AMA News: District III-2007/04

GREATER CINCINNATI Radio Control
Club (GCRCC) member Glenn Dunlap was
invited to fly his 22% RC Scale replica of the
Voyager that was flown around the world in
1986 by Dick Rutan and Gina Yeager. The
October 2006 event was the 20th anniversary
celebration and the location was the Mojave,
California, airfield.
The record setting, non-stop flight without
refueling occurred throughout a nine-day
period in December of 1986. Dick’s brother
Burt and all the volunteers who helped build
the full-scale version were also there for the
celebration.
Glenn has flown his model at the GCRCC
Flying Circus since he constructed the model
from scratch in 2003. The airplane is built out
of foam, carbon fiber, and fiberglass and is
electric powered. See www.geocities.com/
gdunlap104/VoyagerRC.html.
To Glenn’s surprise he was contacted by
the people who put on the celebration and
was invited to come fly his creation in front
of those who were so instrumental in the
success of the full-scale version.
The biggest challenge to this feat was the
construction of a shipping container. The
replica Voyager by its nature is delicate and
had to survive a trip from Cincinnati, Ohio, to
Mojave, California. The costs for shipping
and travel were several thousand dollars and
were a commitment of his family finances
and a donation from the GCRCC. As Glenn
stated “it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and
well worth the expense!”
The airplane, Glenn, and his wife reached
California on schedule. The aircraft was
uncrated and assembled in a nice hangar and
flown off the same runway from which the
full-scale version made its flights. Dick
commented to Glenn, “this was the first time
I have seen a Voyager fly because I was
always in the cockpit!”
For Glenn’s efforts, Dick awarded him a
40-minute flight in a Rutan Long-eze around
the Mojave basin. It was a high-G ride that
left him glad he didn’t eat breakfast that
morning!
The only disappointment to the trip was
the replica airplane was damaged on the
return trip to Cincinnati. Congrats to Glenn
and his very good representation of model
aviation!
From left to right, Dick Rutan, Glenn Dunlap,
and Burt Rutan.
Glenn and Dick chat about the model and the
full-scale version.
The model (or is it?) in flight over the Mojave.
We doubt that any member of the Academy
can top this record. In 1975 the Sayre,
Pennsylvania, Valley RC Model Club
(VRCMC) president Bob Dean challenged
members to become a member of the
VRCMC Nut Club. All members had to do
was fly their RC airplane at least one time
each month from January through December.
President Bob relocated to North Carolina
and was president of the International
Miniature Aircraft Association for many
years. It has been more than 32 years since
Bob’s challenge began and many members of
VRCMC have received their Nut Trophy
Award at the club banquet each February.
Three members, Bill Cowles, John Kunte,
and Dan Luchaco have flown every month
since 1975. Bill and John had been flying
every month before the club challenge began
and now have more than 400 months in a
row. On January 1, 2007, all three joined
many other VRCMC members starting 12
more months of flying and membership in the
Nut Club.
Bill Cowles, John Kunte, and Dan Luchaco
have flown every month since 1975.
Muncy Indoor Flyers is a new AMA club
formed in the area of Williamsport,
Pennsylvania. Ron Angle, club president,
provided the following information.
Ron Angle, Keith Bauer, Kevin Bertin, Jim
DiPaolo, Tony Minnella, and Al Niessner.
“A small group of indoor-electric flying
enthusiasts invaded the STN Sports Dome in
Muncy, Pennsylvania. The facility has a fullsize
soccer field under a 75-foot high ceiling
with a smaller field roughly half that size on
one end. The group originally planned to fly
on the smaller field, but upon arrival, we
were given use of the entire facility.
“Although most of us flew helicopters,
there was plenty of room to fly small
airplanes. Needless to say, with being able to
spread out, each was able to get a number of
flights. We enjoyed the evening and made
plans for further events at the facility.
“Contact Ron Angle at r.angle@
worldnet.att.net if you are interested in
further details.”