126 MODEL AVIATION
Forty years ago this past October, a
new CL Precision Aerobatics (Stunt) event
made its debut. Old Time Stunt, or OTS,
was intended for airplanes published and/or
kitted prior to 1953.
Shortly after that timeframe, most new
Stunt designs sprouted flaps, longer moment
arms, and other performance-enhancing
features, and a certain something was lost
forever. Forever, that is, up to the point at
which John Miske decided to resurrect those
old model designs and have his club—the
Garden State Circle Burners (GSCB)—
sponsor an event for them.
John’s idea was to have the contest pay
tribute to the designers and models of the
past. It also enabled those who “missed”
that era to enjoy a different flying
experience and allowed those who flew the
airplanes in their youth to recapture those
years.
John made the rules practical, by
allowing the use of modern engines and finishing materials. He did
make it clear that the idea of the event was to construct the airframes
to be as close to the original plans or kits as possible.
He came up with a points system that rewarded the use of
ignition engines, as
were used in the
early part of the
OTS era. He also
imposed a penalty
for designs that
employed working
flaps.
That first OTS contest was held at the fabled GSCB field in
Lincoln Park, New Jersey. It is adjacent to where Route 80 now
passes by the Lincoln Park/Wayne area.
The surrounding region is highly developed, and one might think
that such valuable property would have long ago been purchased by
a developer and put to other, more lucrative use. The fact is that the
GSCB field is located in a floodplain and cannot be used for much
of anything else; it floods if the weather gets
even a little too humid!
The result is a modeling environment
that has changed little since the early 1960s.
It was the perfect place to start a contest for
old model designs then, and flying there
even now seems like taking a trip in a time
machine to the past.
I received a call from John in September
of 1970, during which he invited me to fly
in the inaugural OTS event. I thanked him
and then told him that I didn’t have a model
that would qualify—and I certainly didn’t
have time to build one for the meet.
John told me that I already had an
airplane that qualified! I had been flying a
Veco Mustang that summer and didn’t even
realize that it had been designed and was
available in kit form in 1952!
I promised that I would come and
participate. Hey, it sounded like fun!
The day of the contest arrived, and
everyone who showed up was surprised to
Old Time Stunt turns 40
[[email protected]]
Control Line Aerobatics Bob Hunt
Also included in this column:
• 3M 77 Classic Spray Adhesive
The GSCB hosted the 40th Anniversary OTS contest in October, and it was a great
success. The OTS event was the brainchild of John Miske (standing, in the green jacket, in
the middle of the group). Bob Lampione photo.
Old friends John Miske (L) and John D’Ottavio reminisce about the
many years they have flown at the fabled GSCB field in Lincoln
Park, New Jersey. Lampione photo.
The OTS pit area was filled with activity throughout the day during the 40th Anniversary
event. Those involved had a great time! Lampione photo.
01sig4x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/22/10 8:42 AM Page 126
January 2011 129
find the club officials dressed in old-time
garb, complete with red-and-white striped
vests and straw hats that were reminiscent of
what a barbershop quartet might wear! They
even drafted Beth England, a GSCB
member’s daughter, to dress in old-time
feminine attire and preside over the event as
“Miss Old Time Stunt.”
There were only approximately eight
entrants in that first contest, but it hit a chord
with all who attended to fly and watch. The
event was added to all of the GSCB Stunt
contest menus, and soon after that other
clubs began running OTS meets. It grew
quickly in popularity, and the rest is history.
I’m very proud of the fact that I won that
first OTS contest, edging out John
D’Ottavio, an East Coast CL Stunt legend
who was flying a Hal deBolt-designed All
American Senior. Tom Niebuhr, who drove
up from Saint Louis, Missouri (he had lived
in northern New Jersey for most of his
young life and was a fixture at the GSCB
field during that time), flew an accurate
replica of the Lou Andrews-designed
Barnstormer to third place that day.
Other notables who competed in that first
OTS meet included 1969 Nats CL Stunt
Champion Bob Lampione, Jim Damerell,
Vic Macaluso, Sam Bridges, Wayne Colgan,
and renowned FF designer/flier Jean Pailet.
Jean received the 20 bonus points for flying
an ignition-engine-powered Ringmaster!
Fast-forward 40 years and zone in on the
same GSCB field. The famous trees
surrounding that field are a bunch taller, and
a new chain-link fence has replaced the old
wooden split-rail type. New-model cars in
the parking lot, modern attire, and somewhat
grayer features of most of the contestants is
the only evidence there is to let you know
that this is not four decades ago.
Oh yeah, the food back then at the GSCB
meets was great, and it still is. Ron Testa, a
current GSCB member, owns Ron’s Deli in
West Orange, New Jersey, and he cooks and
supplies food for the club contests these
days. His sausage-and-pepper sandwiches
are worth the trip from anywhere to attend!
Memories of that first OTS contest were
vivid in my mind as I rode to the GSCB’s
40th Anniversary celebration of OTS with
my flying buddy, Tom Hampshire. Merely
pulling through the field entrance brought
forth unexpected goose bumps. I had not
realized just how deeply my feelings had
become for the heritage of that club, that
field, and especially the people who fly at
this event.
Jon Miske had been suffering from the
effects of a severe stroke, and it was
uncertain whether or not he would be able to
attend. At close to 10 a.m., while Tom and I
were judging the Classic Stunt event, I heard
an announcement that flying was to be
suspended for a few minutes; John and
Elaine Miske had just rolled in!
A line formed at John’s car to greet this
great man and tell him how much we all
appreciated his vision of an event that would
help to sustain such amazing activity in CL
flying. He was visibly moved.
The contest must have been good
medicine for John, because he and Elaine
stayed for most of the day and participated
in a group photo. It reminded me of the
group picture we took in 1970, except this
time many more fliers were present.
GSCB Membership Chairman Rich
Peabody presented John with a special photo
plaque that commemorated the first OTS
event. We all got a chance to sign the photo
before it was encased in glass. I got another
case of goose bumps as I signed it.
I’m taking this opportunity to thank John
Miske from the bottom of my heart for his
steadfast work behind the scenes for so
many years to make CL flying a more
enjoyable and successful sport, and
especially for his guidance in my early
modeling life. He was, and still is, a beacon
for me of what a true modeler should be.
Thanks also go out to GSCB members
past and present. This club has become an
institution in the East. It is known about
worldwide and is respected for keeping the
flame of CL burning brightly.
Try hard to make it to the 45th
anniversary of this contest! And for the
record, Tom Hampshire won the 40th
Anniversary OTS meet flying his F&B
Sharpy.
3M 77 Original Formula: In the September
column I wrote about how I used to make
foam-backed sanding blocks using 3M
Super 77 Spray Adhesive to attach the
sandpaper to the foam. I lamented that I
could no longer do this, because the new 77
spray adhesive had apparently undergone a
change in formula and now includes a
solvent that attacks expanded polystyrene
foam.
Well, there is some good news. Mickey
Nowell of Longwood, Florida, e-mailed me
a note telling me that 3M 77 original
formula is still available. I went to the
company Web site and found a link to the
3M 77 Classic Spray Adhesive; the address
is in the “Sources” list at the end of the
column.
This is good news for many modelers
who used that adhesive for a number of
modeling chores in the past, including as an
adhesive for covering foam-core wings.
Thanks to Mickey for alerting us to this fact!
In the next column we’ll get back to
discussing the necessary tools for equipping
a shop in which to build great CL Stunt
models—or models of any type, for that
matter. I promised a report on a special line
of sanding and filing tools, and we’ll get to
that for sure!
Till next time, fly Stunt. MA
Sources:
Classic 3M 77 Spray Adhesive:
http://bit.ly/a7XeUg
Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots
Association
www.control-line.org
01sig5x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/22/10 9:14 AM Page 129
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/01
Page Numbers: 126,129
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/01
Page Numbers: 126,129
126 MODEL AVIATION
Forty years ago this past October, a
new CL Precision Aerobatics (Stunt) event
made its debut. Old Time Stunt, or OTS,
was intended for airplanes published and/or
kitted prior to 1953.
Shortly after that timeframe, most new
Stunt designs sprouted flaps, longer moment
arms, and other performance-enhancing
features, and a certain something was lost
forever. Forever, that is, up to the point at
which John Miske decided to resurrect those
old model designs and have his club—the
Garden State Circle Burners (GSCB)—
sponsor an event for them.
John’s idea was to have the contest pay
tribute to the designers and models of the
past. It also enabled those who “missed”
that era to enjoy a different flying
experience and allowed those who flew the
airplanes in their youth to recapture those
years.
John made the rules practical, by
allowing the use of modern engines and finishing materials. He did
make it clear that the idea of the event was to construct the airframes
to be as close to the original plans or kits as possible.
He came up with a points system that rewarded the use of
ignition engines, as
were used in the
early part of the
OTS era. He also
imposed a penalty
for designs that
employed working
flaps.
That first OTS contest was held at the fabled GSCB field in
Lincoln Park, New Jersey. It is adjacent to where Route 80 now
passes by the Lincoln Park/Wayne area.
The surrounding region is highly developed, and one might think
that such valuable property would have long ago been purchased by
a developer and put to other, more lucrative use. The fact is that the
GSCB field is located in a floodplain and cannot be used for much
of anything else; it floods if the weather gets
even a little too humid!
The result is a modeling environment
that has changed little since the early 1960s.
It was the perfect place to start a contest for
old model designs then, and flying there
even now seems like taking a trip in a time
machine to the past.
I received a call from John in September
of 1970, during which he invited me to fly
in the inaugural OTS event. I thanked him
and then told him that I didn’t have a model
that would qualify—and I certainly didn’t
have time to build one for the meet.
John told me that I already had an
airplane that qualified! I had been flying a
Veco Mustang that summer and didn’t even
realize that it had been designed and was
available in kit form in 1952!
I promised that I would come and
participate. Hey, it sounded like fun!
The day of the contest arrived, and
everyone who showed up was surprised to
Old Time Stunt turns 40
[[email protected]]
Control Line Aerobatics Bob Hunt
Also included in this column:
• 3M 77 Classic Spray Adhesive
The GSCB hosted the 40th Anniversary OTS contest in October, and it was a great
success. The OTS event was the brainchild of John Miske (standing, in the green jacket, in
the middle of the group). Bob Lampione photo.
Old friends John Miske (L) and John D’Ottavio reminisce about the
many years they have flown at the fabled GSCB field in Lincoln
Park, New Jersey. Lampione photo.
The OTS pit area was filled with activity throughout the day during the 40th Anniversary
event. Those involved had a great time! Lampione photo.
01sig4x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/22/10 8:42 AM Page 126
January 2011 129
find the club officials dressed in old-time
garb, complete with red-and-white striped
vests and straw hats that were reminiscent of
what a barbershop quartet might wear! They
even drafted Beth England, a GSCB
member’s daughter, to dress in old-time
feminine attire and preside over the event as
“Miss Old Time Stunt.”
There were only approximately eight
entrants in that first contest, but it hit a chord
with all who attended to fly and watch. The
event was added to all of the GSCB Stunt
contest menus, and soon after that other
clubs began running OTS meets. It grew
quickly in popularity, and the rest is history.
I’m very proud of the fact that I won that
first OTS contest, edging out John
D’Ottavio, an East Coast CL Stunt legend
who was flying a Hal deBolt-designed All
American Senior. Tom Niebuhr, who drove
up from Saint Louis, Missouri (he had lived
in northern New Jersey for most of his
young life and was a fixture at the GSCB
field during that time), flew an accurate
replica of the Lou Andrews-designed
Barnstormer to third place that day.
Other notables who competed in that first
OTS meet included 1969 Nats CL Stunt
Champion Bob Lampione, Jim Damerell,
Vic Macaluso, Sam Bridges, Wayne Colgan,
and renowned FF designer/flier Jean Pailet.
Jean received the 20 bonus points for flying
an ignition-engine-powered Ringmaster!
Fast-forward 40 years and zone in on the
same GSCB field. The famous trees
surrounding that field are a bunch taller, and
a new chain-link fence has replaced the old
wooden split-rail type. New-model cars in
the parking lot, modern attire, and somewhat
grayer features of most of the contestants is
the only evidence there is to let you know
that this is not four decades ago.
Oh yeah, the food back then at the GSCB
meets was great, and it still is. Ron Testa, a
current GSCB member, owns Ron’s Deli in
West Orange, New Jersey, and he cooks and
supplies food for the club contests these
days. His sausage-and-pepper sandwiches
are worth the trip from anywhere to attend!
Memories of that first OTS contest were
vivid in my mind as I rode to the GSCB’s
40th Anniversary celebration of OTS with
my flying buddy, Tom Hampshire. Merely
pulling through the field entrance brought
forth unexpected goose bumps. I had not
realized just how deeply my feelings had
become for the heritage of that club, that
field, and especially the people who fly at
this event.
Jon Miske had been suffering from the
effects of a severe stroke, and it was
uncertain whether or not he would be able to
attend. At close to 10 a.m., while Tom and I
were judging the Classic Stunt event, I heard
an announcement that flying was to be
suspended for a few minutes; John and
Elaine Miske had just rolled in!
A line formed at John’s car to greet this
great man and tell him how much we all
appreciated his vision of an event that would
help to sustain such amazing activity in CL
flying. He was visibly moved.
The contest must have been good
medicine for John, because he and Elaine
stayed for most of the day and participated
in a group photo. It reminded me of the
group picture we took in 1970, except this
time many more fliers were present.
GSCB Membership Chairman Rich
Peabody presented John with a special photo
plaque that commemorated the first OTS
event. We all got a chance to sign the photo
before it was encased in glass. I got another
case of goose bumps as I signed it.
I’m taking this opportunity to thank John
Miske from the bottom of my heart for his
steadfast work behind the scenes for so
many years to make CL flying a more
enjoyable and successful sport, and
especially for his guidance in my early
modeling life. He was, and still is, a beacon
for me of what a true modeler should be.
Thanks also go out to GSCB members
past and present. This club has become an
institution in the East. It is known about
worldwide and is respected for keeping the
flame of CL burning brightly.
Try hard to make it to the 45th
anniversary of this contest! And for the
record, Tom Hampshire won the 40th
Anniversary OTS meet flying his F&B
Sharpy.
3M 77 Original Formula: In the September
column I wrote about how I used to make
foam-backed sanding blocks using 3M
Super 77 Spray Adhesive to attach the
sandpaper to the foam. I lamented that I
could no longer do this, because the new 77
spray adhesive had apparently undergone a
change in formula and now includes a
solvent that attacks expanded polystyrene
foam.
Well, there is some good news. Mickey
Nowell of Longwood, Florida, e-mailed me
a note telling me that 3M 77 original
formula is still available. I went to the
company Web site and found a link to the
3M 77 Classic Spray Adhesive; the address
is in the “Sources” list at the end of the
column.
This is good news for many modelers
who used that adhesive for a number of
modeling chores in the past, including as an
adhesive for covering foam-core wings.
Thanks to Mickey for alerting us to this fact!
In the next column we’ll get back to
discussing the necessary tools for equipping
a shop in which to build great CL Stunt
models—or models of any type, for that
matter. I promised a report on a special line
of sanding and filing tools, and we’ll get to
that for sure!
Till next time, fly Stunt. MA
Sources:
Classic 3M 77 Spray Adhesive:
http://bit.ly/a7XeUg
Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots
Association
www.control-line.org
01sig5x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/22/10 9:14 AM Page 129
