AMA's 75th Anniversary Celebration — 2011/11
A member-oriented party in Muncie
by AMA Staff
AMA's 75th Anniversary celebration, held July 14–17, was a successful gathering of members and the local community. Airplane enthusiasts of all ages and disciplines enjoyed daily airshows, seminars, NASA exhibits, vendors, and a gala. Highlights included:
- Daily airshows and photo passes
- Seminars and educational exhibits
- Vendor displays and sponsor booths
- Social events including the gala and pool party
JOE BOCK AND HIS H-1 RACER
Among the spectacular airplanes at the AMA's 75th Anniversary event was one that stood out from the crowd. With its massive size, sleek design, and dominating presence in the sky, the half-scale Hughes H-1 Racer clearly was the star of the show.
The crowds cheered as the engine fired, roared at takeoff, and grew silent as the aircraft made low passes. Spectators took time to appreciate the airplane's magnificence and snapped countless pictures. It was almost as if Howard Hughes' dream had come alive again—this time over Muncie, Indiana.
Los Angeles resident Joe Bock and his crew at Aero Telemetry were responsible for recreating this vital part of aviation history. AMA asked them roughly a year earlier to build a scale version of a Howard Hughes airplane, similar to the one the company built for the 2004 film The Aviator. On the third day of the AMA celebration, Joe took a break from preparing the model for its noon airshow and sat down in his tent for an interview.
"We talked about the three big models here: the Spruce Goose, the XF-11, and this one. Spruce Goose in Muncie, Indiana, would be kind of illegal. The XF-11 was a very challenging plane, and to be honest, there's no way we could build it under 125 pounds. (The AMA currently has a weight limit of 125 pounds for propeller-driven airplanes.) So, we said the H-1 would be a great plane to build. Everybody in the shop's passionate about the airplane.
"One of the reasons why this was actually an interesting project for me, this one here [for the AMA], is it's given us the opportunity to build these planes. It's funny—the more time that has gone by, the more passionate we got about wanting to build one again. We were looking for an excuse to do it and here was a great one.
"So this particular one here, sitting behind you, the third one, serial number three, being at 123 pounds, that was an extraordinary challenge. That wasn't actually something that we wanted to do, but I tell you what; we learned a lot."
The half-scale H-1 that Joe and his crew built for the movie weighed about 450 pounds. The model intended for the 75th Anniversary event weighed in at 225 pounds at AMA Expo in January. Roughly a week later, Joe learned that the airplane's weight had to be cut by at least 100 pounds. He and his employees spent nearly two months developing ways to slim down the airplane and finally found a solution.
"The primary weight-saving technique was the use of carbon fiber and resin infusion technology. It's a technique by which you lay up the carbon fiber and it allows for the least amount of resin to be absorbed by the fabric. So you keep the structure as light as possible. Some of the stuff that we've done on this plane wasn't available to us in 2003."
Joe and his crew were pleased with the results. "As a designer, fabricator, and builder that's an exponential accomplishment. Just on that standard alone, the weight one. We're all ecstatic about that."
Roughly a week before the H-1's maiden flight in Muncie, Joe learned that the pilot he had chosen could not attend the event. He contacted AMA and was referred to Competitions Department Director Greg Hahn. Joe had heard of Greg but did not know him personally. Greg has been in the hobby industry for 20 years and is known for flying large, heavy, complex models. He has also been a successful Scale Masters competitor for several years.
Greg proved at ease when he took the controls for the airshows. All takeoffs and landings were smooth, and Joe and his crew were impressed with how Greg handled the H-1 during the event.
"He's got an understanding like we do for safety and scale and not overflying," said Aero Telemetry's crew chief, Butch Fleck. "He knows the potential of it and he knows what this plane was made to do."
"I'm really, really, really happy I made his acquaintance. And I tell you what, if we do any more flying with this plane or anything else—if he can get on an airplane and come out to California—he's the man," Joe said.
For the full version of this article, visit www.modelaviation.com.
—Rachelle Haughn
Activities and highlights
The AMA’s education trailer provided attendees the chance to fly model airplanes on RC flight simulators. Once comfortable with the transmitter and the basics of flight, participants moved on to the real thing—flying high-wing trainers with the help of an instructor. The smiles on the faces of these new pilots were all the thanks the instructors needed.
Another form of "first flights" took place at Reese Airport in conjunction with the event. Young Eagles flights, organized by the local EAA chapter, allowed many children to experience their first-ever flight in a full-scale aircraft.
Large crowds gathered for the noon and 5 p.m. daily airshows. People brought camp chairs, sat on temporary bleachers, and stood wherever they could catch a glimpse. Throughout the celebration, the air was filled with models—gas-powered, glow-powered, and electric—from scale warbirds to park flyers. Although the majority of the action happened at Site 4, shuttle buses ferried people to the training area, the CL flying site, the RC car track, the Soaring Nats venue, and the Young Eagles event.
Evenings included many activities as well. Hot air balloons provided tethered rides, night flying was an option, and displays continued after sunset. The 75th Anniversary Gala at the Horizon Convention Center in downtown Muncie took place Friday night. The ballroom was beautifully decorated with aircraft and floral arrangements. Old friends and new gathered to dine and catch up; it was humbling to be among so many aeromodeling legends.
The nightly events concluded with the Saturday night Pool Party at the Delaware County Country Club. A band, food, drinks, and good conversation capped a long, hot weekend. Bobby Watts entertained with a helicopter night fly and fireworks. The AMA’s 75th Anniversary concluded on Sunday at noon, with many attendees still taking advantage of the spacious flying site.
From the beginning, the AMA 75th Anniversary celebration was planned with the member in mind. From hats and shirts to other goodies and $75 cash giveaways, it was all about fun, fellowship, and saying thank you to AMA’s membership.
If success can be measured by attendee comments, smiling faces, and the willingness of AMA staff and volunteers to go above and beyond, then the celebration succeeded in honoring 75 years of service to its members.
Thank you to everyone who came out to lend their support and make the 75th Anniversary celebration feel like a big family gathering!
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
