In the Air

Dr. Paul B. MacCready Jr., 84, passed
away August 28, 2007. He had been an AMA
member since his early teens. He was a
husband, father, businessman, inventor, and
aeromodeling pioneer, and he set records and
made inventions that are still remembered and
used today.
MacCready was born in 1925 in New
Haven, Connecticut, to Dr. Paul Beattie and
Edith Margaret MacCready. He was the
youngest of three children and the only boy.
His interest in flight began at age 7. His
family spent summers during the 1930s at
Johnson’s Point, on Long Island Sound,
which was rife with insects. There he spent
the nights catching moths and butterflies; he
was fascinated by their ability to maneuver
through the air.
MacCready built his first airplanes from
kits purchased at a dime store and later moved
on to designing his own models. In 1939, at
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
November 2007 9
AMA Remembers Dr. Paul MacCready
Dr. MacCready earned the Henry Kremer Prize with his
Gossamer Condor: the first man-powered aircraft.
MacCready’s first solar-powered airplane—the Gossamer
Penguin—on a trial flight in 1979.
MacCready with a battery-powered Micro
Air Vehicle.
the age of 14, he set a world record for model
autogiros with a canard design that stayed aloft
for 12.7 minutes.
At 16 MacCready received his license for
solo flight in powered aircraft. In World War II
he flew in the US Navy flight-training
program.
By 1947 MacCready received his physics
degree from Yale University and switched his
hobby interest from powered aircraft to gliders.
At age 21 he placed second in the National
Soaring Championships at Wichita Falls,
Texas. He went on to win the National Soaring
Championships in 1948, 1949, and 1953.
From 1946 to 1956 MacCready worked on
sailplane development, soaring techniques, and
meteorology. He invented the MacCready
Speed Ring airspeed selector, which is still
used by glider pilots worldwide.
MacCready represented the US at contests
in Europe, and in 1956 he became the first
American to achieve the title of International
Champion. At roughly this time he was
earning his master’s degree in physics at the
California Institute of Technology and his
Ph.D in aeronautics from the same institution.
He founded Meteorology Research, Inc.,
which became a leading firm in weather
modification and atmospheric science research.
In 1971 he founded AeroVironment, Inc.: a
technology company that is primarily involved
in energy systems, electric vehicle systems,
and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). The
company is probably best known for
developing a series of lightweight, human- and
solar-powered vehicles.
MacCready did extensive work in the
fields of flight and technology. Along with
AeroVironment he developed and flew the
first man-powered aircraft—the Gossamer
Condor—and won the Henry Kremer Prize,
of $95,000, in 1977. That made him
internationally known as the “father of
human-powered flight.” He went on to win
two more Kremer
Prizes.
The Gossamer
Albatross flew across
the English Channel in 1979, winning
AeroVironment $213,000: the largest cash
prize in aviation history. MacCready also won
a prize of $30,000, in 1983, for developing the
Bionic Bat, which was required to exceed 20
mph around a 1-mile course.
In addition he developed the Gossamer
Penguin—the world’s first successful solarpowered
airplane—and the Solar Challenger.
In 1985 the Smithsonian Institution
commissioned MacCready to build a life-size,
flying pterodactyl. It can be seen in the IMAX
film On the Wing.
MacCready’s interest in environmentally
sound technology was not limited to aircraft.
He built the solar-powered Sunraycer to
compete in a race across Australia in 1987.
Then he collaborated with General Motors in
1990 to develop the Impact—an electric car
that could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in
eight seconds.
MacCready was inducted into the National
Aviation Hall of Fame in 1991 based on his
contributions to flight technology. He is also
affiliated with the National Academy of
Engineering, the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the
American Meteorological Society.
In addition to serving as international
president of the International Human Powered
Vehicle Association, he received numerous
awards and wrote many articles, papers, and
reports on the topics of physics and
aeronautics.
Dr. Paul B. MacCready Jr. was a legend in
the world of aeronautics. His research and
inventions touched all areas of technology and
are still embraced today. Each of his
inventions began with a model, which
inevitably helped him improve them, thus the
hobby we enjoy today. MA
—Ashley Rauen
AMA Communications Specialist
11sig1.QXD 9/21/07 1:23 PM Page 9
Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson reflects on his
past during his presentation at the
International Aeromodeling Center.
Jefferson (far right) donates an autographed poster of the Tuskegee Airmen to the
National Model Aviation Museum. L-R: Dave Brown, Jim Cherry, Michael Smith, Joe
Haas.
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
Seminar Topics for AMA Convention 2008
After receiving good feedback from AMA members who live
within a 300-mile radius of the Ontario, California, area, we will offer
the following seminars at the 2008 AMA Convention, which will be
held January 11-13 at the Ontario Convention Center. Please note that
this is not a complete list; more seminars are being considered.
• 2008 TAG [Take off And Grow] Program
• Associate vice president training
• Selecting an electric power system for your model
• Glow-to-electric conversions
• Charging, using, and storing Li-Poly batteries
• Covering with plastic/fabric films
• Tuning and troubleshooting two- and four-stroke engines
• Setting up helicopters
• Spread spectrum technology and use MA
—Jack Frost
Education Department
Retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Alexander
Jefferson visited AMA’s International
Aeromodeling Center Saturday, August 11 to
speak about his military experiences, visit the
National Model Aviation Museum, and see
the IRCHA Jamboree.
The Tuskegee Airman served in the US
Army Air Corps during World War II and
risked his life to fight for a country that was
prejudiced against him. You can read his story
in his autobiography titled Red Tail Captured,
Red Tail Free: The Memoirs of a Tuskegee
Airman and POW.
Lt. Col. Jefferson began his speech with
the statement “I am a survivor.” He proved
that to be true as he described the
Tuskegee Airman
Strikes a Chord at AMA
mistreatment of blacks in the armed forces. He
overcame the intolerance and graduated from
the organization whose prejudice was strong
enough to fail 67% of its first graduating class
for having dust under their beds.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black
pilots in military history. They were entrusted
to run escort missions for B-17 and B-24
bombers.
Lt. Col. Jefferson participated in 18 of
those successful flights with the 332nd Fighter
Group, which was referred to as the “Red
Tailed Angels.” The name came from the red
tails on the pilots’ P-51 Mustangs.
On his 19th mission—the squadron’s first
combat assignment to destroy radar stations
on the southern coast of France—Lt. Col.
Jefferson was shot down and captured. He
spent the following nine months as a prisoner
of war before liberation on April 29, 1945.
His presentation featured colorful stories
about the time he served in training and during
the war, including his reaction to seeing
Dachau—a concentration camp—after
liberation.
Following Lt. Col. Jefferson’s
presentation was a question/answer session,
during which the audience members asked
him about topics ranging from what airplanes
he flew to his training missions at Selfridge
Army Air Base in Michigan.
Afterward AMA’s Executive Director,
Jim Cherry, presented him with a framed
enlargement of the cover of the April 2007
MA, on which Lt. Col. Jefferson was featured.
He, in turn, donated a poster of the Tuskegee
Airmen—complete with six of the pilots’
signatures—to the National Model Aviation
Museum.
“If you have no idea where you have been,
you have no idea where you are today,” said
Lt. Col. Jefferson at the close of his
presentation. “Therefore, you are not prepared
for the future.” MA
—Ashley Rauen
AMA Communications Specialist
Attention AMA Members
and Potential Members!
You are now able to renew your AMA membership or sign up
to become a member at any hobby shop that is participating in the
Brick and Mortar Program, which began October 1.
This program allows membership renewal or new-member
sign-up at all hobby shops—not just those that belong to NRHSA
(the National Retail Hobby Stores Association), as has been the
case in the past.
Please be aware that not all hobby shops know about this
program and it may take awhile to get them onboard. If you know
of any store owners or frequent hobby shops you would like to
familiarize with the Brick and Mortar Program, have them contact
Erin Dobbs at (765) 287-1256, extension 272, or erind@model
aircraft.org for information. Details will soon be posted on the
AMA Web site (www.modelaircraft.org). MA
—Programs Department
11sig1.QXD 9/24/07 8:50 AM Page 10
INtheAIR
November 2007 11
Information for Turbine Waiver Holders
• This is the “Special Nats Issue,”
covering events held in Lincoln,
Nebraska, and the picture on the cover
shows Leonard McCoy sporting his
Kansas City RC Association club shirt.
The two models in the foreground are
Dornier Do 23Gs that were entered in RC
Scale. This comprehensive issue reviews
each event and includes the results.
• The RC construction feature is for Brad
Sheperd’s Sport Scale Laser 200. This
40-size version performs as well as Leo
Loudenslager’s full-scale aircraft.
• This month’s CL construction article is
for Yves Fernandez’s 40-size Spectre. It
has a full-scale-like sport-airplane
appearance, yet it has all the good
features for performing Precision
Aerobatics.
• Joe Johnson’s FF construction feature is
for a delightful little sport model with a
CO2 motor called the Czech Mate. Flights
of 30-50 seconds are the norm for this
small-field flier.
• Laird Jackson writes about the top CL
fliers gathering in Sweden for the World
Championships in Aerobatics, Combat,
Team Race, and Speed. US teams won
the Aerobatics and Combat titles. Les
McDonald
won the
individual
title in
Aerobatics,
and Tom
Fluker Jr. was
victorious in
Combat.
• Vince
Mankowski,
the assistant
executive
director, provides readers with an update on
construction of the new AMA building.
The footings are in, and block has been laid
to grade level. Structural steel is expected
to be placed soon.
• In new-product news Sig Manufacturing
is offering the Kobra—a compact sport
RC Aerobatics flier—for $44.95. Ramco
announces its First Step RC trainer, which
comes built up and ready for final assembly
for $129.99 or completely finished, ready
for installation of RC gear and engine, for
$159.95. Novak offers its new NES-1A
Midget servo (1.18 inches high, .75 inch
wide, and 1.5 inches long) with 21 inchounce
of torque for $39.95. MA
—Rich LaGrange
AMA Librarian
Upon recommendation by the AMA Safety Committee, on
August 12, 2007, the AMA Executive Council approved
substantial changes to the turbine-waiver regulations for pilots.
You can find the specific changes in Document 510-A at
www.modelaircraft.org/documents.aspx or request a copy of the
document from Ilona Maine of the Programs Department at
[email protected] or (765) 287-1256, extension 251.
The following is a summary of the changes.
• All references to a notarization process, either explicit or
implied, have been removed.
• The renewal process has been eliminated. Once obtained, the
waiver remains in effect unless revoked for cause.
• A process for temporary suspension has been added to the
section providing for waiver removal or revocation. This section
provides a means to identify operational or safety issues, on an
individual waiver-holder basis, that can be addressed without
undergoing a complete reapplication process.
These changes attempt to reflect the effort that has been made
within the turbine community to act responsibly and police its
activity effectively. Additional actions reflecting AMA’s
administration of the program are currently being put into effect.
These should help ease some of the current CDs’ workloads in the
field and at Headquarters.
Waiver holders and CDs are urged to study the approved
changes. Although many CDs do not normally have turbines
operating at their events, they may find knowledge of the proper
documents necessary in some situations, such as at
demonstrations, air shows, and CL and RC Scale contests.
CDs currently receive documents with sanction materials that
provide information about turbine procedures. If you are a CD
and have not received these documents with your sanction
materials, you can contact AMA Headquarters or locate them on
the AMA Web site. MA
—AMA Headquarters
The AMA Plans Service is expanding
its horizons to offer foam-core wing sets
for plans from MA construction features
whose designs feature that type of wing.
The cores are manufactured, from highquality
white foam, using a computerized
foam-wing cutter. Please allow two to three
weeks for delivery—longer for overseas.
Wing cores for designs other than those
that have been published in MA magazine
can be quoted on a per-plans basis. For
ordering assistance call (765) 287-1256,
extension 507.
And don’t forget the more than 16,000
model plans available from the AMA Plans
Service that are just waiting to be built.
Somewhere in our collection are the plans
for the airplane you always wanted to
build. MA
—AMA Plans Service
Now Available:
Foam-Core Wing Sets 25 Years Ago in MA: November 1982
Welcome, AMA Life
Members!
The Academy recently welcomed
new Life Members Walt Fletcher
(Saint George UT) and George
Precella (Boulder CO).
For information about becoming a
Life Member, contact AMA
Headquarters at (800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
11sig1.QXD 9/21/07 1:26 PM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
INtheAIR
Great Planes Acquires Carl Goldberg Models and Lanier RC
The IRCHA [International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association] Jamboree, held August 9-12 at AMA’s International
Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana, set a world record for pilot
attendance at any RC aircraft event of its kind. Digital spread spectrum
(DSS) 2.4 GHz technology was used extensively.
IRCHA Vice President Charles Anderson said:
DSS Delivers
Fun and Safe
Flying at IRCHA
Jamboree
“It’s in the books; 712 registered pilots attended the event with only
150 72 MHz radios making it to the impound trailer. This of course
made it much easier to monitor and manage the event.
“No problems were reported with DSS users and it was less hassle
for staff and pilots who reported they were able to get more flights in at
this event because of DSS.”
Since the event committee elected not to impound 2.4 GHz
radios, there were almost 600 of them in the pits or on the flightline
during the course of the event. Even with this large number of radios
outside of impound control, there were no reported DSS
issues of any kind.
Airframe manufacturers who wanted to showcase their
helicopters found that their team pilots could demonstrate the machines
virtually on an as-needed basis. This is vastly different from previous
years, in which flying might have meant a wait of an hour or more.
Along the quarter-mile flightline, 17 pilot stations were occupied
with fliers showing off the latest in RC helicopter development, and
DSS antennas could be seen all the way down the line. This is an
amazing milestone for the RC community. With this level of
participation it looks like the 2.4 GHz revolution is here to stay.
“You would think that with 712 pilots and 17 flight stations
that we would have had a lot of problems,” said Team JR/Spektrum
member Scott Cathey. “This was not the case! I am convinced the
US market has recognized the advantages of the 2.4 and has
accepted it as the new standard.” MA
—Steven W. Goodreau
District VI
In August Great Planes Model
Distributors acquired the Lanier RC and
Carl Goldberg product lines. Both
companies are currently located in
Oakwood, Georgia, but will soon
relocate to Great Planes’ headquarters
in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
Carl Goldberg, a hobby pioneer and
legend, founded Carl Goldberg Models
Inc. more than 50 years ago. The
company is a cornerstone of the RC
airplane market and has enjoyed a
legacy of well-known and respected
products.
Bubba Spivey purchased the
Goldberg product line five years ago.
Since that time many of the company’s
famous RC kits have been converted to
ARFs, thereby gaining new success in
the RC market.
Len Purdy created Lanier RC in
1964, and it is known as one of the first
companies to offer ARF RC aircraft.
The Spivey family acquired Lanier in
1979.
Don Anderson founded Great Planes
Model Distributors in 1981, and the
company quickly became North
America’s leading manufacturer of RC
kits. It is now a subsidiary of Hobbico,
which is a 100% employee-owned
company located in Champaign.
Today Great Planes continues to
lead the industry with RC airplane kits,
ARFs, building and field accessories, a
full line of
brushless motors
and brushless
speed controls, and
RealFlight—the
industry’s most
popular RC flight
simulator. The
company
manufactures
models ranging from small indoor
electrics to the largest aerobatic and scale
aircraft.
In addition to founding Great Planes,
Don Anderson is also Hobbico’s senior
vice president of product development. He
said:
“Many RC airplane enthusiasts became
avid modelers by building a Carl Goldberg
model airplane kit. Success was virtually
guaranteed with a Gentle Lady, Eagle, or
Eaglet kit as a first model, then moving on
to one of the Falcons or Tigers once a
modeler had learned to fly. Lanier RC
began innovating with ARF models long
before the trend caught on.”
“We are proud to welcome Carl
Goldberg Models and Lanier RC to the
Great Planes family. We are looking
forward to exciting growth opportunities
that will arise by joining these companies
with the Great Planes market strength,
manufacturing, and distribution
capabilities.”
From the late 1960s through the 1970s
Lanier pioneered the concept of ARF
models, producing a line primarily from
plastic and foam. Sixteen such model
types including the Comet (which became
the longest continuously produced ARF
on the market) made an impressive
showing.
In the late 1980s Lanier began
producing balsa kits and eventually
developed a line of balsa ARFs. The
Stinger series, the Shrike, and the
company’s giant-scale kits and ARFs are
among the most recognized names in the
hobby industry.
“I am happy to have a quality company
like Great Planes acquire Goldberg and
Lanier,” said Bubba Spivey. “I know
Great Planes will continue with the
traditions that have made these lines
famous … and allow them to grow and
introduce new and exciting products for
many years to come.” MA
—Carol Pesch
Hobbico Publicity Coordinator
11sig1.QXD 9/24/07 8:53 AM Page 12