Italian team pilot Luca Friggeri with its entry at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly event. Has Graupner 3450 motor with Graupner gearbox, Menz 21 x 10 propeller. A MEASURED RESPONSE: It has long been said among columnists that the best way to measure if anyone is reading what you write is to make a mistake. If that is true, this column has quite a few readers. In the May issue I wrote a short review about the FMA (Fred Marks and Associates) Direct Co-Pilot device, but I did not include an address since the company advertises extensively in the magazines. Unfortunately, that particular issue did not have an ad in it. As the letters began to come in, I copied the ad from the January issue and printed a response and apology on the back. I thought 25 copies would surely be enough to answer the letters I'd receive from modelers who do not read other magazines. All those copies are gone, and I am well into the second 25. Fortunately, most who wrote included self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Some writers addressed their letters to FMA Direct at my address, presuming we were one and the same—or at least were somehow connected. Others wondered if the Co-Pilot was the same as the device sold by an Asian importer (absolutely no resemblance). Others complained that they could not find the Co-Pilot at the mail-order houses, and therefore concluded that such a device did not exist. Your local dealer can order FMA Direct equipment, and be assured that the dealer discount is the same for every legitimate dealer, big or small. FMA Direct can be reached at 5716A Industry Ln.. Frederick MD 21704: Sales: (800) 343-2934; Tech/service: (301) 668-7615; Accounting: (301) 668-7615; Web site: www.fmadirect.com. Bright, Young Minds at Work: Two years ago I reported on what I thought was one of the most intriguing model-aircraft competitions 1 had ever witnessed. The AIAA Design/Build/Fly event returned to Wichita. Kansas this April (sponsored by Cessna) after being held at the naval test facility in Maryland (hosted by the Office of Naval Research) last year. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is an international organization of aeronautical engineers, and the event is open to university-level students from around the world. This year students from many of the US universities were joined by teams from Canada, France, Italy, and Turkey. As in previous years, one can't avoid being delighted by these intense but polite young men and women and impressed by the inventiveness and daring displayed in their models. I saw canards, (lying wings, lifting bodies, pushers, tractors, twins and single engines, and, of course, conventional designs. These young people used materials ranging from balsa and plywood to composite structures. By the way, this event was for electric power! A wide range of gearing and propeller selection was in evidence. The task two years ago involved lifting varying quantities of bottles filled with water (crashes could be called "making a splash"). This year the "passenger" payload was regulation softballs ranging from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 24. Consider the si/.e of "passenger" compartment needed for all those softballs. The models were required to take off The balsa-and-fiberglass University of Illinois entry, with the "passenger" compartment open, has an Astro 60 and gearbox and a 20 x 16 ARC propeller. 81 Istanbul, Turkey team loads "passengers" preparatory to second leg of flight. The model has an Astro 90, 24 x 14 propeller. Queen's crashed Saturday when the motor burned out. The team spent all night repairing the model, then it crashed Sunday. in less than 200 feet, fly upwind 500 feet to a flag man, make a 90° turn then make a 360° turn in the center of the course, fly downwind another 500 feet and turn into the wind, repeat the whole sequence, then land at the start line or have the model carried back to it. Then the team added the "passengers," flew the same flight plan, landed and had the team remove the softballs, and did the whole thing again — all on one charge of the batteries and within 10 minutes. Five attempts were allowed to get three flights in, and that wasn't nearly enough for some teams. Placing was on the basis of total elapsed time and weight lifted. Each team was also required to present a written engineering study of its design, including a cost analysis. The report, cost analysis, and flight scores were factored together to find the winners. I'm limited on space, so I'll wait until next month to explore the models themselves. Tom Runge, 1947-2002: I asked Fred Marks to share his memories with us. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our old friend Thomas Runge. Tom's mother and father founded Ace R/C in Higginsville MO in 1953 and remained there under two additional owners until 2002 when it was moved to California by Thunder Tiger. "When I first met Tom he had completed college and was serving in the US Air Force as a meteorologist. By the time Tom joined the company. Ace had begun to produce assembly kits of many popular products such as receivers, transmitters, pulsers for nervous proportional including Walt Good's TTPW system, and complete packages such as the Kraft triple simul. reed radios. "Eventually, the product line expanded to include many electronic goodies. Old timers will recall the house magazine Grid Leaks edited by Bill Winter with fondness. Ace also began to manufacture model airplane kits. I first became affiliated with Ace as a freelance designer in about 1972. Ace was the last surviving manufacturer of American made radios for RC |Radio Control]. "Tom acquired the very popular Pro-Line radio equipment and went on with me to develop the Silver Seven and the Micropro 8000 systems. Tom developed the manuals and instructions and supervised the manufacture of the products. "He was most supportive of the AMA and particularly the various frequency committees. He hosted the very popular 'float-flys' and was often in attendance and supported the AMA Nationals and many other events. Ace was notoriously generous with prizes for local events. "Tom was an excellent model builder and flier. It is pleasant to remember the easy, laid-back Wednesday evening flying with Tom and the local fliers at the Higginsville flying field. "My friend Tom Runge will be greatly missed." The modeling fraternity lost one of its best friends April 9, 2002. You may have barely known Tom but benefited from his presence without fully realizing it. Ace R/C and the Runge family was almost the only source of pieces and hardware needed to build the equipment designs published in the magazines when in 1952 fliers at last did not need to be licensed Ham radio operators. They had to be licensed, but there was no theory and code test to pass. Paul Runge was a local professional photographer and Ham radio hobbyist who saw a need for such a source and started Ace R/C in his garage in 1953. His son Tom was six at that time, but as he matured he developed a keen interest in RC and modeling in general. He once told me that he flew Ace Commander (Galloping Ghost) at age nine. In Tom's lifetime he saw our hobby grow and served on several committees selected by AMA to work with the Federal Communications Commission to expand our frequencies from the original 27.255 MHz (only) to today's 50 channels for airplanes, 30 for cars and boats, and six for both uses. Not only was Tom (and others, of course) instrumental in obtaining those The team from Queen's University in Canada is obviously proud of its school. additional frequencies, but he and Fred Marks designed and manufactured high-quality equipment at increasingly lower prices relative to our earnings for use on the added channels as they became available. 1 became acquainted with Ace R/C in 1955 when I made a trip to Higginsville to obtain parts for a receiver I was building. As the years passed, I had great fun with an Ace Commander Galloping Ghost rig from the company, then when it acquired Pro Line 1 went with those marvelous sticks and changed to an Ace Silver Seven, then I finally went to a Micropro 8000, which I still tly. I, like many others, was most impressed with the quality of the equipment and, most important, the integrity of the service department. Excellent American-made equipment with superlative service is a hard combination to forget. Tom pioneered several model-kit innovations, such as the first molded foam wings which were used on an ever-expanding line of '/:A RC designs primarily designed by Fred Reece (deceased). Tom also pioneered the use of die-cut Lite Ply in several kits —mostly Owen Kampen designs (deceased). My freelance-designed 4-40 was first kitted in 1985, making it the first kit aimed at the then-new four-stroke power plants. Much of the technology we use for recharging and monitoring rechargeable batteries was pioneered by Tom from designs by Fred Marks. Most of the Ace R/C products were designed by individuals who weren't directly employed by Ace on a royalty basis. Such familiar names as Bud Atkinson, Ken Willard, Scott Hartman, Harley Michaelis, Paul Carlson, Romy Bukolt.Jim Van Loo, and I contributed designs to the Ace airplane kit line. Integrity is a good word to describe Tom Runge. He made sure the widows of deceased designers continued to receive royalty checks each month when he still owned Ace R/C. Paying those royalties took funds that Tom needed desperately for his business toward the end of his ownership, but his integrity would not allow him to withhold them. That same attitude could be seen in his warranty-repair department; I often observed beat-up, dirty, obviously abused equipment being repaired or replaced at no charge if the owner claimed warranty on it. Tom was many things to many people, but most important was his honesty, his excitement about our hobby, his joy about his children and grandchildren, and his devotion to his mother. Tom was the most honest person I've ever encountered, and a slew of others and I will remember him with great fondness. We all are a bit poorer in losing Tom, but our lives were enriched by having known him. A special memorial fund has been established with the AMA museum for Tom. AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/09
Page Numbers: 81, 82, 83
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/09
Page Numbers: 81, 82, 83
Italian team pilot Luca Friggeri with its entry at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly event. Has Graupner 3450 motor with Graupner gearbox, Menz 21 x 10 propeller. A MEASURED RESPONSE: It has long been said among columnists that the best way to measure if anyone is reading what you write is to make a mistake. If that is true, this column has quite a few readers. In the May issue I wrote a short review about the FMA (Fred Marks and Associates) Direct Co-Pilot device, but I did not include an address since the company advertises extensively in the magazines. Unfortunately, that particular issue did not have an ad in it. As the letters began to come in, I copied the ad from the January issue and printed a response and apology on the back. I thought 25 copies would surely be enough to answer the letters I'd receive from modelers who do not read other magazines. All those copies are gone, and I am well into the second 25. Fortunately, most who wrote included self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Some writers addressed their letters to FMA Direct at my address, presuming we were one and the same—or at least were somehow connected. Others wondered if the Co-Pilot was the same as the device sold by an Asian importer (absolutely no resemblance). Others complained that they could not find the Co-Pilot at the mail-order houses, and therefore concluded that such a device did not exist. Your local dealer can order FMA Direct equipment, and be assured that the dealer discount is the same for every legitimate dealer, big or small. FMA Direct can be reached at 5716A Industry Ln.. Frederick MD 21704: Sales: (800) 343-2934; Tech/service: (301) 668-7615; Accounting: (301) 668-7615; Web site: www.fmadirect.com. Bright, Young Minds at Work: Two years ago I reported on what I thought was one of the most intriguing model-aircraft competitions 1 had ever witnessed. The AIAA Design/Build/Fly event returned to Wichita. Kansas this April (sponsored by Cessna) after being held at the naval test facility in Maryland (hosted by the Office of Naval Research) last year. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is an international organization of aeronautical engineers, and the event is open to university-level students from around the world. This year students from many of the US universities were joined by teams from Canada, France, Italy, and Turkey. As in previous years, one can't avoid being delighted by these intense but polite young men and women and impressed by the inventiveness and daring displayed in their models. I saw canards, (lying wings, lifting bodies, pushers, tractors, twins and single engines, and, of course, conventional designs. These young people used materials ranging from balsa and plywood to composite structures. By the way, this event was for electric power! A wide range of gearing and propeller selection was in evidence. The task two years ago involved lifting varying quantities of bottles filled with water (crashes could be called "making a splash"). This year the "passenger" payload was regulation softballs ranging from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 24. Consider the si/.e of "passenger" compartment needed for all those softballs. The models were required to take off The balsa-and-fiberglass University of Illinois entry, with the "passenger" compartment open, has an Astro 60 and gearbox and a 20 x 16 ARC propeller. 81 Istanbul, Turkey team loads "passengers" preparatory to second leg of flight. The model has an Astro 90, 24 x 14 propeller. Queen's crashed Saturday when the motor burned out. The team spent all night repairing the model, then it crashed Sunday. in less than 200 feet, fly upwind 500 feet to a flag man, make a 90° turn then make a 360° turn in the center of the course, fly downwind another 500 feet and turn into the wind, repeat the whole sequence, then land at the start line or have the model carried back to it. Then the team added the "passengers," flew the same flight plan, landed and had the team remove the softballs, and did the whole thing again — all on one charge of the batteries and within 10 minutes. Five attempts were allowed to get three flights in, and that wasn't nearly enough for some teams. Placing was on the basis of total elapsed time and weight lifted. Each team was also required to present a written engineering study of its design, including a cost analysis. The report, cost analysis, and flight scores were factored together to find the winners. I'm limited on space, so I'll wait until next month to explore the models themselves. Tom Runge, 1947-2002: I asked Fred Marks to share his memories with us. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our old friend Thomas Runge. Tom's mother and father founded Ace R/C in Higginsville MO in 1953 and remained there under two additional owners until 2002 when it was moved to California by Thunder Tiger. "When I first met Tom he had completed college and was serving in the US Air Force as a meteorologist. By the time Tom joined the company. Ace had begun to produce assembly kits of many popular products such as receivers, transmitters, pulsers for nervous proportional including Walt Good's TTPW system, and complete packages such as the Kraft triple simul. reed radios. "Eventually, the product line expanded to include many electronic goodies. Old timers will recall the house magazine Grid Leaks edited by Bill Winter with fondness. Ace also began to manufacture model airplane kits. I first became affiliated with Ace as a freelance designer in about 1972. Ace was the last surviving manufacturer of American made radios for RC |Radio Control]. "Tom acquired the very popular Pro-Line radio equipment and went on with me to develop the Silver Seven and the Micropro 8000 systems. Tom developed the manuals and instructions and supervised the manufacture of the products. "He was most supportive of the AMA and particularly the various frequency committees. He hosted the very popular 'float-flys' and was often in attendance and supported the AMA Nationals and many other events. Ace was notoriously generous with prizes for local events. "Tom was an excellent model builder and flier. It is pleasant to remember the easy, laid-back Wednesday evening flying with Tom and the local fliers at the Higginsville flying field. "My friend Tom Runge will be greatly missed." The modeling fraternity lost one of its best friends April 9, 2002. You may have barely known Tom but benefited from his presence without fully realizing it. Ace R/C and the Runge family was almost the only source of pieces and hardware needed to build the equipment designs published in the magazines when in 1952 fliers at last did not need to be licensed Ham radio operators. They had to be licensed, but there was no theory and code test to pass. Paul Runge was a local professional photographer and Ham radio hobbyist who saw a need for such a source and started Ace R/C in his garage in 1953. His son Tom was six at that time, but as he matured he developed a keen interest in RC and modeling in general. He once told me that he flew Ace Commander (Galloping Ghost) at age nine. In Tom's lifetime he saw our hobby grow and served on several committees selected by AMA to work with the Federal Communications Commission to expand our frequencies from the original 27.255 MHz (only) to today's 50 channels for airplanes, 30 for cars and boats, and six for both uses. Not only was Tom (and others, of course) instrumental in obtaining those The team from Queen's University in Canada is obviously proud of its school. additional frequencies, but he and Fred Marks designed and manufactured high-quality equipment at increasingly lower prices relative to our earnings for use on the added channels as they became available. 1 became acquainted with Ace R/C in 1955 when I made a trip to Higginsville to obtain parts for a receiver I was building. As the years passed, I had great fun with an Ace Commander Galloping Ghost rig from the company, then when it acquired Pro Line 1 went with those marvelous sticks and changed to an Ace Silver Seven, then I finally went to a Micropro 8000, which I still tly. I, like many others, was most impressed with the quality of the equipment and, most important, the integrity of the service department. Excellent American-made equipment with superlative service is a hard combination to forget. Tom pioneered several model-kit innovations, such as the first molded foam wings which were used on an ever-expanding line of '/:A RC designs primarily designed by Fred Reece (deceased). Tom also pioneered the use of die-cut Lite Ply in several kits —mostly Owen Kampen designs (deceased). My freelance-designed 4-40 was first kitted in 1985, making it the first kit aimed at the then-new four-stroke power plants. Much of the technology we use for recharging and monitoring rechargeable batteries was pioneered by Tom from designs by Fred Marks. Most of the Ace R/C products were designed by individuals who weren't directly employed by Ace on a royalty basis. Such familiar names as Bud Atkinson, Ken Willard, Scott Hartman, Harley Michaelis, Paul Carlson, Romy Bukolt.Jim Van Loo, and I contributed designs to the Ace airplane kit line. Integrity is a good word to describe Tom Runge. He made sure the widows of deceased designers continued to receive royalty checks each month when he still owned Ace R/C. Paying those royalties took funds that Tom needed desperately for his business toward the end of his ownership, but his integrity would not allow him to withhold them. That same attitude could be seen in his warranty-repair department; I often observed beat-up, dirty, obviously abused equipment being repaired or replaced at no charge if the owner claimed warranty on it. Tom was many things to many people, but most important was his honesty, his excitement about our hobby, his joy about his children and grandchildren, and his devotion to his mother. Tom was the most honest person I've ever encountered, and a slew of others and I will remember him with great fondness. We all are a bit poorer in losing Tom, but our lives were enriched by having known him. A special memorial fund has been established with the AMA museum for Tom. AM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2002/09
Page Numbers: 81, 82, 83
Italian team pilot Luca Friggeri with its entry at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly event. Has Graupner 3450 motor with Graupner gearbox, Menz 21 x 10 propeller. A MEASURED RESPONSE: It has long been said among columnists that the best way to measure if anyone is reading what you write is to make a mistake. If that is true, this column has quite a few readers. In the May issue I wrote a short review about the FMA (Fred Marks and Associates) Direct Co-Pilot device, but I did not include an address since the company advertises extensively in the magazines. Unfortunately, that particular issue did not have an ad in it. As the letters began to come in, I copied the ad from the January issue and printed a response and apology on the back. I thought 25 copies would surely be enough to answer the letters I'd receive from modelers who do not read other magazines. All those copies are gone, and I am well into the second 25. Fortunately, most who wrote included self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Some writers addressed their letters to FMA Direct at my address, presuming we were one and the same—or at least were somehow connected. Others wondered if the Co-Pilot was the same as the device sold by an Asian importer (absolutely no resemblance). Others complained that they could not find the Co-Pilot at the mail-order houses, and therefore concluded that such a device did not exist. Your local dealer can order FMA Direct equipment, and be assured that the dealer discount is the same for every legitimate dealer, big or small. FMA Direct can be reached at 5716A Industry Ln.. Frederick MD 21704: Sales: (800) 343-2934; Tech/service: (301) 668-7615; Accounting: (301) 668-7615; Web site: www.fmadirect.com. Bright, Young Minds at Work: Two years ago I reported on what I thought was one of the most intriguing model-aircraft competitions 1 had ever witnessed. The AIAA Design/Build/Fly event returned to Wichita. Kansas this April (sponsored by Cessna) after being held at the naval test facility in Maryland (hosted by the Office of Naval Research) last year. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is an international organization of aeronautical engineers, and the event is open to university-level students from around the world. This year students from many of the US universities were joined by teams from Canada, France, Italy, and Turkey. As in previous years, one can't avoid being delighted by these intense but polite young men and women and impressed by the inventiveness and daring displayed in their models. I saw canards, (lying wings, lifting bodies, pushers, tractors, twins and single engines, and, of course, conventional designs. These young people used materials ranging from balsa and plywood to composite structures. By the way, this event was for electric power! A wide range of gearing and propeller selection was in evidence. The task two years ago involved lifting varying quantities of bottles filled with water (crashes could be called "making a splash"). This year the "passenger" payload was regulation softballs ranging from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 24. Consider the si/.e of "passenger" compartment needed for all those softballs. The models were required to take off The balsa-and-fiberglass University of Illinois entry, with the "passenger" compartment open, has an Astro 60 and gearbox and a 20 x 16 ARC propeller. 81 Istanbul, Turkey team loads "passengers" preparatory to second leg of flight. The model has an Astro 90, 24 x 14 propeller. Queen's crashed Saturday when the motor burned out. The team spent all night repairing the model, then it crashed Sunday. in less than 200 feet, fly upwind 500 feet to a flag man, make a 90° turn then make a 360° turn in the center of the course, fly downwind another 500 feet and turn into the wind, repeat the whole sequence, then land at the start line or have the model carried back to it. Then the team added the "passengers," flew the same flight plan, landed and had the team remove the softballs, and did the whole thing again — all on one charge of the batteries and within 10 minutes. Five attempts were allowed to get three flights in, and that wasn't nearly enough for some teams. Placing was on the basis of total elapsed time and weight lifted. Each team was also required to present a written engineering study of its design, including a cost analysis. The report, cost analysis, and flight scores were factored together to find the winners. I'm limited on space, so I'll wait until next month to explore the models themselves. Tom Runge, 1947-2002: I asked Fred Marks to share his memories with us. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our old friend Thomas Runge. Tom's mother and father founded Ace R/C in Higginsville MO in 1953 and remained there under two additional owners until 2002 when it was moved to California by Thunder Tiger. "When I first met Tom he had completed college and was serving in the US Air Force as a meteorologist. By the time Tom joined the company. Ace had begun to produce assembly kits of many popular products such as receivers, transmitters, pulsers for nervous proportional including Walt Good's TTPW system, and complete packages such as the Kraft triple simul. reed radios. "Eventually, the product line expanded to include many electronic goodies. Old timers will recall the house magazine Grid Leaks edited by Bill Winter with fondness. Ace also began to manufacture model airplane kits. I first became affiliated with Ace as a freelance designer in about 1972. Ace was the last surviving manufacturer of American made radios for RC |Radio Control]. "Tom acquired the very popular Pro-Line radio equipment and went on with me to develop the Silver Seven and the Micropro 8000 systems. Tom developed the manuals and instructions and supervised the manufacture of the products. "He was most supportive of the AMA and particularly the various frequency committees. He hosted the very popular 'float-flys' and was often in attendance and supported the AMA Nationals and many other events. Ace was notoriously generous with prizes for local events. "Tom was an excellent model builder and flier. It is pleasant to remember the easy, laid-back Wednesday evening flying with Tom and the local fliers at the Higginsville flying field. "My friend Tom Runge will be greatly missed." The modeling fraternity lost one of its best friends April 9, 2002. You may have barely known Tom but benefited from his presence without fully realizing it. Ace R/C and the Runge family was almost the only source of pieces and hardware needed to build the equipment designs published in the magazines when in 1952 fliers at last did not need to be licensed Ham radio operators. They had to be licensed, but there was no theory and code test to pass. Paul Runge was a local professional photographer and Ham radio hobbyist who saw a need for such a source and started Ace R/C in his garage in 1953. His son Tom was six at that time, but as he matured he developed a keen interest in RC and modeling in general. He once told me that he flew Ace Commander (Galloping Ghost) at age nine. In Tom's lifetime he saw our hobby grow and served on several committees selected by AMA to work with the Federal Communications Commission to expand our frequencies from the original 27.255 MHz (only) to today's 50 channels for airplanes, 30 for cars and boats, and six for both uses. Not only was Tom (and others, of course) instrumental in obtaining those The team from Queen's University in Canada is obviously proud of its school. additional frequencies, but he and Fred Marks designed and manufactured high-quality equipment at increasingly lower prices relative to our earnings for use on the added channels as they became available. 1 became acquainted with Ace R/C in 1955 when I made a trip to Higginsville to obtain parts for a receiver I was building. As the years passed, I had great fun with an Ace Commander Galloping Ghost rig from the company, then when it acquired Pro Line 1 went with those marvelous sticks and changed to an Ace Silver Seven, then I finally went to a Micropro 8000, which I still tly. I, like many others, was most impressed with the quality of the equipment and, most important, the integrity of the service department. Excellent American-made equipment with superlative service is a hard combination to forget. Tom pioneered several model-kit innovations, such as the first molded foam wings which were used on an ever-expanding line of '/:A RC designs primarily designed by Fred Reece (deceased). Tom also pioneered the use of die-cut Lite Ply in several kits —mostly Owen Kampen designs (deceased). My freelance-designed 4-40 was first kitted in 1985, making it the first kit aimed at the then-new four-stroke power plants. Much of the technology we use for recharging and monitoring rechargeable batteries was pioneered by Tom from designs by Fred Marks. Most of the Ace R/C products were designed by individuals who weren't directly employed by Ace on a royalty basis. Such familiar names as Bud Atkinson, Ken Willard, Scott Hartman, Harley Michaelis, Paul Carlson, Romy Bukolt.Jim Van Loo, and I contributed designs to the Ace airplane kit line. Integrity is a good word to describe Tom Runge. He made sure the widows of deceased designers continued to receive royalty checks each month when he still owned Ace R/C. Paying those royalties took funds that Tom needed desperately for his business toward the end of his ownership, but his integrity would not allow him to withhold them. That same attitude could be seen in his warranty-repair department; I often observed beat-up, dirty, obviously abused equipment being repaired or replaced at no charge if the owner claimed warranty on it. Tom was many things to many people, but most important was his honesty, his excitement about our hobby, his joy about his children and grandchildren, and his devotion to his mother. Tom was the most honest person I've ever encountered, and a slew of others and I will remember him with great fondness. We all are a bit poorer in losing Tom, but our lives were enriched by having known him. A special memorial fund has been established with the AMA museum for Tom. AM
