Meet Alex Schauer: Youth newsletter name contest winner
AMA Flightline is the name that received the most votes from more than 300 entries. Alex Schauer, age 13, from North Mankato, Minnesota, submitted the name for the AMA newsletter that is specifically for our youth members. Alex wins a RealFlight6 R/C Flight Simulator.
Not only is Alex thrilled that AMA Flightline was selected, he’s just as thrilled to win RealFlight6. Alex has been sharpening his flying skills on an older version, RealFlight3.5, that he borrowed from his uncle.
Alex’s interest in learning to fly RC airplanes began with RC boats. One day he went to watch his friend run his model boat. Alex visited the Tower Hobbies website where his friend bought his boat, saw the airplanes, and instantly decided he wanted to fly.
“I’ve always been interested in anything that flies, and seeing all the airplanes, I knew flying is what I wanted to do,” said Alex.
He purchased a SuperStar, an electric-powered airplane that is ideal for flight training. Shortly afterward, he saw a newspaper story about the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ flying club, the North Mankato Electric Flyers, and the club’s new flying field. Alex met AMA member Rick Apitz, who became his flight instructor.
Alex said, “I found learning to fly to be so easy. It’s learning to land that is the most challenging thing about flying. Flying on a simulator helps you learn quickly.”
Alex has been flying for roughly four months now and usually flies with a friend and a neighbor, both his age.
Flying in Pattern and 3-D competitions is a goal Alex has set for himself. He now flies a TechOne Rainbow designed especially for 3-D flying. Alex’s newest airplane is the ElectricFly Cirrus SR22 Turbo. To control his airplanes, Alex uses a Futaba 7C 2.4 GHz radio.
“I love flying model airplanes. It’s so much better than sitting in front of the TV because you’re doing something with your brain. It can get you on the edge of your feet when you’re flying. There’s so much to learn, but after you learn a good chunk of it, it can help you get a good career. Someday I’d like to be a model airplane engineer or a pilot,” said Alex.
History Preserved
A new powerplant was announced to the aeromodelling community: Jetex. The idea for a rocket engine on a model airplane was not new, but in 1938, Bill and John Wilmot and Joe Mansour began working on a system that could be placed into production.
The British War Ministry, seeing the potential for such a device, charged the Development of Miscellaneous Weapons Department with leading the project, and by 1947, a chemical compound had been devised by Alex Hutchison. Production began in 1947; by 1948 two were available: the Jetex 100 and the Jetex 200.
The June issue of Aeromodeller featured the first ad for these two power sources and plans for two models powered by the Jetex. One was a scale model of the Meteor; the other was a duration model called the Zephyr.
Museum volunteer Scott Cheslik undertook the project of constructing the Zephyr for the museum’s collection, but we do not have a Jetex 100 or 200 in the collection to complete the model.
If you or someone you know might be interested in donating one of these powerplants to this project, please contact Museum Collections Manager Maria VanVreede at [email protected].
—National Model Aviation Museum Staff
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
