THE FIRST National Aeromodeling Championships, or Nats as it is commonly called, was held in 1923 in Saint Louis, Missouri. Since then, the Nats has traveled to several different locations, many of which were Naval Air Stations.
In 1996 the outdoor Nats found a home at the AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana and the indoor events landed at the Mini-Dome in Johnson City, Tennessee.
This annual gathering draws over a thousand top competitors and eager new participants from all disciplines of aeromodeling.
The daily activities of the event are documented in the NatsNews where each segment is reported on by a qualified reporter. What follows are summations of the 2011 Nats competition, some written by the event reporters, and some compiled from the various reports turned in for the events. Photos are courtesy of the various reporters.
Indoor Free Flight
For the first time in the 18 years that NatsNews reporter John Kagan has attended the Indoor FF Nats, he noticed that the “young’uns” outnumbered the veterans, but the total head count remained similar to previous years.
Katie Bosman was one of the young’uns. She’s a graduate of Tim Lavender’s annual Flying Aces Club entourage (an entire success story by itself) and is now a test pilot for a major light aviation manufacturer.
Katie was John’s partner in the Limited Pennyplane (LPP) Pro/Am on Saturday and then on Sunday, flying a model she built, she flew a 10:52 in the LPP National Championship. A 10-plus-minute LPP flight is the benchmark we set for Pro status in the Pro-Am, so that’s one of the quickest Am-to-Pro graduations on record.
Tim Warren was attending his first Indoor FF Nats, but the eccentric artist was right at home. “Tim shares my affliction of being unable to use a particular construction resource unless there are reserves, wrote John. “I have 50 Harlan F1D propeller hangers—more than a lifetime supply. He collected 200 Harlan LPP propeller hangers before he got cut off. Most people are happy if they can get their hands on one Wilder winder; Tim has two.”
Charlie Slater brought his sons, Morgan and Soren, to compete. Although they are self-declared Scale model enthusiasts, the two were brought over to the dark side of Duration events at last year’s LPP Pro-Am. Soren took top honors in this year’s LPP Pro-Am, with only a little help from fellow young’un and Indoor FF expert, Max Zaluska.
David Aronstein brought his son, Zevi, who was paired with Tom Iacobellis in the Pro-Am. They were low in the standings, but Tom shared good information and Zevi is in great shape for next year. Tom redeemed himself by topping the 21-contestant field in Limited Pennyplane on Sunday with a strong 15:48.
These are just a few of the fresh faces who represent the future of Indoor FF. If you have even a passing interest in the “lighter side” of model aviation, you are welcome to join us next year. It’s not just fun and fierce competition, although that’s a big part of it. It is also a week of great flying, hanging out with like-minded friends, and sharing knowledge.
You don’t have to be an expert to attend. Newcomers are strongly encouraged—we even have events designed especially for you. If you like other forms of challenging model aviation, you’re sure to enjoy Indoor FF.
Event Director Abram Van Dover ran a laid-back, thoroughly organized contest. Dave Thompson handled the processing duties while Graham Webster wrangled with the scoring system and debated with attendees on a variety of topics. Thanks for the great job!
Thank you to our generous sponsors who donated valuable merchandise for the raffle and Pro-Am prizes.
Thank you also to Liz Helms, Ashley Rauen, and Rachelle Haughn, NatsNews editors, who took my ramblings and photos and produced masterpieces.
Join us next year for the Indoor FF Nats. Jeff Hood has signed up as the event director and is sure to host an excellent contest.
Radio Control
This year’s RC events were covered in NatsNews by reporters Don Grissom, Ed Franz, Jim Quinn, Gordon Buckland, Ted Kraver, and Matt and Allie Russell.
RC Combat: The 2011 RC Combat Nats had good weather and great flying. Some of the best pilots in the country showed up to compete. Up to 10 rounds were held each day. After completing all rounds for all events, it was clear that William Drumm III dominated the competition.
William, a Wisconsin resident, finished in first place in Limited B with a score of 3,824. He flew an airplane he designed this year, called the Willy Wing. It uses single u-rail designs that are durable in case of a collision. William also won Slow and Survivable Combat (SSC) with a score of 4,508, and Open B Combat with 3,340 points. William also was the Overall Open Champion in the 2010 Nats
The only event William didn’t win was Scale 2948 Combat, which went to Eric Gilkey. Eric is the younger brother of Brian Gilkey, who has long dominated the RC Combat events at the Nats.
There were many hard hits in Open B, including one round where Keith Jones flew the remaining 3 minutes of Combat alone because the rest of the field was knocked out. The pilots learned not to let Bob Loescher tell them to “fly the planes like we stole them.”
RC Electric: The summer heat and strong winds made competing in this year’s RC Electric Sailplane Nats anything but easy.
Scorching temperatures during all four days of the contest made it difficult for the pilots to stay cool. And, each day was a battle with strong wind gusts, but some pilots still came out on top.
On the fourth and final day of competition, Bob Burson had a perfect flight with 10s across the board, earning him first place in the Class B Limited Motor Run (LMR) event. Burson also walked away with a first-place finish in 1/2A, posting a score of 6,140.
Other winners throughout the event included Don Richmond, who took first in Class A LMR, and David Registar who placed first in ALES.
RC Helicopters: Attendance may have been down from 2010, but the 2011 RC Helicopter Nats went off without a hitch.
There was only one casualty of the event. A nosedive claimed one pilot’s helicopter. However, his spirits were lifted by the fact that his son took first place in his first Nats. Rookie David Ford walked away with the top spot in the Sportsman Class, but his father, George S. Ford, landed in fifth after a strong gust of wind crashed his heli.
Tracey Dickinson placed first in the Advanced Class, Erich Freymann won the Expert Class, and Curtis Youngblood, a member of the US team that competed in the World Championship in Italy, was named winner of the FAI F3C Class.
The race for the F3C title was the tightest, with Curtis earning a score of 3,000, and the second-place finisher, Nick Maxwell, earning 2,938.445 points. Nick also is a member of the World Championship team, as is Wayne Mann, who also finished in the top five.
In the RC Helicopter Scale competition, there were only four entries—down quite a bit from previous years. Static judging was held, and then the pilots flew their helicopters in simple maneuvers and in freestyle.
Darrell Sprayberry took first place in the Scale Heli Nats with his Long Ranger model. Stanley Kopreski followed in second, and Eric Babineaux placed third.
RC Pattern: Two midair collisions in one day could have put a damper on this year’s RC Pattern Nats, but didn’t.
Airplanes flown by Jeff Hatton and Austin Wingo collided at Site 4 on the first day of competition. Both aircraft were destroyed. A few minutes later, airplanes flown by Chris Moon and Mickey Losardo also collided.
Some pilots had successful flights, and champions were named for the Intermediate and Advanced classes.
Brian Stachan was named Intermediate Champion, with Houson Schweitzer coming in second. In the Advanced class, Joseph Szczur was crowned champion, with Scott McHarg coming in second, and Victor Diaz finished third.
RC Pylon: Exciting, close races were the name of the game for the 2011 RC Pylon Nats. The final day of competition was no exception.
In the Q-40 event, 32 racers were re-matrixed for a five-round race. When the dust settled, there was one flyoff to break the tie for second and third place between the engine manufacturers, Dub Jett of Jett Engineering and Mike Langlois, who has taken over production of the Nelson .40. In a come-from-behind finish, Mike passed Dub somewhere around lap eight and held the lead to the end. Mike Helsel finished first and Lee Von Der Hey set the fast time of 1:01:81 for the contest.
The 426 Super Sport Quickie event ended with a final flyoff for the top three spots and pitted Gino Del Ponte against Tom Scott and Dub Jett. Gino’s Ninja nosed over just slightly on launch and ground off the tips of his propeller. This left the battle for the lead position to Tom and Dub.
Tom held the lead until late in the race when he cut a pylon and moved himself to third behind Gino, with Dub Jett claiming the title of first-ever 426 Super Sport Quickie National Champion. Dub also went on to be named the Overall Nats Pylon Champion for is outstanding performances in both the Q-40 and the 426.
The 428 Race also was a nail-biter. Many mishaps occurred and those who were still racing at the end of the day considered themselves fortunate. Mike Helsel won the 428, with Gino Del Ponte coming in second, followed by Matthew Fehling in third. Fast time was set by Terry Frasier.
In the Q-20 competition, Allie Russell was named Best Senior, Mike Helse took first, Mike Langlois came in second, and Dub placed third. Lee Von Der Hey had the fastest time.
RC Scale: This year’s FAI-F4C Scale contest determined that John Buckley, who flew a Tiger Moth, will represent the USA in the FAI World Championship. The event will be held at the Los Santa Cilia Los Pirineos airfield, near the city of Jaca in Spain, in August 2012.
Fun Scale Advanced had the highest number of entries with 17. Terry Nitsch captured first place with his F86 Saber.
Sport Scale Sportsman ended with Steven Eagle and his Newport 17 in first and Raymond Schmidt’s BU-133 in second, 7 points back. Designer Scale multiyear winner Dave Johnson (Albatross D5) was a scant .075 points ahead of Al Kretz’s Dornier D023G. Al is also a past Nats winner and has represented the USA in the FAI International Championship.
In Expert Sport Scale, Robert Bush and his F-100 finished in first, one point ahead of the pack.
The RC Scale Flight Achievement award was won by Billy Thompson with four excellent flights on his Fokker D-7. The Designer Scale champion was David Johnson.
The team of Dale Arvin and Jeremy Arvin captured the RC Team Scale title with a SNJ.
The RC Novice Fun Scale winner was Steve Ort Jr.
RC Scale Aerobatics: After four days of tough competition, six champions reined over the 2011 RC Scale Aerobatics Nats.
Many notable competitors came to the event, including Igor Spektor from New York, New York, in his second year at the Nats. His friend, Andy Fomin, (both originally from Ukraine/Russia respectively), joined in for his first year at the AMA Nats, and flew a JTEC Extra to compete in the Unlimited Class.
The International Miniature Airplane Club (IMAC) North Central Regional Director, Brian Sanik, tore up the sky with his Carden Extra 300 Pro. Three-time National Champion Kurt Koelling returned to the Nats for his 11th time, making the Unlimited sequences look easy. Kurt, along with Dennis Gergits from Carden Aircraft, designed the Carden Extra 300 Pro he flew.
Also in the Unlimited class was Will Berninger, from Cincinnati, Ohio, and from Ontario, Canada, Mike Milos. This was Mike’s first year at the U.S. Nats. He was the Champion in Intermediate Class at the Canadian Nats in 2008, and the Advanced Class Champ again in 2009.
The following champions were named: Geoffrey Donati, Sportsman Class; Corey Ford, Intermediate Class; Benjamin Batts, Advanced and Freestyle classes; and Kurt Koelling, Unlimited Class and Bennett Cup.
RC Soaring: Ever-changing winds meant ever-changing leaders in the races for the Two Meter, Unlimited, RES, Nostalgia, and F3J titles. After eight days of braving the heat and coping with the wind, champions in each contest were crowned.
In the final round of the Two Meter event, the wind slowed down a little, but that made the lift weaker and more fickle than ever. Regardless of the changing conditions, some pilots managed to place their models in the right place every round and get the max. The one person who achieved that was Larry Jolly with a score of 13,760 over 13 rounds. Larry made the right choices consistently and won all but three of his rounds. Coming in second was Josh Glaab with 13,437 points, and Mike Fox, flying a “homebrew” aircraft, captured third with 13,089 points.
In the RES competition, Peter Goldsmith was named champion with 6,976 points. Peter’s great flight was a memorable one and made the difference between a mediocre result and a championship. Placing second was Kent Nogy with 6,950 points, and Craig Greening finished third with 6,912 points.
Nostalgia trophies were handed out by Don St. Germain. First place went to Peter Schlitzkus with 6,906 points flying a Challenger. That was some great flying by Peter, who had only one round at less than 900 points. Second place went to Peter Goldsmith, who had 6,673 points, and Don Harris finished third with 6,527 points.
The race for the top Junior in F3J was a seesawing matchup between Dominick Lewis and Dillon Graves, which culminated in a close finish—courtesy of some superb high-scoring landings. Dominick was inches behind Dillon at the end, placing second with a score of 9476.07.
The winner of the F3J contest was Cody Remington with a score of 9991.57. Rich Burnoski placed second with 9982.11 points, and Jim Monaco placed third with a score of 9967.46.
The contest’s top Senior was Dave Bradley who flew superbly to take outright 20th place with 9576.68 points. Dave will eligible to compete for the Junior Team at the F3J World Championships Team Selection contest in Florida in October. Dave also is a full-scale glider pilot.
In the final contest, Cody Remington was named 2011 National Unlimited Champion, flying a new airplane, the Egida from Jaro Mueller. Coming in second was Mike Verzuh with a score of 10,758, and Skip Miller, last year’s champion, was third with 10,701 points.
Control Line
Control Line week kicked off July 4. CL registration stood at 175 for what promised to be a great week weather-wise—cool in the mornings with light winds and hot in the afternoons. NatsNews reporters for the CL events and this report included Allen Brickhaus, Tim Stone, Dick Perry, Warren Gregory, Ted Kraver, and Phil Cartier.
CL Scale: Static judging started early and, by early afternoon, 26 aircraft had been judged for 17 pilots and/or builders. Holding static judging on site under the tent for the past couple of years has cut costs and allowed fliers to take their assembled aircraft out for a test flight.
FAI (F4B) had four entries, but unfortunately because of lack of European competition in the last International Championships, it is not being contested in 2012. The turnout was smaller than usual, and that may be from holding Scale over the Fourth of July weekend.
Erratic winds were a problem all week. First-prize winner in CL Sport Scale was John Brodak and Aaron Bauer took Junior/Senior Sport Scale. Aaron completed the Hat Trick with another award in Profile Scale.
Team Scale placed father-and-son Ken Stevens Sr. and Ken Stevens Jr. in first. Chris Brownhill won CL Profile Scale with his Hampton and Alan Goff was the National Champion in F4B. Too bad FAI decided to drop F4B from the International Championships or Alan would be on his way to Europe next summer.
Ed Mason held on (literally) to his four-engine B-17 to win Fun Scale. Charlie Bauer won top Static score in Team Scale with his Bristol and Chris Brownhill took top Static with his Hampton in Profile Scale.
In FAI, Frank Beatty’s impeccable yellow Borg Parakeet took the top Static award. The final CL award was the AMA Grand National which is the sum of the Static score and all four flight scores. The winner was Canadian Chris Brownhill.
CL Speed: The Open ½A Proto winner was Jerry Rocha, second went to Chris Montagino, and in third place was Glen VanSant. In the Junior/Senior age group, first place in ½A Proto went to James VanSant and second went to 8-year-old Ivan Valishev.
In ½A Speed, Carl Dodge flew a single flight, but it was good enough for first. Chris Montagino was second and third was Charles Legg with his home-built engine. Charlie turned 80 in August and is still flying monoline and two-wire.
Open Sport Speed record-holder Jerry Rocha’s first and only flight won the event, followed by Chris Montagino and Glenn Lee. Alberto Caballero placed first in the 21 Sport Speed Junior/Senior division and James VanSant was second.
In F2A, Carl Dodge nearly equaled the first-place speed he had last year with a flight of 290.696 mph. Alex Valishev was second and Alberto Caballero Sr. was third.
In Senior Formula 40, James VanSant placed first. In Open, Dave Mark triumphed over several serious competitors to be the seven-time National Champion. There were five Formula 40 airplanes designed by Dave in this event. Second was Alberto Caballero and third went to Chris Montagino.
Jerry Rocha won the 21 Proto event with 138.002 mph, on the first and only flight of the day. He joked that making only one flight prolongs his engine’s life. Second went to Bob Whitney and Glenn Lee placed third
This year’s Perky event saw Carl Dodge in first and the high-speed winner at 102.889. Second place went to Bill Hughes and third was Butch Andrews.
CL Racing: On the Racing circles, Floridian Bob Whitney has dominated this event using an F2C airplane and diesel engine. This year, some of the glow-powered entries were game on, including Canadian Les Akre and Arizonan Steve Eichenberger.
Clown Race, once considered an entry-level event, has become one of the quickest and most physically demanding CL Racing events. Races are timed in 7½-minute preliminary and 15-minute final races.
For the finals, Les Akre recruited New Zealander Andrew Robinson and Dave Hull enlisted veteran pitman Bob Oge for the race.
In the finals, Les lasted a near-record 339 laps for the win.
Eight teams showed up for Slow Rat Racing. The team of Jim Gall (New Jersey) with Les Akre pitting, set a new preliminary record of 3:01.52 for 70 laps. In the first final, Tim Stone/Bob Oge bested Jim Gall/Les Akre with 7:01. In the second final, the Oge/Stone team was disqualified and Jim Demeritte/Jim Bradley coasted to a 6:51 for first place.
Scale Racers are modeled after Formula I air racers. Profile fuselages are used to simplify the event. This year’s fastest heat time was Les Akre/Dave Hull with Les’s new Lil’ Mike—a fine-looking new build. Perennial Goodyear winner Bob Oge took home first place with a modest 7:15.
The easy-starting nature of the ringed K&B .40 makes Texas Quickie Rat a closely contested event and it appears to be a spectator favorite. Eight teams took the flightline and preliminary times were close to record speeds. Only 8 seconds separated the top four places. The three-up final had Les Akre/Dave Hull scoring 6:19; Russ Green/Mike Greb at 6:22; and Bill Lee/Jason Allen finished in third with 6:31.
F2C FAI Team Race was diesel day. F2C and F2CN Team Racers use .15 diesel engines for greater mileage. The team of Dave Fisher and Steve Wilk, running a Cobra design, had fantastic airspeeds and came within less than 2 seconds of the current US record in the preliminaries.
The three-up, 200-lap final had Dave Fisher/Steve Wilk setting a new US final record time of 6:43. Aleksandr Elbert/Aleksey Topunov took second and Bob Whitney/Jason Allen came in third.
F2CN is a simplified version of F2C, which uses profile fuselages, more affordable engines, and simpler tank setups. The final best time was Dave Hallas/Bob Whitney with a great 8:54.
Mouse Racing wrapped up the CL Racing Nats. Preliminary five-lap race times were close and the results were Dave Hallas/Bob Whitney with 2:21, Bill Lee/Russ Green boasting a 2:27, and Les Akre/Dave Hull in third with 2:29.
Canadian Les Akre won the High Point Champion award for the second time. He came well-prepared and put much effort into his fleet. The National Control Line Racing Association Sportsmanship Award went to David Betz. David is always the first to lend a hand.
CL Navy Carrier: All on hand pitched in to ready the CL Navy Carrier site as the USS Melton was unloaded and set up. In Profile Navy Carrier, Pete Mazur’s Nelson-powered Grumman AF2S Guardian had the highest speed of the day (90.5 mph) as well as the slowest. Pete managed a slow speed of 5.5 mph in the light, steady winds.
Art Johnson’s Guardian earned second place. Both Art’s and Pete’s models are modifications of the Brodak Manufacturing kit designed by Bill Calkins. The Smith brothers, David and Michael, placed third and fourth. Michael was flying an original design, a Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf.
Contestants brought out their Class I and Class II Scale Carrier models, which are more complex than the Profile models. The Scale Carrier classes must be within 5% of scale dimensions of the full-scale aircraft.
In Class I and Class II, flying was dominated by Pete Mazur who flew his Martin MO-1 models to first place. He also dominated in Profile with a perfect landing. The combined wins in all three events cemented Pete’s claim to the Eugene Ely Award—presented to the Carrier competitor with the highest combined scores in all three events.
In Class I, David Smith of North Carolina overcame problems to fly a full mission on his final attempt and take second place. Third place went to Michael Smith of South Carolina. This was Michael’s first Nationals flying the AMA Carrier events, and his consistent performance earned him the Navy Carrier Society’s Rookie of the Year Award.
In Class II, Dale Gleason, of Texas, needed only one flight to place solidly in second place. Dale’s MO-1 is a veteran model that he’s shown off for many years. David Smith placed third with a bright-orange paint scheme that definitely made his Vought F4U Corsair easy to see!
Each year, the Navy Carrier Society recognizes the volunteer who contributes the most to the success of the Navy Carrier Nationals. This year’s honoree was Bill Calkins who served as event director for both days of the competition.
Ted Kraver was Center Judge for both days of the competition. Nathan Pierson served as timer. Thanks to all who helped make this year’s Carrier Nationals a success—including those contestants who used their spare time for pull tests, timing, and recording.
CL Combat: Junior Rylan Rich, 10, from Magnolia, Texas, competed in 1/2A Combat, and got his first Combat lessons from veteran Dave Fisher. Rylan got his first cut, his first line tangle, his first loss, and his first crash in a great first match. Rylan placed fourth!
Winners in 1/2A were Donald Cranfill from Lake Jackson, Texas, with a 4-1 score; Don McKay from Redmond, Washington, placed second with a 3-2; and in third was Robert E. Smith from Roy, Washington, scoring 3-2.
In Combat, Donald Cranfill won with 6-0; Pete Plunkett from Austin, Minnesota, was second with 3-2; Phil Cartier from Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, was third with 2-2.
F2D competitors ran roughly 60 matches in slightly more than two days in 11 rounds. The final placings were Alexander Prokofiev, South Plainfield, New Jersey, in first with an 8-2 score; Richard Stubblefield, Kingwood, Texas, with 8-3 for second; and Mark Rudner of Somerville, Massachusetts, was third with a 7-4 score.
CL Aerobatics: This event kicked off with the Beginner and Intermediate events flown on the grass circles. AMA’s maintenance staff did a great job this year on the circles.
The top three in Junior/Senior Beginner were Gavin Barry, first; Kevin DeMauro, second; and Samantha Hines, third. The top three Open Beginner winners were Jeff Traxler, first; Robert Schroeder, second; and David Felinczak, third. Allen Brickhaus served as CD.
Mike Stinson won the 2010 Nats Open Beginner event last summer and continued his success with a win in Intermediate, and was also chosen as the builder of the Pilots’ Choice. John Gladfelter placed a close second with a model that was chosen as the Best Brodak Kit in Intermediate. John Sopka placed third in Intermediate. Bob Brookins and his crew managed the Intermediate event.
Advanced and Open Precision Aerobatics commenced on Wednesday. Advanced had 28 competitors and Open pilots totaled 33.
Ryan Young took the crown in Advanced this year. In second and third were Eric Taylor and Matt Colan respectively.
In Open, David Fitzgerald placed first, Paul Walker, second, and Brett Buck was third. Derek Barry came in fourth with Richard Oliver in fifth. Former World Champion Bob Hunt missed the top five by a mere quarter point.
Saturday morning began with dedicated Stunt pilots competing for the Advanced and Open crowns. Three Senior competitors—Samuel Niebel, Matthew Colan, and Ryan Young—vied for the Senior title. Ryan Young took the top honors and went on to compete for the Walker Cup.
The Open group of pilots began with the previous day’s top five fliers, but Richard Oliver broke a line in the pull test, leaving the competition to Paul Walker, Derek Barry, Brett Buck, and David Fitzgerald.
The numbers were close, but David Fitzgerald put two flights together that separated him from the pack and he won the Open Championship. Ryan Young and David Fitzgerald then went on to the Walker Cup competition. David will again be able to display the Walker Cup in his home in California.
Complete scores can be found on the AMA website (www.modelaircraft.org) or in the September/October edition of Stunt News.
Outdoor Free Flight
According to Outdoor FF reporter David Mills, when the fliers who competed at the 2011 FF Nats reminisce, they’ll have much about which to talk. And the first topic will be the heat. Each day dawned hot and stayed that way. The humidity began to decline midweek, but even so, thermometers on the field read in the 98°-104° range and the calculated heat index hovered in the “low-teens.”
Winds were out of the southwest with a moderate velocity, minimizing off-field excursions. This was a blessing to many. Still, the heat took its toll and most did what they had to do and left for home shortly thereafter. By midafternoon on the final day, only 20 fliers remained. We didn’t bother with the day’s awards ceremony; the 2011 Free Flight Nats was over.
It was fun while it lasted, though. The performances by the P-30 fliers were nothing short of heroic. Twenty-three towed the line and only three maxed out. Jim Jennings Sr. grabbed the top spot after suffering a hard crash and overseeing a group repair job for his final, and clinching, flight. His score of 810 seconds was followed by John Seymour with 750 and Don DeLoach with 655.
Several favorite events again drew large fields. Old-Timer Hand-Launched Glider drew 14 fliers, and Don DeLoach won with 252 seconds. C NosGas drew a whopping 18 fliers—most of whom amassed impressive totals. Gene Smith took first with 1,041 seconds. Matching the field of fliers, a .020 Replica drew as many but only Jerry Rocha maxed out and beyond to win with 713 seconds.
1/2A Gas was another event that proved popular. Several of the 18 fliers maxed out and Bob Hanford won with 825 seconds. Payload drew seven fliers, and Denny Dock took the gold with 323 seconds.
Moffett proved to be tops in participation with 20 fliers and offered a hard slog all day long, starting early and finishing at the bell. John Seymour won a hard-fought victory with 1,278 seconds. The attrition in Moffett was horrendous and began early. Half the field didn’t make their three, 2-minute maxes. It was tough.
The Flying Aces Club had a big day in Scale. Ted Allebone took first in Gas Scale. Peanut Scale and Rubber Scale drew large fields, with Mike Fedor first in the former and Don DeLoach taking the latter.
Classic Towline continues to attract many pilots and a diverse range of designs. Only the top three fliers maxed out and went into the flyoffs. Bob Sifleet won with 1,020 seconds. Tim Batiuk and Dan Berry trailed with 780 and 628 respectively.
It was Lanzo Sticks and Gollywocks galore in OT Rubber Stick. Against a solid field of 13 fliers, Dan Berry won by a wide margin with 998 seconds. Ed Hardin and Jim O’Reilly trailed with 743 and 631.
The oldest and most prestigious rubber power FF event is Mulvihill. These models are capable of extreme duration, and yet can be simply constructed. Participation typically is high and this year was no exception, topping 27 fliers. Conditions produced dogged performance from the best fliers; the fly-offs went into 8- and 9-minute rounds.
John Shailor took first place with 2,846 seconds—setting a pending national record. John Seymour was second with 2,326 seconds and Bud Romak and Paul Crowley tied for third with 2,258 seconds.
Among the many gas events, two are worth mentioning: Super D and Scale 1/4A Nostalgia Gas.
Super D (aka the big guns) drew a crowd-pleasing five fliers. Always a spectacle, everything stops on the field when these beasts take flight. Joe Clawson maxed out for first with 360 seconds, and Jack Marsh followed with 357. Hank Sperzel placed third with 345.
Scale 1/4A Nostalgia Gas sported a surprising 11 fliers and close competition. Bob Sowder took the gold with 480 seconds.
Cargo provided Vic Nippert a great opportunity to rack up an astounding score of 2,046. Vic has won this event many times and is always a threat when there is a load to haul.
Overall, participation was up slightly from last year with 223 registrants, contrary to what was expected because of high gasoline prices. And, it was hot—plenty hot. Locals testified all week to the absurdly hot temperatures. The local weather report stated three of the five days were the hottest in 50 years. Of the four injuries reported, only one was purely heat-related—a miracle considering the circumstances.
The AMA and National Free Flight Society know how to pull off a big contest. Thanks to the many volunteers for their good work, especially CD Phil Sullivan.
Want to do it again next year?[dingbat]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnews.aspx
Official Nats scores:
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/scores.aspx
National Free Flight Society
http://freeflight.org
International Miniature Aerobatic Club
www.mini-iac.com
National Association of Scale Aeromodelers
www.nasascale.org
Precision Model Aircraft Pilots Association
www.control-line.org
National Control Line Racing Association
www.nclra.org
Miniature Aircraft Combat Association
www.maca.hobby-site.com:3535
Navy Carrier Society
clflyer.tripod.com/ncs/ncs.htm
National Miniature Pylon Racing Association
www.nmpra.org
National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics
http://nsrca.us
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association
www.ircha.org
North American Speed Society
www.clspeed.com
RC Combat Association
www.rccombat.com
Society of Antique Modelers
www.antiquemodeler.org
File: 11natsadditions.xtg
Q-40 Pylon (Event 422)
1. M.L. Helsel 1:05.1
2. Michael P. Langlois 1:05.5
3. Dub Jett 1:04.4
Super Sport Quickie (Event 426)
1. Dub Jett 1:04.0
2. Gino Del Ponte 1:02.84
3. Thomas S. Scott 1:05.7
Q-500 (Event 428)
1. M.L. Helsel 1:09.8
2. Gino Del Ponte 1.09.4
3. Matthew C. Fehling 1:10.5
[0196]
Indoor Free Flighter Tom Iacobellis is kicking his F1D program into high gear, with his sights set on a World Championships Team spot. Jeff Hood photo.
[3708]
Dave Mark, the seven-time CL Speed Formula 40 winner, launches for Alberto Caballero. Warren Gregory photo.
[051]
Above: The top three competitors in the 2011 RC Scale Helicopter Nats are (L to R) Darrell Sprayberry, first; Stanley Kopreski, second; and Eric Babineaux, third. Rachelle Haughn photo.
[Caroline Goldsmith]
Right: Caroline Goldsmith, assisted by her timer Craig Greening, scored a perfect 100-point landing with her Pike in the RC Soaring Nats. Gordon Buckland photo.
[008 (center picture)]
Left: Howard Rush was one of the two warm-up pilots for the CL Aerobatics Finals early on Thursday morning, July 7. Allen Brickhaus photo.
[2751] pull
[5712]
Above: Gino Del Ponte lost the tips of his propellers on launch during a flyoff for first place in the RC Pylon Nats. Jennifer Orebaugh photo.
[0077-2]
Left: Kang Lee eyes his EZB model in the Indoor portion of the Nats, held in Johnson City TN. Hood photo.
[0314]
Right: Joe Williams from Pennsylvania winds his Mulvihill in the sweltering heat during the FF competition. David Mills photo.
[Ron]
Below: (L to R) Nats Director/Manager Ron Morgan and RC Manager Al Williamson take a break in the kitchen of the Event Headquarters. Jim Quinn photo.
[Rat Race Winners]
Below: In Rat Racing, Steve Eichenberger (center with pitman Tim Stone) dethroned “King Rat” Bob Whitney (far right) to take first. Les Akre (with pitman Steve Hull) was second and Dave Hallas placed third.
[MikeVerzuh2]
Inset: Mike Verzuh leans into his pre-tensioning just before throwing the Satori into orbit. He competed in the RC Soaring Nats. Buckland photo.
[1080341]
Jeff Witt’s marvelous JNA-D2 Jenny had an aborted first flight, as the wind again raised its ugly head during the CL Scale Nats. Fortunately there was no significant damage. Ted Kraver photo.
[Geoff Carr throw the model]
Geoff Carr throws the model in the exciting mass launch which makes RC Soaring F3J so much fun. Buckland photo.
[cliptow.tif]
Airplanes in flight at the RC Combat Nats. Don Grissom photo.
[06246]
Right: Bob Loescher launches his aircraft during the RC Combat Nats. Bob later had a little problem when his model tried to merge with another in the air. Grissom photo.
[3552]
Frank Beatty’s Hawker Fury MII doing a flyby with wing wires singing. Peter Mazur photo.
[The Pilots]
RC Electric pilots included (L-R) Art Earl, Stewart Moore, Mike Cramer, Bob Burson, Jack Iafret, John Lueke, Ed Franz, and Don Richmond.
[Terry Edmonds]
RC Soaring pilot Terry Edmonds flew an immaculate 2-M IO, which he designed and built more than 25 years ago. The aircraft was featured on the cover of a 1987 issue of MA, pictured in the photo. Buckland photo.
[148]
A smooth takeoff can make all the difference in the RC Scale Aerobatics competition. Chris Hockaday photo.
[0144]
If you’ve never seen a F1C model launched, you’ve missed something. Norm Poti provides a fine example of everything going right. Mills photo.
[1080209]
Left: Everyone loves a parade! A J-35 Draken, T-34C, F-100, and a Piper Arrow head for the judges’ tables at the 2011 RC Scale Nats. Kraver photo.
[426]
Below: More than 50 RC Pylon pilots were ready for the start of the races. Matt Russell photo.
[Bill Lee]
Right: Prominent CL pilot, Bill Lee, holding his Super Slow Rat racer, powered by a Brodak .25. Tim Stone photo.
[1080196]
Far right: Art Shelton took four years to design and build his Belgium Nieuport 11. He competed in the RC Scale Nats this year. Kraver photo.
[untitled-1]
Inset: The USS Melton is named in memory of Bill Melton, an influential Navy Carrier modeler who was active for many years. Dick Perry photo.
[107010]
A view of the flightline at the RC Aerobatics site. The heat barely relented for the duration of the 2011 Nats. Quinn photo.
[078]
Previous Indoor FF Manhattan winner Walt Van Gorder crunched his delicate model before he was able to post an official flight. Hood photo.
[4]
Can’t use – from 2010
[9] (new)
As Pete Mazur demonstrates in this photograph, a 4-pound model flying at more than 100 mph can be a handful!
[slow ratclip]
Above: CL Racer Jim Gall shows off his new record-setting Slow Ratclip.
[Mike & Chip]
Right: Long before the World Championship started, Chip Hyde contacted Mike Klein to be his caller for the RC Pattern Nats. The caller plays an important role in bringing out the very best a pilot has to offer. With amazing stamina, Chip and Mike reversed rolls for our National Championships. Mike was the pilot and Chip was the caller. Quinn photo.
[3655]
Below: Three CL Formula 40 racers ready for their next flights.
2011 Nats Management
Ron Morgan: Nationals Director/Manager
Al Williamson: RC Manager
Wayne Yeager: RC Director
Brenda Schuette: CL Manager
Phil Sullivan: FF Manager
Joe Vislay: Assistant RC Manager
Dave Guerin: Assistant RC Director
Event Directors
Gary Freeman Jr.:RC Pylon Racing
Craig Bradley: RC Helicopter
Gil Major: RC Scale Aerobatics
Bill Rich: CL Aerobatics
Dave Mark: CL Speed
Bob Whitney: CL Racing
Dick Perry: CL Carrier
Chris Gay: CL Combat
Rusty Fried: RC Pattern Aerobatics
Rob Glover: RC Soaring
Ed Franz: RC Electric
Phil Sullivan: FF Outdoor
Abram VanDover: FF Indoor
Rick Fraley: RC Combat
Dale Arvin and Paul Cain: RC Scale
Jack Sheeks: CL Scale
Nationals Sponsors
Ritch’s Brew
Jett Engineering, Inc.
Aerospace (ACP Composites)
Applebee’s
Hideaway RV
S&G Concessions LLC