In the Air - 2008/08

The Academy proudly honored Don
Anderson and Eric Meyers with President’s
Awards for their marketing contributions to
the modeling industry.
“The President’s Award is one of the
Academy’s highest honors,” explained Dave
Mathewson. “It’s meant to recognize those
individuals or organizations that have made
significant contributions of an extraordinary
nature in support of AMA and aeromodeling.”
Don is the president of Great Planes and
an employee of Hobbico. He received his
award during the GP E-Fest, held February 9-
10 in Champaign, Illinois.
“We launched our Park Pilot Program,
which would not have been possible without
Don and the Hobbico team,” said Mark Smith
during the presentation. “Don is a visionary
and has tirelessly given to this hobby in
countless ways.”
Eric received his award at the AMA
annual meeting held at the Joe Nall fly-in in
May. He is the brand manager at Horizon
Hobby.
“Mr. Meyers is the power behind Horizon
Hobby and an active member who has given a
lot of his time and effort to promoting the
hobby and the AMA,” wrote Greg Gimlick,
who covers the meeting elsewhere in this
section. “The Academy is honored to have
him as a member and more importantly an
advocate.”
Don and Eric were each rewarded with a
plaque and a $1,000 memorial brick
certificate for the AMA Walk of Fame.
Dave Mathewson said:
“Both Don and Eric clearly epitomize the
meaning of the AMA’s President’s Award
and are truly deserving of this
recognition.
“They have each played a large role
in helping AMA develop new
programs that will both introduce
countless people to aeromodeling and
benefit the Academy and its members.
They have volunteered virtually countless
hours of their personal time providing AMA
with their expertise and knowledge, which is
second to none in the modeling industry.”
Congratulations! MA
—AMA staff
INtheAIR
August 2008 9
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
Above: Eric Meyers was given the
President’s Award for 2008. L-R:
District V Vice President Tony
Stillman, AMA President Dave
Mathewson, Helaine Meyers, Eric
Meyers, and District IX Vice
President Mark Smith.
Left: Mark Smith announces that
Don Anderson will receive the
President’s Award while Dave
Mathewson holds the plaque.
And the Award Goes To ...
When the AMA was established in 1936,
RC was relatively unknown except for a pair of
modelers, the Good brothers, who were
experimenting with it. At the time, another pair
of brothers, Frank and John Zaic, was helping
the AMA to organize modelers into the new
organization.
The primary modeling activity back then
was FF, with CL coming along as an alternate.
Not until after World War II was RC
recognized as having grown enough to be more
than a few experimenters with home-built
electronics equipment. A great deal of RC
equipment became commercially available in
the late 1940s.
The next 60 years was a time of
phenomenal expansion of RC activity. It grew
so much that it dominated the aeromodeling
world, and thousands of RC modelers became
the largest segment of AMA’s membership.
Along the way, many RC models and
modelers became famous as their
contributions to the history of aeromodeling
were recognized.
Leading the way since then in
documenting this progress is an AMA SIG
called the Vintage R/C Society (VR/CS),
which was founded in 1989. At one time or
another, the organization’s membership has
consisted of practically all of AMA’s pioneer
RC modelers, including the Good brothers, Ed
Lorenz, Hal deBolt, Howard McEntee, Art
Schroeder, Jerry Nelson, and Cliff Weirick, to
name very few.
Another pioneer was recognized at the
Toledo R/C Expo in Ohio in April. Bob Noll
of New York, who is the current VR/CS
president, received the Zaic Memorial Award
on behalf of the VR/CS. He’s carrying on
from where I started as the first president of
the organization.
The award includes a nice plaque, which is
expected to be displayed prominently at
VR/CS events. But perhaps more significant is
the check from the Zaic Memorial Fund, to
help offset society expenses, in the amount of
$1,000. Bob Noll received the check on behalf
of the VR/CS to help carry on the
organization’s work.
The VR/CS publishes a newsletter and
holds events featuring models that are built
and flown as in the past. If you are interested
in learning more about the organization,
who is involved, and what it does, go to www.
vintagercsociety.org. MA
—John Worth
District IV
John Worth (R) presents the
Zaic Award to Bob Noll on
behalf of the VR/CS.
Zaic Award Presented During Toledo Show
AMA President Dave Mathewson kicked
off a well-attended meeting for AMA
members May 15, 2008, inside the hangar at
the Joe Nall Fly-In. A couple hundred
members were present, and this remains the
largest of the general meetings.
Most of the Executive Council (EC)
members were in attendance, and they
offered their expertise on a variety of topics.
The predominant topic at the meeting was a
three-part plan the president and EC have
laid out to ensure the growth and
continuation of our hobby in light of recent
homeland security concerns.
The AMA will have one of 20
representatives on the Aviation Rules
Committee. It has been assigned the task of
recommending how the various facets of
aviation can coexist and making sure that
everyone has equal opportunity to pursue his
or her interests while maintaining national
security. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are the
up-and-coming thing, and the AMA is
actively involved in how it affects our
hobby/sport.
AMA’s executive director, Jim Cherry,
addressed the plan to
involve local
government and civic
groups in promoting
model aviation as a
worthwhile leisure
activity, and he laid
out several plans that
are being worked on.
Mark Smith,
District IX vice
president, explained
how the Giant Scale
crowd could help promote the new Park
Pilot Program that was implemented earlier
this year. It can serve as an “incubator” to
increase the number of modelers and expand
the Academy’s numbers for everyone’s
benefit.
Bob Brown, District III vice president,
discussed the AMA All-Stars and how they
will be used in conjunction with Leader
Members to expand the hobby. All-Star
Team members Quique Somenzini, Nick
Maxwell, and Jim T. Graham were present
and were introduced. They and the members
who weren’t in attendance are the face of
the AMA at many large events and
presentations.
Dave Mathewson discussed his intention
to use the AMA Leader Members as they
were intended to be used when this status
was conceived. They were an active part of
the recent Membership Dynamic program
and in choosing the All-Stars.
As noted elsewhere, Eric Meyers
received his President’s Award during the
meeting. He was surprised by the
presentation because of his wife, Helaine’s,
cooperation and a plan to keep it a secret.
He was humbled by the award.
Upon completion of the meeting, the
crowd adjourned to the annual feast of hot
dogs and beverages. MA
—Greg Gimlick
MA Electrics Columnist
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Executive Council members sit up front while Dave
Mathewson, the president, says a few words.
A large, enthusiastic crowd came out for
the AMA Annual Membership Meeting,
held during the Joe Nall Fly-In at the Triple
Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South
Carolina.
AMA Holds Membership Meeting at Joe Nall Fly-In
Russian Thunder Gets New Owner
During AMA’s Member
Appreciation Weekend and the 2008
Nats—July 4-August 10—the National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, will be open extended hours.
They are Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday and
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MA
—Michael Smith
Museum Director
Special
Summer
Museum
Hours
Jim Bourke, on behalf of Extreme
Aerosports, is the new owner of Russian
Thunder. It is the only Yak-54 flying in the US
today.
The single-engine, red, white, and blue
aircraft is powered by a 360-horsepower
engine. It was owned by the late Eric Beard,
who was best known for his aerobatic exploits
at air shows across the country and as a
supporter of AMA’s “Got Wings” program.
Jim was interested in Russian Thunder for
several reasons, including the fact that it
reminded him of the Hall Bulldog of the 1930s,
which he really liked. He also
knew Eric Beard and was familiar
with his stints in the Yak.
Jim is well known in the RC
community as the owner of
RCGroups. He is also the general
manager of Knife Edge Software,
which makes the RealFlight R/C
Flight Simulator. The Yak-54 is
one of the airplanes featured on the simulator.
He recently founded Extreme Aerosports,
which focuses on air racing and aerobatics, to
maintain and operate high-performance fullscale
aircraft such as Russian Thunder. Since
Jim acquired the aircraft in December 2007, he
has received intensive aerobatic instruction and
has trained with several airplanes. He has
approximately 40 hours logged on the Yak.
Jim has many plans for Russian Thunder.
He has already removed some of the graphics
and plans to apply his logo and possibly those
of sponsors from the RC industry. He plans to
have Russian Thunder appear in RC shows.
“But mostly I just want to enjoy it,” Jim
said.
Russian Thunder has been relocated to its
new home at Extreme Aerosports’ headquarters
in Corvallis, Oregon. Jim has since spent time
taking the airplane apart and putting it back
together to make sure everything is in working
order and, most importantly, safe.
He said:
“The Yak kind of has a bad reputation,
which is unfortunate, because it is really a nice
flying airplane. Only a small number were
made, around 12 or so, and there have been a
few fatality accidents, so the plane has
developed sort of a mystique.
“I enjoy it. It’s very easy to land; flies well.
It’s very precise and has a lot of power. You
really need to have concentration.” MA
—Ashley Rauen
AMA Communications Specialist
Russian Thunder before Jim Bourke began removing
the graphics.
INtheAIR
August 2008 11
Frequently Asked Questions About
AMA’s History Program
In September 2007, Giant Scale models filled the skies over
the rolling bluegrass of Central Kentucky for the fourth time in as
many years, as the Lexington Model Airplane Club (LMAC)
hosted its annual Kentucky Fall Classic Fly-In.
This event is extremely special for LMAC members because
not only do pilots come together for a great time, but it’s an
opportunity for the club to raise funds for Cardinal Hill
Rehabilitation Hospital—the area’s leading rehabilitation facility.
To date, the event has raised $4,500 for this wonderful cause.
Last year’s fly-in drew 56 pilots, displaying and flying more
than 100 Giant Scale aircraft during three days of activity.
Highlights included a great noontime show featuring 1/2-scale
aircraft, jets, warbirds, and more. A special treat was a flyby
featuring a full-scale AT-6 Texan.
Participants were rewarded with raffle prizes and gifts from
Tower Hobbies and Great Planes, as well as from local hobbyshop
sponsors Speeders’ Model Shop, X-Cell Models, and
HobbyTown.
To support the community that provides the LMAC’s flyingfield
property, the club advertised the event locally, inviting the
public to enjoy the air show from bleachers that were brought in
specifically for the weekend. This drew as many as 800
spectators. No admission was charged, but the club was hugely
successful in soliciting donations, which were split between
Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital and LMAC.
The club is fortunate to have a venue that sports a 700-foot
paved runway, a 700-foot parallel grass runway, and a 300-foot
crosswind runway. The facility also has space for camping. There
is plenty of room, so reservations are unnecessary. But there are
no sanitary facilities except for portable toilets.
LMAC is planning the 2008 Fall Classic Fly-In for September
19-21 and hopes for record attendance by participants and the
public. As an added highlight, the club hopes to have flybys by
some real giants; some club members own full-scale warbirds
including a P-51 Mustang, an AT-6, and a PT-13.
Visit the LMAC Web site at www.lmacky.org for more
information. MA
—Ladd Bovey
District VI
Q: Who do I contact for information about the History Program?
A: Jackie Shalberg—AMA’s Archivist/Assistant Historian—at (765)
287-1256, extension 511, or [email protected], or
Norm Rosenstock—AMA’s Volunteer Historian—at (561) 798-5154
(Florida) or [email protected].
Q: What is the History Program?
A: In the late 1990s, this program was developed to preserve the
history of model aviation for future generations by compiling and
recording the biographies and autobiographies of modelers and the
histories of clubs, SIGs, companies, and other industry associates. The
History Program currently maintains more than 500 modeler
biographies and autobiographies.
Q: How do I write a biography for the History Program?
How do I start?
A: The History Program staff will supply a writing guide for avid
writers or a questionnaire for those who do not have the time or desire
to write their biographies from scratch. These forms are available
online at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/history.aspx.
Q: Do I have to write my own biography? What are my options?
A: You can have someone write your biography or contact History
Program personnel for other options. A biography can be submitted
through an audiotaped interview, on the telephone via the Assistant
Historian, or by sending a videotape or DVD. If you are in the
Muncie, Indiana, area, you can make an appointment to be
interviewed by the Assistant Historian.
Q: Can I write someone else’s biography?
A: You can, and many people do. In addition, please submit the
address of the person you are writing about; he or she will be
contacted before the biography is placed on AMA’s Web site, to
verify, approve, and/or update the information and make any changes
to it before it is “published.”
Q: Where do I send finished biographies?
A: To the AMA History Program in care of Jackie Shalberg, 5151 E.
Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302; attached to an E-mail sent to
[email protected]; or faxed to (765) 281-7904,
Attention: History Program.
Q: What happens to the biographies and histories?
Where can I find them?
A: Biographies and histories are posted on the AMA Web site at
www.modelaircraft.org/museum/biolist.aspx. They are also printed
and placed in binders in the Lee Renaud Memorial Library.
Q: Is a biography like an obituary?
A: An obituary has an ending; our biographies are meant to be
ongoing and updated as people accomplish more. But we keep
biographies of those who have passed on. MA
—AMA Headquarters
For the past several years, the Airmasters
Model Airplane Club (AMAC) of Leesburg,
Georgia, has used proceeds from its fun-flys to
help local and national charities. Its 2008 Spring
Fly-In helped a local organization called The
Liberty House, which provides a safe haven for
domestic violence victims and their children. It
provides emergency shelter, support and
counseling, and job training for the victims.
A total of $500 was collected at the event and
donated to the Liberty House. In previous years
the AMAC has donated approximately $3,950 to
various charities including Fisher House, the
National Sclerosis Society of Georgia, and needy
families during the Thanksgiving and Christmas
holidays.
AMAC members have worked hard to
establish the club as a community-oriented
organization in their area and not just a group of
men and women flying their airplanes and making
noise. These members deserve recognition for
their efforts, as do all chartered clubs that work to
support those in need. MA
—Information provided by Mike Savery,
AMAC President
District V
Mike and Mary Savery present
the $500 check to Silke Deeley,
Director of Liberty House.
Abuse Shelter Benefits From Club Fun-Fly
Fly-In Fun Funds Good Cause
The LMAC flightline served as base of operations for the 56
pilots attending the Fall Classic.
INtheAIR
12 MODEL AVIATION
• The cover shows a trio
of models built using
the SFC (structureless
foam composites)
method. Barbara Smith
holds a 6-foot version
of a planned full-size
SFC homebuilt
airplane, and Ron St.
Jean (L) holds the
yellow Scotsman 400.
Leonard St. Jean holds this month’s FF feature
design: the orange 1/2A SFC Alpha-One. Normal fullsize
plans are unnecessary for this unique foam building
method. All necessary templates and dimensions for
construction are included in the article.
• A.A. Lidberg brings us this month’s other FF offering:
the profile No-Cal Scale Swee’ Pea. This 16-inch-span
model is easy to build and flies great. The full-size
plans are included in the magazine with the article.
• There are two RC building projects this month. Steve
Crowe Jr.’s Hawker Hurricane (plans set 415) is a 60-
inch-span, electric-powered scale rendition of the
British World War II fighter. Jack Headley’s
Sportwagon Jr. (plans set 417) is a .02-powered, singlechannel
model that traces its ancestry back to a sport FF
model by the late Calhoun Smith. With a weight of 7-8
ounces, this little 32-inch-span design is good-looking
and fun to fly.
• The CL construction article also features a semiscale
World War II fighter. Scott Bair designed the Stuntfire
60 (plans set 416) with a super look and performance to
match. This Aerobatics model has a profile and
planform suggestive of the late-model Spitfire.
• In other articles of note, Dale Willoughby reports on
one of the first US contests run according to the FAI
F3E RC Electroflight rules. They involve tasks of
distance, precision duration, and spot landing in a single
flight. The event was held in Costa Mesa, California.
Larry Jolly writes about the RC helicopters featured
at the Model and Craft show. Bernie Oldenburgh covers
the Hansen Trophy Race, which is a 1/4-scale RC Pylon
Racing event held in conjunction with the Cleveland
National Air Show each year.
Walt Wilson reports on the Warbirds Unlimited
event that the Spirits of St. Louis sponsored. It featured
RC World War II replicas speeding around the Formula
1 course. Shelby Hagberg of Cedar Falls, Iowa, won
with a Jemco P-51 powered by a K&B 6.5 engine.
• New products this month include Model Magic Filler
from Model Magic Products. An 8-fluid-ounce bottle
costs $5.95. Use the filler straight from the jar; it sets in
15 minutes and sands like balsa. Z-Foam Primer from
Pacer Technology & Resources makes it possible to use
cyanoacrylate glue on foam. Spray the foam with the
product, let it dry, and use cyanoacrylate as you would
on balsa. A 2-fluid-ounce bottle costs $4.98. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
25 Years
Ago in MA:
August 1983
Does your club need a new shelter,
runway fixes, fencing, or a frequency
board? If so, the AMA might be able
to help. This year alone, the Academy
gave away more than $33,000 to make
such improvements to various club
fields.
How did the recipients get this
money? Through the Flying Site
Development/Improvement Grant
Program, which began in 2003 to
assist clubs in need.
If approved, a grant will provide
up to 10% of the total cost of a
project. The maximum amount is
$5,000. The money that is to be
awarded will be announced on or near
May 1 each calendar year.
Applications for the next set of
grants are due to your District vice
president on or before March 1, 2009.
He or she will review and approve the
application and forward it to AMA
Headquarters so it arrives on or before
March 15, 2009. Applications
received after March 15 will not be
processed.
Applying is easy! Go to www.
modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/712.pdf
or call the Programs Department at
AMA HQ—(765) 287-1256,
extension 272—for the information.
The original grant application must be
signed by the club president and
approved by the District vice president
and submitted to Flying Site Grant
Application, Academy of Model
Aeronautics, Attention: Erin Dobbs,
5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN
47302.
Status reports on the projects must
be submitted to AMA Headquarters
every six months, with the final report
describing their completion. Any AMA
funds exceeding 10% of the final total
cost of the project must be returned to
the Academy.
An application will be returned if it
contains more than five pages, the
amount of the requested grant is more
than 10% of the total cost of the
project, or if the amount of the
requested grant is more than $5000.
The 2008 grant recipients are:
• Plattsburgh Radio Aeromodelers:
$527.25
• Wright State Renegades: $1,000
• Bay City Flyers, Inc.: $1,155
• Brandon Radio Control Aero
Modelers: $500
• Orchard Farm RC Flying Club: $450
• Marshalltown Radio Control Flyers:
$2,825
• River District RC Eagles: $100
• West Michigan Smoke Rings: $2,600
• Golden Triangle Radio Control Club:
$313.80
• Jetero RC Club, Inc.: $1,108.35
• Angelo RC Inc.: $5,000
• Tejas Radio Control Association:
$5,000
• Chisholm Trail RC Club: $1,130
• Airpark Elite: $1,300
• MARKS: $5,000
• Yankee Air Pirates Aeronautical
Institute: $5,000
Congratulations to all clubs that
received grant money. To those that did
not, we extend our best wishes for a
successful 2008 flying season, and we
hope you apply again next year. MA
—Erin Dobbs
Programs Coordinator
Flying Site Development/Improvement
Grant Program
Welcome, AMA Life Members!
The Academy recently welcomed new Life Members Jason Stevens
(Maricopa AZ), John French (San Jose CA), and Joe Alban (Kealakekua
HI).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA
Headquarters at (800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department $Closeout Sale at the AMA Store!
What a deal! Many AMA patches are only $1, and all of them will be on sale
until they are gone. For a full list of closeout items, go to
www.modelaircraft.org/shopama/ or call (765) 287-1256, extension 212 or 504.
AMA will not be printing a 2009 Product Guide. Look for upcoming ads in
MA or visit the Web site for the most up-to-date products and great deals on
closeout items. MA
—Supply and Service Department