108 MODEL AVIATION
IF YOU’RE AN International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC)
competitor, you’ve most likely made owning and building a
quality Scale Aerobatics (SA) aircraft a priority. For years that has
meant that you decided on a kit, or maybe even a set of plans, and
spent a considerable amount of time building your model. But in
today’s world of limitless leisure-time possibilities it’s tough to
dedicate so much of our extremely limited free time to one
activity, not to mention dedicating a substantial amount of
disposable income to it! That’s why Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF)
aircraft have become so popular in the last several years.
Several large and small companies have joined the ARF
revolution, but the company that has led the way and continues to
set the trends in the ARF-aircraft market is, without a doubt,
Hangar 9. With the leadership and design prowess of Radio
Control (RC) Aerobatics icon Mike McConville, Hangar 9 has hit
the market with SA design success after success.
Some of those projects were risky endeavors from a business
standpoint. For example, nobody had done a 1⁄3-scale SA ARF
before, and no one knew if the company could sell an aircraft that
had traditionally been considered marketable to only a small group
of pilots. The risk paid off, and 33% models from Hangar 9 are
continuing to dominate ARF offerings for serious enthusiasts and
for those who are just getting into SA.
It has long been my feeling that Hangar 9 has had its success
because of one talented and enthusiastic modeler. I thought it
might be informative for you to get to know a little more about
Mike McConville and Hangar 9, so I decided to talk with the man
himself.
MH: Mike, can you give us a little background on your
participation in RC and then something on how you got started in
the RC industry?
MM: My dad was and still is a modeler, so my youngest memories
are at the flying field. I first flew when I was about 4, but I didn’t
get real interested in it until I was about 12. That’s when I first got
into powered airplanes and soloed. I grew up in Cincinnati [Ohio],
and at that time Dave Brown was king of the hill in Pattern, and
Pattern was kind of a big deal. I had a lot of exposure to
Aerobatics, and Dave was the multitime US Champion, TOC
[Tournament of Champions] silver medalist, world silver medalist.
So I gravitated toward that and got into Pattern in 1978 when I was
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster CO 80234; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Horizon Hobby’s headquarters is located in Champaign, Illinois.
Photos are courtesy of Steve Hale.
The Hangar 9 Sukhoi hangs it on the propeller over a lake.
Mike McConville still designs most of the SA aircraft built by
Hangar 9 on CAD from the computer in his office.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:21 am Page 108
13 and competed in that continuously until
1996.
In 1992 I got my first invitation to the
TOC, which was a disaster for me. I ended
up 16th! It was an eye-opening
experience—the first international contest
I’d flown in—and I got a lesson in
preparation! But I was lucky enough to get
invited back to the next Tournament
because I was flying well in Pattern F3A.
And I did a lot better; I think I came in
eighth in that one. From that Tournament
on, I kept getting invited back because I
was in the top 10. I moved over from fulltime
Pattern to full-time Scale Aerobatics
in about the mid ’90s. After the second
TOC I had a lot more success and really
enjoyed that kind of flying more.
I first started designing for myself in
1984, with a Pattern airplane called the
New Wave. The first design I sold was
called the Desire 60, which I did for a
construction article in Flying Models in
1991. I was working in engineering for GE
Aircraft Engines at that time.
I came into the RC industry in 1991 and
then went to work for Midwest [Products]
in 1994 as a senior design engineer doing
designs full time. That was Midwest’s
entry into Scale Aerobatics. We did the
Extra, the Giles, the CAP, the Super
Stinker, and their little CAP 232, among
many others.
I came to Horizon in ’96 to run the
Team JR sponsorship program, and I did
some airplane designs for the Hangar 9 line
in my “spare” time. They ended up as
Hangar 9 airplanes: the Edge 540, our
sailplane, and the Ultra Stick. I also ran the
sponsorship program through the end of
2000, then moved over to heading up
product development for all our airplane
product lines, including Hangar 9.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t fly
airplanes all the time! I still personally
design most of our SA airplanes, and I
work very closely with our manufacturers
overseas, with their engineering and
production staffs. We’ve really spent a lot
of time visiting and training them, and I
tend to spend a great deal of time in Asia
lately. We work with just a couple of select
factories that produce the best quality and
essentially work exclusively with them.
MH: What is Hangar 9’s relationship to
Horizon Hobby?
MM: Hangar 9 is not a company per se;
it’s a proprietary brand. Horizon Hobby is
the parent company and is a distributor of
products. All the Hangar 9 airplanes are
produced overseas in various locations.
The primary difference between us and
other companies is that we don’t take other
products and brand them. We actually
develop the product or concept, then go to
the factories we work with and have them
made to our specifications so we control
everything that goes into that product.
MH: Hangar 9 has really hit the market
hard in Scale Aerobatics and has emerged
as one of the leaders of designs that work
for a huge cross-section of fliers, from
people just starting in SA to serious
competition pilots. I’ve even seen a few of
them flying in the top classes in IMAC.
What made Hangar 9 decide to jump into
such a niche market?
MM: We saw SA as an opportunity. The
SA segment of the market went from a very
small niche that could easily be served by
some cottage industries to something that
was a lot more significant. Popularity
really started to grow, and it made sense for
Horizon for a couple of reasons. It seemed
like there was enough business potential
for a company our size to justify the
expense to market something in SA, and it
also really served us well to grow the
Hangar 9 name. Because if you do
something in SA, it gets visibility—it gets
press; it gets people talking. Even if it
doesn’t sell the numbers like an Ultra
Stick, it’s a showcase of quality for your
brand.
That’s really the reason behind our
Ultimate [biplane], which is one of the first
TOC-size airplanes. The market for that
airplane isn’t very big by the standards that
a company our size usually needs to see to
get into a market. But the reason we did it
is that if we did a really good job (and we
did!), it helps establish the Hangar 9 name
and helps show that we have the bestquality
ARFs on the market.
MH: Horizon Hobby also employs and
sponsors some of the big-name pilots in
SA.
MM: Top pilots that we have working for
us include Peter Goldsmith. Peter and his
family moved over from Australia in 2000.
At the time of the 1999 TOC, Horizon was
looking for a creative director in our
marketing department. Pete and I had been
friends since we met at our first TOC, and I
knew he ran his own advertising company
in Australia. Fortunately things came
together and he made the move. Pete’s now
in charge of the whole Team JR program.
And John Glezellis is a recent new
employee. He started two summers ago as a
high-school intern and now he’s full time.
MH: Who are some of the sponsored pilots
in SA?
MM: Quique Somenzini is a sponsored
pilot. That was big news at the beginning
of last year when he switched over to JR.
He’s a great, easygoing guy who’s been
very willing to help anywhere he can. He’s
a real asset. Off the top of my head we’ve
also got George Hicks, Marc Moldowan,
January 2004 111
Horizon’s research-and-development department checks the latest designs.
Two of Hangar 9’s most recent additions
to the SA collection: the 46% TOC
Ultimate biplane and the 33% Extra 330S.
n!
wable.
nth.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:22 am Page 111
Andy Kane, Warren Thomas, Gerry Neal,
Len Alessi, Don Szczur, Chris Laken, and
Brian Huffmeier’s part of the team now too.
MH: With the TOC out of the picture, do
you see changes in the popularity or shape of
Scale Aerobatics? If the TOC used to set the
trends, who or what will set the trends now?
MM: That’s the $64,000 question. My
opinion is changing. When the TOC first
went away early this year, I didn’t really
think it would have any impact. But I’ve
changed my mind. It seems like it’s been
kind of a flat year in IMAC competition. The
Nats was way down. I think maybe the TOC
pilots had more influence than I thought they
did. I don’t think any of them showed up at
the Nats this year. A lot of the guys who
were regular attendees would bring people
along with them. None of them showed up.
You add all that up, and it’s a pretty
significant number of people who didn’t
participate.
MH: Do you think it affects SA sport fliers
as well because their heroes aren’t in the
magazines anymore?
MM: I don’t think so. I think the SA sport
flier largely flies because he really likes the
airplane. My rationale of why SA has grown
so quickly and gotten so popular is because
they’re such multipurpose airplanes. Twenty
years ago Pattern was a big deal. There were
a lot of competitors and they got a lot of
press. The top Pattern flier was regarded as
the top flier, but I don’t think that’s the case
anymore. Pattern airplanes are such singlepurpose
airplanes. You fly them in Pattern or
you pretty much don’t fly them, whereas
with the IMAC airplane you can do
everything.
Unless you don’t like Aerobatics at all,
you probably like SA airplanes because
they’re just fun to take out to the field on
Sunday and fly. They’re probably the best
fun-flying airplane you’ve ever had, yet you
can go fly the Nationals with the same
airplane. SA airplanes have proven
themselves as great-flying airplanes and
they’re here to stay.
I don’t think the absence of the TOC will
permanently reduce the SA numbers, but I
do wonder what it’s going to do to the
equipment because everything being flown
today in SA airplanes—engines, radios,
everything—[is in large part because of the
TOC’s influence]. I wonder if the airplane
size of choice (now the 40%) will change
because of the TOC being gone. Will it
maybe go smaller? Will something come up
to replace it?
I’ve heard talk about an FAI [Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale] class for SA. If
that came to fruition, then whatever rules
would govern that might have an impact on
IMAC. Now we have the Don Lowe
Masters, the XFC [Extreme Flying
Championship], the Tucson Aerobatic
Shootout, but so far nothing trendsetting.
MH: You flew in the XFC. That’s an
entirely new format and an exciting style of
competition. What did you think of that?
MM: I loved how the XFC was run and the
format. I used to love the precision flying
and thought of the Freestyle as something
you had to do. But I flew in the XFC this
year and had a blast. I found that when you
didn’t have to focus on two disciplines but
just one—Freestyle—it became fun! It
totally changed my view, and now I really
enjoy Freestyle flying.
As far as the format of the helicopters
and airplanes flying together, it made the
entertainment value of the event higher than
anything I’d ever seen. The helicopter pilots
did some amazing things, and the combined
event was a great idea from both the
competitor and crowd perspective. The neat
thing about how the Freestyle is evolving is
the big focus on choreography, flying to
music. John Glezellis [who won the XFC]
was incredible and so much more impressive
than flipping around and touching a rudder
to the ground.
MH: How about future plans for Hangar 9?
MM: We have a lot of plans and we plan out
pretty far. I can’t talk about it, but we’ve
made a presence in SA and don’t intend to
walk away from it. MA
112 MODEL AVIATION
CHARGE+ Pocket
Glowstart Charger
Now 60% smaller, and in an all aluminum
enclosure! The CHARGE+ pocket glowstart
charger, smart charges your pocket glow
starter, with positive peak detection. You’ll
always get a hot start. NO MORE GUESSING
with simple wall chargers. Charges FAST and
conditions your battery.
ONLY $4495
+S&H
LIFE IS TOO SHORT
to spend time shuffling chargers
from one battery pack to another.
Hughes RC 1-800-786-0802
For More Information,Visit Our web Site – www.hughesrc.com
The CHARGE+ TXRX is a complete battery pack maintenance
system for ni-cad and NiMh packs. Charges at 1 amp (1000 mAh)
at each of the four outputs. Four stage charging system fast
charges and maintains 4-8 cell packs from 500 mAh and larger.
Just plug them in and leave them. You’ll always be ready to go.
12VDC for field use. Power supply available for use on 120VAC.
Read the complete
manual on our
web site!
• 4 Outputs – 1 Amp Each!
• No Switches, Knobs or Buttons!
• No Programming!
• Eliminates Cycling!
• Just Plug, Charge and Maintain!
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:23 am Page 112
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/01
Page Numbers: 108,111,112
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/01
Page Numbers: 108,111,112
108 MODEL AVIATION
IF YOU’RE AN International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC)
competitor, you’ve most likely made owning and building a
quality Scale Aerobatics (SA) aircraft a priority. For years that has
meant that you decided on a kit, or maybe even a set of plans, and
spent a considerable amount of time building your model. But in
today’s world of limitless leisure-time possibilities it’s tough to
dedicate so much of our extremely limited free time to one
activity, not to mention dedicating a substantial amount of
disposable income to it! That’s why Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF)
aircraft have become so popular in the last several years.
Several large and small companies have joined the ARF
revolution, but the company that has led the way and continues to
set the trends in the ARF-aircraft market is, without a doubt,
Hangar 9. With the leadership and design prowess of Radio
Control (RC) Aerobatics icon Mike McConville, Hangar 9 has hit
the market with SA design success after success.
Some of those projects were risky endeavors from a business
standpoint. For example, nobody had done a 1⁄3-scale SA ARF
before, and no one knew if the company could sell an aircraft that
had traditionally been considered marketable to only a small group
of pilots. The risk paid off, and 33% models from Hangar 9 are
continuing to dominate ARF offerings for serious enthusiasts and
for those who are just getting into SA.
It has long been my feeling that Hangar 9 has had its success
because of one talented and enthusiastic modeler. I thought it
might be informative for you to get to know a little more about
Mike McConville and Hangar 9, so I decided to talk with the man
himself.
MH: Mike, can you give us a little background on your
participation in RC and then something on how you got started in
the RC industry?
MM: My dad was and still is a modeler, so my youngest memories
are at the flying field. I first flew when I was about 4, but I didn’t
get real interested in it until I was about 12. That’s when I first got
into powered airplanes and soloed. I grew up in Cincinnati [Ohio],
and at that time Dave Brown was king of the hill in Pattern, and
Pattern was kind of a big deal. I had a lot of exposure to
Aerobatics, and Dave was the multitime US Champion, TOC
[Tournament of Champions] silver medalist, world silver medalist.
So I gravitated toward that and got into Pattern in 1978 when I was
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster CO 80234; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Horizon Hobby’s headquarters is located in Champaign, Illinois.
Photos are courtesy of Steve Hale.
The Hangar 9 Sukhoi hangs it on the propeller over a lake.
Mike McConville still designs most of the SA aircraft built by
Hangar 9 on CAD from the computer in his office.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:21 am Page 108
13 and competed in that continuously until
1996.
In 1992 I got my first invitation to the
TOC, which was a disaster for me. I ended
up 16th! It was an eye-opening
experience—the first international contest
I’d flown in—and I got a lesson in
preparation! But I was lucky enough to get
invited back to the next Tournament
because I was flying well in Pattern F3A.
And I did a lot better; I think I came in
eighth in that one. From that Tournament
on, I kept getting invited back because I
was in the top 10. I moved over from fulltime
Pattern to full-time Scale Aerobatics
in about the mid ’90s. After the second
TOC I had a lot more success and really
enjoyed that kind of flying more.
I first started designing for myself in
1984, with a Pattern airplane called the
New Wave. The first design I sold was
called the Desire 60, which I did for a
construction article in Flying Models in
1991. I was working in engineering for GE
Aircraft Engines at that time.
I came into the RC industry in 1991 and
then went to work for Midwest [Products]
in 1994 as a senior design engineer doing
designs full time. That was Midwest’s
entry into Scale Aerobatics. We did the
Extra, the Giles, the CAP, the Super
Stinker, and their little CAP 232, among
many others.
I came to Horizon in ’96 to run the
Team JR sponsorship program, and I did
some airplane designs for the Hangar 9 line
in my “spare” time. They ended up as
Hangar 9 airplanes: the Edge 540, our
sailplane, and the Ultra Stick. I also ran the
sponsorship program through the end of
2000, then moved over to heading up
product development for all our airplane
product lines, including Hangar 9.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t fly
airplanes all the time! I still personally
design most of our SA airplanes, and I
work very closely with our manufacturers
overseas, with their engineering and
production staffs. We’ve really spent a lot
of time visiting and training them, and I
tend to spend a great deal of time in Asia
lately. We work with just a couple of select
factories that produce the best quality and
essentially work exclusively with them.
MH: What is Hangar 9’s relationship to
Horizon Hobby?
MM: Hangar 9 is not a company per se;
it’s a proprietary brand. Horizon Hobby is
the parent company and is a distributor of
products. All the Hangar 9 airplanes are
produced overseas in various locations.
The primary difference between us and
other companies is that we don’t take other
products and brand them. We actually
develop the product or concept, then go to
the factories we work with and have them
made to our specifications so we control
everything that goes into that product.
MH: Hangar 9 has really hit the market
hard in Scale Aerobatics and has emerged
as one of the leaders of designs that work
for a huge cross-section of fliers, from
people just starting in SA to serious
competition pilots. I’ve even seen a few of
them flying in the top classes in IMAC.
What made Hangar 9 decide to jump into
such a niche market?
MM: We saw SA as an opportunity. The
SA segment of the market went from a very
small niche that could easily be served by
some cottage industries to something that
was a lot more significant. Popularity
really started to grow, and it made sense for
Horizon for a couple of reasons. It seemed
like there was enough business potential
for a company our size to justify the
expense to market something in SA, and it
also really served us well to grow the
Hangar 9 name. Because if you do
something in SA, it gets visibility—it gets
press; it gets people talking. Even if it
doesn’t sell the numbers like an Ultra
Stick, it’s a showcase of quality for your
brand.
That’s really the reason behind our
Ultimate [biplane], which is one of the first
TOC-size airplanes. The market for that
airplane isn’t very big by the standards that
a company our size usually needs to see to
get into a market. But the reason we did it
is that if we did a really good job (and we
did!), it helps establish the Hangar 9 name
and helps show that we have the bestquality
ARFs on the market.
MH: Horizon Hobby also employs and
sponsors some of the big-name pilots in
SA.
MM: Top pilots that we have working for
us include Peter Goldsmith. Peter and his
family moved over from Australia in 2000.
At the time of the 1999 TOC, Horizon was
looking for a creative director in our
marketing department. Pete and I had been
friends since we met at our first TOC, and I
knew he ran his own advertising company
in Australia. Fortunately things came
together and he made the move. Pete’s now
in charge of the whole Team JR program.
And John Glezellis is a recent new
employee. He started two summers ago as a
high-school intern and now he’s full time.
MH: Who are some of the sponsored pilots
in SA?
MM: Quique Somenzini is a sponsored
pilot. That was big news at the beginning
of last year when he switched over to JR.
He’s a great, easygoing guy who’s been
very willing to help anywhere he can. He’s
a real asset. Off the top of my head we’ve
also got George Hicks, Marc Moldowan,
January 2004 111
Horizon’s research-and-development department checks the latest designs.
Two of Hangar 9’s most recent additions
to the SA collection: the 46% TOC
Ultimate biplane and the 33% Extra 330S.
n!
wable.
nth.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:22 am Page 111
Andy Kane, Warren Thomas, Gerry Neal,
Len Alessi, Don Szczur, Chris Laken, and
Brian Huffmeier’s part of the team now too.
MH: With the TOC out of the picture, do
you see changes in the popularity or shape of
Scale Aerobatics? If the TOC used to set the
trends, who or what will set the trends now?
MM: That’s the $64,000 question. My
opinion is changing. When the TOC first
went away early this year, I didn’t really
think it would have any impact. But I’ve
changed my mind. It seems like it’s been
kind of a flat year in IMAC competition. The
Nats was way down. I think maybe the TOC
pilots had more influence than I thought they
did. I don’t think any of them showed up at
the Nats this year. A lot of the guys who
were regular attendees would bring people
along with them. None of them showed up.
You add all that up, and it’s a pretty
significant number of people who didn’t
participate.
MH: Do you think it affects SA sport fliers
as well because their heroes aren’t in the
magazines anymore?
MM: I don’t think so. I think the SA sport
flier largely flies because he really likes the
airplane. My rationale of why SA has grown
so quickly and gotten so popular is because
they’re such multipurpose airplanes. Twenty
years ago Pattern was a big deal. There were
a lot of competitors and they got a lot of
press. The top Pattern flier was regarded as
the top flier, but I don’t think that’s the case
anymore. Pattern airplanes are such singlepurpose
airplanes. You fly them in Pattern or
you pretty much don’t fly them, whereas
with the IMAC airplane you can do
everything.
Unless you don’t like Aerobatics at all,
you probably like SA airplanes because
they’re just fun to take out to the field on
Sunday and fly. They’re probably the best
fun-flying airplane you’ve ever had, yet you
can go fly the Nationals with the same
airplane. SA airplanes have proven
themselves as great-flying airplanes and
they’re here to stay.
I don’t think the absence of the TOC will
permanently reduce the SA numbers, but I
do wonder what it’s going to do to the
equipment because everything being flown
today in SA airplanes—engines, radios,
everything—[is in large part because of the
TOC’s influence]. I wonder if the airplane
size of choice (now the 40%) will change
because of the TOC being gone. Will it
maybe go smaller? Will something come up
to replace it?
I’ve heard talk about an FAI [Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale] class for SA. If
that came to fruition, then whatever rules
would govern that might have an impact on
IMAC. Now we have the Don Lowe
Masters, the XFC [Extreme Flying
Championship], the Tucson Aerobatic
Shootout, but so far nothing trendsetting.
MH: You flew in the XFC. That’s an
entirely new format and an exciting style of
competition. What did you think of that?
MM: I loved how the XFC was run and the
format. I used to love the precision flying
and thought of the Freestyle as something
you had to do. But I flew in the XFC this
year and had a blast. I found that when you
didn’t have to focus on two disciplines but
just one—Freestyle—it became fun! It
totally changed my view, and now I really
enjoy Freestyle flying.
As far as the format of the helicopters
and airplanes flying together, it made the
entertainment value of the event higher than
anything I’d ever seen. The helicopter pilots
did some amazing things, and the combined
event was a great idea from both the
competitor and crowd perspective. The neat
thing about how the Freestyle is evolving is
the big focus on choreography, flying to
music. John Glezellis [who won the XFC]
was incredible and so much more impressive
than flipping around and touching a rudder
to the ground.
MH: How about future plans for Hangar 9?
MM: We have a lot of plans and we plan out
pretty far. I can’t talk about it, but we’ve
made a presence in SA and don’t intend to
walk away from it. MA
112 MODEL AVIATION
CHARGE+ Pocket
Glowstart Charger
Now 60% smaller, and in an all aluminum
enclosure! The CHARGE+ pocket glowstart
charger, smart charges your pocket glow
starter, with positive peak detection. You’ll
always get a hot start. NO MORE GUESSING
with simple wall chargers. Charges FAST and
conditions your battery.
ONLY $4495
+S&H
LIFE IS TOO SHORT
to spend time shuffling chargers
from one battery pack to another.
Hughes RC 1-800-786-0802
For More Information,Visit Our web Site – www.hughesrc.com
The CHARGE+ TXRX is a complete battery pack maintenance
system for ni-cad and NiMh packs. Charges at 1 amp (1000 mAh)
at each of the four outputs. Four stage charging system fast
charges and maintains 4-8 cell packs from 500 mAh and larger.
Just plug them in and leave them. You’ll always be ready to go.
12VDC for field use. Power supply available for use on 120VAC.
Read the complete
manual on our
web site!
• 4 Outputs – 1 Amp Each!
• No Switches, Knobs or Buttons!
• No Programming!
• Eliminates Cycling!
• Just Plug, Charge and Maintain!
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:23 am Page 112
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/01
Page Numbers: 108,111,112
108 MODEL AVIATION
IF YOU’RE AN International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC)
competitor, you’ve most likely made owning and building a
quality Scale Aerobatics (SA) aircraft a priority. For years that has
meant that you decided on a kit, or maybe even a set of plans, and
spent a considerable amount of time building your model. But in
today’s world of limitless leisure-time possibilities it’s tough to
dedicate so much of our extremely limited free time to one
activity, not to mention dedicating a substantial amount of
disposable income to it! That’s why Almost Ready-to-Fly (ARF)
aircraft have become so popular in the last several years.
Several large and small companies have joined the ARF
revolution, but the company that has led the way and continues to
set the trends in the ARF-aircraft market is, without a doubt,
Hangar 9. With the leadership and design prowess of Radio
Control (RC) Aerobatics icon Mike McConville, Hangar 9 has hit
the market with SA design success after success.
Some of those projects were risky endeavors from a business
standpoint. For example, nobody had done a 1⁄3-scale SA ARF
before, and no one knew if the company could sell an aircraft that
had traditionally been considered marketable to only a small group
of pilots. The risk paid off, and 33% models from Hangar 9 are
continuing to dominate ARF offerings for serious enthusiasts and
for those who are just getting into SA.
It has long been my feeling that Hangar 9 has had its success
because of one talented and enthusiastic modeler. I thought it
might be informative for you to get to know a little more about
Mike McConville and Hangar 9, so I decided to talk with the man
himself.
MH: Mike, can you give us a little background on your
participation in RC and then something on how you got started in
the RC industry?
MM: My dad was and still is a modeler, so my youngest memories
are at the flying field. I first flew when I was about 4, but I didn’t
get real interested in it until I was about 12. That’s when I first got
into powered airplanes and soloed. I grew up in Cincinnati [Ohio],
and at that time Dave Brown was king of the hill in Pattern, and
Pattern was kind of a big deal. I had a lot of exposure to
Aerobatics, and Dave was the multitime US Champion, TOC
[Tournament of Champions] silver medalist, world silver medalist.
So I gravitated toward that and got into Pattern in 1978 when I was
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster CO 80234; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Horizon Hobby’s headquarters is located in Champaign, Illinois.
Photos are courtesy of Steve Hale.
The Hangar 9 Sukhoi hangs it on the propeller over a lake.
Mike McConville still designs most of the SA aircraft built by
Hangar 9 on CAD from the computer in his office.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:21 am Page 108
13 and competed in that continuously until
1996.
In 1992 I got my first invitation to the
TOC, which was a disaster for me. I ended
up 16th! It was an eye-opening
experience—the first international contest
I’d flown in—and I got a lesson in
preparation! But I was lucky enough to get
invited back to the next Tournament
because I was flying well in Pattern F3A.
And I did a lot better; I think I came in
eighth in that one. From that Tournament
on, I kept getting invited back because I
was in the top 10. I moved over from fulltime
Pattern to full-time Scale Aerobatics
in about the mid ’90s. After the second
TOC I had a lot more success and really
enjoyed that kind of flying more.
I first started designing for myself in
1984, with a Pattern airplane called the
New Wave. The first design I sold was
called the Desire 60, which I did for a
construction article in Flying Models in
1991. I was working in engineering for GE
Aircraft Engines at that time.
I came into the RC industry in 1991 and
then went to work for Midwest [Products]
in 1994 as a senior design engineer doing
designs full time. That was Midwest’s
entry into Scale Aerobatics. We did the
Extra, the Giles, the CAP, the Super
Stinker, and their little CAP 232, among
many others.
I came to Horizon in ’96 to run the
Team JR sponsorship program, and I did
some airplane designs for the Hangar 9 line
in my “spare” time. They ended up as
Hangar 9 airplanes: the Edge 540, our
sailplane, and the Ultra Stick. I also ran the
sponsorship program through the end of
2000, then moved over to heading up
product development for all our airplane
product lines, including Hangar 9.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t fly
airplanes all the time! I still personally
design most of our SA airplanes, and I
work very closely with our manufacturers
overseas, with their engineering and
production staffs. We’ve really spent a lot
of time visiting and training them, and I
tend to spend a great deal of time in Asia
lately. We work with just a couple of select
factories that produce the best quality and
essentially work exclusively with them.
MH: What is Hangar 9’s relationship to
Horizon Hobby?
MM: Hangar 9 is not a company per se;
it’s a proprietary brand. Horizon Hobby is
the parent company and is a distributor of
products. All the Hangar 9 airplanes are
produced overseas in various locations.
The primary difference between us and
other companies is that we don’t take other
products and brand them. We actually
develop the product or concept, then go to
the factories we work with and have them
made to our specifications so we control
everything that goes into that product.
MH: Hangar 9 has really hit the market
hard in Scale Aerobatics and has emerged
as one of the leaders of designs that work
for a huge cross-section of fliers, from
people just starting in SA to serious
competition pilots. I’ve even seen a few of
them flying in the top classes in IMAC.
What made Hangar 9 decide to jump into
such a niche market?
MM: We saw SA as an opportunity. The
SA segment of the market went from a very
small niche that could easily be served by
some cottage industries to something that
was a lot more significant. Popularity
really started to grow, and it made sense for
Horizon for a couple of reasons. It seemed
like there was enough business potential
for a company our size to justify the
expense to market something in SA, and it
also really served us well to grow the
Hangar 9 name. Because if you do
something in SA, it gets visibility—it gets
press; it gets people talking. Even if it
doesn’t sell the numbers like an Ultra
Stick, it’s a showcase of quality for your
brand.
That’s really the reason behind our
Ultimate [biplane], which is one of the first
TOC-size airplanes. The market for that
airplane isn’t very big by the standards that
a company our size usually needs to see to
get into a market. But the reason we did it
is that if we did a really good job (and we
did!), it helps establish the Hangar 9 name
and helps show that we have the bestquality
ARFs on the market.
MH: Horizon Hobby also employs and
sponsors some of the big-name pilots in
SA.
MM: Top pilots that we have working for
us include Peter Goldsmith. Peter and his
family moved over from Australia in 2000.
At the time of the 1999 TOC, Horizon was
looking for a creative director in our
marketing department. Pete and I had been
friends since we met at our first TOC, and I
knew he ran his own advertising company
in Australia. Fortunately things came
together and he made the move. Pete’s now
in charge of the whole Team JR program.
And John Glezellis is a recent new
employee. He started two summers ago as a
high-school intern and now he’s full time.
MH: Who are some of the sponsored pilots
in SA?
MM: Quique Somenzini is a sponsored
pilot. That was big news at the beginning
of last year when he switched over to JR.
He’s a great, easygoing guy who’s been
very willing to help anywhere he can. He’s
a real asset. Off the top of my head we’ve
also got George Hicks, Marc Moldowan,
January 2004 111
Horizon’s research-and-development department checks the latest designs.
Two of Hangar 9’s most recent additions
to the SA collection: the 46% TOC
Ultimate biplane and the 33% Extra 330S.
n!
wable.
nth.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:22 am Page 111
Andy Kane, Warren Thomas, Gerry Neal,
Len Alessi, Don Szczur, Chris Laken, and
Brian Huffmeier’s part of the team now too.
MH: With the TOC out of the picture, do
you see changes in the popularity or shape of
Scale Aerobatics? If the TOC used to set the
trends, who or what will set the trends now?
MM: That’s the $64,000 question. My
opinion is changing. When the TOC first
went away early this year, I didn’t really
think it would have any impact. But I’ve
changed my mind. It seems like it’s been
kind of a flat year in IMAC competition. The
Nats was way down. I think maybe the TOC
pilots had more influence than I thought they
did. I don’t think any of them showed up at
the Nats this year. A lot of the guys who
were regular attendees would bring people
along with them. None of them showed up.
You add all that up, and it’s a pretty
significant number of people who didn’t
participate.
MH: Do you think it affects SA sport fliers
as well because their heroes aren’t in the
magazines anymore?
MM: I don’t think so. I think the SA sport
flier largely flies because he really likes the
airplane. My rationale of why SA has grown
so quickly and gotten so popular is because
they’re such multipurpose airplanes. Twenty
years ago Pattern was a big deal. There were
a lot of competitors and they got a lot of
press. The top Pattern flier was regarded as
the top flier, but I don’t think that’s the case
anymore. Pattern airplanes are such singlepurpose
airplanes. You fly them in Pattern or
you pretty much don’t fly them, whereas
with the IMAC airplane you can do
everything.
Unless you don’t like Aerobatics at all,
you probably like SA airplanes because
they’re just fun to take out to the field on
Sunday and fly. They’re probably the best
fun-flying airplane you’ve ever had, yet you
can go fly the Nationals with the same
airplane. SA airplanes have proven
themselves as great-flying airplanes and
they’re here to stay.
I don’t think the absence of the TOC will
permanently reduce the SA numbers, but I
do wonder what it’s going to do to the
equipment because everything being flown
today in SA airplanes—engines, radios,
everything—[is in large part because of the
TOC’s influence]. I wonder if the airplane
size of choice (now the 40%) will change
because of the TOC being gone. Will it
maybe go smaller? Will something come up
to replace it?
I’ve heard talk about an FAI [Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale] class for SA. If
that came to fruition, then whatever rules
would govern that might have an impact on
IMAC. Now we have the Don Lowe
Masters, the XFC [Extreme Flying
Championship], the Tucson Aerobatic
Shootout, but so far nothing trendsetting.
MH: You flew in the XFC. That’s an
entirely new format and an exciting style of
competition. What did you think of that?
MM: I loved how the XFC was run and the
format. I used to love the precision flying
and thought of the Freestyle as something
you had to do. But I flew in the XFC this
year and had a blast. I found that when you
didn’t have to focus on two disciplines but
just one—Freestyle—it became fun! It
totally changed my view, and now I really
enjoy Freestyle flying.
As far as the format of the helicopters
and airplanes flying together, it made the
entertainment value of the event higher than
anything I’d ever seen. The helicopter pilots
did some amazing things, and the combined
event was a great idea from both the
competitor and crowd perspective. The neat
thing about how the Freestyle is evolving is
the big focus on choreography, flying to
music. John Glezellis [who won the XFC]
was incredible and so much more impressive
than flipping around and touching a rudder
to the ground.
MH: How about future plans for Hangar 9?
MM: We have a lot of plans and we plan out
pretty far. I can’t talk about it, but we’ve
made a presence in SA and don’t intend to
walk away from it. MA
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01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:23 am Page 112