for the forseeable
future. The many items that are being
closed out can be viewed at
www.hrunway.com.
The Hannans express their gratitude to
the magazine and newsletter editors and
the Federal Communications Commission
approved 25 years ago, and it is still the core
of what we enjoy today.
Jack started modeling at age 9 in San
Francisco, California, constructing solid and
rubber-band-powered airplanes. He was an
avid reader of the old Flying Aces model
magazine and World War I pulp-fiction
magazines such as G-8 and His Battle Aces.
Jack’s years in the hobby have included
working for the Kraft and Airtronics
companies. His many honors included the
AMA Distinguished Service Award, the
Howard McEntee Award, the Model Aviation
Hall of Fame award, the Frank and John Zaic
Memorial Award, and he was a member of the
Vintage Radio Control Society Hall of Fame.
To read Jack’s detailed autobiography,
go to www.modelaircraft.org/museum
biolist.asp MA
—John Worth
District IV
columnists who have been so kind in
helping them with promotion through the
years, to their international network of
talented contributors, and especially to
their many faithful customers. Bill hopes
he will be able to build some new models
with the spare time this move creates.
We send our best to the Hannans for their
tireless work in informing and entertaining so
many modelers for so long. MA
—AMA Headquarters
Hannan’s Runway Downsizes
Tribute to a Living AMA Legend
07sig1.QXD 5/23/07 3:10 PM Page 10
INtheAIR
July 2007 11
AMA staff members and family flocked to the annual Weak Signals R/C Expo in
Toledo, Ohio, April 13-15, and this small group was ready to go early Saturday
morning. For the last 53 years the Weak Signals club has been a tremendous
supporter of aeromodeling and the Academy—especially the AMA Scholarship Fund.
People who attend the Toledo Show are rewarded with fellowship and enriched by
information about the rapidly advancing technology this hobby features.
AMA Leader Club AMA Staff and Family Support the Weak Signals
Program Modification
April 21, 2007, AMA’s Executive
Council modified the long-running, wellreceived
AMA Leader Club Program to
provide access to clubs that have been
denied participation in the past. The
program’s required activities have been a
hindrance to some otherwise worthy
clubs being recognized for their efforts.
The current requirements are as follows.
1) Clubs must have been chartered by
AMA for a minimum of five years.
2) Club membership must be open to
all AMA members and not limited to a
certain number.
3) Clubs must develop and post
Safety and Operational Rules at its flying
site.
4) Clubs must file a copy of Safety
and Operational Rules at AMA
Headquarters.
5) A club’s flying field must have
separate areas for fliers and spectators,
clearly marked as such.
6) The AMA Safety Code must be
posted and visible at the club field.
The modification is that for a club to
be considered for Leader Club status, its
district vice president may waive one of
the preceding requirements.
The revised application is posted at
www.modelaircraft.org. Under
“Membership Services,” go to “AMA
Documents (PDF),” “708.” Contact
Programs Coordinator Erin Dobbs at
[email protected] if you have any
questions. MA
—Programs Department
The Academy is reaching out to the
membership in a new way in 2007! Keeping
watch over the 1,100-acre National Flying
Site in Muncie Indiana, is a formidable task.
Borrowing a successful page from the
National Park Service and many state-park
programs, AMA is seeking retired couples to
participate in our volunteer program as
flying-site hosts.
To qualify for this position, applicants
must:
1) Possess a love of all aspects of model
aviation.
2) Own an RV that is suitable for 30-day
stays.
3) Have outstanding people skills and a
willingness to represent AMA in a positive
manner to fellow members and guests.
4) Be willing to live on-site for one month
during the flying season (April-September).
5) Follow all flying-site rules and
guidelines.
A familiarity with model aviation and
flying-site norms and customs is a plus.
The Academy will provide volunteers
with the following:
1) A camping site with full hookups.
2) Transportation for use on-site.
3) A cell phone for AMA use.
4) Caps and golf shirts with AMA
Host/Hostess designation.
5) Store discounts.
Duties will include:
1) Helping members and guests who visit
AMA’s flying site.
2) Helping ensure that the AMA Safety
AMA Seeks Volunteer Host/Hostess Couples
Code is observed on the flightlines.
3) Helping check in/register members
and visitors at the camping sites.
4) Communicating with AMA staff
about flying-site conditions.
This host-and-hostess buddy system
will allow responsibilities to be shared
while covering the site most days of the
week. Because of the nature of this
opportunity, we ask that only couples
apply.
If you would like to become an AMA
Host and Hostess, contact Mary Hurn at
[email protected]. To download
an application in PDF format, visit www.
modelaircraft.org/hr.asp.
These positions are not available to
any past or present AMA employee or
official. MA
—AMA Headquarters
AMA’s Programs Department has been informed that Al’s Hobby Shop in
Elmhurst, Illinois, will be celebrating 60 years in business.
Al’s Hobby Shop is part of the Hobby Shop Incentive Program, for which
details can be obtained from Programs Coordinator Erin Dobbs at (765) 287-
1256, extension 272, or [email protected].
Congratulations to Al’s Hobby Shop, and we appreciate the support it
provides to AMA. MA
—Programs Department
Special Hobby Shop Recognition
07sig1.QXD 5/23/07 1:02 PM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
INtheAIR
AMA Club Supports
a Fallen Hero
The Cen-Tex Modelers is a small club located near Fort Hood,
Texas, that has many active and retired military members. Every
club member who has deployed has returned home safely, but the
members are occasionally touched by a family’s loss.
A military father* stationed at Fort Hood was deployed to
Iraq. He wrote a letter to tell his children—an 8-year-old boy
and an 11-year-old girl—that they would learn to fly RC
models upon his return. In early April 2006 he was killed in
action before he could return and keep his promise.
CW4 Clayton Mahalite Sr., a Cen-Tex club and AMA
member, was assigned as a Casualty Assistance Officer
(CAO). These soldiers assist surviving family members of
deceased soldiers through official notification and the
memorial/funeral services, and they help prepare and submit
claims to various agencies for benefits.
Clayton began flying model airplanes in the 1980s, and
after a long break he re-entered the hobby with his son
approximately five years ago. When Clayton learned through
the children’s mother of the letter their father wrote to them,
he immediately began working toward making that father’s
wish come true.
Clayton contacted AMA to request that the kids be
included on his membership as Junior members, but AMA
offered the memberships and MA magazine to the family at no
cost. Shortly thereafter, Clayton approached Cen-Tex
President John Eyre and asked if the club would be willing to
donate memberships to the family. John immediately said yes
and arranged to have Clayton brief the club at a monthly
meeting.
At the time of the meeting Clayton had purchased the
model and engine, and the kids’ mother had purchased the
radio. With all the equipment installed, they were ready to
begin flight training. Lynn Kelch made a motion at the
meeting to reimburse Clayton and the children’s mother for
their purchases, and it passed unanimously.
The children have begun flight training with Clayton as
their instructor. Club members who live near the kids offer to
ferry them to and from the flying site.
The American hero’s promise will be kept. MA
* Family members’ names have been omitted by their
request for the sake of privacy.
—Jim Rice
District VIII Vice President
A proud son with the Hobbico Avistar RTF trainer the Cen-Tex
Modelers donated in honor of his father who was killed in Iraq.
Cen-Tex club member and US Army CAO Clayton Mahalite Sr.
instructs while the mother observes in the background.
This year AMA gave more than $32,000 to clubs that participated in
the Flying Site Development Improvement Program. The winners are:
White Hills Eagles ($610)
New Hampshire Flying Tigers RC Club ($1,600)
Statesville Model Flyers ($600)
Palm Beach Radio Control Association ($4,745)
Southeast Missouri Modelers Association ($1,167)
Orchard Farm RC Flying Club ($5,000)
Owatonna RC Modelers ($299.22)
Hamburg Flyers RC Club ($5,000)
Calumet Flyers ($450)
Brazoria County Modelers Association ($1,762.50)
Northeast Aero Radio Control Club ($418)
Austin Silent Flyers ($957)
Highland Lakes RC Flyers ($200)
Bridgerland Radio Control Club ($5,000)
Sacramento Red Barons ($5,000)
Applying for 2008 is easy! You can download the application and
instructions at www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/712.pdf or call (765)
287-1256, extensions 270 or 272, to receive a copy.
Congratulations to all clubs that received grant money. To those
that did not, we extend our best wishes for a successful 2007 flying
season and hope you apply again next year. MA
—Programs Department
2007 Flying Site Grant Winners Announced
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