It's Easy to Be "Legal"
I started my giant project in 2005. It was going to be a big, gas-banging vintage airplane. However, the power plant was too much for the airframe, so it went into my attic for two or three years. Now the electric components are big enough, so I have converted the model.
At 69.5 pounds, it exceeded the AMA’s 55-pound rule. Many people told me to report that it weighed 54.9 pounds, but that is not the way it works for me. I decided to do it right.
I contacted my inspector/District VI associate vice president, Ron Ballard, and we examined my project. Never having gotten a waiver, I was very nervous.
On Thursday I met with Ron, and he took me through all that paperwork and inspected my airplane (and found two loose bolts). After one or two hours, we were ready for my model’s test flights.
All went wonderful, and Ron was a huge help. He is a serious person when it comes to the hobby and the AMA, and he is a huge asset.
After the test flights, I was extremely happy. It was easy to do things right and follow the AMA rules. I feel great now knowing that I have a legal aircraft—and it’s safe.
I am going to post this information on the AMA thread on RCGroups. Doing things right is not difficult and is for our safety.
You can watch the video of my model’s test flights at www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx811o3FiYA. Fly RC magazine has contacted me and wants to hear the story about my vintage project; I am going to tell my AMA story too.
To learn about the AMA Experimental Radio Control Aircraft Program Requirements and Inspector Information, go to www.modelaircraft.org/files/520-a.pdf.
—Damon Atwood ([email protected])
District VI
Blue Max WW I-Era Scale Competition
This event was held March 12–13 at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. It was the brainchild of Mike Celeskey, whose goal was to have a competitive scale event featuring aircraft of the Great War. The idea picked up momentum on the RC Scale Builder forum, and Ron Prestin and John Olson were soon on board to make it a reality. Fantasy of Flight has hosted several RC events in recent years and offers an ideal setting, with its amazing collection of full-scale aircraft that Kermit Weeks owns.
Blue Max is open to models of aircraft built between 1903 and 1919. They can be entered in one of several categories including scratch-built, kit, Balsa USA, and ARF. Pilots entered all classes, but Balsa USA easily had the largest number of participants.
Friday was the first day of the event, and contestants assembled their models inside one of the main hangars for static judging. The judges comprised two teams of three.
Rainy weather prohibited any flying once static judging concluded that afternoon. However, the change in schedule allowed everyone to enjoy the museum collection and the facility’s fine restaurant and store.
Also in attendance, Glenn Torrance Models and Balsa USA provided support for the event.
The Blue Max staff had many great raffle prizes to give away throughout the weekend. I even won a Balsa USA Bristol M-1 kit! All raffle proceeds went to Reaching Potentials, a non-profit organization that provides therapy and other services for autistic children.
Since pilots were unable to fly on Friday, all competition flights were planned for Saturday. The rain had stopped by then, but the wet conditions prompted a change in the flying venue. It was moved to the other side of the property.
Wind was also a big concern at the 8:30 a.m. pilots’ meeting; it was blowing at a stout 20 mph. Few pilots were comfortable flying their scale masterpieces in such conditions, and a couple of practice attempts convinced event organizers to postpone flying until after the noon pilots’ meeting.
But the wind picked up, and the decision was made not to fly the models or the full-scale aircraft. Kermit Weeks worked with the Blue Max staff to provide a private tour of the museum and for his Fokker D.VII to be run on the ground to entertain the attendees until the 5:30 awards banquet.
The dinner proved to be enjoyable, because most pilots stayed for the barbecue meal and the awards. Since no official flying was done, only static winners were recognized. They are as follows.
ARF Class
- Mark Hilliard: Nieuport 28
- Mike Wartman: Fokker D.VII
- Ted Wise: Sopwith Camel
Balsa USA Class
- Scott Lee: Sopwith Pup
- Chip Koenig: S.E.5a
- George Manuel: Nieuport 17 1/3
Kit Class
- Todd Bixby: Sopwith Camel (Reeves)
- Ransom Fairchild: Sopwith Camel (Reeves)
- Doug Pierce: Fokker D.VII (Glenn Torrance)
- Richard Scott: Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" (Proctor)
Pilots’ Choice
- Scott Lee: Sopwith Pup "Happy"
Plans are underway for the 2011 Blue Max competition.
—Jay Smith
MA Assistant Editor
AMA Staff Members Help Honor Doolittle Raiders
On April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle led 80 men in a secret mission to bomb Japan. Sixteen North American B-25 Mitchells launched from the deck of the USS Hornet, causing little damage in their raid but stunning the Japanese population and boosting American morale.
In honor of these courageous heroes, on April 15–18, 2010, the Champaign Aviation Museum at Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio, joined the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, to commemorate the 68th reunion of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.
Eight Raiders are still living, but only four were able to attend the ceremonies at the National Museum. The event included their signing autographs for the public and conducting the "Goblet Ceremony": a solemn toast to the Raiders who had passed since their last reunion.
Grimes Field served as the "B-25 Gathering" staging area Thursday and Friday. Seventeen airworthy bombers practiced formation flying, offered rides, and gave the public a chance to view the aircraft up close.
Two static B-25s—one in the Champaign Aviation Museum and one in the National Museum—boosted the total count to 19 airplanes, making this the largest gathering of this North American aircraft since World War II. The sight and sound of these restored beauties awed an estimated 8,000–10,000 people throughout the weekend in Urbana.
Early Saturday morning, the B-25s lined the runway, taking to the sky every two minutes and heading south toward Dayton and the National Museum, where they landed and provided a hero's welcome to the four attending Raiders. Sunday afternoon, 12 of the B-25s flew in formation back to Grimes Field to fuel and prepare for their flight home.
The AMA was honored to take part in the Gathering, with an informational stand in the Champaign Aviation Museum. President Dave Mathewson, his wife Ginger, and Executive Director Jim Cherry volunteered their time to staff the booth, which was made complete with a B-25 model on loan from Mike Barbee of Delaware, Ohio.
AMA staff members Ilona Maine and I, International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) board members Charles Anderson and Craig Bradley, and AMA members/IRCHA volunteers Chris Zeman and Monte Brock volunteered to help with this historic event. We teamed up with Dave Millner, IRCHA president and B-25 Gathering committee member, and Chris Patton, Champaign Aviation Museum director and AMA member.
This may have been the last public reunion of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, which makes it even more special. Although there was an appreciation within the aviation community of the beautiful bombers, appreciation for what these men sacrificed with their courageous actions took precedence throughout the weekend.
For more information about the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, the B-25 Gathering at Grimes Field, or the 68th Reunion of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, go to www.doolittletokyoraiders.com, www.champaignaviationmuseum.org, or www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp.
—Jenni Orebaugh
MA Staff
AMA and EAA Museums Team up for Exhibit
In November 2009, three Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Museum staff members met with National Model Aviation Museum staff members to discuss a new exhibit: "Little Wings, Big Dreams: Sport Aviation in Miniature."
The AirVenture Museum’s model collection features primarily scale flying aircraft, plastic airplanes, and a few wind-tunnel models. The staff’s goal in visiting the Academy’s museum in Muncie, Indiana, was to get a feel for other modeling disciplines and their histories. They wanted to discuss aeromodeling’s history and diversification.
As a result of the visit, the National Model Aviation Museum agreed to loan AirVenture three radio transmitters from the permanent collection. Loans between museums are common. They allow more patrons to see and appreciate materials than if they were displayed at only one institution.
As a bonus to this partnership, AMA members will be allowed free entrance to the EAA’s museum for the remainder of 2010. In turn, our museum will waive entry fees for EAA members for the rest of the year.
"Little Wings, Big Dreams …" opened March 20 and will remain on display through January 2011. For more information about the AirVenture Museum, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, visit its web site: www.airventuremuseum.org.
Go see this display if you get the opportunity; it’s sure to be worth the trip!
—Ashley Rauen
Communications Specialist
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
