INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2007 9
William (Bill)
Wisniewski passed away
peacefully during the night
of March 2/3 at his home.
He was a giant in CL Speed
circles in the US and in
Europe.
Known to many people
as “Uncle Willie,” from the
“uncle” appellation used by
Cleveland Speed flier Al
Stegens, Bill’s success in
competition was surpassed
only by his modesty,
generosity, and friendliness.
He was born in Olympia,
Washington, in 1929. He
learned the machinist’s trade
and moved to California to attend the Northrop Institute and
subsequently work in the aircraft industry at Northrop Aviation in
Hawthorne.
While there he joined Johnny Brodbeck at K&B in Downey,
California, working part-time until 1958 and becoming full-time in
1959. He continued to work for K&B after its move to Lake Havasu
City, Arizona, through the purchase by Bill Bennett of the Circus-
Circus casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and until the eventual breakup of
the company.
Bill Wisniewski lived with his wife Beverly and their three
children in Lakewood during the years in California. Beverly, who
had become active in conducting the Speed portion of the AMA Nats,
died in 2000, and the loss was a severe blow to Bill.
Their eldest son Mike, Bill’s partner and pilot in the Speed
circle at the time, passed away a few months later. Bill is survived
by his daughter Mindy; son Rick, who was also a frequent presence
in the circle; and grandchildren Mike, Jennifer, Travis, and Pamela.
Bill is well known in the modeling world for designing many
series of K&B Torpedo engines. His work initiated the rearrotary-
valve-induction series of K&B engines, which was the
basis of many Speed fliers’ successes and was used by the first
US FAI Speed team. The same basic design was employed in the
long-successful K&B .40.
Bill really showed his wizardry at the Speed circle. Published
in Air Trails in 1951, his Screamin’ Deamon was a Dooling .61-
powered airplane that introduced many Speed fliers to the pen-bladder
pressure fuel system.
The Screamin’ Deamon was followed by Bill’s earliest Pink Lady
design, which began winning contests and setting records in the mid-
1950s using Torpedo “Green Head” power. Bill became a constant
presence at the AMA Nats on the field and in the K&B engine-repair
booth.
In 1960 the FAI/CIAM added category F2—CL—to its World
Championships schedule. F2A was the Speed category.
Bill headed an F2A team in Budapest, Hungary, flying with the
current rear-induction Torpedo .15R engine and using monoline,
which provoked complaints from other teams. Those were the days of
unlimited fuel ingredients, and Bill topped the field with flights
powered by the additive tetranitromethane. Despite protests from
other teams, the flight was allowed to stand. Bill was second on the
podium and led a US team win (with second, fourth, and sixth places).
Bill skipped the controversial 1962 Champs but returned to
Budapest in 1964 with a newly designed engine to improve
performance while complying with new rules. With the successful
Schnuerle-ported Speed-model engine, Bill captured his first CL
Speed World Championship and led the team of Glenn Lee (third)
and Bob Carpenter (fifth) to the team title.
For the next World Championships, held in Swinderby, England,
Bill and teammate Roger Theobald produced another surprise: their
successful development of the tuned exhaust system that left the rest
of the field in the dust. Bill stunned the field with a flight of nearly
260 kph. Roger was second at 241, and the rest of the competitors
struggled to reach the 220s.
Bill’s last World Champs appearance was in 1968 in Helsinki,
Finland; it was the last use of monoline in F2A.
After two championships and two second-place performances in
four tries, Bill retired from FAI competition. He stayed mainly in
California and assisted Bev in AMA duties for the remainder of his
Speed flying career. He was a standard figure at the Whittier Narrows,
California, Speed contests, up through a difficult appearance in
November.
There won’t be another quite like Bill in the Speed circles. As will
many others, I will miss him as a modeler and a man. Rest peacefully,
my good friend. MA
—Laird Jackson
District III
• This month’s
construction articles are
for Don Berliner and Ed
Mitchell’s large-scale
RC Cap-21 (plans
370) for gas power,
Jerry Caldwell’s CL
Super Star (plans
369) designed for
Precision
Aerobatics and
Sport Scale
competition, and
J.F. Andrews’
Strato-Streak
(plans 371), which can be built as a 1/2A FF
or two-channel RC model. Lou Garami
originally designed this Old-Timer in 1941.
• George Myers gives us a tour of the 1982
WRAM Show and points out the newest
innovations in modeling such as the
synthesized receiver modules.
• Larry Jolly covers the Two-Meter World
Cup held in Las Vegas, Nevada, that Don
Edberg won for the second year in a row.
• Don Lindley and Stan Stoy show how to
make a DT timer for Hand Launched
Gliders and other small FF models from a
$2 toy (Rascal Robots).
• Electric power is just catching on in
America, but famous Belgian modeler Peter
Blommaart writes an interesting article about
how electric-powered aircraft have been
popular in Europe for at least 10 years.
• The AMA building fund topped the
$100,000 mark this month. The goal is
still $160,000. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
William Wisniewski: 1929-2007
25 Years Ago in MA: June 1982
06sig1.QXD 4/23/07 2:12 PM Page 9
“This will be a showcase
opportunity,” said April, referring to
the annual NSTA National Conference
in Saint Louis.
The staff worked with the teachers
and taught them building techniques
and how to wind, trim, and fly the
rubber-powered balsa airplanes used in
the AeroLab program.
The AeroLab DVD/CD is an instructional program for
teachers to use in their classrooms to integrate aerospace
education concepts into math, science, social studies, language
arts, and technology education programs, to meet goals and
objectives of the national standards for these disciplines.
Nearly all the funds for the AeroLab project and half the cost
of the new booth came through a grant provided by Alcoa (the
world’s leading aluminum producer).
“In the last three years, grant money from Alcoa has come to
roughly a quarter million dollars,” said Jack. “That’s a quarter
million of non-dues revenue.”
AeroLab will be shown at the NSTA convention for the first
time, and the AMA staff will be able to take orders for the
DVD/CD. The sales of the project to date total $2,000. MA
—Liz Helms
Executive Editor
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
In addition to the Nats, which will be held
June 30-August 5, the International
Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie,
Indiana, will host some fantastic events this
year.
June 15-17 the 6th Annual International
Extreme Flight Championships (XFC) will
Excitement at AMA Headquarters!
feature some of the best airplane and
helicopter aerobatics fliers in competition.
They are sure to amaze spectators. Another
thrill will be full-scale pilots Matt Chapman
and Michael Mancuso performing their
unique style of formation flying at the event.
The Summer Heat Air Festival is
returning to AMA from the Delaware County
Airport for three fun-filled days of
entertainment for the entire family. Hot-air
balloons, skydivers, concerts, fireworks,
amusement rides, arts and crafts vendors, a
classic car show, food vendors, a Harley-
Davidson ride-in, a balloon illume, and a
special birthday party for Garfield the cat will
make June 15-17 a must-attend weekend at
AMA.
June 23-28 competitors from around the
world will participate in the F3D Pylon
Racing World Championships. At least 18
countries will send representatives to Muncie
to compete. Expect fast-paced action from
these world-class fliers.
The International Radio Control
Helicopter Association (IRCHA) will host its
annual Jamboree at the IAC the weekend of
August 9-12. There will be plenty of seminars
and vendors, along with 15 flightlines and
daily flying demonstrations.
To see a complete listing of events that
will be held at the IAC this summer, visit
www.modelaircraft.org. MA
—AMA staff
AMA’s Education
Department purchased a
new show booth for use at
the National Science
Teachers Association
(NSTA) conventions and
at various trade shows and
workshops the staff and
committee members
attend.
The full-size structure
is 10 x 30 feet, including
tables that were designed
to be used as building
space. The booth can
easily be reduced to 10 x 20 feet or 10 x 10 feet for smaller venues or
an event where the staff only distributes literature or speaks with those
attending the show.
AMA Museum Director Michael Smith, Education Assistant April
Hathaway, and Education Coordinator Jack Frost put the booth
together in the open area of the AMA administration building March
21 and 22. Having watched the manufacturers dismantle it, they
wanted to construct it and organize and label the parts before its debut
that was planned for the last week in March in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Jack and Michael painstakingly labeled each piece of the booth before
they dismantled and stored the 1,200 pounds of parts and equipment.
Building the structure was billed as a six-hour job, but it took the
better part of two days. However, the completed project was
impressive. The additional storage space will eliminate clutter in the
booth, and the eye-catching design work by AMA’s Ben Fletcher is
bound to attract attention.
How to Construct a Show Booth
06sig1.QXD 4/23/07 2:17 PM Page 10
INtheAIR
June 2007 11
Overdue honor
On March 29, 2007, as the April issue of MA went to press
featuring Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson’s Skymasters R/C Club
experience, news broke that approximately 300 remaining Tuskegee
airmen were at last recognized for the patriotism and ability they
demonstrated more than 60 years ago.
Jefferson was one of six selected to receive the Gold Medal of
Honor on behalf of the group in a special ceremony. President Bush
was quoted as saying [this is to] “help atone for all the unreturned
salutes and unforgivable indignities” [they endured], then saluted the
airmen. The Congressional Gold Medal is the most prestigious
Congress has to offer. MA
–Michael Ramsey
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with Estes-Cox, announced a voluntary recall of
Sky Squadron Model 4153 (sold at RadioShack) and Sky
Rangers Model 4161 (sold at Wal-Mart). No Cox RC models
or other Estes models using Li-Poly batteries are affected by
the recall.
Abiding by its high standards of product quality and
consumer satisfaction, Estes informed the Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) that it planned to remove these
airplanes from the market.
The recall was put in place
with the CPSC’s help,
resulting in the press release
sent to Keith Bryan, other
associated agencies, Wal-
Mart, and RadioShack
stores.
Estes-Cox Product
Manager Tom Walker had the recall posted on the company’s
Web site so consumers would know how to replace the
airplanes that were deemed to be of concern. Mr. Walker also
wanted to make it clear that Estes-Cox’s customers are its first
priority.
Roughly 66,000 units were affected by this action, and
Estes-Cox has developed
a corrective action plan
that the CPSC has
approved. This will
assure customers
(primarily new and young
fliers who are not yet fullfledged
hobbyists) a safe
and enjoyable flying
experience.
The models recalled were sold from December 2006
through February 2007. Estes-Cox received five reports of
overheating, including one of a model catching fire and
resulting in a minor burn injury.
Consumers should stop using recalled products
immediately and contact Estes-Cox for instructions for
returning the items for replacements. For additional
information contact Estes-Cox at (800) 576-5811 between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m. (Mountain Time) Monday through Friday or
go to www.estesrockets.com. MA
—MA staff
Airplanes Recalled for Fire Hazard
Support the US F3A Team!
Every two
years the United
States selects and
sends an RC
Aerobatics team to
compete in the
FAI F3A World
Championships.
The 2007 contest
will take place
November 8-18 at
the airport of Sauce Viejo, located 12 kilometers from
Santa Fe, Argentina. Three pilots will be selected at the
2007 AMA RC Aerobatics Nats/Team Trials in Muncie in
July.
The USA FAI Team Committee selected Albert Glenn
to be the 2007 F3A Team Manager and Raiko Potter to be
the Assistant Team Manager. Each has a unique
combination of experiences in model and full-scale
aviation and a real passion for Aerobatics.
The costs to select and send an F3A team to a foreign
location are significant, even with AMA’s generous
support. You can make a difference by volunteering your
time, making a tax-deductible donation, showing your
support by purchasing official team apparel, or attending a
team practice or selection event.
Visit the team Web site (www.f3a.us) to learn more
about the team-selection process; team representatives;
official team apparel; donation/sponsorship levels for
businesses, clubs, or individuals; how to advertise in the
team program; and much more. Contact me with further
questions at (800) 876-7741. MA
—Rusty Dose
Team USA Fund Raising Coordinator
AMA Life Members, Welcome!
The Academy recently welcomed new Life Members O.U. Larsen
(Marietta GA) and Inbae Kim (Gainesville FL).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA
Headquarters at (800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
President George W. Bush took part in a Congressional Gold
Medal Ceremony for the Tuskegee Airmen including Lt. Col.
Alexander Jefferson (R) in the Rotunda Capitol Hill. Jim Young
photo (c/o Reuters Ltd.)
06sig1.QXD 4/23/07 2:23 PM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
INtheAIR
The development and use of the Internet has had as much of, if not more of, an impact on sharing information as the invention of the
Gutenberg press in the 14th century. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/movable wood or metal letters in 1436.
This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the
sciences, arts, and religion through the transmission of texts.
The Internet’s ability to collect information is also phenomenal. AMA’s 2007 Membership Survey proved to be successful in collecting
input from more than 8,000 members. More than 60,000 E-mails netted a response of 13%, which is considered an excellent percentage in
the surveying/polling world.
The ability to find out what the membership thinks about issues is invaluable in developing programming and services. The previous
AMA membership survey was conducted in 1999 and cost more than $20,000 for an outside firm to conduct. The 2007 survey using the
Internet cost less than $400.
We hope to utilize this technology frequently in seeking input from the membership on topics and issues.
We drew upon some of the questions asked in 1999 to develop the 2007 survey. We developed a baseline of 1999 for a comparison to
2007 or to see trends in an eight-year time period. There was no mention of “foamies” or “park flyers” in the 1999 survey.
Although the charts and graphs are self-explanatory, there were other interesting points of the survey that space limitations will not allow
to be published here.
Of the membership polled, 49% stated that they had increased their participation in the sport/hobby, 36.5% stayed the same, and 14.5%
had decreased. In 1999 the responses were that 34% had increased, 40% had stayed the same, and 26% had decreased.
To the question of where we buy our aeromodeling equipment and supplies, 48.2% responded that they make an “In-person hobby shop
visit” and a close second was purchasing via “Internet—Manufacturer Web site” (E-catalog) at 43.1%.
The next time club elections come around, I’m sure to be reminded of the following results. When asked if members would be willing to
serve as club officers, more than 43% answered yes, 31% answered maybe, and a firm 26% responded with a no.
When asked what “your” club did in the area of outreach or training, 31% actively sought new members; 6% had a limit, or cap, on
membership; 25% participated in mall shows, swap meets, or trade shows; and 38% provided some type of training for new pilots.
The average age of an AMA member is still solid, at 28% (2,086) of the respondents falling in the 55- to 64-year-old bracket. We had
1.3% of members (96) age 18 or younger respond to the survey, and my personal hero was one member who responded who was older than
95!
Thank you to the members who took the time to complete the survey; your input is greatly appreciated. If you didn’t receive an
E-mail asking you to participate in the survey, please contact AMA Headquarters to verify that your E-mail address is correct and
that you have given us permission to contact you via E-mail. MA
—Jim Cherry
AMA Executive Director
Free Flight
(FF)
Control Line
(CL)
Radio Control
(RC)
Percentage wise,
what type of
aeromodeling
do you
participate in?
2007 AMA Membership Survey Results
About the Survey
To learn more about its members,
on February 20, 2007, AMA launched
the first comprehensive demographic
membership survey in eight years.
For the first time AMA used a
popular association online tool,
SurveyMonkey.com, to conduct the
survey, which was distributed to more
than 60,000 members for whom the
AMA has E-mail addresses. It was
also available via the AMA Web
site: www.modelaircraft.org.
The survey consisted of 43
questions, seven of which were openended
or narrative.
The information presented here
is some key highlights from the
survey responses. For results of the
complete survey, access the
Members Only section of the AMA
Web site. MA
—AMA Headquarters
What percentage over the past year have you
flown in each of the following categories?
20.38%
95.12%
7610
06sig1.QXD 4/23/07 2:28 PM Page 12
INtheAIR
June 2007 13
Park
Front/Back
Yard
Playground
Private
Property
Indoor
Sports
Field
AMA
Field
Other
How long have you been a member
of AMA? What percentage of your flying
takes place at the following
locations?
Are you a member of an
aeromodeling club?
Yes -
one club
Yes -
more than
one club
No
Does your club
participate in
youth programs?
If you answered
“yes” to the
previous question,
please check all
that apply:
11.7% 872
32% 3290
15% 1116
9.1% 679
8.3% 616
24%
42%
29% 29%
39%
32%
10%
19%
1788
7461
06sig1.QXD 4/23/07 2:28 PM Page 13
INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
What percentage of the following
is your source of information about
the hobby/sport?
Over all, how satisfied are you with the
services and programs provided by AMA?
Do you participate
in the annual AMA
Executive Council
election?
Not very
satisfied
Somewhat
satisfied
Very
satisfied
Not at all
satisfied
Neutral
New member;
unaware of AMA
political process
No
Yes
Member for more
than one year;
unaware of AMA
political process
New member but
plan to in the
future
Over all, how
satisfied are
you with the
services and
programs
provided by
your club?
23%
68%
9%
55%
26%
14%
4%
4%
In your opinion,
are the dues
you pay for
AMA
membership:
06sig1.QXD 4/23/07 2:28 PM Page 14