136 MODEL AVIATION
READER G.W. POYTHRESS sent in a letter that reads, in part:
“The Indoor event covered in the October ’08 issue was very
good—however! As a CD for many years, I wondered how it
could be sanctioned with so many non-AMA events.
“Ask the [author of the article] to describe the non-AMA
models. Not all of us are a member of other organizations. The
photos were fantastic!”
The answer to the first part demonstrates such a fine example
of cooperation between related organizations (as well as the effort
involved in finding flying venues and the value of perseverance)
that I felt it would make a nice topic for
the column. It’s an interesting story.
Flash back to 1981: the active FF
population has dwindled, partly because of
a lack of decent sites, and many people are
predicting the demise of our activity.
Sound familiar?
The National Free Flight Society
(NFFS), AMA’s FF SIG, reports that its
membership is down to 700, with only a
handful of Indoor fliers. The AMA Indoor
FF Nats is held in a variety of sites located
near the Outdoor Nats. The Indoor Nats
benefits from access to interested
spectators but suffers significantly from
the quality of sites available with short
ceilings and drifty air.
A short history of combined AMA Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Kibbie Dome update
• Join the 40 Minute Club
Bill Gowen’s world-recordholding
F1M aircraft. Gowen
photo.
Larry Loucka’s USIC-winning A-ROG. Larry is from Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Hood
photo.
Nick Aikman’s UK record-setting 35cm model. Lefever photo.
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:25 PM Page 136
April 2009 137
Above: Dale Whitford of Dayton, Ohio, with his Coconut Scale
Mauboussin. Lavender photo.
Right: Tony D’Allessandro is working to join the 40 Minute Club
with his Hand Launched Stick model. He has done 37 minutes
so far. Lang photo.
Below: Steve Brown, who holds the top spot in the 40 Minute
Club, preps his A-6. Kagan photo.
The NFFS president, Tony Italiano, has a meeting
with Hardy Brodersen, the NFFS executive director,
and they decide that a more permanent, high-ceiling,
good-air site is desperately needed. They plan a large
new contest, labeled the United States Indoor
Championships (USIC), in addition to the AMA Nats.
Tony begins scouring the country for the next
great Indoor site. He even takes extended road trips
with his wife to visit potential locations. Most of them
aren’t particularly desirable, but he does locate a few
possibilities.
The first wants an exorbitant daily fee, plus 12%
of the entry fees. When Tony explains the budget
available, they suddenly aren’t interested. (I envision
the telephone conversation going something like, “…
and we fly these really neat models … hello?”) The
second try produces similar results, as does the third.
As Tony crosses site 15 off the list, Don Lindley
relays a message. Modeler John Schlagetter spotted a
picture of an indoor football game at Eastern
Tennessee State University (ETSU) while browsing
through an airline magazine. The building looks huge!
Tony calls site manager John Knox,
and this time the conversation goes a little
differently. Both grew up outside of
Chicago and liked to visit Lake Geneva,
Illinois. Then the conversation turns to
John’s previous military experience. He
was stationed at the Malabang airstrip in
Mindanao, Philippines.
Tony perks up and asks John if he
remembers the C-47 supply craft that
would pop the wheels up immediately
after takeoff, tear across the water, pull up
vertical, and roll out at the top once the
speed bled off.
John says, “Heck yeah, we always
thought that guy was some ex-fighter pilot
or something.” Tony grins and says, “That
was me!” They have an instant bond, and
the USIC finds a permanent home.
The ETSU Mini-Dome’s rent is low,
the university staff loves the event and is
eager to have us, and the site is great. It is
impervious to outside conditions and of a
decent height. The first ETSU USIC was
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:26 PM Page 137
138 MODEL AVIATION
NAME COUNTRY TIME 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE NAME COUNTRY TIME OPEN* 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE
BROWN, STEVE USA 63:54 X 1996 SANTA ANA KUJAWA, SYLWESTER POL 43:35 X 1992 WROCLAW
KAGAN, JOHN USA 61:30 X 2005 LAKEHURST AMORARITEI, DAN ROM 43:31 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RICHMOND, JIM USA 59:01 X 2002 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 43:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 55:06 X 1993 SANTA ANA CUMMINGS, FRANK USA 43:28 X 1963 SANTA ANA
BROWN, STEVE USA 53:45 X 1997 SANTA ANA ATWOOD, BILL USA 43:17 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 52:22 X 1983 CARDINGTON THOMAS, MIKE CAN 43:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
COSLICK, LARRY USA 52:04 X 1999 AKRON PLOTZKE, RON USA 42:53 X 1969 LAKEHURST
UNDERWOOD, GARY USA 51:58 X 1996 LAKEHURST FOSTER, JOE USA 42:44 X 1987 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 51:53 X 1999 SANTA ANA SIEBENMANN, DIETER SUI 42:33 X 1986 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 51:36 X 1998 SANTA ANA KELLER, PETER SUI 42:30 X 1999 BORDEAUX
KAGAN, JOHN USA 51:11 X 1999 AKRON CALLIAU, LARRY USA 42:29 X 1985 AKRON
DOIG, RICK USA 50:41 X 1995 AKRON BAILEY, BOB UK 42:28 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA
KOWALSKI, DICK USA 50:41 X 1976 AKRON DOMINA, DAN USA 42:25 X 1979 AKRON
RICHMOND, JIM USA 50:12 X 1999 AKRON CANNIZZO, SAL USA 42:20 X 1983 LAKEHURST
BANKS, CEZAR USA 49:50 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID KRAUSE, MARIAN GER 42:10 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
ROMAK, BUD USA 49:35 X 1991 LAKEHURST PYMM, DAVE UK 42:03 X 1986 CARDINGTON
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 49:31 X 1995 AKRON ROMAK, BUD USA 42:01 X 1965 MOFFETT NAS
BARR, LAURIE UK 49:29 X 1996 CARDINGTON LEONARD, NICK SR USA 41:50 X 1999 AKRON
HUNT, BERNARD UK 49:07 X 1997 CARDINGTON POPA, AUREL ROM 41:42 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
SLUSARCZYK, DON USA 48:10 X 1995 AKRON OBARSKI, DICK USA 41:30 X 1981 AKRON
BUTTY, RENE SUI 48:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID FINCH, TOM USA 41:27 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ROHRBAUGH, AL USA 47:40 X 1997 AKRON KINOSHITA, SATOSHI JPN 41:24 X 1993 TACHIKAWA CITY
TIPPER, JOHN UK 47:21 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODEMSKY, ERV USA 41:23 X 1979 AKRON
HARLAN, RAY USA 47:13 X 1980 AKRON CHAMPINE, BOB USA 41:23 X 1963 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 47:03 X 1998 SANTA ANA STOLL, ED USA 41:21 X 1963 SANTA ANA
DOIG, RICK USA 46:24 X 1983 AKRON HOFFMAN, EARL USA 41:13 X 1987 SANTA ANA
OTA, KENICHI JPN 46:16 X 1996 MATUMOTO CITY BAKOS, FERENC HUN 41:10 X 1999 DEBRECEN
LOUCKA, LARRY USA 46:14 X 1995 AKRON KIHARA, KAZUMASA JPN 41:06 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY
CHILTON, STAN USA 46:10 X 1994 AKRON SCHRAMM, LUTZ GER 41:02 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
McGILLIVRAY, JACK CAN 45:57 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID ROMBLAD, JONAS SWE 41:02 X 1999 LAKEHURST
RODEMSKY, ERV USA 45:50 X 1974 SANTA ANA RICHARDS, DEREK UK 41:02 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RIEKE, K.H. GER 45:40 X 1962 CARDINGTON MATHER, CLARENCE USA 40:54 X 1974 SANTA ANA
MERKT, THOMAS GER 45:27 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID GANSER, RON USA 40:53 X 1996 AKRON
REDLIN, CARL USA 45:17 X 1962 CARDINGTON DRAPER, RON UK 40:44 X 1962 CARDINGTON
REE, ANDRAS HUN 45:13 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA POPA, AUREL ROM 40:42 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
ANDREWS, PETE USA 44:59 X 1979 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 40:38 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
ENOMOTO, HIDEO JPN 44:55 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY BILGRI, JOE USA 40:37 X 1965 SANTA ANA
MATHER, CLARENCE USA 44:44 X 1974 SANTA ANA NONAKA, SIGEYOSI JPN 40:36 X 1978 CARDINGTON
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 44:37 X 1985 CARDINGTON STEVENS, DARRYL USA 40:35 X 1986 SANTA ANA
DE BATTY, BOB USA 44:35 X 1996 SANTA ANA SHEPHERD, JESSE USA 40:33 X 1995 AKRON
NICOARA, VASILE ROM 44:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID DIHM, JAN POL 40:21 X 1997 SLANIC PRAHOVA
HULBERT, BILL USA 44:27 X 1994 AKRON LOTZ, RAINER GER 40:20 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
HACKLINGER, MAX GER 44:20 X 1961 CARDINGTON ZALUSKA, MAX USA 40:17 X 2008 LAKEHURST
ANDRE, THEDO NED 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON MOSKALEV, VASILI UKR 40:15 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
NORE, PENTTI FIN 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON GITLOW, LEW USA 40:15 X 1987 SANTA ANA
ORSOVAI, DEZSO HUN 44:01 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODENBURG, OTTO NED 40:11 X 1986 CARDINGTON
KOPECKY, ERNIE USA 43:42 X 1963 SANTA ANA KALINA, JIRI CZE 40:11 X 1975 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 43:39 X 1995 SANTA ANA TRIOLO, JOHN USA 40:06 X 1974 LAKEHURST
ALLEN, PAUL USA 43:36 X 1974 SANTA ANA MZIK, LARRY USA 40:01 X 1995 AKRON
Official and unofficial flights included. Best effort only, by individual, by class. Steve Brown, 297 Hartman Ct., San Dimas, CA 91773 USA [email protected]
FORTY MINUTE CLUB
2008
* OPEN = OVER 65CM WINGSPAN Send additions or corrections to:
held in 1987, and we’ve been there since.
All that is the effort and perseverance
mentioned earlier.
Several years later, in 1990, Tony strikes
a deal to have the Indoor FF Nats join the
USIC at ETSU. The AMA is happy to
relinquish the event management, and with
the exception of Lubbock, Texas, in 1994,
and the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, in
1996, the USIC and Indoor FF Nats have
run as a combined event at the Mini-Dome.
Although there is now one major national
contest instead of two, at least both parts
enjoy a new, world-class facility.
And referring to world class, two F1D
World Championships have been hosted at
ETSU. The first was in 1988, with a repeat
performance in 1990.
Flash back to the present: we are still
flying the Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
together at the fabulous Mini-Dome. Like
model airplane pack rats, we love creating
new events, but apparently we can’t bear to
get rid of the old ones. There are 16 events
in the AMA Indoor FF Nats portion of the
contest and 18 in the USIC part.
Aside from the cost of a few more
trophies (or more stick-on plates), there isn’t
much extra expense for the additional
events. They share timeslots and airspace
with other models, and the processing and
scoring is done by the same people, so no
additional resources are required.
There’s occasional talk about eliminating
low-participation events, but I don’t see
much reason to do that. Consolidating
similar events and creating a more structured
hierarchy is a different story.
The AMA events are more formally
vetted and have a national set of regulations
published in the rule book that is available to
all members, so everyone reading this
should be able to look those up.
The USIC events are slightly more varied
and it can be harder to find the rules,
although information is included with every
USIC registration packet.
Eight of these events are Flying Aces
Club (FAC) classes. The FAC is more than
just a few sets of events; it’s a society
dedicated to traditional stick-and-tissue FF
model aviation, with some competition and
a lot of camaraderie. Check out the Web site
addresses at the end of this column to learn
more about some FAC squadrons across the
country.
The FAC members fly mostly outdoors,
but there’s indoor activity too. The USIC
FAC events are Dime Scale, Golden Age,
High-Wing Monoplane, Modern Civil
Production, FAC Scale, FAC Peanut, No-
Cal (profile scale), and the World War I and
II mass launches. The FAC is a great part of
the USIC experience.
F1M and 35cm are popular international
duration events. The 35cm aircraft is a
smaller version of F1D, with a 35cm
wingspan, compared with F1D’s 55cm
span, making more flying sites viable.
F1M is a “beginner” version of F1D,
with a higher minimum weight and smaller
wingspan requirements. Both are prime
candidates for becoming official AMA
events, as F1L (an international 1.2-gram
version of EZB) did.
Current top indoor ornithopters, capable
of flights approaching 20 minutes, are
propelled by flapping wings but have their
lift provided by a traditional wing. They are
amazingly graceful when everything is
working properly, but their intricate
mechanisms can go awry with disastrous
results.
A-ROG Stick is a remnant of early
AMA models, when there were four sizes:
A, B, C, and D (Stick versus Cabin, and
rise-off-ground versus Hand Launch).
These tiny works of art are some of the few
remaining classes that use microfilm.
A-6, P-24, and Science Olympiad are
entry-level models from various sources.
They are included to help promote Indoor
FF, encourage participants to attend the
USIC, and hopefully persuade fliers to try
other events.
Coconut Scale is an event from
MIAMA: a Miami area stick-and-tissue
group run for many years by the late Doc
Martin. The goal of this class is big models,
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:27 PM Page 138
and the mass launch of these behemoths is a
USIC highlight.
The final group includes some oddball,
just-for-fun events. Unlimited Rubber Speed
involves three laps around two balloon-string
pylons. That’s hard enough with an RC
model; try coaxing an FF aircraft to stay on
course!
Round the Pole is an FF-CL hybrid in
which the model is tethered to a center pole,
and three speedy laps are timed. Straight Line
Speed is a mad dash from a standing start,
across a basketball court, into a Visqueen
sheet.
Race to the Roof is a flight straight up.
Past winners have flown from a standing start
to the 116-foot roof in less than 6 seconds.
There are separate awards for the AMA
and USIC events, separate registration forms,
and separate historical records, but when we
get to the Mini-Dome, it’s all the same
people working together like one big happy
family (although many vie for the “crazy
uncle” title).
Now you can understand how a large
number of AMA and NFFS events can run at
the same contest and everything is fine.
Better yet, come to Johnson City, Tennessee,
and see for yourself. There’s something for
everyone!
The 2009 USIC/AMA FF Indoor Nats
events are scheduled for May 27-31. You can
get more information on the AMA Web site.
Kibbie Dome Update: Andrew Tagliafico
reports that the Kibbie Dome is getting some
long-promised upgrades. Word is that the
plywood ends are going to be reconstructed
with something slightly more enduring. He
doesn’t know if they are going to do other
parts of the project now, which include
lowering the floor, adding seats, and
flattening the ceiling, but they plan to finish
the ends before next winter.
Unfortunately the construction means that
this year’s Kibbie Dome Annual is off, but
Andrew is optimistic for 2010.
If you West Coasters are worried about
fulfilling your annual big-contest fix,
consider making the trek to the USIC this
year. There are some format differences, but
it’s better than nothing. Even a bad day of
model airplane flying is better than a good
day at work, right?
The 40 Minute Club: Starting with German
Max Hacklinger’s 44:20 Unlimited flight in
1961 in Cardington, England, a list has been
kept of everyone who has achieved a 40-plusminute
flight. Even today, membership in the
40 Minute Club is a significant achievement.
There are fewer than 100 members, and it
includes many World Champions and top
competitors.
The list records the best performance,
official or unofficial, per individual, per
category. Topping the register is Steve
Brown’s historic 63:54: the first flight to
break the long-standing one-hour mark. Steve
also holds the best 65cm F1D (old rules) time
of 53:45.
Marian Krause set the 55cm F1D (new
rules) high-water mark of 42:10 at the epic
but no-longer-available Cargo Lifter Hangar
in Germany. The 300-foot ceiling height
facilitated flights that are not likely to be
topped anytime soon.
Other “between-the-lines” tidbits include
140 MODEL AVIATION
Sylwester Kujawa’s 43:35 in Wroclaw,
Poland, which was half of his winning F1D
World Championships score. John Tipper’s
47:21 in the World Championships at Slanic
Prahova, Romania, was almost a minute
better than the first- and second-place
finishers’ best flights. (John finished third.)
Ray Harlan’s 47:13 in 1980 and Dick
Kowalski’s 50:41 in 1976 were well before
the higher-performance Tan II rubber that
many of the list members enjoyed. It will be
hard to wrest the Lanterne Rouge from Ohio
personality Larry Mzik, who squeezed into
the club with a 40:01 after many years of
effort.
You can check out the full list online.
(See the “Sources” list for the Web site
addresses.) If you’ve achieved your 40-
minute flight, contact Steve Brown to get
your name included on the list and
prepare to reap your share of the fame
and fortune. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Lone Star Squadron
www.flyingaces.org
Alamo Escadrille
www.windysock.net
WestFAC
www.westernfac.com
Eagle Squadron
www.geocities.com/the_great_sam8/
FAC/
Flying Aces Club Europe
http://web.mac.com/tectonite/iWeb/
Site%202/FACE.html
Steve Brown
297 Hartman Ct.
San Dimas CA 91773
[email protected]
40 Minute Club list:
www.flickr.com/photos/flyf1d/3177746958
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 136,137,138,140
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 136,137,138,140
136 MODEL AVIATION
READER G.W. POYTHRESS sent in a letter that reads, in part:
“The Indoor event covered in the October ’08 issue was very
good—however! As a CD for many years, I wondered how it
could be sanctioned with so many non-AMA events.
“Ask the [author of the article] to describe the non-AMA
models. Not all of us are a member of other organizations. The
photos were fantastic!”
The answer to the first part demonstrates such a fine example
of cooperation between related organizations (as well as the effort
involved in finding flying venues and the value of perseverance)
that I felt it would make a nice topic for
the column. It’s an interesting story.
Flash back to 1981: the active FF
population has dwindled, partly because of
a lack of decent sites, and many people are
predicting the demise of our activity.
Sound familiar?
The National Free Flight Society
(NFFS), AMA’s FF SIG, reports that its
membership is down to 700, with only a
handful of Indoor fliers. The AMA Indoor
FF Nats is held in a variety of sites located
near the Outdoor Nats. The Indoor Nats
benefits from access to interested
spectators but suffers significantly from
the quality of sites available with short
ceilings and drifty air.
A short history of combined AMA Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Kibbie Dome update
• Join the 40 Minute Club
Bill Gowen’s world-recordholding
F1M aircraft. Gowen
photo.
Larry Loucka’s USIC-winning A-ROG. Larry is from Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Hood
photo.
Nick Aikman’s UK record-setting 35cm model. Lefever photo.
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:25 PM Page 136
April 2009 137
Above: Dale Whitford of Dayton, Ohio, with his Coconut Scale
Mauboussin. Lavender photo.
Right: Tony D’Allessandro is working to join the 40 Minute Club
with his Hand Launched Stick model. He has done 37 minutes
so far. Lang photo.
Below: Steve Brown, who holds the top spot in the 40 Minute
Club, preps his A-6. Kagan photo.
The NFFS president, Tony Italiano, has a meeting
with Hardy Brodersen, the NFFS executive director,
and they decide that a more permanent, high-ceiling,
good-air site is desperately needed. They plan a large
new contest, labeled the United States Indoor
Championships (USIC), in addition to the AMA Nats.
Tony begins scouring the country for the next
great Indoor site. He even takes extended road trips
with his wife to visit potential locations. Most of them
aren’t particularly desirable, but he does locate a few
possibilities.
The first wants an exorbitant daily fee, plus 12%
of the entry fees. When Tony explains the budget
available, they suddenly aren’t interested. (I envision
the telephone conversation going something like, “…
and we fly these really neat models … hello?”) The
second try produces similar results, as does the third.
As Tony crosses site 15 off the list, Don Lindley
relays a message. Modeler John Schlagetter spotted a
picture of an indoor football game at Eastern
Tennessee State University (ETSU) while browsing
through an airline magazine. The building looks huge!
Tony calls site manager John Knox,
and this time the conversation goes a little
differently. Both grew up outside of
Chicago and liked to visit Lake Geneva,
Illinois. Then the conversation turns to
John’s previous military experience. He
was stationed at the Malabang airstrip in
Mindanao, Philippines.
Tony perks up and asks John if he
remembers the C-47 supply craft that
would pop the wheels up immediately
after takeoff, tear across the water, pull up
vertical, and roll out at the top once the
speed bled off.
John says, “Heck yeah, we always
thought that guy was some ex-fighter pilot
or something.” Tony grins and says, “That
was me!” They have an instant bond, and
the USIC finds a permanent home.
The ETSU Mini-Dome’s rent is low,
the university staff loves the event and is
eager to have us, and the site is great. It is
impervious to outside conditions and of a
decent height. The first ETSU USIC was
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:26 PM Page 137
138 MODEL AVIATION
NAME COUNTRY TIME 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE NAME COUNTRY TIME OPEN* 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE
BROWN, STEVE USA 63:54 X 1996 SANTA ANA KUJAWA, SYLWESTER POL 43:35 X 1992 WROCLAW
KAGAN, JOHN USA 61:30 X 2005 LAKEHURST AMORARITEI, DAN ROM 43:31 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RICHMOND, JIM USA 59:01 X 2002 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 43:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 55:06 X 1993 SANTA ANA CUMMINGS, FRANK USA 43:28 X 1963 SANTA ANA
BROWN, STEVE USA 53:45 X 1997 SANTA ANA ATWOOD, BILL USA 43:17 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 52:22 X 1983 CARDINGTON THOMAS, MIKE CAN 43:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
COSLICK, LARRY USA 52:04 X 1999 AKRON PLOTZKE, RON USA 42:53 X 1969 LAKEHURST
UNDERWOOD, GARY USA 51:58 X 1996 LAKEHURST FOSTER, JOE USA 42:44 X 1987 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 51:53 X 1999 SANTA ANA SIEBENMANN, DIETER SUI 42:33 X 1986 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 51:36 X 1998 SANTA ANA KELLER, PETER SUI 42:30 X 1999 BORDEAUX
KAGAN, JOHN USA 51:11 X 1999 AKRON CALLIAU, LARRY USA 42:29 X 1985 AKRON
DOIG, RICK USA 50:41 X 1995 AKRON BAILEY, BOB UK 42:28 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA
KOWALSKI, DICK USA 50:41 X 1976 AKRON DOMINA, DAN USA 42:25 X 1979 AKRON
RICHMOND, JIM USA 50:12 X 1999 AKRON CANNIZZO, SAL USA 42:20 X 1983 LAKEHURST
BANKS, CEZAR USA 49:50 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID KRAUSE, MARIAN GER 42:10 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
ROMAK, BUD USA 49:35 X 1991 LAKEHURST PYMM, DAVE UK 42:03 X 1986 CARDINGTON
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 49:31 X 1995 AKRON ROMAK, BUD USA 42:01 X 1965 MOFFETT NAS
BARR, LAURIE UK 49:29 X 1996 CARDINGTON LEONARD, NICK SR USA 41:50 X 1999 AKRON
HUNT, BERNARD UK 49:07 X 1997 CARDINGTON POPA, AUREL ROM 41:42 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
SLUSARCZYK, DON USA 48:10 X 1995 AKRON OBARSKI, DICK USA 41:30 X 1981 AKRON
BUTTY, RENE SUI 48:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID FINCH, TOM USA 41:27 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ROHRBAUGH, AL USA 47:40 X 1997 AKRON KINOSHITA, SATOSHI JPN 41:24 X 1993 TACHIKAWA CITY
TIPPER, JOHN UK 47:21 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODEMSKY, ERV USA 41:23 X 1979 AKRON
HARLAN, RAY USA 47:13 X 1980 AKRON CHAMPINE, BOB USA 41:23 X 1963 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 47:03 X 1998 SANTA ANA STOLL, ED USA 41:21 X 1963 SANTA ANA
DOIG, RICK USA 46:24 X 1983 AKRON HOFFMAN, EARL USA 41:13 X 1987 SANTA ANA
OTA, KENICHI JPN 46:16 X 1996 MATUMOTO CITY BAKOS, FERENC HUN 41:10 X 1999 DEBRECEN
LOUCKA, LARRY USA 46:14 X 1995 AKRON KIHARA, KAZUMASA JPN 41:06 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY
CHILTON, STAN USA 46:10 X 1994 AKRON SCHRAMM, LUTZ GER 41:02 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
McGILLIVRAY, JACK CAN 45:57 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID ROMBLAD, JONAS SWE 41:02 X 1999 LAKEHURST
RODEMSKY, ERV USA 45:50 X 1974 SANTA ANA RICHARDS, DEREK UK 41:02 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RIEKE, K.H. GER 45:40 X 1962 CARDINGTON MATHER, CLARENCE USA 40:54 X 1974 SANTA ANA
MERKT, THOMAS GER 45:27 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID GANSER, RON USA 40:53 X 1996 AKRON
REDLIN, CARL USA 45:17 X 1962 CARDINGTON DRAPER, RON UK 40:44 X 1962 CARDINGTON
REE, ANDRAS HUN 45:13 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA POPA, AUREL ROM 40:42 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
ANDREWS, PETE USA 44:59 X 1979 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 40:38 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
ENOMOTO, HIDEO JPN 44:55 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY BILGRI, JOE USA 40:37 X 1965 SANTA ANA
MATHER, CLARENCE USA 44:44 X 1974 SANTA ANA NONAKA, SIGEYOSI JPN 40:36 X 1978 CARDINGTON
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 44:37 X 1985 CARDINGTON STEVENS, DARRYL USA 40:35 X 1986 SANTA ANA
DE BATTY, BOB USA 44:35 X 1996 SANTA ANA SHEPHERD, JESSE USA 40:33 X 1995 AKRON
NICOARA, VASILE ROM 44:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID DIHM, JAN POL 40:21 X 1997 SLANIC PRAHOVA
HULBERT, BILL USA 44:27 X 1994 AKRON LOTZ, RAINER GER 40:20 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
HACKLINGER, MAX GER 44:20 X 1961 CARDINGTON ZALUSKA, MAX USA 40:17 X 2008 LAKEHURST
ANDRE, THEDO NED 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON MOSKALEV, VASILI UKR 40:15 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
NORE, PENTTI FIN 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON GITLOW, LEW USA 40:15 X 1987 SANTA ANA
ORSOVAI, DEZSO HUN 44:01 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODENBURG, OTTO NED 40:11 X 1986 CARDINGTON
KOPECKY, ERNIE USA 43:42 X 1963 SANTA ANA KALINA, JIRI CZE 40:11 X 1975 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 43:39 X 1995 SANTA ANA TRIOLO, JOHN USA 40:06 X 1974 LAKEHURST
ALLEN, PAUL USA 43:36 X 1974 SANTA ANA MZIK, LARRY USA 40:01 X 1995 AKRON
Official and unofficial flights included. Best effort only, by individual, by class. Steve Brown, 297 Hartman Ct., San Dimas, CA 91773 USA [email protected]
FORTY MINUTE CLUB
2008
* OPEN = OVER 65CM WINGSPAN Send additions or corrections to:
held in 1987, and we’ve been there since.
All that is the effort and perseverance
mentioned earlier.
Several years later, in 1990, Tony strikes
a deal to have the Indoor FF Nats join the
USIC at ETSU. The AMA is happy to
relinquish the event management, and with
the exception of Lubbock, Texas, in 1994,
and the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, in
1996, the USIC and Indoor FF Nats have
run as a combined event at the Mini-Dome.
Although there is now one major national
contest instead of two, at least both parts
enjoy a new, world-class facility.
And referring to world class, two F1D
World Championships have been hosted at
ETSU. The first was in 1988, with a repeat
performance in 1990.
Flash back to the present: we are still
flying the Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
together at the fabulous Mini-Dome. Like
model airplane pack rats, we love creating
new events, but apparently we can’t bear to
get rid of the old ones. There are 16 events
in the AMA Indoor FF Nats portion of the
contest and 18 in the USIC part.
Aside from the cost of a few more
trophies (or more stick-on plates), there isn’t
much extra expense for the additional
events. They share timeslots and airspace
with other models, and the processing and
scoring is done by the same people, so no
additional resources are required.
There’s occasional talk about eliminating
low-participation events, but I don’t see
much reason to do that. Consolidating
similar events and creating a more structured
hierarchy is a different story.
The AMA events are more formally
vetted and have a national set of regulations
published in the rule book that is available to
all members, so everyone reading this
should be able to look those up.
The USIC events are slightly more varied
and it can be harder to find the rules,
although information is included with every
USIC registration packet.
Eight of these events are Flying Aces
Club (FAC) classes. The FAC is more than
just a few sets of events; it’s a society
dedicated to traditional stick-and-tissue FF
model aviation, with some competition and
a lot of camaraderie. Check out the Web site
addresses at the end of this column to learn
more about some FAC squadrons across the
country.
The FAC members fly mostly outdoors,
but there’s indoor activity too. The USIC
FAC events are Dime Scale, Golden Age,
High-Wing Monoplane, Modern Civil
Production, FAC Scale, FAC Peanut, No-
Cal (profile scale), and the World War I and
II mass launches. The FAC is a great part of
the USIC experience.
F1M and 35cm are popular international
duration events. The 35cm aircraft is a
smaller version of F1D, with a 35cm
wingspan, compared with F1D’s 55cm
span, making more flying sites viable.
F1M is a “beginner” version of F1D,
with a higher minimum weight and smaller
wingspan requirements. Both are prime
candidates for becoming official AMA
events, as F1L (an international 1.2-gram
version of EZB) did.
Current top indoor ornithopters, capable
of flights approaching 20 minutes, are
propelled by flapping wings but have their
lift provided by a traditional wing. They are
amazingly graceful when everything is
working properly, but their intricate
mechanisms can go awry with disastrous
results.
A-ROG Stick is a remnant of early
AMA models, when there were four sizes:
A, B, C, and D (Stick versus Cabin, and
rise-off-ground versus Hand Launch).
These tiny works of art are some of the few
remaining classes that use microfilm.
A-6, P-24, and Science Olympiad are
entry-level models from various sources.
They are included to help promote Indoor
FF, encourage participants to attend the
USIC, and hopefully persuade fliers to try
other events.
Coconut Scale is an event from
MIAMA: a Miami area stick-and-tissue
group run for many years by the late Doc
Martin. The goal of this class is big models,
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:27 PM Page 138
and the mass launch of these behemoths is a
USIC highlight.
The final group includes some oddball,
just-for-fun events. Unlimited Rubber Speed
involves three laps around two balloon-string
pylons. That’s hard enough with an RC
model; try coaxing an FF aircraft to stay on
course!
Round the Pole is an FF-CL hybrid in
which the model is tethered to a center pole,
and three speedy laps are timed. Straight Line
Speed is a mad dash from a standing start,
across a basketball court, into a Visqueen
sheet.
Race to the Roof is a flight straight up.
Past winners have flown from a standing start
to the 116-foot roof in less than 6 seconds.
There are separate awards for the AMA
and USIC events, separate registration forms,
and separate historical records, but when we
get to the Mini-Dome, it’s all the same
people working together like one big happy
family (although many vie for the “crazy
uncle” title).
Now you can understand how a large
number of AMA and NFFS events can run at
the same contest and everything is fine.
Better yet, come to Johnson City, Tennessee,
and see for yourself. There’s something for
everyone!
The 2009 USIC/AMA FF Indoor Nats
events are scheduled for May 27-31. You can
get more information on the AMA Web site.
Kibbie Dome Update: Andrew Tagliafico
reports that the Kibbie Dome is getting some
long-promised upgrades. Word is that the
plywood ends are going to be reconstructed
with something slightly more enduring. He
doesn’t know if they are going to do other
parts of the project now, which include
lowering the floor, adding seats, and
flattening the ceiling, but they plan to finish
the ends before next winter.
Unfortunately the construction means that
this year’s Kibbie Dome Annual is off, but
Andrew is optimistic for 2010.
If you West Coasters are worried about
fulfilling your annual big-contest fix,
consider making the trek to the USIC this
year. There are some format differences, but
it’s better than nothing. Even a bad day of
model airplane flying is better than a good
day at work, right?
The 40 Minute Club: Starting with German
Max Hacklinger’s 44:20 Unlimited flight in
1961 in Cardington, England, a list has been
kept of everyone who has achieved a 40-plusminute
flight. Even today, membership in the
40 Minute Club is a significant achievement.
There are fewer than 100 members, and it
includes many World Champions and top
competitors.
The list records the best performance,
official or unofficial, per individual, per
category. Topping the register is Steve
Brown’s historic 63:54: the first flight to
break the long-standing one-hour mark. Steve
also holds the best 65cm F1D (old rules) time
of 53:45.
Marian Krause set the 55cm F1D (new
rules) high-water mark of 42:10 at the epic
but no-longer-available Cargo Lifter Hangar
in Germany. The 300-foot ceiling height
facilitated flights that are not likely to be
topped anytime soon.
Other “between-the-lines” tidbits include
140 MODEL AVIATION
Sylwester Kujawa’s 43:35 in Wroclaw,
Poland, which was half of his winning F1D
World Championships score. John Tipper’s
47:21 in the World Championships at Slanic
Prahova, Romania, was almost a minute
better than the first- and second-place
finishers’ best flights. (John finished third.)
Ray Harlan’s 47:13 in 1980 and Dick
Kowalski’s 50:41 in 1976 were well before
the higher-performance Tan II rubber that
many of the list members enjoyed. It will be
hard to wrest the Lanterne Rouge from Ohio
personality Larry Mzik, who squeezed into
the club with a 40:01 after many years of
effort.
You can check out the full list online.
(See the “Sources” list for the Web site
addresses.) If you’ve achieved your 40-
minute flight, contact Steve Brown to get
your name included on the list and
prepare to reap your share of the fame
and fortune. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Lone Star Squadron
www.flyingaces.org
Alamo Escadrille
www.windysock.net
WestFAC
www.westernfac.com
Eagle Squadron
www.geocities.com/the_great_sam8/
FAC/
Flying Aces Club Europe
http://web.mac.com/tectonite/iWeb/
Site%202/FACE.html
Steve Brown
297 Hartman Ct.
San Dimas CA 91773
[email protected]
40 Minute Club list:
www.flickr.com/photos/flyf1d/3177746958
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 136,137,138,140
136 MODEL AVIATION
READER G.W. POYTHRESS sent in a letter that reads, in part:
“The Indoor event covered in the October ’08 issue was very
good—however! As a CD for many years, I wondered how it
could be sanctioned with so many non-AMA events.
“Ask the [author of the article] to describe the non-AMA
models. Not all of us are a member of other organizations. The
photos were fantastic!”
The answer to the first part demonstrates such a fine example
of cooperation between related organizations (as well as the effort
involved in finding flying venues and the value of perseverance)
that I felt it would make a nice topic for
the column. It’s an interesting story.
Flash back to 1981: the active FF
population has dwindled, partly because of
a lack of decent sites, and many people are
predicting the demise of our activity.
Sound familiar?
The National Free Flight Society
(NFFS), AMA’s FF SIG, reports that its
membership is down to 700, with only a
handful of Indoor fliers. The AMA Indoor
FF Nats is held in a variety of sites located
near the Outdoor Nats. The Indoor Nats
benefits from access to interested
spectators but suffers significantly from
the quality of sites available with short
ceilings and drifty air.
A short history of combined AMA Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Kibbie Dome update
• Join the 40 Minute Club
Bill Gowen’s world-recordholding
F1M aircraft. Gowen
photo.
Larry Loucka’s USIC-winning A-ROG. Larry is from Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Hood
photo.
Nick Aikman’s UK record-setting 35cm model. Lefever photo.
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:25 PM Page 136
April 2009 137
Above: Dale Whitford of Dayton, Ohio, with his Coconut Scale
Mauboussin. Lavender photo.
Right: Tony D’Allessandro is working to join the 40 Minute Club
with his Hand Launched Stick model. He has done 37 minutes
so far. Lang photo.
Below: Steve Brown, who holds the top spot in the 40 Minute
Club, preps his A-6. Kagan photo.
The NFFS president, Tony Italiano, has a meeting
with Hardy Brodersen, the NFFS executive director,
and they decide that a more permanent, high-ceiling,
good-air site is desperately needed. They plan a large
new contest, labeled the United States Indoor
Championships (USIC), in addition to the AMA Nats.
Tony begins scouring the country for the next
great Indoor site. He even takes extended road trips
with his wife to visit potential locations. Most of them
aren’t particularly desirable, but he does locate a few
possibilities.
The first wants an exorbitant daily fee, plus 12%
of the entry fees. When Tony explains the budget
available, they suddenly aren’t interested. (I envision
the telephone conversation going something like, “…
and we fly these really neat models … hello?”) The
second try produces similar results, as does the third.
As Tony crosses site 15 off the list, Don Lindley
relays a message. Modeler John Schlagetter spotted a
picture of an indoor football game at Eastern
Tennessee State University (ETSU) while browsing
through an airline magazine. The building looks huge!
Tony calls site manager John Knox,
and this time the conversation goes a little
differently. Both grew up outside of
Chicago and liked to visit Lake Geneva,
Illinois. Then the conversation turns to
John’s previous military experience. He
was stationed at the Malabang airstrip in
Mindanao, Philippines.
Tony perks up and asks John if he
remembers the C-47 supply craft that
would pop the wheels up immediately
after takeoff, tear across the water, pull up
vertical, and roll out at the top once the
speed bled off.
John says, “Heck yeah, we always
thought that guy was some ex-fighter pilot
or something.” Tony grins and says, “That
was me!” They have an instant bond, and
the USIC finds a permanent home.
The ETSU Mini-Dome’s rent is low,
the university staff loves the event and is
eager to have us, and the site is great. It is
impervious to outside conditions and of a
decent height. The first ETSU USIC was
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:26 PM Page 137
138 MODEL AVIATION
NAME COUNTRY TIME 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE NAME COUNTRY TIME OPEN* 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE
BROWN, STEVE USA 63:54 X 1996 SANTA ANA KUJAWA, SYLWESTER POL 43:35 X 1992 WROCLAW
KAGAN, JOHN USA 61:30 X 2005 LAKEHURST AMORARITEI, DAN ROM 43:31 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RICHMOND, JIM USA 59:01 X 2002 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 43:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 55:06 X 1993 SANTA ANA CUMMINGS, FRANK USA 43:28 X 1963 SANTA ANA
BROWN, STEVE USA 53:45 X 1997 SANTA ANA ATWOOD, BILL USA 43:17 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 52:22 X 1983 CARDINGTON THOMAS, MIKE CAN 43:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
COSLICK, LARRY USA 52:04 X 1999 AKRON PLOTZKE, RON USA 42:53 X 1969 LAKEHURST
UNDERWOOD, GARY USA 51:58 X 1996 LAKEHURST FOSTER, JOE USA 42:44 X 1987 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 51:53 X 1999 SANTA ANA SIEBENMANN, DIETER SUI 42:33 X 1986 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 51:36 X 1998 SANTA ANA KELLER, PETER SUI 42:30 X 1999 BORDEAUX
KAGAN, JOHN USA 51:11 X 1999 AKRON CALLIAU, LARRY USA 42:29 X 1985 AKRON
DOIG, RICK USA 50:41 X 1995 AKRON BAILEY, BOB UK 42:28 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA
KOWALSKI, DICK USA 50:41 X 1976 AKRON DOMINA, DAN USA 42:25 X 1979 AKRON
RICHMOND, JIM USA 50:12 X 1999 AKRON CANNIZZO, SAL USA 42:20 X 1983 LAKEHURST
BANKS, CEZAR USA 49:50 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID KRAUSE, MARIAN GER 42:10 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
ROMAK, BUD USA 49:35 X 1991 LAKEHURST PYMM, DAVE UK 42:03 X 1986 CARDINGTON
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 49:31 X 1995 AKRON ROMAK, BUD USA 42:01 X 1965 MOFFETT NAS
BARR, LAURIE UK 49:29 X 1996 CARDINGTON LEONARD, NICK SR USA 41:50 X 1999 AKRON
HUNT, BERNARD UK 49:07 X 1997 CARDINGTON POPA, AUREL ROM 41:42 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
SLUSARCZYK, DON USA 48:10 X 1995 AKRON OBARSKI, DICK USA 41:30 X 1981 AKRON
BUTTY, RENE SUI 48:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID FINCH, TOM USA 41:27 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ROHRBAUGH, AL USA 47:40 X 1997 AKRON KINOSHITA, SATOSHI JPN 41:24 X 1993 TACHIKAWA CITY
TIPPER, JOHN UK 47:21 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODEMSKY, ERV USA 41:23 X 1979 AKRON
HARLAN, RAY USA 47:13 X 1980 AKRON CHAMPINE, BOB USA 41:23 X 1963 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 47:03 X 1998 SANTA ANA STOLL, ED USA 41:21 X 1963 SANTA ANA
DOIG, RICK USA 46:24 X 1983 AKRON HOFFMAN, EARL USA 41:13 X 1987 SANTA ANA
OTA, KENICHI JPN 46:16 X 1996 MATUMOTO CITY BAKOS, FERENC HUN 41:10 X 1999 DEBRECEN
LOUCKA, LARRY USA 46:14 X 1995 AKRON KIHARA, KAZUMASA JPN 41:06 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY
CHILTON, STAN USA 46:10 X 1994 AKRON SCHRAMM, LUTZ GER 41:02 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
McGILLIVRAY, JACK CAN 45:57 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID ROMBLAD, JONAS SWE 41:02 X 1999 LAKEHURST
RODEMSKY, ERV USA 45:50 X 1974 SANTA ANA RICHARDS, DEREK UK 41:02 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RIEKE, K.H. GER 45:40 X 1962 CARDINGTON MATHER, CLARENCE USA 40:54 X 1974 SANTA ANA
MERKT, THOMAS GER 45:27 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID GANSER, RON USA 40:53 X 1996 AKRON
REDLIN, CARL USA 45:17 X 1962 CARDINGTON DRAPER, RON UK 40:44 X 1962 CARDINGTON
REE, ANDRAS HUN 45:13 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA POPA, AUREL ROM 40:42 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
ANDREWS, PETE USA 44:59 X 1979 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 40:38 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
ENOMOTO, HIDEO JPN 44:55 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY BILGRI, JOE USA 40:37 X 1965 SANTA ANA
MATHER, CLARENCE USA 44:44 X 1974 SANTA ANA NONAKA, SIGEYOSI JPN 40:36 X 1978 CARDINGTON
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 44:37 X 1985 CARDINGTON STEVENS, DARRYL USA 40:35 X 1986 SANTA ANA
DE BATTY, BOB USA 44:35 X 1996 SANTA ANA SHEPHERD, JESSE USA 40:33 X 1995 AKRON
NICOARA, VASILE ROM 44:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID DIHM, JAN POL 40:21 X 1997 SLANIC PRAHOVA
HULBERT, BILL USA 44:27 X 1994 AKRON LOTZ, RAINER GER 40:20 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
HACKLINGER, MAX GER 44:20 X 1961 CARDINGTON ZALUSKA, MAX USA 40:17 X 2008 LAKEHURST
ANDRE, THEDO NED 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON MOSKALEV, VASILI UKR 40:15 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
NORE, PENTTI FIN 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON GITLOW, LEW USA 40:15 X 1987 SANTA ANA
ORSOVAI, DEZSO HUN 44:01 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODENBURG, OTTO NED 40:11 X 1986 CARDINGTON
KOPECKY, ERNIE USA 43:42 X 1963 SANTA ANA KALINA, JIRI CZE 40:11 X 1975 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 43:39 X 1995 SANTA ANA TRIOLO, JOHN USA 40:06 X 1974 LAKEHURST
ALLEN, PAUL USA 43:36 X 1974 SANTA ANA MZIK, LARRY USA 40:01 X 1995 AKRON
Official and unofficial flights included. Best effort only, by individual, by class. Steve Brown, 297 Hartman Ct., San Dimas, CA 91773 USA [email protected]
FORTY MINUTE CLUB
2008
* OPEN = OVER 65CM WINGSPAN Send additions or corrections to:
held in 1987, and we’ve been there since.
All that is the effort and perseverance
mentioned earlier.
Several years later, in 1990, Tony strikes
a deal to have the Indoor FF Nats join the
USIC at ETSU. The AMA is happy to
relinquish the event management, and with
the exception of Lubbock, Texas, in 1994,
and the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, in
1996, the USIC and Indoor FF Nats have
run as a combined event at the Mini-Dome.
Although there is now one major national
contest instead of two, at least both parts
enjoy a new, world-class facility.
And referring to world class, two F1D
World Championships have been hosted at
ETSU. The first was in 1988, with a repeat
performance in 1990.
Flash back to the present: we are still
flying the Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
together at the fabulous Mini-Dome. Like
model airplane pack rats, we love creating
new events, but apparently we can’t bear to
get rid of the old ones. There are 16 events
in the AMA Indoor FF Nats portion of the
contest and 18 in the USIC part.
Aside from the cost of a few more
trophies (or more stick-on plates), there isn’t
much extra expense for the additional
events. They share timeslots and airspace
with other models, and the processing and
scoring is done by the same people, so no
additional resources are required.
There’s occasional talk about eliminating
low-participation events, but I don’t see
much reason to do that. Consolidating
similar events and creating a more structured
hierarchy is a different story.
The AMA events are more formally
vetted and have a national set of regulations
published in the rule book that is available to
all members, so everyone reading this
should be able to look those up.
The USIC events are slightly more varied
and it can be harder to find the rules,
although information is included with every
USIC registration packet.
Eight of these events are Flying Aces
Club (FAC) classes. The FAC is more than
just a few sets of events; it’s a society
dedicated to traditional stick-and-tissue FF
model aviation, with some competition and
a lot of camaraderie. Check out the Web site
addresses at the end of this column to learn
more about some FAC squadrons across the
country.
The FAC members fly mostly outdoors,
but there’s indoor activity too. The USIC
FAC events are Dime Scale, Golden Age,
High-Wing Monoplane, Modern Civil
Production, FAC Scale, FAC Peanut, No-
Cal (profile scale), and the World War I and
II mass launches. The FAC is a great part of
the USIC experience.
F1M and 35cm are popular international
duration events. The 35cm aircraft is a
smaller version of F1D, with a 35cm
wingspan, compared with F1D’s 55cm
span, making more flying sites viable.
F1M is a “beginner” version of F1D,
with a higher minimum weight and smaller
wingspan requirements. Both are prime
candidates for becoming official AMA
events, as F1L (an international 1.2-gram
version of EZB) did.
Current top indoor ornithopters, capable
of flights approaching 20 minutes, are
propelled by flapping wings but have their
lift provided by a traditional wing. They are
amazingly graceful when everything is
working properly, but their intricate
mechanisms can go awry with disastrous
results.
A-ROG Stick is a remnant of early
AMA models, when there were four sizes:
A, B, C, and D (Stick versus Cabin, and
rise-off-ground versus Hand Launch).
These tiny works of art are some of the few
remaining classes that use microfilm.
A-6, P-24, and Science Olympiad are
entry-level models from various sources.
They are included to help promote Indoor
FF, encourage participants to attend the
USIC, and hopefully persuade fliers to try
other events.
Coconut Scale is an event from
MIAMA: a Miami area stick-and-tissue
group run for many years by the late Doc
Martin. The goal of this class is big models,
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:27 PM Page 138
and the mass launch of these behemoths is a
USIC highlight.
The final group includes some oddball,
just-for-fun events. Unlimited Rubber Speed
involves three laps around two balloon-string
pylons. That’s hard enough with an RC
model; try coaxing an FF aircraft to stay on
course!
Round the Pole is an FF-CL hybrid in
which the model is tethered to a center pole,
and three speedy laps are timed. Straight Line
Speed is a mad dash from a standing start,
across a basketball court, into a Visqueen
sheet.
Race to the Roof is a flight straight up.
Past winners have flown from a standing start
to the 116-foot roof in less than 6 seconds.
There are separate awards for the AMA
and USIC events, separate registration forms,
and separate historical records, but when we
get to the Mini-Dome, it’s all the same
people working together like one big happy
family (although many vie for the “crazy
uncle” title).
Now you can understand how a large
number of AMA and NFFS events can run at
the same contest and everything is fine.
Better yet, come to Johnson City, Tennessee,
and see for yourself. There’s something for
everyone!
The 2009 USIC/AMA FF Indoor Nats
events are scheduled for May 27-31. You can
get more information on the AMA Web site.
Kibbie Dome Update: Andrew Tagliafico
reports that the Kibbie Dome is getting some
long-promised upgrades. Word is that the
plywood ends are going to be reconstructed
with something slightly more enduring. He
doesn’t know if they are going to do other
parts of the project now, which include
lowering the floor, adding seats, and
flattening the ceiling, but they plan to finish
the ends before next winter.
Unfortunately the construction means that
this year’s Kibbie Dome Annual is off, but
Andrew is optimistic for 2010.
If you West Coasters are worried about
fulfilling your annual big-contest fix,
consider making the trek to the USIC this
year. There are some format differences, but
it’s better than nothing. Even a bad day of
model airplane flying is better than a good
day at work, right?
The 40 Minute Club: Starting with German
Max Hacklinger’s 44:20 Unlimited flight in
1961 in Cardington, England, a list has been
kept of everyone who has achieved a 40-plusminute
flight. Even today, membership in the
40 Minute Club is a significant achievement.
There are fewer than 100 members, and it
includes many World Champions and top
competitors.
The list records the best performance,
official or unofficial, per individual, per
category. Topping the register is Steve
Brown’s historic 63:54: the first flight to
break the long-standing one-hour mark. Steve
also holds the best 65cm F1D (old rules) time
of 53:45.
Marian Krause set the 55cm F1D (new
rules) high-water mark of 42:10 at the epic
but no-longer-available Cargo Lifter Hangar
in Germany. The 300-foot ceiling height
facilitated flights that are not likely to be
topped anytime soon.
Other “between-the-lines” tidbits include
140 MODEL AVIATION
Sylwester Kujawa’s 43:35 in Wroclaw,
Poland, which was half of his winning F1D
World Championships score. John Tipper’s
47:21 in the World Championships at Slanic
Prahova, Romania, was almost a minute
better than the first- and second-place
finishers’ best flights. (John finished third.)
Ray Harlan’s 47:13 in 1980 and Dick
Kowalski’s 50:41 in 1976 were well before
the higher-performance Tan II rubber that
many of the list members enjoyed. It will be
hard to wrest the Lanterne Rouge from Ohio
personality Larry Mzik, who squeezed into
the club with a 40:01 after many years of
effort.
You can check out the full list online.
(See the “Sources” list for the Web site
addresses.) If you’ve achieved your 40-
minute flight, contact Steve Brown to get
your name included on the list and
prepare to reap your share of the fame
and fortune. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Lone Star Squadron
www.flyingaces.org
Alamo Escadrille
www.windysock.net
WestFAC
www.westernfac.com
Eagle Squadron
www.geocities.com/the_great_sam8/
FAC/
Flying Aces Club Europe
http://web.mac.com/tectonite/iWeb/
Site%202/FACE.html
Steve Brown
297 Hartman Ct.
San Dimas CA 91773
[email protected]
40 Minute Club list:
www.flickr.com/photos/flyf1d/3177746958
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 136,137,138,140
136 MODEL AVIATION
READER G.W. POYTHRESS sent in a letter that reads, in part:
“The Indoor event covered in the October ’08 issue was very
good—however! As a CD for many years, I wondered how it
could be sanctioned with so many non-AMA events.
“Ask the [author of the article] to describe the non-AMA
models. Not all of us are a member of other organizations. The
photos were fantastic!”
The answer to the first part demonstrates such a fine example
of cooperation between related organizations (as well as the effort
involved in finding flying venues and the value of perseverance)
that I felt it would make a nice topic for
the column. It’s an interesting story.
Flash back to 1981: the active FF
population has dwindled, partly because of
a lack of decent sites, and many people are
predicting the demise of our activity.
Sound familiar?
The National Free Flight Society
(NFFS), AMA’s FF SIG, reports that its
membership is down to 700, with only a
handful of Indoor fliers. The AMA Indoor
FF Nats is held in a variety of sites located
near the Outdoor Nats. The Indoor Nats
benefits from access to interested
spectators but suffers significantly from
the quality of sites available with short
ceilings and drifty air.
A short history of combined AMA Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Kibbie Dome update
• Join the 40 Minute Club
Bill Gowen’s world-recordholding
F1M aircraft. Gowen
photo.
Larry Loucka’s USIC-winning A-ROG. Larry is from Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Hood
photo.
Nick Aikman’s UK record-setting 35cm model. Lefever photo.
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:25 PM Page 136
April 2009 137
Above: Dale Whitford of Dayton, Ohio, with his Coconut Scale
Mauboussin. Lavender photo.
Right: Tony D’Allessandro is working to join the 40 Minute Club
with his Hand Launched Stick model. He has done 37 minutes
so far. Lang photo.
Below: Steve Brown, who holds the top spot in the 40 Minute
Club, preps his A-6. Kagan photo.
The NFFS president, Tony Italiano, has a meeting
with Hardy Brodersen, the NFFS executive director,
and they decide that a more permanent, high-ceiling,
good-air site is desperately needed. They plan a large
new contest, labeled the United States Indoor
Championships (USIC), in addition to the AMA Nats.
Tony begins scouring the country for the next
great Indoor site. He even takes extended road trips
with his wife to visit potential locations. Most of them
aren’t particularly desirable, but he does locate a few
possibilities.
The first wants an exorbitant daily fee, plus 12%
of the entry fees. When Tony explains the budget
available, they suddenly aren’t interested. (I envision
the telephone conversation going something like, “…
and we fly these really neat models … hello?”) The
second try produces similar results, as does the third.
As Tony crosses site 15 off the list, Don Lindley
relays a message. Modeler John Schlagetter spotted a
picture of an indoor football game at Eastern
Tennessee State University (ETSU) while browsing
through an airline magazine. The building looks huge!
Tony calls site manager John Knox,
and this time the conversation goes a little
differently. Both grew up outside of
Chicago and liked to visit Lake Geneva,
Illinois. Then the conversation turns to
John’s previous military experience. He
was stationed at the Malabang airstrip in
Mindanao, Philippines.
Tony perks up and asks John if he
remembers the C-47 supply craft that
would pop the wheels up immediately
after takeoff, tear across the water, pull up
vertical, and roll out at the top once the
speed bled off.
John says, “Heck yeah, we always
thought that guy was some ex-fighter pilot
or something.” Tony grins and says, “That
was me!” They have an instant bond, and
the USIC finds a permanent home.
The ETSU Mini-Dome’s rent is low,
the university staff loves the event and is
eager to have us, and the site is great. It is
impervious to outside conditions and of a
decent height. The first ETSU USIC was
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:26 PM Page 137
138 MODEL AVIATION
NAME COUNTRY TIME 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE NAME COUNTRY TIME OPEN* 65CM 55CM YEAR SITE
BROWN, STEVE USA 63:54 X 1996 SANTA ANA KUJAWA, SYLWESTER POL 43:35 X 1992 WROCLAW
KAGAN, JOHN USA 61:30 X 2005 LAKEHURST AMORARITEI, DAN ROM 43:31 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RICHMOND, JIM USA 59:01 X 2002 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 43:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 55:06 X 1993 SANTA ANA CUMMINGS, FRANK USA 43:28 X 1963 SANTA ANA
BROWN, STEVE USA 53:45 X 1997 SANTA ANA ATWOOD, BILL USA 43:17 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 52:22 X 1983 CARDINGTON THOMAS, MIKE CAN 43:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
COSLICK, LARRY USA 52:04 X 1999 AKRON PLOTZKE, RON USA 42:53 X 1969 LAKEHURST
UNDERWOOD, GARY USA 51:58 X 1996 LAKEHURST FOSTER, JOE USA 42:44 X 1987 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 51:53 X 1999 SANTA ANA SIEBENMANN, DIETER SUI 42:33 X 1986 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 51:36 X 1998 SANTA ANA KELLER, PETER SUI 42:30 X 1999 BORDEAUX
KAGAN, JOHN USA 51:11 X 1999 AKRON CALLIAU, LARRY USA 42:29 X 1985 AKRON
DOIG, RICK USA 50:41 X 1995 AKRON BAILEY, BOB UK 42:28 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA
KOWALSKI, DICK USA 50:41 X 1976 AKRON DOMINA, DAN USA 42:25 X 1979 AKRON
RICHMOND, JIM USA 50:12 X 1999 AKRON CANNIZZO, SAL USA 42:20 X 1983 LAKEHURST
BANKS, CEZAR USA 49:50 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID KRAUSE, MARIAN GER 42:10 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
ROMAK, BUD USA 49:35 X 1991 LAKEHURST PYMM, DAVE UK 42:03 X 1986 CARDINGTON
RANDOLPH, BOB USA 49:31 X 1995 AKRON ROMAK, BUD USA 42:01 X 1965 MOFFETT NAS
BARR, LAURIE UK 49:29 X 1996 CARDINGTON LEONARD, NICK SR USA 41:50 X 1999 AKRON
HUNT, BERNARD UK 49:07 X 1997 CARDINGTON POPA, AUREL ROM 41:42 X 2003 CARGOLIFTER
SLUSARCZYK, DON USA 48:10 X 1995 AKRON OBARSKI, DICK USA 41:30 X 1981 AKRON
BUTTY, RENE SUI 48:01 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID FINCH, TOM USA 41:27 X 1963 SANTA ANA
ROHRBAUGH, AL USA 47:40 X 1997 AKRON KINOSHITA, SATOSHI JPN 41:24 X 1993 TACHIKAWA CITY
TIPPER, JOHN UK 47:21 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODEMSKY, ERV USA 41:23 X 1979 AKRON
HARLAN, RAY USA 47:13 X 1980 AKRON CHAMPINE, BOB USA 41:23 X 1963 SANTA ANA
GIBBS, BOB USA 47:03 X 1998 SANTA ANA STOLL, ED USA 41:21 X 1963 SANTA ANA
DOIG, RICK USA 46:24 X 1983 AKRON HOFFMAN, EARL USA 41:13 X 1987 SANTA ANA
OTA, KENICHI JPN 46:16 X 1996 MATUMOTO CITY BAKOS, FERENC HUN 41:10 X 1999 DEBRECEN
LOUCKA, LARRY USA 46:14 X 1995 AKRON KIHARA, KAZUMASA JPN 41:06 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY
CHILTON, STAN USA 46:10 X 1994 AKRON SCHRAMM, LUTZ GER 41:02 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
McGILLIVRAY, JACK CAN 45:57 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID ROMBLAD, JONAS SWE 41:02 X 1999 LAKEHURST
RODEMSKY, ERV USA 45:50 X 1974 SANTA ANA RICHARDS, DEREK UK 41:02 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA
RIEKE, K.H. GER 45:40 X 1962 CARDINGTON MATHER, CLARENCE USA 40:54 X 1974 SANTA ANA
MERKT, THOMAS GER 45:27 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID GANSER, RON USA 40:53 X 1996 AKRON
REDLIN, CARL USA 45:17 X 1962 CARDINGTON DRAPER, RON UK 40:44 X 1962 CARDINGTON
REE, ANDRAS HUN 45:13 X 1998 SLANIC PRAHOVA POPA, AUREL ROM 40:42 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
ANDREWS, PETE USA 44:59 X 1979 AKRON MANGALEA, CORNELIU ROM 40:38 X 2002 CARGOLIFTER
ENOMOTO, HIDEO JPN 44:55 X 1998 MATUMOTO CITY BILGRI, JOE USA 40:37 X 1965 SANTA ANA
MATHER, CLARENCE USA 44:44 X 1974 SANTA ANA NONAKA, SIGEYOSI JPN 40:36 X 1978 CARDINGTON
ASLETT, BERNARD UK 44:37 X 1985 CARDINGTON STEVENS, DARRYL USA 40:35 X 1986 SANTA ANA
DE BATTY, BOB USA 44:35 X 1996 SANTA ANA SHEPHERD, JESSE USA 40:33 X 1995 AKRON
NICOARA, VASILE ROM 44:30 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID DIHM, JAN POL 40:21 X 1997 SLANIC PRAHOVA
HULBERT, BILL USA 44:27 X 1994 AKRON LOTZ, RAINER GER 40:20 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
HACKLINGER, MAX GER 44:20 X 1961 CARDINGTON ZALUSKA, MAX USA 40:17 X 2008 LAKEHURST
ANDRE, THEDO NED 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON MOSKALEV, VASILI UKR 40:15 X 1996 MOSCOW, ID
NORE, PENTTI FIN 44:01 X 1986 CARDINGTON GITLOW, LEW USA 40:15 X 1987 SANTA ANA
ORSOVAI, DEZSO HUN 44:01 X 2000 SLANIC PRAHOVA RODENBURG, OTTO NED 40:11 X 1986 CARDINGTON
KOPECKY, ERNIE USA 43:42 X 1963 SANTA ANA KALINA, JIRI CZE 40:11 X 1975 CARDINGTON
ROBBINS, HERB USA 43:39 X 1995 SANTA ANA TRIOLO, JOHN USA 40:06 X 1974 LAKEHURST
ALLEN, PAUL USA 43:36 X 1974 SANTA ANA MZIK, LARRY USA 40:01 X 1995 AKRON
Official and unofficial flights included. Best effort only, by individual, by class. Steve Brown, 297 Hartman Ct., San Dimas, CA 91773 USA [email protected]
FORTY MINUTE CLUB
2008
* OPEN = OVER 65CM WINGSPAN Send additions or corrections to:
held in 1987, and we’ve been there since.
All that is the effort and perseverance
mentioned earlier.
Several years later, in 1990, Tony strikes
a deal to have the Indoor FF Nats join the
USIC at ETSU. The AMA is happy to
relinquish the event management, and with
the exception of Lubbock, Texas, in 1994,
and the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, in
1996, the USIC and Indoor FF Nats have
run as a combined event at the Mini-Dome.
Although there is now one major national
contest instead of two, at least both parts
enjoy a new, world-class facility.
And referring to world class, two F1D
World Championships have been hosted at
ETSU. The first was in 1988, with a repeat
performance in 1990.
Flash back to the present: we are still
flying the Indoor FF Nats and the USIC
together at the fabulous Mini-Dome. Like
model airplane pack rats, we love creating
new events, but apparently we can’t bear to
get rid of the old ones. There are 16 events
in the AMA Indoor FF Nats portion of the
contest and 18 in the USIC part.
Aside from the cost of a few more
trophies (or more stick-on plates), there isn’t
much extra expense for the additional
events. They share timeslots and airspace
with other models, and the processing and
scoring is done by the same people, so no
additional resources are required.
There’s occasional talk about eliminating
low-participation events, but I don’t see
much reason to do that. Consolidating
similar events and creating a more structured
hierarchy is a different story.
The AMA events are more formally
vetted and have a national set of regulations
published in the rule book that is available to
all members, so everyone reading this
should be able to look those up.
The USIC events are slightly more varied
and it can be harder to find the rules,
although information is included with every
USIC registration packet.
Eight of these events are Flying Aces
Club (FAC) classes. The FAC is more than
just a few sets of events; it’s a society
dedicated to traditional stick-and-tissue FF
model aviation, with some competition and
a lot of camaraderie. Check out the Web site
addresses at the end of this column to learn
more about some FAC squadrons across the
country.
The FAC members fly mostly outdoors,
but there’s indoor activity too. The USIC
FAC events are Dime Scale, Golden Age,
High-Wing Monoplane, Modern Civil
Production, FAC Scale, FAC Peanut, No-
Cal (profile scale), and the World War I and
II mass launches. The FAC is a great part of
the USIC experience.
F1M and 35cm are popular international
duration events. The 35cm aircraft is a
smaller version of F1D, with a 35cm
wingspan, compared with F1D’s 55cm
span, making more flying sites viable.
F1M is a “beginner” version of F1D,
with a higher minimum weight and smaller
wingspan requirements. Both are prime
candidates for becoming official AMA
events, as F1L (an international 1.2-gram
version of EZB) did.
Current top indoor ornithopters, capable
of flights approaching 20 minutes, are
propelled by flapping wings but have their
lift provided by a traditional wing. They are
amazingly graceful when everything is
working properly, but their intricate
mechanisms can go awry with disastrous
results.
A-ROG Stick is a remnant of early
AMA models, when there were four sizes:
A, B, C, and D (Stick versus Cabin, and
rise-off-ground versus Hand Launch).
These tiny works of art are some of the few
remaining classes that use microfilm.
A-6, P-24, and Science Olympiad are
entry-level models from various sources.
They are included to help promote Indoor
FF, encourage participants to attend the
USIC, and hopefully persuade fliers to try
other events.
Coconut Scale is an event from
MIAMA: a Miami area stick-and-tissue
group run for many years by the late Doc
Martin. The goal of this class is big models,
04sig5.QXD 2/24/09 12:27 PM Page 138
and the mass launch of these behemoths is a
USIC highlight.
The final group includes some oddball,
just-for-fun events. Unlimited Rubber Speed
involves three laps around two balloon-string
pylons. That’s hard enough with an RC
model; try coaxing an FF aircraft to stay on
course!
Round the Pole is an FF-CL hybrid in
which the model is tethered to a center pole,
and three speedy laps are timed. Straight Line
Speed is a mad dash from a standing start,
across a basketball court, into a Visqueen
sheet.
Race to the Roof is a flight straight up.
Past winners have flown from a standing start
to the 116-foot roof in less than 6 seconds.
There are separate awards for the AMA
and USIC events, separate registration forms,
and separate historical records, but when we
get to the Mini-Dome, it’s all the same
people working together like one big happy
family (although many vie for the “crazy
uncle” title).
Now you can understand how a large
number of AMA and NFFS events can run at
the same contest and everything is fine.
Better yet, come to Johnson City, Tennessee,
and see for yourself. There’s something for
everyone!
The 2009 USIC/AMA FF Indoor Nats
events are scheduled for May 27-31. You can
get more information on the AMA Web site.
Kibbie Dome Update: Andrew Tagliafico
reports that the Kibbie Dome is getting some
long-promised upgrades. Word is that the
plywood ends are going to be reconstructed
with something slightly more enduring. He
doesn’t know if they are going to do other
parts of the project now, which include
lowering the floor, adding seats, and
flattening the ceiling, but they plan to finish
the ends before next winter.
Unfortunately the construction means that
this year’s Kibbie Dome Annual is off, but
Andrew is optimistic for 2010.
If you West Coasters are worried about
fulfilling your annual big-contest fix,
consider making the trek to the USIC this
year. There are some format differences, but
it’s better than nothing. Even a bad day of
model airplane flying is better than a good
day at work, right?
The 40 Minute Club: Starting with German
Max Hacklinger’s 44:20 Unlimited flight in
1961 in Cardington, England, a list has been
kept of everyone who has achieved a 40-plusminute
flight. Even today, membership in the
40 Minute Club is a significant achievement.
There are fewer than 100 members, and it
includes many World Champions and top
competitors.
The list records the best performance,
official or unofficial, per individual, per
category. Topping the register is Steve
Brown’s historic 63:54: the first flight to
break the long-standing one-hour mark. Steve
also holds the best 65cm F1D (old rules) time
of 53:45.
Marian Krause set the 55cm F1D (new
rules) high-water mark of 42:10 at the epic
but no-longer-available Cargo Lifter Hangar
in Germany. The 300-foot ceiling height
facilitated flights that are not likely to be
topped anytime soon.
Other “between-the-lines” tidbits include
140 MODEL AVIATION
Sylwester Kujawa’s 43:35 in Wroclaw,
Poland, which was half of his winning F1D
World Championships score. John Tipper’s
47:21 in the World Championships at Slanic
Prahova, Romania, was almost a minute
better than the first- and second-place
finishers’ best flights. (John finished third.)
Ray Harlan’s 47:13 in 1980 and Dick
Kowalski’s 50:41 in 1976 were well before
the higher-performance Tan II rubber that
many of the list members enjoyed. It will be
hard to wrest the Lanterne Rouge from Ohio
personality Larry Mzik, who squeezed into
the club with a 40:01 after many years of
effort.
You can check out the full list online.
(See the “Sources” list for the Web site
addresses.) If you’ve achieved your 40-
minute flight, contact Steve Brown to get
your name included on the list and
prepare to reap your share of the fame
and fortune. MA
Sources:
AMA
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Lone Star Squadron
www.flyingaces.org
Alamo Escadrille
www.windysock.net
WestFAC
www.westernfac.com
Eagle Squadron
www.geocities.com/the_great_sam8/
FAC/
Flying Aces Club Europe
http://web.mac.com/tectonite/iWeb/
Site%202/FACE.html
Steve Brown
297 Hartman Ct.
San Dimas CA 91773
[email protected]
40 Minute Club list:
www.flickr.com/photos/flyf1d/3177746958