AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,24,25
AS I WAS trying to organize the words
to describe our visit to the 2004 Joe Nall
Fly-In, held May 12-15, and wondering
how to summarize the feelings about
and impact of the event, I received an Email
from John Hunton, who is well
known as a prolific model designer and
builder and generally nice guy. He
described his visit to the event with such
excitement that I asked permission to
steal his words.
The “our” in the preceding paragraph
consists of me and my beautiful wife
Bonnie. She has tolerated my airplane
obsession with grace and style for more
than 39 years. Bonnie carried my bag of
18 MODEL AVIATION
2 0 0 4 by Ben Lanterman
Joe Nall Fly-In
Carden Aircraft was well represented. The two models at the left, branded with the
franknolljr.com logo, were busy every day flying formation aerobatics.
More than 500 pilots registered for this year’s Joe Nall
Fly-In, and each brought one or two airplanes.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:53 pm Page 18
October 2004 19
heavy lenses, extra batteries, a clipboard,
and other miscellaneous camera equipment
all day for four days with not a single
complaint and was always ready with a
smile as I was dragging at the end of the
day. She is priceless.
John wrote:
“Joe Nall and Pat Hartness were good
personal friends who shared interests in
aviation and model aviation. Once a year,
Joe would open his private airport to
modelers from around the country to have
a fly-in session.
“Joe Nall was an inspector for the FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration], one
whose responsibilities included analyzing
an airplane crash scene to help determine
the cause. On his way to examine a crash
site in South America, the airliner that Joe
Nall was flying in crashed, killing him.
“After the death of Mr. Nall, Pat
Hartness decided to continue the annual
model fly-in as a tribute to his friend. In
fact, Mr. Hartness developed an even
larger site farther from town near
Woodruff, South Carolina—the Triple
Tree Aerodrome. This airport is
immaculately maintained and is now the
site of the annual Joe Nall Fly-In. The
event starts on a Tuesday in May and runs
to the following Saturday.
“Many of us have seen photos of the
Joe Nall Fly-In in model magazines, but
few of us have had the opportunity to
attend it. This changed recently when
Mike Dale invited a few of us to fly there
on a Friday—one of the big days of the
Sal Battaglia with his 103-inch-wingspan, 40-pound, Quadra 100-powered P-39. The
monster three-blade 24 x 12 propeller pulls the airplane with authority.
Pat Hartness’s art gallery is revealed through the open hangar door. It is worth the trip just to see this collection.
event, with full-scale flybys and model
flight demonstrations which were
performed by some of the leading Pattern
and Scale modelers in the world.
“There were food and refreshments
available and kiosks by all of the leading
manufacturers with bargains galore. There
were servos, links, batteries, screws of all
sizes, prebuilt models of all sizes, etc. If
you thought that you needed it, it was
there.
“The full-scale runway of 6,000 feet
was all grass, and the particular area that
the modelers used looked like a putting
green at the Masters. The flightline was
closely cropped Bermuda grass with nary a
weed in sight. Behind the flightline there
were lines of recreational vehicles (RVs),
including Don Lowe’s. (We got to chat
with him a little while.)
“But back to the flightline. It is difficult
to imagine from magazine photos that the
Photos by the author
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 12:55 pm Page 19
Doug Imes’ beautiful Grumman Widgeon lifts off for another flight. It is fully detailed,
down to the level of the individual rivets.
Monty McMillan’s Stinson Reliant, built from a Top Flite kit, makes a low flyby.
20 MODEL AVIATION
flightline extends almost the length of a
full-scale runway (probably half a mile at
least) and it was four or five deep in
models ready to fly.
“There was a competent announcer
detailing every demonstration, which
included Control Line, Aerobatics, jetpowered
and Scale models. There were
unbelievable 3-D flights, flybys of
Spitfires, Thunderbolts, Zeros, Yaks, a
three-engined Savoia-Marchetti, and a 12-
foot, four-engined B-29 that dropped an
X-1 model then went on to do
unbelievable maneuvers with all four
engines performing flawlessly.
“The Joe Nall Fly-In is a great event.
There is so much going on there that it
boggles one’s mind, yet it is very
inspirational by showing what can be
done with our great hobby. If you ever
have an opportunity to attend the Joe Nall
Fly-In, don’t miss it.”
John’s response is typical of those
who visit the Joe Nall Fly-In—especially
when the wonder of the number of
beautiful airplanes gathered in one place
sinks in. I took more than 1,200 photos
but only kept roughly half of them.
To allow you to view the photos, I put
them on the Fotki photographic site:
http://public.fotki.com/benlanterman/joe_
nall_flyin_2004/. Unfortunately they are
not organized in any way except for date
(and even that is mixed up some). Sorry!
Of the approximately 500 photos that
made the final sort, I had to pick a few for
this article. That was a nearly impossible
task because I have never seen a
beautifully constructed, large International
Miniature Aircraft Association-legal
airplane I didn’t like. I chose some of the
models whose pilots took the time to talk
to me. Of course I can’t show them all.
The flightline was filled with biplanes,
warbirds, aerobatic machines, Carden
Aircraft-manufactured airplanes, paintedin-
the-mold Composite-ARF.commanufactured
airplanes, big and small kitbuilt
aircraft, and even bigger homedesigned
models. Every variety of
Powered by a 3W-120 engine, Mark Glazer’s Lovings Love made
the other airplanes seem as if they were parked.
Curt Jack brought his Gee Bee Z to the fly-in. It looked at home
banked in the turns at the end of the circuit.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:02 pm Page 20
October 2004 21
Dan Stevens brought this World War II German Focke-Wulf Fw 42. It spans 112 inches,
is light at 29 pounds, and is powered by two Webra 1.20 engines.
airplane you could imagine was there,
and they were arranged three- to fourdeep
along the extensive flightline. The
photos give you some feel for the
numbers of airplanes.
It is an interesting feeling to stand at
the center of the pilots’ stations and look
to see the ends of the flightline (with the
tents and airplanes) disappearing from
view in the distance—both ways. A
reasonable estimate of the number of
airplanes is 800-1,000, but not all of them
flew.
Triple Tree Aerodrome: Stating that the
facility is beautiful is an understatement.
I want to build a retirement home there!
Waking up to models flying in the
morning is the only way to go.
The long grass runway is nicer overall
than most yards will ever be, but the
center section, which is used for model
operations, is many hundreds of feet long
and wide and is beautifully manicured 1⁄2-
inch-high Bermuda grass. It is the perfect
surface for tail-dragger-model operation.
Barry Finck puts his big Yak-55 into one of the many hovering
maneuvers that his work-of-art airplane can perform.
Ron Liska’s scratch-built MiG-3 spans 101 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and features full rivet and panel detail.
Mark Glazer’s home-built Cub is his first model! Every scale detail is
duplicated on this airplane, including the pinked edges on the covering.
Right: Stan Scott and Randy Long man a pork-pulling station.
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:06 pm Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
Malorie Zastrow flew this 20-pound LanierRC Edge 540T. It is
powered by a Fox 3.2 engine and spans 90 inches.
The crowd had beautiful weather for Friday’s dinner. A view of
ongoing flying added more spice to the meal.
Bob Clabaugh scaled this Sopwith Pup up from Balsa USA plans to 40% scale. The
giant weighs 42 pounds and has a 120-inch wingspan. Notice the bear pilot!
Richard Zingel’s FiberClassics Extra 330 weighs 38 pounds, has a 112-inch wingspan,
and uses a Desert Aircraft DA-150 engine for power.
I did not see one ground loop during the
fly-in. (Of course, I did not see every
takeoff and landing.)
An additional benefit of the grass is
that it keeps the ground cool and makes
for a great environment while the fliers
are waiting for their turn to fly. The grass
is much better than roasting on a hot
concrete or asphalt taxiway. I saw several
pairs of bare feet as the pilots took
advantage of the soft grass.
The scattered showers on the first day
made puddles on the grass but did not
turn the well-traveled routes to the flight
stations into mud. The grass held firm and
remained an unbroken green. The Triple
Tree Aerodrome is a remarkable place to
fly.
Behind the long runway and flightline
is a long row of trees. Behind that are the
parking areas for RVs and tent campers.
The area is formed in long terraces as you
go up a rise away from the runway. Each
RV is higher as it gets farther away from
the flightline, enabling everyone to have a
great view of the flying. Where the RVs
park on each terrace, the ground is fairly
level and covered with grass. It shows the
thought that went into the flying site.
The only suggestion I have for next
year is to dedicate some of the RV
parking areas for handicapped use.
(Reservations in advance, if possible,
would be great.) There were nicely
located handicapped car parking spaces;
however, I was not allowed to park in
them, although my RV/van conversion
would have fit nicely in the same space as
a car.
The walk from the north end of the
flightline, where I was directed to park in
spite of my handicapped license plate, to
where the action was at the pilots’
stations (when taken several times a day)
made me extremely fatigued by nightfall.
Models: The mind can become
accustomed to almost anything, and one
might become numb at the Joe Nall Fly-
In with respect to the models’ sizes and
beauty. In spite of that, my attention was
magically drawn to the many airplanes
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:10 pm Page 22
24 MODEL AVIATION
that were works of art—those that were
impossible to look at without saying,
“Wow! That’s beautiful.”
The Composite ARF.com and
FiberClassics airplanes excelled in the
beauty of their painted-in-the-mold
finishes. Several Carden aircraft were also
exceptional. Those and other airplanes
featured color gradations and beautiful
complexities of design that were worthy of
serious study.
The many fabulous Scale aircraft also
grabbed my attention. They would be at
home in any Masters Scale contest. Mark
Glazer’s Cub and Doug Imes’ Grumman
Widgeon were excellent illustrations of the
Scale master’s builder’s art. The
Widgeon’s rivet detail and the Cub’s
reinforcement covering strips’ pinking
edges were to scale. Not only did these
airplanes look great, but they flew often
and well.
Many other airplanes were just as
nicely built and finished. Please don’t feel
slighted if I don’t mention your
masterpiece; there just isn’t room. But they
were admired by those who saw them.
Time slots were set exclusively for
warbird flying. There were enough
airplanes to divide into groups
representing different time periods. They
started with World War I models from all
of the countries that were involved in the
conflict. Then came the World War II
models, with the tremendous variety of
airplanes that were produced during that
era.
All of those airplanes flew nicely and
performed smoothly, with speeds that
matched the nature of the aircraft. The sky
full of models probably jogged some
memories for the old-timers watching the
flights.
The Aerobatics airplanes included a
great number of Extras, Edges, Ultimates,
Yaks, and others of all makes, each of
which flew well. The big, red 50%-scale
Pitts Challenger that Brian Hueffmeier
campaigned is typical of the larger of the
modern aerobatic machines.
Carden Aircraft models were
everywhere; they were easy to distinguish
because of the labels on them! The two
that performed formation aerobatics were
well received by the knowledgeable
audience who understood how difficult it
is to fly in formation.
It was commonplace to see large Scale
airplanes perform high-angle-of-attack
maneuvers, Point Rolls, various Snap
Rolls, Spins, and occasionally all of them
combined. Effective smoke systems added
to these airplanes’ visual impact and
allowed the pilots to show off their skills
even more.
Demonstrations: Matt Chapman’s flight
routines were full-scale precision flying at
its best. His CAP was not much bigger
than the models at the fly-in, and in Matt’s
hands it was so precise.
Routines included Bob Violett (a
flawless performance) with his fast,
beautiful, turbine-powered F-100; Chip
Hyde with his Double Vision (outstanding
design and flying); Quique Somenzini with
both size versions of his Yak-55
(amazing); a Giant Scale racing machine (I
had forgotten how fast these machines
are); RC-steered parachute drops; and
flights of the enormous B-29. The pilot
took the B-29 through a big, nice aerobatic
routine with smooth precision, which
included an Outside Loop!
All the participants’ flights illustrated
just how far the science and engineering of
RC model flight has come. It is a fun time
to be in this hobby.
Food: If you enjoy airplanes, the Joe Nall
Fly-In is the place to be. It is also the place
to be if you enjoy good food and good
company. The Friday evening of the event,
1,000 people were served dinner. The
weather was perfect, as was the food.
There were four lines, and each person
was served an appetizer of a large bowl of
iced shrimp and a cup of dipping sauce.
The Confederate Air Farce (I assure
you that that is the correct spelling; these
guys have fun) volunteers prepared the
main dish of barbecued pork and chicken.
They cut and pulled the roast pork by hand
from big chunks of meat that were cooked
a few feet away. It was a hot-on-the-
Since 1948 Fox Manufacturing
Company has been producing
high quality model airplane
engines, glow plugs and other
accessories. Fox has become a
name modelers can trust when
it comes to durability, power,
and performance at an
affordable price. (479) 646-1656
Fax (479) 646-1757
5305 Towson Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72901
www.foxmanufacturing.com
email: [email protected]
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 24
fingers (or at least hot on the gloves) job
that they seemed to relish. I kept looking
for one of the volunteers to sneak a bite
but didn’t catch any doing so; that’s
extreme self control.
Big handfuls of the pork and chicken
were served with scoops of fine baked
beans, cole slaw, sliced bread, and liquid
refreshments of various kinds for all
tastes.
The volunteers passed chocolate
drop/pecan cookies throughout the crowd
for dessert. I managed to snag three!
Looking back, it was an unethical action
apparently driven by really good cookies.
While eating, you could enjoy the
other diners’ company (it was a good
time to meet people and make friends) or
watch the unlucky ones who didn’t buy
tickets in time still flying at the field.
Sitting in the cool shade of the hangar
with good company, eating, and watching
superb model airplanes fly—for a
modeler it doesn’t get much better than
that.
Look up the dates for next year’s Joe
Nall Fly-In, and try to make it there for a
day or two. It will probably be a highlight
of your summer modeling activities.
Every one of the hundreds of other fliers
I talked to rated the Joe Nall Fly-In an
excellent event. MA
Ben Lanterman
[email protected]
October 2004 25
Why do so many pilots use Dynatron Starters? The Power? The Quality? Thirty years of experience?
Or is it because they want to start their engine without worrying about the starter?
So if you want to start your engine, get a S603 Dynatron. Life’s too short for less.
Quality.That’s the Gold Standard.That’s Sullivan.
S640
Optional
PowerPac
shown
TheDynatron.
PowerTool.
One North Haven Street, Baltimore,
Maryland 21224 USA.
www.sullivanproducts.com
The Dynatron is the most
powerful 2-1/2” model
engine starter made. Only
exceeded, in fact, by our
3” Double-Handled
Megatron. It’ll start about
anything up to 2.2 cubic
inches. It operates on 12V
or 24V. And it’s built to
last. Which is why you see
a lot of Made-in-the-USA
quality Sullivan Dynatrons
at flying fields, performing
every day.
$4825
+ $5 S/H
BMJR Model Products
Box 1210
Sharpes, FL 32959-1210
321-537-1159
www.BMJRModels.com
• Electric Powered Seaplane
Spllash--E • 44" wingspan
10sig1.QXD 7/23/04 1:11 pm Page 25