In the Air - 2011/01

AMA Nats Schedule Announced!
January 2011 9
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
The AMA Executive Council has approved the schedule for the 2011 National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats). FF
Indoor events will be held May 25-29 at the East Tennessee State University Mini-Dome in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Outdoor events will be held at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. The dates are as follows.
• RC Scale Aerobatics: June 27-30
• RC and CL Scale: July 1-3
• CL (Navy Carrier, Precision Aerobatics,
Racing, Combat, Speed): July 4-9
• RC Pylon Racing: July 4-9
• RC Combat: July 6-9
• RC Soaring: July 10-19
• RC Electric: July 18-21
• FF Outdoor: July 18-22
• RC Aerobatics: August 2-6
• RC Helicopter: August 7-11
In addition to the Nats, the F3A World Championships, for RC Aerobatics, will be held on-site July 23-August 2. This is a great
opportunity for Nats contestants and supporters to attend an international event that will feature world-class flying.
If you have participated in the Nats within the last two years, you will receive an entry form in early February. For more information,
or to obtain an entry form, visit www.modelaircraft.org/events or call (765) 287-1256, extension 232, 261, or 298. MA
—AMA HQ
• RC Scale Aerobatics: June 27-30
• RC and CL Scale: July 1-3
• CL (Navy Carrier, Precision Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Speed): July 4-9
• RC Pylon Racing: July 4-9
• RC Combat: July 6-9
• RC Soaring: July 10-19
• RC Electric: July 18-21
• FF Outdoor: July 18-22
• RC Aerobatics: August 2-6
• RC Helicopter: August 7-11
It is one of those quirks in history. Chet Lanzo won the 1937 RC
Nats with his Stick, and Walt and Bill Good’s Big Guff took fourth
place. Yet the Big Guff is credited with being the first successful RC
model. How did that happen?
Lanzo managed to get the Stick into the air for a short hop of a
flight during the competition. The Big Guff earned fourth place
based on the preflight demonstration of its controls; it never even
made a flight attempt because of the rain that moved in after
Lanzo’s flight.
The Big Guff won in 1938, but it was a hollow victory; the
model crashed just after takeoff, and Walt Good was the only
modeler who attempted an official flight in high winds.
Beginning with the first successful test flight of the Big Guff in
May 1937, it was flown multiple times for fun and in exhibitions at
various events. By the start of the 1939 Nats it had been flown
successfully almost 100 times.
Walt and Bill Good earned first place at an RC Nats competition,
in 1939—and that was a true victory. Competing against 10 other
aircraft, Bill piloted the Big Guff through all of the required
maneuvers—twice—during a 14-minute flight.
Compared to every other flight during the previous two years,
that one demonstrated what RC was supposed to be about. The
brothers went on to confirm their success in several demonstration
flights during the rest of the year, and they won the 1940 Nats. The
Good brothers, and their Big Guff, had made a name for themselves.
The model started out as a Free Flight Guff design that Walt
almost continually changed as he and his brother learned what
did and did not work. Bill updated and refined the radio
equipment.
Fred Mulholland, Tom Gealta, and Bob Copper built the
replica Big Guff that is on display at the museum after a
reproduction that Rich Bonnell constructed crashed. Fred, Tom,
and Bob presented their version of the model to Walt Good at a
dinner at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida in 1988. He
donated it to the museum in 1989.
The replica that was donated to the museum is based on the
1939 drawings, although the replica radio equipment on exhibit
dates to 1937. As was the original model, the one on display is
painted an international orange—Walt’s favorite visibility
color. And, as does original, it carries the turquoise-blue
“Radio” insignia on the fuselage as its only decoration. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
History Preserved:
The Collection of the
National Model Aviation Museum
01sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 3:26 PM Page 9 In September 2010 the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
DC vetted the TransAtlantic Model (TAM)
and selected it as an historic
artifact. The model that was
donated to the Smithsonian is
identical to the TAM that
flew from Newfoundland to
Ireland in August 2003.
The original airplane is
on display at the National
Model Aviation Museum in
Muncie, Indiana. The aircraft in
the Smithsonian collection was
flight-tested in May and June 2003 and
was taken to Newfoundland in August of that
year, ready to fly if needed.
That TAM was transferred to the Smithsonian through the
efforts of Christopher Moore, who is curator of aeromodels at the
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. He has been given
a large space for model display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
Center, near Washington Dulles Airport, and it will
be quite sometime before that exhibit will be
open to the public. Plans for it include
Walt Good’s Guff.
I thank all of you who helped
achieve this goal, and hope that
each of you feels as rewarded
as I do. MA
—Maynard Hill
[email protected]
10 MODEL AVIATION
INtheAIR
My wife and I spent a day at the
Prescott Valley Arizona Boys and Girls
Club last year, showing kids how to
make the FPG-9 (Foam Plate Glider),
which was developed at the AMA. This
simple, inexpensive, fun project
introduced the children to a new way of
learning about aerodynamics and
provided an avenue for competitive
flying.
Three days were spent working on
the gliders. We used the first day to
construct the models with the help of
the Boys and Girls Club staff. We
provided foam plates with the glider
outlines marked on them.
The kids cut the glider parts from
their plates using kid-safe scissors.
With the adults’ help, the parts were put
together with Scotch tape, and each child
marked the aircraft with his or her name.
On the second day, the kids decorated
their gliders with markers. Some of the
designs were extremely well done!
During the third day a test range was
set up inside the club building, and the
kids competed for the longest flight and
most accurate glide. The competitions
were separated into age groups, and the
participants had a blast!
My club, the Chino Valley Model
Aviators, used FPG-9s at an EAA Young
Eagles event, at which EAA members
give children their first rides in light
aircraft, free of charge. The kids built
their model gliders while waiting their
The TAM that flew the distance hangs in the National Model
Aviation Museum in Muncie IN.
The FPG-9 Gets Kids Involved in Aviation
Members of the Boys and Girls Club assemble their FPG-9 Gliders.
A student gets instruction on building the FPG-9 while waiting
for a ride in a full-scale airplane.
turn to get into the air.
This year we have been asked to bring
our glider-building classes to the Chino
Valley Public Library and Humboldt
Elementary School. This is a great way
for your, or any, club to get involved in
community activities and provide
positive publicity when it’s time to get
your flying field lease approved.
You can download FPG-9 glider
information from the AMA Web site—at
www.modelaircraft.org/education/fpg-
9.aspx—and have a hand in starting a kid
on the road to an aeronautical career. It’s
also a lot of fun! MA
—Randy Meathrell
District X
Smithsonian Acquires Model Airplane
01sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 3:27 PM Page 10
January 2011 11
warehousing, shipping, and logistics to Leo’s facilities in
Singapore. FMA Direct and Leo will remain independently owned
and operated but tied closely through a complete system of
product design, sales, and support.
Moving the business functions of warehousing, shipping, order
fulfillment, and certain accounting procedures to Asia saves FMA
Direct a sizable amount of money. That savings is passed directly
to the consumer in the form of lower retail prices on all of the
products you were previously able to purchase from FMA Direct.
In addition, FMA Direct will market its products through
regional hobby shops. Customer support and service for all North
and South American customers will still be maintained through
FMA Direct headquarters in Frederick, Maryland.
This is an exciting time for RC, according to FMA Direct,
because technology has exploded in the hobby industry and the
world is getting smaller. The company welcomes you to be a
part of the excitement. For more information, visit its Web site
at www.fmadirect.com. MA
—AMA HQ
INtheAIR
FMA Direct is entering a new era in business. It is joining
forces with a long-standing manufacturing partner, Leo Industries,
of Singapore, to launch a business model that is designed to
benefit its growing consumer base.
Operating jointly under the Revolectrix brand, FMA Direct
and Leo Industries have completed a massive effort to move all
Industry News:
FMA Direct
Partners With
Leo Industries
A piece on page 9 of the March 2010
MA—“My Flying Field for Friends and
AMA Members”—struck a chord, because
the same scenario exists here in a small
community in West Virginia. The Teter
Airfield is a work in progress, with the
goal of introducing people to RC models.
The first fly-in was held September 17-
19 this year. Its mission was to attract the
public to RC flying
and to promote AMA
membership to those
who fly and are not yet
members. And
activities are planned
for 2011. But walking
starts with the first few
wobbly steps.
The biggest
problem was finding a
place to fly—
especially one that was
close enough to home.
This is often a
daunting task, and it
could leave people
who are interested in
RC with little
opportunity to
participate if they live
a great distance from
the site. And finding, building, and
maintaining a quality airfield requires a lot
of work and money.
Three years ago, Ron Carpenter, who
works for a general contractor building
water-treatment plants, found himself
traveling up and down the East Coast. That
left him with little or no time to enjoy his
hobby, which is flying RC airplanes and
helicopters. Ron searched areas near his
work site(s) and joined nearby flying
clubs. (Thanks, AMA, for providing
information about where to fly.)
Ron wanted to provide an opportunity for
those who find themselves in a similar
situation to his and those who live nearby to
enjoy the hobby. He lives in West Virginia,
where mountainous terrain and trees present
obstacles for the RC enthusiast. However, he
found a piece of flat terrain on his father-inlaw’s
farm, and work began to make an RC
flying field.
The project started with laying out an
airstrip, which measures 65 feet wide and 750
feet long. Then the dozer came in to level the
site, preparing for seeding with a quality
runway grass. Three run-up stands were
constructed, along with an equipment shed
and a covered viewing area.
There will be no official club at the Teter
Airfield. It will be open to anyone who
wants to learn how to fly, enjoys flying, or
wants to watch others fly. The focus is on
providing recreational opportunities for the
entire family.
Each airfield user is required to be an
AMA member and must purchase an
annual “flight pass”—a portion of which
one can “work off” by helping to
maintain the airstrip. Flying at the site is
governed by a set of airfield guidelines
and AMA rules. The facility is an
alcohol- and drug-free zone.
Ron Carpenter is an unusual hobby
enthusiast, in that he
took it upon himself
to construct a private
airfield so that he
could have a place to
fly. But he didn’t
give much thought to
how much such
construction would
cost or what the
annual maintenance
costs might be.
The facility is
located near
Buckhannon, West
Virginia. If you
currently fly RC and
do not have a place to
fly/call home, come
out and visit the
airfield! You can find
it at www.map
quest.com/mq/7-xn9s or e-mail Ron at
[email protected] for
information.
Vendors are welcomed to attend
scheduled fly-ins, which will be
announced in the free airfield newsletter.
Anyone can subscribe to the publication
online or by sending $10 per year (to
cover postage and printing costs) for a
hard copy. MA
—Richard Whiting
[email protected]
District III
C o m e F l y i n t h e M o u n t a i n e e r S t a t e !
01sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 3:27 PM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
INtheAIR
The Lake Sawyer Hawks of Black Diamond, Washington, is
an incredibly active and unified club. Not only does it enjoy
aeromodeling and RC flight, but every year it sets aside a special
day to introduce children to model aviation. (The club was
featured in an article in the February 2007 MA, about how it
acquired its airfield.)
The Hawks participate in the Maple Valley Kids Festival at
Lake Wilderness Park in Maple Valley, Washington; it was held
on July 17 this year. The club set up tables and banners, and
there was outstanding participation by children of all ages.
A large number of club-member volunteers was infected with
a large dose of enthusiasm. The Hawks is known in the area as a
neighbor-friendly group.
Each volunteer wore a yellow T-shirt with the Lake Sawyer
Hawks logo on the front. Tom Richards wore a shirt with “Test
Pilot” emblazoned across the back so he could be easily
distinguished.
Kids who visited the club’s booth had the opportunity to
build rubber-powered AMA Delta Darts. Club members
manufactured assembly fixtures—using a design that the Yakima
Valley Aero Modelers provided—to facilitate alignment of the
models, and volunteers took care of the more complex portions
of the assembly process. However, the children were involved in
construction to the maximum extent possible.
The city of Maple Valley purchased the Delta Dart kits, and
the Covington Hobby Store supplied the necessary adhesives. It
is estimated that roughly 325 airplanes were built that day,
producing roughly 325 smiling faces.
The weather was perfect that day, and it looked like everyone
had a marvelous time. The Lake Sawyer Hawks volunteers were
exhausted by the end of the day, but very pleased with the results
of their efforts.
When things were all put away, the volunteers gathered at a
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Guido Gollner (Oxnard CA), Victor Filipenco (Portland CT), Marlon Beltran
(Garden Grove CA), William Vercera (Poway CA), Raymond Juschkus (Saint James NY), J G Pailet (Lady Lake FL), Jerry Neuberger
(Santee CA), Richard Hansen (Portland OR), Larry Renger (Rancho Santa Margarit CA), Richard Smith (Hemet CA), Howard Feindel
(Austin TX), Regina Spaulding (Lancaster NH), Richard Inman (Springfield OH), Scott Bahruth (Wichita KS), Gerald Pitner (Waupaca
WI), Michael Vivona (Orlando FL), Warren Lange (Sycamore IL), Luis Ontiveros (Whitestone NY), and Norman Berger (Parker CO).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at (800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
AMA Thanks Its Lifetime Supporters!
Young Hawks Get Their Wings
local restaurant and ate dinner wearing their yellow T-shirts.
They discussed the highlights of their efforts gave a special thank
you to the designated test pilot, Tom Richards. He saw to it that
each model flew perfectly before a child took it away.
At the end of the day, one of the club volunteers received the
following e-mail from Rachel Gerberding—“Emma’s Mom.”
“I just wanted to let you know how neat your Delta Dart plane
kit is. Ray Peters helped my daughter, Emma, put hers together
and she is very proud of it.
“Having taught preschool for more than 10 years, I really
appreciate all the coordination, patience, and enthusiasm your
volunteers brought to the project. There were many steps
involved in the plane kits and the volunteers were all really good
with the children’s varying skill and attention levels. Ray was
especially patient with my daughter, who likes precision and
often takes a long time getting things ‘just right.’
“The assemblers and test pilots were equally good with the
children, and I saw many smiles on kids’ faces as they saw the
result of their hard work and persistence take flight.
“What a great project for the festival! I know Emma will
enjoy her plane for a long time.”
A letter such as this one produced a good deal of enthusiasm
among the volunteers. We are hoping to have as big of a turnout
at next year’s festival and as much enthusiasm as any club can
generate.
We encourage other clubs to do similar things for young
people, who are the up-and-coming model builders. Lake Sawyer
Hawks members took the accompanying photographs MA
—Arnold C. Anderson
[email protected]
District XI
The beginning of Kids Day, with everyone
hard at work. Lake Sawyer Hawks
President Marlow Anderson is underneath
the yellow umbrella on the right.
A volunteer helps kids get started on Delta
Dart assembly. Volunteers cut all materials
with an X-Acto knife; there was no need for
first aid on this special day.
Lake Sawyer Hawks form a production
line, to cut wing coverings taken
from kits. The alignment fixture is
visible.
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