April 2005 43
SAM Champs by Charlie Reich
2 0 0 4
Tandy Walker (Arlington TX) scaled his Lanzo Bomber down to a 55-inch span to compete in
Class A and B. Power is a Shilen OT .19 ignition engine. Covering is Polyspan.
THIS WAS THE 38th year that the
old-timers—men and models—
gathered in early September for the
Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
annual SAM Championships—an event
based on the original Nationals held
during the Golden Age of model
aviation in the 1930s. The 2004 SAM
Champs was held at the beautiful AMA
flying site in Muncie, Indiana.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, all
contests were for gliders or rubberpowered
models. In 1933 modeling
took a giant leap forward when 18-
year-old Maxwell Bassett walked up to
the registrar with his schoolmate friend
Bill Brown and signed up to enter a
Mulvihill (rubber-model) contest.
Chaos erupted when Bill fired up his
new gas engine, for which he had
recently designed and built the
prototype in his high-school machine
shop.
The model—which Max
designed—was “Miss Philadelphia,”
Bob Oslan (Henderson NV) launches his Ben
Shereshaw-designed Mercury FF model.
Power is Super Cyclone .65 ignition engine.
and it was huge compared to the surrounding
rubber-powered airplanes. The contest officials
were dismayed because there were no rules at
that time concerning anything other than
rubber-powered models. They reluctantly
allowed Max to fly since nothing prohibited it.
Miss Philadelphia won this 1933 New York
Nationals Mulvihill event with a 14:44 flight
time. This was the first gas-powered aircraft to
set the modeling fraternity back on its heels,
and it started the gas-model revolution in the
USA.
This treasured “Miss Philly” with the
designation B-111 on the tail and the Brown Jr.
.60 ignition engine is on display in the fabulous
AMA National Model Aviation Museum.
Maxwell Bassett—SAM member number 2—
is still with us.
With the preceding in mind, let’s jump
forward 71 years to SAM Champs 2004, which
was a repeat of the old-time Nationals—of
sorts.
The question is often asked, “Is the Society of Antique Modelers
about the modelers or the models?” The answer is “Yes.” The
airplanes are antiques, as are most of the power sources used, and the
modelers are usually middle-aged and older. Some even designed the
models from the 1930s and 1940s, but don’t sell them short in a
contest; they learned the art of aeromodeling through the years and are
tough competitors.
Those who attend the SAM Champs come from around the world;
SAM has many chapters and members worldwide. Most grew up in an
era when model aviation was the hobby and many young men
participated with fervor, with full support from their families and
friends. It was a time when thousands—contestants and spectators—
would attend a Nationals.
The SAM Champs is a family reunion. Many wives attend, as do
close buddies who come along to help with the long drive to the
contest and then act as team crewmembers during the events.
An estimated 275 vans, campers, trucks, and trailers—with the
small motorbikes to be used for chasing the FF models hanging off the
back—started arriving Saturday, chock-full of enough airplanes to last
for five full days of flying, in 51 different events. Fliers who try to
enter most of the categories usually carry roughly 20 models, and as
many as 1,000 different airplanes can be observed during the event.
The contest didn’t start until Monday; however, most of the entrants
arrived early to attend the kickoff event on Sunday: the Model Engine
Robert Vanderzyl (Huntsville AL) built his American Ace from an
original 1942 Berkeley Rubber kit. He competes in the Spirit of
SAM RC electric-powered rubber-model event.
Steve Boucher (Lancaster PA) struggles in the stiff breeze to
carry his 1937 Ben Shereshaw-designed Nimbus. The model has
a huge 127-inch wingspan.
Mike Moskow (Severna Park MD) launches his rubber-powered
Korda Dethermalizer in the Large Cabin event.
George Reich (Fairview Park OH) holds his 1965 Wakefield
Rubber design. He brought it to display and fly for fun; it’s not
SAM-legal because it’s too new.
Photos by the author except as noted
Collectors Association (MECA) swap meet.
There, tables full of old-time ignition
engines such as Ardens, Bantams, Brown Jr.s,
Ohlssons, Super Cyclones, McCoys, and
scores of other brands were found in quantity
for reasonable prices—especially considering
that they were antiques and most were in
excellent running condition. Some original
ignition engines were still available new in the
box. MECA is a major source of old, original
ignition engines for SAM members.
Monday was beautiful. The CD’s tents were
erected and officials were on hand to tend to
the entries pouring in. It was the start of day
one of SAM’s Flying Circus. It was actually a
two-ring circus because the two CD tents were
located on separate parts of AMA’s huge
flying field. One area was for FF—far
downwind from the other area set up for R/C
Assist events.
The FFers get the grassy field for their hand-launched gas models,
and they use tables pointed windward and set up to launch the rubber
models ROT (rise-off-table). Most R/C Assist models launch ROG
(rise-off-ground); therefore, they get the paved runway area located
upwind for their launch pad.
The FFers launch their airplanes and prepare to walk or, more
commonly, mount a motorized chase bike to pursue their models far
and away over the grassy flying area and/or beyond into the local
farms’ fields. To control these fly-aways, the models are equipped with
engine timers to control the length of the engine runs and timers for
dethermalizers (DTs).
The DT is a device by which a mechanical timer—or a burning,
timed fuse—releases a mechanism and pops up the stabilizer at an
angle, in effect spilling out the air, and the model gently drops
downward into landing, usually within the designated flying field.
If things go awry, the off-field searches are usually made in the tall
corn crops or in the soybean fields—after getting the farmer’s
permission, of course! These walked searches are assisted by a
miniaturized radio-signal transmitter/beeper located in the model and a
special direction-sensitive finder/receiver that the modeler carries.
If a strong thermal captures the FF model, along with a stiff breeze
and/or a stuck DT, it is probably gone forever, unable to be located or
retrieved. The lucky owners of airplanes with name and address tags
usually get calls from honest people many miles away, reporting that
their lost models have been found. Others are lost forever and are
probably still flying around out there somewhere in model heaven.
Don Bekins (Belvedere CA) carries his winning Texaco R/C
Assist model, which is a Chet Lanzo-designed 1938 Airborn with
a 108-inch wingspan.
Joe Beshar (Oradell NJ) is one of the SAM founding fathers who
helped create the R/C Assist group. He’s shown with his 1941 owndesign
Fox FF design, which is now flown as a 1⁄2A Texaco RC
model.
Dave Harding’s (Brookhaven PA) Starbust Special stayed aloft for more than an hour in a driving rain to win the Texaco electric event.
Fortunately it was covered with waterproof Coverite MicroLite film. Cathy Wilson photo.
Meticulous builder Al Pardue (Birmingham AL) with his rubberpowered
1940 Chet Lanzo-designed Classic Wakefield, which is
also commonly known as the “Lanzo Stik.”
Bob Oslan (with hat) preps his 1938 Ben Shereshaw-designed,
Scientific-kitted Mercury FF design.
Ed Lam (Bellevue WA) holds onto his fully wound and ready-tolaunch
Schmaedig-designed 1935 Twin Stick Pusher.
Noted Scale-model designer Van Hereford (Baton Rouge LA)
prepares to launch his 1⁄2A Scale Texaco RC model of a German
1922 Stahlwerk Mk II. Power is a Cox .049 Texaco glow engine.
Jim Keppler (Carlsbad CA) gives a classic quick release to his
rubber-powered Lanzo Duplex.
46 MODEL AVIATION
Chuck Hutton (Ann Harbor MI) pilots his Ohlsson .60-powered
1940 Playboy to a smooth takeoff.
The R/C Assist fliers are given a
designated grass landing area that is roughly
half the size of a football field. If they miss
landing within the marked parameters, their
flights are scored with zeros.
In R/C Assist events the contestants really
push their luck and climb the models as high
as they can be seen. Then they fly around
searching for a boomer (strong) thermal as
part of their strategy to stretch their flight
times. These pilots often allow their models to
get too far downwind and are unable to make
it back to the designated landing area,
resulting in a zero score.
There are five events per day in the FF
competition, including gas- and rubberpowered
categories, Catapult Glider, and
Hand Launched Glider. There are also five
events per day on the R/C Assist field,
including categories for ignition engines,
glow engines, Brown Jr. engines, Cox .049
engines, 1⁄2A Texaco, Ohlsson .23 engines,
Ohlsson .60 engines, Fox .35 glow engines,
electric power, smaller rubber-powered
designs with electric power and micro RC,
Towline Gliders, and Nostalgia.
Mix and match all of those divisions with
engine-size-class events of A (up to .19), B
(up to .29), and C (.30 and up) in FF and RC,
and that’s a great deal of flying! It’s difficult
for spectators, writers, and photographers to
be in all places at all times, but you want to
see it all—an impossible but thrilling
challenge.
There are distinct differences between the
FF and R/C Assist arenas. The SAM rules
were originally set up for FF models, based
on rigid and traditional old-time modeling
regulations, and this tradition is still upheld in
the FF arena. The models and building
materials, the power plants, and the rules are
basically the same as those used in the 1930s
and 1940s. The only modern innovation in FF
is a built-in radio tracking device used to
locate models that fly off-site.
The rubber-powered models still use tissue
covering applied and finished with nitrate
dope, and they have carved-balsa propellers.
The FF Gas models use traditional silk or
silkspan covering and shun modern plastic
covering materials like the plague.
Neither glow engines nor electric power is
allowed in FF since they weren’t used prior to
1942. These beautiful FF models are built
and flown with an exuberant passion for
tradition. They are trimmed and balanced to
achieve the perfect uncontrolled climb on
launch, immediately followed by a perfect
and immediate transition from an angled
climb position to a flat circling glide the
instant of the timed engine shutoff. Their
owners have learned to do a distinctive dance
and raise their hands high on each hand
launch, as if in an offering to the gods of the
sky.
It’s awe-inspiring to watch these ancient
designs climb unaided and then start their
slow circling glide, seeking out, on their own,
the elusive thermals that can mean a big win
for their creators. Equally awe-inspiring is
watching the models circle high overhead for
several minutes and then seeing them jump
slightly as the DTs kick in, allowing them to
float down gently within the parameters of
the designated flying field.
The R/C Assist group was created in
1971—approximately 11 years after SAM
was founded. By that time, RC technology
finally offered multichannel reliability. The
challenge then became how to meld this
modern technology into the traditional FF
modeling rules within SAM.
RC benefited those who were too old to
chase the FF aircraft any longer and those
who were losing flying fields because of the
encroachment of housing. Because of the
supposition at that time of the scarcity of old
ignition engines, the rules allowed
classifications for glow engines—the second
major break from tradition. This was soon
followed by some using the modern covering
materials, which is now an accepted practice
in RC but not among the traditional FFers.
As modern modeling innovation and
technology improve, the SAM RC group
manages to carefully blend the new with the
old, yet keep within the guidelines and
accepted parameters of old-time modeling.
This is managed by formulating special
events such as those for electric-powered oldtimers.
With the recent advent of micro RC and
small, electric so-called backyard flyers,
SAM has introduced new events that allow
old-time Rubber models to be converted to
RC electric power. The interest in these new
rubber-model electric RC events has grown
by leaps and bounds because the aircraft also
make perfect small park flyers for fun and
relaxation.
SAM modelers are all about fun and
fellowship, but when the green flag drops on
contest morning, a change takes place; they
all become serious competitors.
The Champs is basically held the same
way it was 70 years ago. All events are climb
and glide, with scores accumulated at one
point per second. Flight time is started the
moment the model is released for immediate
takeoff and ended when it touches the ground.
Each event except Texaco has a
designated maximum, or “max,” flight time
ranging from three to 15 minutes—depending
on the event and wind conditions—beyond
which no further flight points are
accumulated. For these events, the total of all
official flights, with usually three maxes
required, is taken for scoring. In Texaco, the
longest flight—which can be an hour or
more—determines the score and winner.
In the event of a tie, in which two or more
contestants max all three flights or have equal
times in a Texaco event, there is a flyoff. In a
tiebreaker, the contestant whose model has
the most time in the air wins the event.
During the contest the SAM modelers’
wives have their own events to keep them
occupied. Tuesday they held a handicraft
show, displaying their hobbies and wares.
Wednesday 41 women climbed aboard a
chartered bus for an all-day tour of Amish
country.
The evenings of the five contest days were
filled with Sunday’s president’s reception,
Monday’s bean feed, Tuesday’s SAM swap
meet and Concours event (with awards
offered for the best models displayed),
Thursday’s members’ meeting, and Friday’s
glorious banquet and awards ceremony.
The group was tired after the several-day
event but quickly recovered and looked
forward with excitement and enthusiasm after
hearing the announcement that SAM Champs
2005 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There are literally thousands of rubberpower
designs and more than 900 gas-model
designs from pre-1943—more than enough
from which to select airplanes for next year’s
event. Plans are available, as are reasonably
priced custom-cut kits and laser-cut kits with
CAD-drawn plans, and most have RC
modifications drawn on the plans.
If you have an interest in SAM, drop the
organization a note at Box 860236, Saint
Augustine FL 32086, or an E-mail to
[email protected] to receive a free
SAM Introductory Package. It consists of a
brochure, a SAM chapter list that includes
clubs throughout the US and around the
world, a source list for where to find all of the
components to build a SAM model, and a
complimentary copy of SAM Speaks: the fullcolor,
bimonthly member magazine.
Or you can just send your information
with $25 to receive a full year’s membership,
and get ready for Las Vegas! MA
Charlie Reich
310 Wisteria Rd.
Saint Augustine FL 32086
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 43,44,45,46,48
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 43,44,45,46,48
April 2005 43
SAM Champs by Charlie Reich
2 0 0 4
Tandy Walker (Arlington TX) scaled his Lanzo Bomber down to a 55-inch span to compete in
Class A and B. Power is a Shilen OT .19 ignition engine. Covering is Polyspan.
THIS WAS THE 38th year that the
old-timers—men and models—
gathered in early September for the
Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
annual SAM Championships—an event
based on the original Nationals held
during the Golden Age of model
aviation in the 1930s. The 2004 SAM
Champs was held at the beautiful AMA
flying site in Muncie, Indiana.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, all
contests were for gliders or rubberpowered
models. In 1933 modeling
took a giant leap forward when 18-
year-old Maxwell Bassett walked up to
the registrar with his schoolmate friend
Bill Brown and signed up to enter a
Mulvihill (rubber-model) contest.
Chaos erupted when Bill fired up his
new gas engine, for which he had
recently designed and built the
prototype in his high-school machine
shop.
The model—which Max
designed—was “Miss Philadelphia,”
Bob Oslan (Henderson NV) launches his Ben
Shereshaw-designed Mercury FF model.
Power is Super Cyclone .65 ignition engine.
and it was huge compared to the surrounding
rubber-powered airplanes. The contest officials
were dismayed because there were no rules at
that time concerning anything other than
rubber-powered models. They reluctantly
allowed Max to fly since nothing prohibited it.
Miss Philadelphia won this 1933 New York
Nationals Mulvihill event with a 14:44 flight
time. This was the first gas-powered aircraft to
set the modeling fraternity back on its heels,
and it started the gas-model revolution in the
USA.
This treasured “Miss Philly” with the
designation B-111 on the tail and the Brown Jr.
.60 ignition engine is on display in the fabulous
AMA National Model Aviation Museum.
Maxwell Bassett—SAM member number 2—
is still with us.
With the preceding in mind, let’s jump
forward 71 years to SAM Champs 2004, which
was a repeat of the old-time Nationals—of
sorts.
The question is often asked, “Is the Society of Antique Modelers
about the modelers or the models?” The answer is “Yes.” The
airplanes are antiques, as are most of the power sources used, and the
modelers are usually middle-aged and older. Some even designed the
models from the 1930s and 1940s, but don’t sell them short in a
contest; they learned the art of aeromodeling through the years and are
tough competitors.
Those who attend the SAM Champs come from around the world;
SAM has many chapters and members worldwide. Most grew up in an
era when model aviation was the hobby and many young men
participated with fervor, with full support from their families and
friends. It was a time when thousands—contestants and spectators—
would attend a Nationals.
The SAM Champs is a family reunion. Many wives attend, as do
close buddies who come along to help with the long drive to the
contest and then act as team crewmembers during the events.
An estimated 275 vans, campers, trucks, and trailers—with the
small motorbikes to be used for chasing the FF models hanging off the
back—started arriving Saturday, chock-full of enough airplanes to last
for five full days of flying, in 51 different events. Fliers who try to
enter most of the categories usually carry roughly 20 models, and as
many as 1,000 different airplanes can be observed during the event.
The contest didn’t start until Monday; however, most of the entrants
arrived early to attend the kickoff event on Sunday: the Model Engine
Robert Vanderzyl (Huntsville AL) built his American Ace from an
original 1942 Berkeley Rubber kit. He competes in the Spirit of
SAM RC electric-powered rubber-model event.
Steve Boucher (Lancaster PA) struggles in the stiff breeze to
carry his 1937 Ben Shereshaw-designed Nimbus. The model has
a huge 127-inch wingspan.
Mike Moskow (Severna Park MD) launches his rubber-powered
Korda Dethermalizer in the Large Cabin event.
George Reich (Fairview Park OH) holds his 1965 Wakefield
Rubber design. He brought it to display and fly for fun; it’s not
SAM-legal because it’s too new.
Photos by the author except as noted
Collectors Association (MECA) swap meet.
There, tables full of old-time ignition
engines such as Ardens, Bantams, Brown Jr.s,
Ohlssons, Super Cyclones, McCoys, and
scores of other brands were found in quantity
for reasonable prices—especially considering
that they were antiques and most were in
excellent running condition. Some original
ignition engines were still available new in the
box. MECA is a major source of old, original
ignition engines for SAM members.
Monday was beautiful. The CD’s tents were
erected and officials were on hand to tend to
the entries pouring in. It was the start of day
one of SAM’s Flying Circus. It was actually a
two-ring circus because the two CD tents were
located on separate parts of AMA’s huge
flying field. One area was for FF—far
downwind from the other area set up for R/C
Assist events.
The FFers get the grassy field for their hand-launched gas models,
and they use tables pointed windward and set up to launch the rubber
models ROT (rise-off-table). Most R/C Assist models launch ROG
(rise-off-ground); therefore, they get the paved runway area located
upwind for their launch pad.
The FFers launch their airplanes and prepare to walk or, more
commonly, mount a motorized chase bike to pursue their models far
and away over the grassy flying area and/or beyond into the local
farms’ fields. To control these fly-aways, the models are equipped with
engine timers to control the length of the engine runs and timers for
dethermalizers (DTs).
The DT is a device by which a mechanical timer—or a burning,
timed fuse—releases a mechanism and pops up the stabilizer at an
angle, in effect spilling out the air, and the model gently drops
downward into landing, usually within the designated flying field.
If things go awry, the off-field searches are usually made in the tall
corn crops or in the soybean fields—after getting the farmer’s
permission, of course! These walked searches are assisted by a
miniaturized radio-signal transmitter/beeper located in the model and a
special direction-sensitive finder/receiver that the modeler carries.
If a strong thermal captures the FF model, along with a stiff breeze
and/or a stuck DT, it is probably gone forever, unable to be located or
retrieved. The lucky owners of airplanes with name and address tags
usually get calls from honest people many miles away, reporting that
their lost models have been found. Others are lost forever and are
probably still flying around out there somewhere in model heaven.
Don Bekins (Belvedere CA) carries his winning Texaco R/C
Assist model, which is a Chet Lanzo-designed 1938 Airborn with
a 108-inch wingspan.
Joe Beshar (Oradell NJ) is one of the SAM founding fathers who
helped create the R/C Assist group. He’s shown with his 1941 owndesign
Fox FF design, which is now flown as a 1⁄2A Texaco RC
model.
Dave Harding’s (Brookhaven PA) Starbust Special stayed aloft for more than an hour in a driving rain to win the Texaco electric event.
Fortunately it was covered with waterproof Coverite MicroLite film. Cathy Wilson photo.
Meticulous builder Al Pardue (Birmingham AL) with his rubberpowered
1940 Chet Lanzo-designed Classic Wakefield, which is
also commonly known as the “Lanzo Stik.”
Bob Oslan (with hat) preps his 1938 Ben Shereshaw-designed,
Scientific-kitted Mercury FF design.
Ed Lam (Bellevue WA) holds onto his fully wound and ready-tolaunch
Schmaedig-designed 1935 Twin Stick Pusher.
Noted Scale-model designer Van Hereford (Baton Rouge LA)
prepares to launch his 1⁄2A Scale Texaco RC model of a German
1922 Stahlwerk Mk II. Power is a Cox .049 Texaco glow engine.
Jim Keppler (Carlsbad CA) gives a classic quick release to his
rubber-powered Lanzo Duplex.
46 MODEL AVIATION
Chuck Hutton (Ann Harbor MI) pilots his Ohlsson .60-powered
1940 Playboy to a smooth takeoff.
The R/C Assist fliers are given a
designated grass landing area that is roughly
half the size of a football field. If they miss
landing within the marked parameters, their
flights are scored with zeros.
In R/C Assist events the contestants really
push their luck and climb the models as high
as they can be seen. Then they fly around
searching for a boomer (strong) thermal as
part of their strategy to stretch their flight
times. These pilots often allow their models to
get too far downwind and are unable to make
it back to the designated landing area,
resulting in a zero score.
There are five events per day in the FF
competition, including gas- and rubberpowered
categories, Catapult Glider, and
Hand Launched Glider. There are also five
events per day on the R/C Assist field,
including categories for ignition engines,
glow engines, Brown Jr. engines, Cox .049
engines, 1⁄2A Texaco, Ohlsson .23 engines,
Ohlsson .60 engines, Fox .35 glow engines,
electric power, smaller rubber-powered
designs with electric power and micro RC,
Towline Gliders, and Nostalgia.
Mix and match all of those divisions with
engine-size-class events of A (up to .19), B
(up to .29), and C (.30 and up) in FF and RC,
and that’s a great deal of flying! It’s difficult
for spectators, writers, and photographers to
be in all places at all times, but you want to
see it all—an impossible but thrilling
challenge.
There are distinct differences between the
FF and R/C Assist arenas. The SAM rules
were originally set up for FF models, based
on rigid and traditional old-time modeling
regulations, and this tradition is still upheld in
the FF arena. The models and building
materials, the power plants, and the rules are
basically the same as those used in the 1930s
and 1940s. The only modern innovation in FF
is a built-in radio tracking device used to
locate models that fly off-site.
The rubber-powered models still use tissue
covering applied and finished with nitrate
dope, and they have carved-balsa propellers.
The FF Gas models use traditional silk or
silkspan covering and shun modern plastic
covering materials like the plague.
Neither glow engines nor electric power is
allowed in FF since they weren’t used prior to
1942. These beautiful FF models are built
and flown with an exuberant passion for
tradition. They are trimmed and balanced to
achieve the perfect uncontrolled climb on
launch, immediately followed by a perfect
and immediate transition from an angled
climb position to a flat circling glide the
instant of the timed engine shutoff. Their
owners have learned to do a distinctive dance
and raise their hands high on each hand
launch, as if in an offering to the gods of the
sky.
It’s awe-inspiring to watch these ancient
designs climb unaided and then start their
slow circling glide, seeking out, on their own,
the elusive thermals that can mean a big win
for their creators. Equally awe-inspiring is
watching the models circle high overhead for
several minutes and then seeing them jump
slightly as the DTs kick in, allowing them to
float down gently within the parameters of
the designated flying field.
The R/C Assist group was created in
1971—approximately 11 years after SAM
was founded. By that time, RC technology
finally offered multichannel reliability. The
challenge then became how to meld this
modern technology into the traditional FF
modeling rules within SAM.
RC benefited those who were too old to
chase the FF aircraft any longer and those
who were losing flying fields because of the
encroachment of housing. Because of the
supposition at that time of the scarcity of old
ignition engines, the rules allowed
classifications for glow engines—the second
major break from tradition. This was soon
followed by some using the modern covering
materials, which is now an accepted practice
in RC but not among the traditional FFers.
As modern modeling innovation and
technology improve, the SAM RC group
manages to carefully blend the new with the
old, yet keep within the guidelines and
accepted parameters of old-time modeling.
This is managed by formulating special
events such as those for electric-powered oldtimers.
With the recent advent of micro RC and
small, electric so-called backyard flyers,
SAM has introduced new events that allow
old-time Rubber models to be converted to
RC electric power. The interest in these new
rubber-model electric RC events has grown
by leaps and bounds because the aircraft also
make perfect small park flyers for fun and
relaxation.
SAM modelers are all about fun and
fellowship, but when the green flag drops on
contest morning, a change takes place; they
all become serious competitors.
The Champs is basically held the same
way it was 70 years ago. All events are climb
and glide, with scores accumulated at one
point per second. Flight time is started the
moment the model is released for immediate
takeoff and ended when it touches the ground.
Each event except Texaco has a
designated maximum, or “max,” flight time
ranging from three to 15 minutes—depending
on the event and wind conditions—beyond
which no further flight points are
accumulated. For these events, the total of all
official flights, with usually three maxes
required, is taken for scoring. In Texaco, the
longest flight—which can be an hour or
more—determines the score and winner.
In the event of a tie, in which two or more
contestants max all three flights or have equal
times in a Texaco event, there is a flyoff. In a
tiebreaker, the contestant whose model has
the most time in the air wins the event.
During the contest the SAM modelers’
wives have their own events to keep them
occupied. Tuesday they held a handicraft
show, displaying their hobbies and wares.
Wednesday 41 women climbed aboard a
chartered bus for an all-day tour of Amish
country.
The evenings of the five contest days were
filled with Sunday’s president’s reception,
Monday’s bean feed, Tuesday’s SAM swap
meet and Concours event (with awards
offered for the best models displayed),
Thursday’s members’ meeting, and Friday’s
glorious banquet and awards ceremony.
The group was tired after the several-day
event but quickly recovered and looked
forward with excitement and enthusiasm after
hearing the announcement that SAM Champs
2005 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There are literally thousands of rubberpower
designs and more than 900 gas-model
designs from pre-1943—more than enough
from which to select airplanes for next year’s
event. Plans are available, as are reasonably
priced custom-cut kits and laser-cut kits with
CAD-drawn plans, and most have RC
modifications drawn on the plans.
If you have an interest in SAM, drop the
organization a note at Box 860236, Saint
Augustine FL 32086, or an E-mail to
[email protected] to receive a free
SAM Introductory Package. It consists of a
brochure, a SAM chapter list that includes
clubs throughout the US and around the
world, a source list for where to find all of the
components to build a SAM model, and a
complimentary copy of SAM Speaks: the fullcolor,
bimonthly member magazine.
Or you can just send your information
with $25 to receive a full year’s membership,
and get ready for Las Vegas! MA
Charlie Reich
310 Wisteria Rd.
Saint Augustine FL 32086
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 43,44,45,46,48
April 2005 43
SAM Champs by Charlie Reich
2 0 0 4
Tandy Walker (Arlington TX) scaled his Lanzo Bomber down to a 55-inch span to compete in
Class A and B. Power is a Shilen OT .19 ignition engine. Covering is Polyspan.
THIS WAS THE 38th year that the
old-timers—men and models—
gathered in early September for the
Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
annual SAM Championships—an event
based on the original Nationals held
during the Golden Age of model
aviation in the 1930s. The 2004 SAM
Champs was held at the beautiful AMA
flying site in Muncie, Indiana.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, all
contests were for gliders or rubberpowered
models. In 1933 modeling
took a giant leap forward when 18-
year-old Maxwell Bassett walked up to
the registrar with his schoolmate friend
Bill Brown and signed up to enter a
Mulvihill (rubber-model) contest.
Chaos erupted when Bill fired up his
new gas engine, for which he had
recently designed and built the
prototype in his high-school machine
shop.
The model—which Max
designed—was “Miss Philadelphia,”
Bob Oslan (Henderson NV) launches his Ben
Shereshaw-designed Mercury FF model.
Power is Super Cyclone .65 ignition engine.
and it was huge compared to the surrounding
rubber-powered airplanes. The contest officials
were dismayed because there were no rules at
that time concerning anything other than
rubber-powered models. They reluctantly
allowed Max to fly since nothing prohibited it.
Miss Philadelphia won this 1933 New York
Nationals Mulvihill event with a 14:44 flight
time. This was the first gas-powered aircraft to
set the modeling fraternity back on its heels,
and it started the gas-model revolution in the
USA.
This treasured “Miss Philly” with the
designation B-111 on the tail and the Brown Jr.
.60 ignition engine is on display in the fabulous
AMA National Model Aviation Museum.
Maxwell Bassett—SAM member number 2—
is still with us.
With the preceding in mind, let’s jump
forward 71 years to SAM Champs 2004, which
was a repeat of the old-time Nationals—of
sorts.
The question is often asked, “Is the Society of Antique Modelers
about the modelers or the models?” The answer is “Yes.” The
airplanes are antiques, as are most of the power sources used, and the
modelers are usually middle-aged and older. Some even designed the
models from the 1930s and 1940s, but don’t sell them short in a
contest; they learned the art of aeromodeling through the years and are
tough competitors.
Those who attend the SAM Champs come from around the world;
SAM has many chapters and members worldwide. Most grew up in an
era when model aviation was the hobby and many young men
participated with fervor, with full support from their families and
friends. It was a time when thousands—contestants and spectators—
would attend a Nationals.
The SAM Champs is a family reunion. Many wives attend, as do
close buddies who come along to help with the long drive to the
contest and then act as team crewmembers during the events.
An estimated 275 vans, campers, trucks, and trailers—with the
small motorbikes to be used for chasing the FF models hanging off the
back—started arriving Saturday, chock-full of enough airplanes to last
for five full days of flying, in 51 different events. Fliers who try to
enter most of the categories usually carry roughly 20 models, and as
many as 1,000 different airplanes can be observed during the event.
The contest didn’t start until Monday; however, most of the entrants
arrived early to attend the kickoff event on Sunday: the Model Engine
Robert Vanderzyl (Huntsville AL) built his American Ace from an
original 1942 Berkeley Rubber kit. He competes in the Spirit of
SAM RC electric-powered rubber-model event.
Steve Boucher (Lancaster PA) struggles in the stiff breeze to
carry his 1937 Ben Shereshaw-designed Nimbus. The model has
a huge 127-inch wingspan.
Mike Moskow (Severna Park MD) launches his rubber-powered
Korda Dethermalizer in the Large Cabin event.
George Reich (Fairview Park OH) holds his 1965 Wakefield
Rubber design. He brought it to display and fly for fun; it’s not
SAM-legal because it’s too new.
Photos by the author except as noted
Collectors Association (MECA) swap meet.
There, tables full of old-time ignition
engines such as Ardens, Bantams, Brown Jr.s,
Ohlssons, Super Cyclones, McCoys, and
scores of other brands were found in quantity
for reasonable prices—especially considering
that they were antiques and most were in
excellent running condition. Some original
ignition engines were still available new in the
box. MECA is a major source of old, original
ignition engines for SAM members.
Monday was beautiful. The CD’s tents were
erected and officials were on hand to tend to
the entries pouring in. It was the start of day
one of SAM’s Flying Circus. It was actually a
two-ring circus because the two CD tents were
located on separate parts of AMA’s huge
flying field. One area was for FF—far
downwind from the other area set up for R/C
Assist events.
The FFers get the grassy field for their hand-launched gas models,
and they use tables pointed windward and set up to launch the rubber
models ROT (rise-off-table). Most R/C Assist models launch ROG
(rise-off-ground); therefore, they get the paved runway area located
upwind for their launch pad.
The FFers launch their airplanes and prepare to walk or, more
commonly, mount a motorized chase bike to pursue their models far
and away over the grassy flying area and/or beyond into the local
farms’ fields. To control these fly-aways, the models are equipped with
engine timers to control the length of the engine runs and timers for
dethermalizers (DTs).
The DT is a device by which a mechanical timer—or a burning,
timed fuse—releases a mechanism and pops up the stabilizer at an
angle, in effect spilling out the air, and the model gently drops
downward into landing, usually within the designated flying field.
If things go awry, the off-field searches are usually made in the tall
corn crops or in the soybean fields—after getting the farmer’s
permission, of course! These walked searches are assisted by a
miniaturized radio-signal transmitter/beeper located in the model and a
special direction-sensitive finder/receiver that the modeler carries.
If a strong thermal captures the FF model, along with a stiff breeze
and/or a stuck DT, it is probably gone forever, unable to be located or
retrieved. The lucky owners of airplanes with name and address tags
usually get calls from honest people many miles away, reporting that
their lost models have been found. Others are lost forever and are
probably still flying around out there somewhere in model heaven.
Don Bekins (Belvedere CA) carries his winning Texaco R/C
Assist model, which is a Chet Lanzo-designed 1938 Airborn with
a 108-inch wingspan.
Joe Beshar (Oradell NJ) is one of the SAM founding fathers who
helped create the R/C Assist group. He’s shown with his 1941 owndesign
Fox FF design, which is now flown as a 1⁄2A Texaco RC
model.
Dave Harding’s (Brookhaven PA) Starbust Special stayed aloft for more than an hour in a driving rain to win the Texaco electric event.
Fortunately it was covered with waterproof Coverite MicroLite film. Cathy Wilson photo.
Meticulous builder Al Pardue (Birmingham AL) with his rubberpowered
1940 Chet Lanzo-designed Classic Wakefield, which is
also commonly known as the “Lanzo Stik.”
Bob Oslan (with hat) preps his 1938 Ben Shereshaw-designed,
Scientific-kitted Mercury FF design.
Ed Lam (Bellevue WA) holds onto his fully wound and ready-tolaunch
Schmaedig-designed 1935 Twin Stick Pusher.
Noted Scale-model designer Van Hereford (Baton Rouge LA)
prepares to launch his 1⁄2A Scale Texaco RC model of a German
1922 Stahlwerk Mk II. Power is a Cox .049 Texaco glow engine.
Jim Keppler (Carlsbad CA) gives a classic quick release to his
rubber-powered Lanzo Duplex.
46 MODEL AVIATION
Chuck Hutton (Ann Harbor MI) pilots his Ohlsson .60-powered
1940 Playboy to a smooth takeoff.
The R/C Assist fliers are given a
designated grass landing area that is roughly
half the size of a football field. If they miss
landing within the marked parameters, their
flights are scored with zeros.
In R/C Assist events the contestants really
push their luck and climb the models as high
as they can be seen. Then they fly around
searching for a boomer (strong) thermal as
part of their strategy to stretch their flight
times. These pilots often allow their models to
get too far downwind and are unable to make
it back to the designated landing area,
resulting in a zero score.
There are five events per day in the FF
competition, including gas- and rubberpowered
categories, Catapult Glider, and
Hand Launched Glider. There are also five
events per day on the R/C Assist field,
including categories for ignition engines,
glow engines, Brown Jr. engines, Cox .049
engines, 1⁄2A Texaco, Ohlsson .23 engines,
Ohlsson .60 engines, Fox .35 glow engines,
electric power, smaller rubber-powered
designs with electric power and micro RC,
Towline Gliders, and Nostalgia.
Mix and match all of those divisions with
engine-size-class events of A (up to .19), B
(up to .29), and C (.30 and up) in FF and RC,
and that’s a great deal of flying! It’s difficult
for spectators, writers, and photographers to
be in all places at all times, but you want to
see it all—an impossible but thrilling
challenge.
There are distinct differences between the
FF and R/C Assist arenas. The SAM rules
were originally set up for FF models, based
on rigid and traditional old-time modeling
regulations, and this tradition is still upheld in
the FF arena. The models and building
materials, the power plants, and the rules are
basically the same as those used in the 1930s
and 1940s. The only modern innovation in FF
is a built-in radio tracking device used to
locate models that fly off-site.
The rubber-powered models still use tissue
covering applied and finished with nitrate
dope, and they have carved-balsa propellers.
The FF Gas models use traditional silk or
silkspan covering and shun modern plastic
covering materials like the plague.
Neither glow engines nor electric power is
allowed in FF since they weren’t used prior to
1942. These beautiful FF models are built
and flown with an exuberant passion for
tradition. They are trimmed and balanced to
achieve the perfect uncontrolled climb on
launch, immediately followed by a perfect
and immediate transition from an angled
climb position to a flat circling glide the
instant of the timed engine shutoff. Their
owners have learned to do a distinctive dance
and raise their hands high on each hand
launch, as if in an offering to the gods of the
sky.
It’s awe-inspiring to watch these ancient
designs climb unaided and then start their
slow circling glide, seeking out, on their own,
the elusive thermals that can mean a big win
for their creators. Equally awe-inspiring is
watching the models circle high overhead for
several minutes and then seeing them jump
slightly as the DTs kick in, allowing them to
float down gently within the parameters of
the designated flying field.
The R/C Assist group was created in
1971—approximately 11 years after SAM
was founded. By that time, RC technology
finally offered multichannel reliability. The
challenge then became how to meld this
modern technology into the traditional FF
modeling rules within SAM.
RC benefited those who were too old to
chase the FF aircraft any longer and those
who were losing flying fields because of the
encroachment of housing. Because of the
supposition at that time of the scarcity of old
ignition engines, the rules allowed
classifications for glow engines—the second
major break from tradition. This was soon
followed by some using the modern covering
materials, which is now an accepted practice
in RC but not among the traditional FFers.
As modern modeling innovation and
technology improve, the SAM RC group
manages to carefully blend the new with the
old, yet keep within the guidelines and
accepted parameters of old-time modeling.
This is managed by formulating special
events such as those for electric-powered oldtimers.
With the recent advent of micro RC and
small, electric so-called backyard flyers,
SAM has introduced new events that allow
old-time Rubber models to be converted to
RC electric power. The interest in these new
rubber-model electric RC events has grown
by leaps and bounds because the aircraft also
make perfect small park flyers for fun and
relaxation.
SAM modelers are all about fun and
fellowship, but when the green flag drops on
contest morning, a change takes place; they
all become serious competitors.
The Champs is basically held the same
way it was 70 years ago. All events are climb
and glide, with scores accumulated at one
point per second. Flight time is started the
moment the model is released for immediate
takeoff and ended when it touches the ground.
Each event except Texaco has a
designated maximum, or “max,” flight time
ranging from three to 15 minutes—depending
on the event and wind conditions—beyond
which no further flight points are
accumulated. For these events, the total of all
official flights, with usually three maxes
required, is taken for scoring. In Texaco, the
longest flight—which can be an hour or
more—determines the score and winner.
In the event of a tie, in which two or more
contestants max all three flights or have equal
times in a Texaco event, there is a flyoff. In a
tiebreaker, the contestant whose model has
the most time in the air wins the event.
During the contest the SAM modelers’
wives have their own events to keep them
occupied. Tuesday they held a handicraft
show, displaying their hobbies and wares.
Wednesday 41 women climbed aboard a
chartered bus for an all-day tour of Amish
country.
The evenings of the five contest days were
filled with Sunday’s president’s reception,
Monday’s bean feed, Tuesday’s SAM swap
meet and Concours event (with awards
offered for the best models displayed),
Thursday’s members’ meeting, and Friday’s
glorious banquet and awards ceremony.
The group was tired after the several-day
event but quickly recovered and looked
forward with excitement and enthusiasm after
hearing the announcement that SAM Champs
2005 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There are literally thousands of rubberpower
designs and more than 900 gas-model
designs from pre-1943—more than enough
from which to select airplanes for next year’s
event. Plans are available, as are reasonably
priced custom-cut kits and laser-cut kits with
CAD-drawn plans, and most have RC
modifications drawn on the plans.
If you have an interest in SAM, drop the
organization a note at Box 860236, Saint
Augustine FL 32086, or an E-mail to
[email protected] to receive a free
SAM Introductory Package. It consists of a
brochure, a SAM chapter list that includes
clubs throughout the US and around the
world, a source list for where to find all of the
components to build a SAM model, and a
complimentary copy of SAM Speaks: the fullcolor,
bimonthly member magazine.
Or you can just send your information
with $25 to receive a full year’s membership,
and get ready for Las Vegas! MA
Charlie Reich
310 Wisteria Rd.
Saint Augustine FL 32086
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 43,44,45,46,48
April 2005 43
SAM Champs by Charlie Reich
2 0 0 4
Tandy Walker (Arlington TX) scaled his Lanzo Bomber down to a 55-inch span to compete in
Class A and B. Power is a Shilen OT .19 ignition engine. Covering is Polyspan.
THIS WAS THE 38th year that the
old-timers—men and models—
gathered in early September for the
Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
annual SAM Championships—an event
based on the original Nationals held
during the Golden Age of model
aviation in the 1930s. The 2004 SAM
Champs was held at the beautiful AMA
flying site in Muncie, Indiana.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, all
contests were for gliders or rubberpowered
models. In 1933 modeling
took a giant leap forward when 18-
year-old Maxwell Bassett walked up to
the registrar with his schoolmate friend
Bill Brown and signed up to enter a
Mulvihill (rubber-model) contest.
Chaos erupted when Bill fired up his
new gas engine, for which he had
recently designed and built the
prototype in his high-school machine
shop.
The model—which Max
designed—was “Miss Philadelphia,”
Bob Oslan (Henderson NV) launches his Ben
Shereshaw-designed Mercury FF model.
Power is Super Cyclone .65 ignition engine.
and it was huge compared to the surrounding
rubber-powered airplanes. The contest officials
were dismayed because there were no rules at
that time concerning anything other than
rubber-powered models. They reluctantly
allowed Max to fly since nothing prohibited it.
Miss Philadelphia won this 1933 New York
Nationals Mulvihill event with a 14:44 flight
time. This was the first gas-powered aircraft to
set the modeling fraternity back on its heels,
and it started the gas-model revolution in the
USA.
This treasured “Miss Philly” with the
designation B-111 on the tail and the Brown Jr.
.60 ignition engine is on display in the fabulous
AMA National Model Aviation Museum.
Maxwell Bassett—SAM member number 2—
is still with us.
With the preceding in mind, let’s jump
forward 71 years to SAM Champs 2004, which
was a repeat of the old-time Nationals—of
sorts.
The question is often asked, “Is the Society of Antique Modelers
about the modelers or the models?” The answer is “Yes.” The
airplanes are antiques, as are most of the power sources used, and the
modelers are usually middle-aged and older. Some even designed the
models from the 1930s and 1940s, but don’t sell them short in a
contest; they learned the art of aeromodeling through the years and are
tough competitors.
Those who attend the SAM Champs come from around the world;
SAM has many chapters and members worldwide. Most grew up in an
era when model aviation was the hobby and many young men
participated with fervor, with full support from their families and
friends. It was a time when thousands—contestants and spectators—
would attend a Nationals.
The SAM Champs is a family reunion. Many wives attend, as do
close buddies who come along to help with the long drive to the
contest and then act as team crewmembers during the events.
An estimated 275 vans, campers, trucks, and trailers—with the
small motorbikes to be used for chasing the FF models hanging off the
back—started arriving Saturday, chock-full of enough airplanes to last
for five full days of flying, in 51 different events. Fliers who try to
enter most of the categories usually carry roughly 20 models, and as
many as 1,000 different airplanes can be observed during the event.
The contest didn’t start until Monday; however, most of the entrants
arrived early to attend the kickoff event on Sunday: the Model Engine
Robert Vanderzyl (Huntsville AL) built his American Ace from an
original 1942 Berkeley Rubber kit. He competes in the Spirit of
SAM RC electric-powered rubber-model event.
Steve Boucher (Lancaster PA) struggles in the stiff breeze to
carry his 1937 Ben Shereshaw-designed Nimbus. The model has
a huge 127-inch wingspan.
Mike Moskow (Severna Park MD) launches his rubber-powered
Korda Dethermalizer in the Large Cabin event.
George Reich (Fairview Park OH) holds his 1965 Wakefield
Rubber design. He brought it to display and fly for fun; it’s not
SAM-legal because it’s too new.
Photos by the author except as noted
Collectors Association (MECA) swap meet.
There, tables full of old-time ignition
engines such as Ardens, Bantams, Brown Jr.s,
Ohlssons, Super Cyclones, McCoys, and
scores of other brands were found in quantity
for reasonable prices—especially considering
that they were antiques and most were in
excellent running condition. Some original
ignition engines were still available new in the
box. MECA is a major source of old, original
ignition engines for SAM members.
Monday was beautiful. The CD’s tents were
erected and officials were on hand to tend to
the entries pouring in. It was the start of day
one of SAM’s Flying Circus. It was actually a
two-ring circus because the two CD tents were
located on separate parts of AMA’s huge
flying field. One area was for FF—far
downwind from the other area set up for R/C
Assist events.
The FFers get the grassy field for their hand-launched gas models,
and they use tables pointed windward and set up to launch the rubber
models ROT (rise-off-table). Most R/C Assist models launch ROG
(rise-off-ground); therefore, they get the paved runway area located
upwind for their launch pad.
The FFers launch their airplanes and prepare to walk or, more
commonly, mount a motorized chase bike to pursue their models far
and away over the grassy flying area and/or beyond into the local
farms’ fields. To control these fly-aways, the models are equipped with
engine timers to control the length of the engine runs and timers for
dethermalizers (DTs).
The DT is a device by which a mechanical timer—or a burning,
timed fuse—releases a mechanism and pops up the stabilizer at an
angle, in effect spilling out the air, and the model gently drops
downward into landing, usually within the designated flying field.
If things go awry, the off-field searches are usually made in the tall
corn crops or in the soybean fields—after getting the farmer’s
permission, of course! These walked searches are assisted by a
miniaturized radio-signal transmitter/beeper located in the model and a
special direction-sensitive finder/receiver that the modeler carries.
If a strong thermal captures the FF model, along with a stiff breeze
and/or a stuck DT, it is probably gone forever, unable to be located or
retrieved. The lucky owners of airplanes with name and address tags
usually get calls from honest people many miles away, reporting that
their lost models have been found. Others are lost forever and are
probably still flying around out there somewhere in model heaven.
Don Bekins (Belvedere CA) carries his winning Texaco R/C
Assist model, which is a Chet Lanzo-designed 1938 Airborn with
a 108-inch wingspan.
Joe Beshar (Oradell NJ) is one of the SAM founding fathers who
helped create the R/C Assist group. He’s shown with his 1941 owndesign
Fox FF design, which is now flown as a 1⁄2A Texaco RC
model.
Dave Harding’s (Brookhaven PA) Starbust Special stayed aloft for more than an hour in a driving rain to win the Texaco electric event.
Fortunately it was covered with waterproof Coverite MicroLite film. Cathy Wilson photo.
Meticulous builder Al Pardue (Birmingham AL) with his rubberpowered
1940 Chet Lanzo-designed Classic Wakefield, which is
also commonly known as the “Lanzo Stik.”
Bob Oslan (with hat) preps his 1938 Ben Shereshaw-designed,
Scientific-kitted Mercury FF design.
Ed Lam (Bellevue WA) holds onto his fully wound and ready-tolaunch
Schmaedig-designed 1935 Twin Stick Pusher.
Noted Scale-model designer Van Hereford (Baton Rouge LA)
prepares to launch his 1⁄2A Scale Texaco RC model of a German
1922 Stahlwerk Mk II. Power is a Cox .049 Texaco glow engine.
Jim Keppler (Carlsbad CA) gives a classic quick release to his
rubber-powered Lanzo Duplex.
46 MODEL AVIATION
Chuck Hutton (Ann Harbor MI) pilots his Ohlsson .60-powered
1940 Playboy to a smooth takeoff.
The R/C Assist fliers are given a
designated grass landing area that is roughly
half the size of a football field. If they miss
landing within the marked parameters, their
flights are scored with zeros.
In R/C Assist events the contestants really
push their luck and climb the models as high
as they can be seen. Then they fly around
searching for a boomer (strong) thermal as
part of their strategy to stretch their flight
times. These pilots often allow their models to
get too far downwind and are unable to make
it back to the designated landing area,
resulting in a zero score.
There are five events per day in the FF
competition, including gas- and rubberpowered
categories, Catapult Glider, and
Hand Launched Glider. There are also five
events per day on the R/C Assist field,
including categories for ignition engines,
glow engines, Brown Jr. engines, Cox .049
engines, 1⁄2A Texaco, Ohlsson .23 engines,
Ohlsson .60 engines, Fox .35 glow engines,
electric power, smaller rubber-powered
designs with electric power and micro RC,
Towline Gliders, and Nostalgia.
Mix and match all of those divisions with
engine-size-class events of A (up to .19), B
(up to .29), and C (.30 and up) in FF and RC,
and that’s a great deal of flying! It’s difficult
for spectators, writers, and photographers to
be in all places at all times, but you want to
see it all—an impossible but thrilling
challenge.
There are distinct differences between the
FF and R/C Assist arenas. The SAM rules
were originally set up for FF models, based
on rigid and traditional old-time modeling
regulations, and this tradition is still upheld in
the FF arena. The models and building
materials, the power plants, and the rules are
basically the same as those used in the 1930s
and 1940s. The only modern innovation in FF
is a built-in radio tracking device used to
locate models that fly off-site.
The rubber-powered models still use tissue
covering applied and finished with nitrate
dope, and they have carved-balsa propellers.
The FF Gas models use traditional silk or
silkspan covering and shun modern plastic
covering materials like the plague.
Neither glow engines nor electric power is
allowed in FF since they weren’t used prior to
1942. These beautiful FF models are built
and flown with an exuberant passion for
tradition. They are trimmed and balanced to
achieve the perfect uncontrolled climb on
launch, immediately followed by a perfect
and immediate transition from an angled
climb position to a flat circling glide the
instant of the timed engine shutoff. Their
owners have learned to do a distinctive dance
and raise their hands high on each hand
launch, as if in an offering to the gods of the
sky.
It’s awe-inspiring to watch these ancient
designs climb unaided and then start their
slow circling glide, seeking out, on their own,
the elusive thermals that can mean a big win
for their creators. Equally awe-inspiring is
watching the models circle high overhead for
several minutes and then seeing them jump
slightly as the DTs kick in, allowing them to
float down gently within the parameters of
the designated flying field.
The R/C Assist group was created in
1971—approximately 11 years after SAM
was founded. By that time, RC technology
finally offered multichannel reliability. The
challenge then became how to meld this
modern technology into the traditional FF
modeling rules within SAM.
RC benefited those who were too old to
chase the FF aircraft any longer and those
who were losing flying fields because of the
encroachment of housing. Because of the
supposition at that time of the scarcity of old
ignition engines, the rules allowed
classifications for glow engines—the second
major break from tradition. This was soon
followed by some using the modern covering
materials, which is now an accepted practice
in RC but not among the traditional FFers.
As modern modeling innovation and
technology improve, the SAM RC group
manages to carefully blend the new with the
old, yet keep within the guidelines and
accepted parameters of old-time modeling.
This is managed by formulating special
events such as those for electric-powered oldtimers.
With the recent advent of micro RC and
small, electric so-called backyard flyers,
SAM has introduced new events that allow
old-time Rubber models to be converted to
RC electric power. The interest in these new
rubber-model electric RC events has grown
by leaps and bounds because the aircraft also
make perfect small park flyers for fun and
relaxation.
SAM modelers are all about fun and
fellowship, but when the green flag drops on
contest morning, a change takes place; they
all become serious competitors.
The Champs is basically held the same
way it was 70 years ago. All events are climb
and glide, with scores accumulated at one
point per second. Flight time is started the
moment the model is released for immediate
takeoff and ended when it touches the ground.
Each event except Texaco has a
designated maximum, or “max,” flight time
ranging from three to 15 minutes—depending
on the event and wind conditions—beyond
which no further flight points are
accumulated. For these events, the total of all
official flights, with usually three maxes
required, is taken for scoring. In Texaco, the
longest flight—which can be an hour or
more—determines the score and winner.
In the event of a tie, in which two or more
contestants max all three flights or have equal
times in a Texaco event, there is a flyoff. In a
tiebreaker, the contestant whose model has
the most time in the air wins the event.
During the contest the SAM modelers’
wives have their own events to keep them
occupied. Tuesday they held a handicraft
show, displaying their hobbies and wares.
Wednesday 41 women climbed aboard a
chartered bus for an all-day tour of Amish
country.
The evenings of the five contest days were
filled with Sunday’s president’s reception,
Monday’s bean feed, Tuesday’s SAM swap
meet and Concours event (with awards
offered for the best models displayed),
Thursday’s members’ meeting, and Friday’s
glorious banquet and awards ceremony.
The group was tired after the several-day
event but quickly recovered and looked
forward with excitement and enthusiasm after
hearing the announcement that SAM Champs
2005 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There are literally thousands of rubberpower
designs and more than 900 gas-model
designs from pre-1943—more than enough
from which to select airplanes for next year’s
event. Plans are available, as are reasonably
priced custom-cut kits and laser-cut kits with
CAD-drawn plans, and most have RC
modifications drawn on the plans.
If you have an interest in SAM, drop the
organization a note at Box 860236, Saint
Augustine FL 32086, or an E-mail to
[email protected] to receive a free
SAM Introductory Package. It consists of a
brochure, a SAM chapter list that includes
clubs throughout the US and around the
world, a source list for where to find all of the
components to build a SAM model, and a
complimentary copy of SAM Speaks: the fullcolor,
bimonthly member magazine.
Or you can just send your information
with $25 to receive a full year’s membership,
and get ready for Las Vegas! MA
Charlie Reich
310 Wisteria Rd.
Saint Augustine FL 32086
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 43,44,45,46,48
April 2005 43
SAM Champs by Charlie Reich
2 0 0 4
Tandy Walker (Arlington TX) scaled his Lanzo Bomber down to a 55-inch span to compete in
Class A and B. Power is a Shilen OT .19 ignition engine. Covering is Polyspan.
THIS WAS THE 38th year that the
old-timers—men and models—
gathered in early September for the
Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
annual SAM Championships—an event
based on the original Nationals held
during the Golden Age of model
aviation in the 1930s. The 2004 SAM
Champs was held at the beautiful AMA
flying site in Muncie, Indiana.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, all
contests were for gliders or rubberpowered
models. In 1933 modeling
took a giant leap forward when 18-
year-old Maxwell Bassett walked up to
the registrar with his schoolmate friend
Bill Brown and signed up to enter a
Mulvihill (rubber-model) contest.
Chaos erupted when Bill fired up his
new gas engine, for which he had
recently designed and built the
prototype in his high-school machine
shop.
The model—which Max
designed—was “Miss Philadelphia,”
Bob Oslan (Henderson NV) launches his Ben
Shereshaw-designed Mercury FF model.
Power is Super Cyclone .65 ignition engine.
and it was huge compared to the surrounding
rubber-powered airplanes. The contest officials
were dismayed because there were no rules at
that time concerning anything other than
rubber-powered models. They reluctantly
allowed Max to fly since nothing prohibited it.
Miss Philadelphia won this 1933 New York
Nationals Mulvihill event with a 14:44 flight
time. This was the first gas-powered aircraft to
set the modeling fraternity back on its heels,
and it started the gas-model revolution in the
USA.
This treasured “Miss Philly” with the
designation B-111 on the tail and the Brown Jr.
.60 ignition engine is on display in the fabulous
AMA National Model Aviation Museum.
Maxwell Bassett—SAM member number 2—
is still with us.
With the preceding in mind, let’s jump
forward 71 years to SAM Champs 2004, which
was a repeat of the old-time Nationals—of
sorts.
The question is often asked, “Is the Society of Antique Modelers
about the modelers or the models?” The answer is “Yes.” The
airplanes are antiques, as are most of the power sources used, and the
modelers are usually middle-aged and older. Some even designed the
models from the 1930s and 1940s, but don’t sell them short in a
contest; they learned the art of aeromodeling through the years and are
tough competitors.
Those who attend the SAM Champs come from around the world;
SAM has many chapters and members worldwide. Most grew up in an
era when model aviation was the hobby and many young men
participated with fervor, with full support from their families and
friends. It was a time when thousands—contestants and spectators—
would attend a Nationals.
The SAM Champs is a family reunion. Many wives attend, as do
close buddies who come along to help with the long drive to the
contest and then act as team crewmembers during the events.
An estimated 275 vans, campers, trucks, and trailers—with the
small motorbikes to be used for chasing the FF models hanging off the
back—started arriving Saturday, chock-full of enough airplanes to last
for five full days of flying, in 51 different events. Fliers who try to
enter most of the categories usually carry roughly 20 models, and as
many as 1,000 different airplanes can be observed during the event.
The contest didn’t start until Monday; however, most of the entrants
arrived early to attend the kickoff event on Sunday: the Model Engine
Robert Vanderzyl (Huntsville AL) built his American Ace from an
original 1942 Berkeley Rubber kit. He competes in the Spirit of
SAM RC electric-powered rubber-model event.
Steve Boucher (Lancaster PA) struggles in the stiff breeze to
carry his 1937 Ben Shereshaw-designed Nimbus. The model has
a huge 127-inch wingspan.
Mike Moskow (Severna Park MD) launches his rubber-powered
Korda Dethermalizer in the Large Cabin event.
George Reich (Fairview Park OH) holds his 1965 Wakefield
Rubber design. He brought it to display and fly for fun; it’s not
SAM-legal because it’s too new.
Photos by the author except as noted
Collectors Association (MECA) swap meet.
There, tables full of old-time ignition
engines such as Ardens, Bantams, Brown Jr.s,
Ohlssons, Super Cyclones, McCoys, and
scores of other brands were found in quantity
for reasonable prices—especially considering
that they were antiques and most were in
excellent running condition. Some original
ignition engines were still available new in the
box. MECA is a major source of old, original
ignition engines for SAM members.
Monday was beautiful. The CD’s tents were
erected and officials were on hand to tend to
the entries pouring in. It was the start of day
one of SAM’s Flying Circus. It was actually a
two-ring circus because the two CD tents were
located on separate parts of AMA’s huge
flying field. One area was for FF—far
downwind from the other area set up for R/C
Assist events.
The FFers get the grassy field for their hand-launched gas models,
and they use tables pointed windward and set up to launch the rubber
models ROT (rise-off-table). Most R/C Assist models launch ROG
(rise-off-ground); therefore, they get the paved runway area located
upwind for their launch pad.
The FFers launch their airplanes and prepare to walk or, more
commonly, mount a motorized chase bike to pursue their models far
and away over the grassy flying area and/or beyond into the local
farms’ fields. To control these fly-aways, the models are equipped with
engine timers to control the length of the engine runs and timers for
dethermalizers (DTs).
The DT is a device by which a mechanical timer—or a burning,
timed fuse—releases a mechanism and pops up the stabilizer at an
angle, in effect spilling out the air, and the model gently drops
downward into landing, usually within the designated flying field.
If things go awry, the off-field searches are usually made in the tall
corn crops or in the soybean fields—after getting the farmer’s
permission, of course! These walked searches are assisted by a
miniaturized radio-signal transmitter/beeper located in the model and a
special direction-sensitive finder/receiver that the modeler carries.
If a strong thermal captures the FF model, along with a stiff breeze
and/or a stuck DT, it is probably gone forever, unable to be located or
retrieved. The lucky owners of airplanes with name and address tags
usually get calls from honest people many miles away, reporting that
their lost models have been found. Others are lost forever and are
probably still flying around out there somewhere in model heaven.
Don Bekins (Belvedere CA) carries his winning Texaco R/C
Assist model, which is a Chet Lanzo-designed 1938 Airborn with
a 108-inch wingspan.
Joe Beshar (Oradell NJ) is one of the SAM founding fathers who
helped create the R/C Assist group. He’s shown with his 1941 owndesign
Fox FF design, which is now flown as a 1⁄2A Texaco RC
model.
Dave Harding’s (Brookhaven PA) Starbust Special stayed aloft for more than an hour in a driving rain to win the Texaco electric event.
Fortunately it was covered with waterproof Coverite MicroLite film. Cathy Wilson photo.
Meticulous builder Al Pardue (Birmingham AL) with his rubberpowered
1940 Chet Lanzo-designed Classic Wakefield, which is
also commonly known as the “Lanzo Stik.”
Bob Oslan (with hat) preps his 1938 Ben Shereshaw-designed,
Scientific-kitted Mercury FF design.
Ed Lam (Bellevue WA) holds onto his fully wound and ready-tolaunch
Schmaedig-designed 1935 Twin Stick Pusher.
Noted Scale-model designer Van Hereford (Baton Rouge LA)
prepares to launch his 1⁄2A Scale Texaco RC model of a German
1922 Stahlwerk Mk II. Power is a Cox .049 Texaco glow engine.
Jim Keppler (Carlsbad CA) gives a classic quick release to his
rubber-powered Lanzo Duplex.
46 MODEL AVIATION
Chuck Hutton (Ann Harbor MI) pilots his Ohlsson .60-powered
1940 Playboy to a smooth takeoff.
The R/C Assist fliers are given a
designated grass landing area that is roughly
half the size of a football field. If they miss
landing within the marked parameters, their
flights are scored with zeros.
In R/C Assist events the contestants really
push their luck and climb the models as high
as they can be seen. Then they fly around
searching for a boomer (strong) thermal as
part of their strategy to stretch their flight
times. These pilots often allow their models to
get too far downwind and are unable to make
it back to the designated landing area,
resulting in a zero score.
There are five events per day in the FF
competition, including gas- and rubberpowered
categories, Catapult Glider, and
Hand Launched Glider. There are also five
events per day on the R/C Assist field,
including categories for ignition engines,
glow engines, Brown Jr. engines, Cox .049
engines, 1⁄2A Texaco, Ohlsson .23 engines,
Ohlsson .60 engines, Fox .35 glow engines,
electric power, smaller rubber-powered
designs with electric power and micro RC,
Towline Gliders, and Nostalgia.
Mix and match all of those divisions with
engine-size-class events of A (up to .19), B
(up to .29), and C (.30 and up) in FF and RC,
and that’s a great deal of flying! It’s difficult
for spectators, writers, and photographers to
be in all places at all times, but you want to
see it all—an impossible but thrilling
challenge.
There are distinct differences between the
FF and R/C Assist arenas. The SAM rules
were originally set up for FF models, based
on rigid and traditional old-time modeling
regulations, and this tradition is still upheld in
the FF arena. The models and building
materials, the power plants, and the rules are
basically the same as those used in the 1930s
and 1940s. The only modern innovation in FF
is a built-in radio tracking device used to
locate models that fly off-site.
The rubber-powered models still use tissue
covering applied and finished with nitrate
dope, and they have carved-balsa propellers.
The FF Gas models use traditional silk or
silkspan covering and shun modern plastic
covering materials like the plague.
Neither glow engines nor electric power is
allowed in FF since they weren’t used prior to
1942. These beautiful FF models are built
and flown with an exuberant passion for
tradition. They are trimmed and balanced to
achieve the perfect uncontrolled climb on
launch, immediately followed by a perfect
and immediate transition from an angled
climb position to a flat circling glide the
instant of the timed engine shutoff. Their
owners have learned to do a distinctive dance
and raise their hands high on each hand
launch, as if in an offering to the gods of the
sky.
It’s awe-inspiring to watch these ancient
designs climb unaided and then start their
slow circling glide, seeking out, on their own,
the elusive thermals that can mean a big win
for their creators. Equally awe-inspiring is
watching the models circle high overhead for
several minutes and then seeing them jump
slightly as the DTs kick in, allowing them to
float down gently within the parameters of
the designated flying field.
The R/C Assist group was created in
1971—approximately 11 years after SAM
was founded. By that time, RC technology
finally offered multichannel reliability. The
challenge then became how to meld this
modern technology into the traditional FF
modeling rules within SAM.
RC benefited those who were too old to
chase the FF aircraft any longer and those
who were losing flying fields because of the
encroachment of housing. Because of the
supposition at that time of the scarcity of old
ignition engines, the rules allowed
classifications for glow engines—the second
major break from tradition. This was soon
followed by some using the modern covering
materials, which is now an accepted practice
in RC but not among the traditional FFers.
As modern modeling innovation and
technology improve, the SAM RC group
manages to carefully blend the new with the
old, yet keep within the guidelines and
accepted parameters of old-time modeling.
This is managed by formulating special
events such as those for electric-powered oldtimers.
With the recent advent of micro RC and
small, electric so-called backyard flyers,
SAM has introduced new events that allow
old-time Rubber models to be converted to
RC electric power. The interest in these new
rubber-model electric RC events has grown
by leaps and bounds because the aircraft also
make perfect small park flyers for fun and
relaxation.
SAM modelers are all about fun and
fellowship, but when the green flag drops on
contest morning, a change takes place; they
all become serious competitors.
The Champs is basically held the same
way it was 70 years ago. All events are climb
and glide, with scores accumulated at one
point per second. Flight time is started the
moment the model is released for immediate
takeoff and ended when it touches the ground.
Each event except Texaco has a
designated maximum, or “max,” flight time
ranging from three to 15 minutes—depending
on the event and wind conditions—beyond
which no further flight points are
accumulated. For these events, the total of all
official flights, with usually three maxes
required, is taken for scoring. In Texaco, the
longest flight—which can be an hour or
more—determines the score and winner.
In the event of a tie, in which two or more
contestants max all three flights or have equal
times in a Texaco event, there is a flyoff. In a
tiebreaker, the contestant whose model has
the most time in the air wins the event.
During the contest the SAM modelers’
wives have their own events to keep them
occupied. Tuesday they held a handicraft
show, displaying their hobbies and wares.
Wednesday 41 women climbed aboard a
chartered bus for an all-day tour of Amish
country.
The evenings of the five contest days were
filled with Sunday’s president’s reception,
Monday’s bean feed, Tuesday’s SAM swap
meet and Concours event (with awards
offered for the best models displayed),
Thursday’s members’ meeting, and Friday’s
glorious banquet and awards ceremony.
The group was tired after the several-day
event but quickly recovered and looked
forward with excitement and enthusiasm after
hearing the announcement that SAM Champs
2005 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There are literally thousands of rubberpower
designs and more than 900 gas-model
designs from pre-1943—more than enough
from which to select airplanes for next year’s
event. Plans are available, as are reasonably
priced custom-cut kits and laser-cut kits with
CAD-drawn plans, and most have RC
modifications drawn on the plans.
If you have an interest in SAM, drop the
organization a note at Box 860236, Saint
Augustine FL 32086, or an E-mail to
[email protected] to receive a free
SAM Introductory Package. It consists of a
brochure, a SAM chapter list that includes
clubs throughout the US and around the
world, a source list for where to find all of the
components to build a SAM model, and a
complimentary copy of SAM Speaks: the fullcolor,
bimonthly member magazine.
Or you can just send your information
with $25 to receive a full year’s membership,
and get ready for Las Vegas! MA
Charlie Reich
310 Wisteria Rd.
Saint Augustine FL 32086