CL Scale
F1A flier on the American team. At a World Cup contest just before the Junior Champs in the Czech Republic, Dallas placed seventh overall and second of all Juniors. He also flew in the World Cup contest in Poitou, France, placing third among the Juniors.
Last fall he won the Tangent Classic in Oregon, setting a Senior national record that Ben Coussens broke a few weeks later. Dallas currently holds the Junior and Senior F1H records.
- Eddie Avallone, 17, of Grand Rapids MI, will be a high-school senior next year. In addition to writing for the school newspaper, he runs cross country and plays rugby. This will be his fourth season flying FF.
“Our family has roots in other forms of model aviation, including Control Line, rocketry, RC sailplanes, RC airplanes, slow flyers, and indoor models,” said Eddie. “This past season I began with a Burdov WinStar, winning the Fiesta of Five Flags contest [Pensacola, FL].”
In addition, Eddie has two Vivchar intermediate models with which he gained fourth place at the Inter-City Meet in Muncie and placed fourth in the morning flyoff at Big Al’s Shootout in California.
“This is the model I am most happy with,” he added.
Eddie will also take a new Andriukov model to the Junior World Champs.
“I enjoy Wakefield for the combination of intellectual competition and the physical challenges,” he said.
- Taylor Gunder is a student at Red Lion Area Junior High School in Pennsylvania, where he plays football, basketball, and baseball.
"I've been flying Free Flight ever since I can remember," said Taylor. "My favorite thing to do is fly Wakefield and I don't plan on quitting anytime soon. I plan to keep flying and learning how to become a better Wakefield flier than I am now."
- Ryan Jones, 15, lives in the Cleveland OH suburb of Avon Lake. This fall he will be a sophomore at St. Edward High School. He also enjoys baseball, golf, and downhill skiing.
"I have been flying gliders and Rubber models since I was about eight years old," said Ryan. "I just started flying F1B last year. I liked it so much that I tried out for the F1B Junior Free Flight team. Before I started flying Wakefield, I flew F1G." (Ryan is the current F1G record-holder at nine minutes, 45 seconds.)
At the Junior World Champs, Ryan will be flying a W-Hobby four-star, two-starter, designed by Andrew Burd and distributed by Alisbert of St. Link.
"I want to thank Al Brush for helping me get started in Wakefield and Al Ellis for encouraging me to try out for the Junior Nationals," said Ryan. "The reason I really love this is Wakefield is because it is so challenging and for the competitive flying against other people."
- Mason Gunder is 16 and will be a junior at Red Lion High School, Red Lion PA. He plays football and basketball.
"I have been flying airplanes since I was old enough to walk," said Mason. "I started flying Free Flight in 1995 and got involved with Power in 1997."
This will be the third time Mason has represented the United States. In 1996 he flew at the Junior World Champs in Romania, and in 2000 he won F1A at the Junior World Champs in the Czech Republic. The reigning world champ will be flying Cyclone-powered models by Michael Achterberg.
"We have three flying now and are planning to have two more before long," he added.
- John Lonsbacher, 15, will be a junior this fall at Hartford Union High School in Hartford WI. He participates in football, wrestling, baseball, and is a pole-vaulter on the track team. He has been drag racing for eight years and is working on his license flying the family's full-scale Cherokee 180. He also plays the guitar and sings in a choir.
"I've been flying Free Flight and Control Line since I was about four years old," said John. "I've been flying Power for the last three years."
At the 2001 Nats John won 1/2 A Gas, ABCD Gas, and Catapult Glider. He was second in F1J, high Senior in F1C, and placed fifth in Hand-Launched Glider and F1A. He was also an overall champion at the BoneBash seasonal contest.
"F1J and F1C are my favorite events," he added.
John will be taking a Vassa in a three-panel model, an Achterberg Odyssey four-panel model, and a W-Hobby four-panel model, all with Cyclone .05s, to the World Champs. The models use Seelig trims and are covered with Icerand Mylar. Also in the box will be an OOP-powered Galaxy covered with tissue.
As a dual the Junior team members, John has had a great deal of support from friends in the FF community as well as from his family.
"I would like to thank my parents, my godfather Dick Swenson, the Gunders, Bob Johannes, Bob Guth, Charlie Stiles, Gil Morris, Hardy Broderese, Bob Perkins, Chuck Marcus, and my grandparents," said John.
How would you like to help? Sending a team to Europe is an expensive proposition. Airfare can run as much as $1,000 per contestant; the entry fee is almost $200 per team member, and lodging for six days of the contest will cost approximately $300 per contestant.
Donations can be made to Junior Team Manager Brian Vranek, 2346 Cheyenne Dr., Bishop CA 93514, or to the Academy of Model Aeronautics, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302. Please note on the check "For 2002 Junior Free Flight Team."
Odyssey 1.1:
Both F1J fliers on the Junior team are using Mike Achterberg's Odyssey design. Mike, who has represented the United States twice at the Free Flight World Championships in F1C, developed the design in the mid-1990s.
Basically, it is a scaled-down F1C Power model that uses high-tech construction methods which include carbon-fiber D-box construction for the wing and stabilizer. This allows a thin, high-aspect-ratio wing that is stiff enough to handle the high-speed climb without fluttering.
Originally designed for an A.D. or OS .10 engine, the most popular choice is now the Cyclon. The Odyssey has undergone some subtle changes in the last half-dozen years. The most noticeable one is the switch from the four-panel wing to a six-panel wing and an increase in span to roughly 77 inches. The accompanying three-view shows the original version with a four-panel wing.
The Odyssey is available in kit form and includes everything except engine, engine mount, and timer. For more information about purchasing the kit or components for the Odyssey F1J, contact Michael Achterberg, 4024 Cheshire Way, Citrus Heights CA 95610, or via E-mail at [email protected].
Cyclon engines are available from Doug Gaither, 3486 Topaz Pl., Davis CA 95616. A self-addressed, stamped envelope will get you a catalog. You can E-mail Doug at [email protected] or visit his new Web site, go to www.the-printer.net, then click on "Doug Gaither's Free Flight Stuff."
Calling Your club:
Rolled balsa tubes offer a quick and easy way to make a fuselage or motor tube for many of the Rubber categories. Basically, it involves soaking a sheet of 4-ply balsa in water, then wrapping it around a form of suitable diameter. After the tube dries, slip it off the form, glue the seam, sand your done. It's much quicker and easier than constructing a built-up, tissue-covered fuselage. (For a gas model or tailboom, use a tapered form such as a pool cue.)
Going beyond this basic tube construction, there are many variations. The inside can be covered with tissue or even Kevlar for protection against rubber lube. The outside can be covered with wax or
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
