Author: John Kagan
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/04
Page Numbers: 118,119,120,121
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Category IV Glider record falls after almost four decades

Free Flight Indoor — John Kagan [[email protected]]

"STAN BUDDENBOHM topples the 36-year-old Indoor Hand Launched Glider (IHLG) record in the Tustin, California, hangar." Within that headline are three huge news stories.

First, Stan — a glider virtuoso — reached the long-sought-after Holy Grail of indoor gliders: the 90-second barrier and a Category IV national record. People have chased this record for decades to no avail, but Stan's achievement was hardly a fluke. He spent countless hours developing and refining the tip-launch technique; the change is similar to the difference between Tan II and Pirelli in the rubber-power world. Both are rubber, but once people figured out Tan II, Pirelli was history. Tip launching now dominates and javelin-launched gliders are fading away, along with the career-ending shoulder injuries the old technique induced.

On the subtle side, Stan sorted through everything from airfoils to finger placement to wearing latex gloves for a better grip. He even used sub-100-square-inch models during the preceding three years at outdoor meets, although he could have flown something bigger, to prepare for the size of aircraft he would need for an indoor record. A feat of this magnitude requires dogged perseverance along with the more obvious skills and talent. Stan broke the record in October 2009 with a best two-flight total of 194.4 seconds (97.6 and 96.8). He returned on November 22 and upped the record with superb flights of 103.8 and 101.0. In Stan's spare time, he also bumped Ralph Ray's recent Standard Catapult record (more about this below) with flights of 113.1 and 112.2. Congratulations, Stan!

The addresses in the "Sources" list at the end of this column point to videos and more information about his amazing record. Stan is also offering a set of full-sized, 24 x 36-inch plans for his appropriately named Holy Grail design, along with three pages of information detailing all of the discus-launch glider knowledge he accumulated during his quest. (How often do the top fliers give away all their secrets?) I highly recommend this for both beginners and veteran competitors.

The second big story is the record Stan broke. Ron Wittman's 36-year-old run is one of the longest on the books—possibly the longest-held open record. Set in 1973, also at the Tustin site, Ron's epic achievement thwarted all challengers. And unlike a few other old records, people have been trying to break it. It took a dramatic change in technique to beat Ron. Nobody had been able to best his mark using the old launch method, and with the new technique's inherent benefits, it's possible that nobody will.

I spoke with Ron recently. He revealed that after he set the record, he shifted his interests to other types of aeromodeling, such as RC sailplanes. Ron was unaware that his record had been such a source of inspiration and consternation for so many years; he found out only when word spread about it finally being topped. As do so many aeromodelers, Ron has a fascinating list of accomplishments outside of what we in the indoor free-flight world know him for best. He has flown microfilm models, designed the Easy Riser RC sailplane, received early tutelage from modeling legend Carl Goldberg, and still flies and competes with sailplanes, 3‑D electrics, and free-flight Old-Timer models.

Few people know that approximately a week after setting the IHLG record, Ron flew several official flights that were even better. You can learn more in Ron's biography; the web address is listed at the end of this column. Also keep an eye out for an article that current glider great Jim Buxton is preparing on one of his biggest glider idols.

The third big story in this headline trifecta is Ralph Ray's tremendous success in gaining access to the legendary hangar in Tustin. Those hallowed grounds have been the host to many major indoor accomplishments, including both records I’ve described here and Steve Brown’s historic 60-minute rubber flight.

When the Marine base at Tustin was decommissioned in 1999, our flying privileges to the hangars were revoked. Attempts to negotiate access with reluctant politicians had the predictable outcome: quick "no" responses, followed by exorbitant rates and thick red tape when pressured. Worse, even though the behemoth structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and have been designated National Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks, they are expensive to maintain and sit on prime California real estate. In 2007, the Tustin City Council rejected a variety of proposals to put the hangars to use and gave a developer permission to build homes on the site.

Despite all that, Ralph Ray confided to me at the US Indoor Championships a couple of years ago that he was going to try to get us back into Tustin. It would be an uphill battle, and he didn’t want it publicized at that time, but his goal was to arrange a contest at the site. There was general skepticism that we’d ever see the inside of the Tustin hangars again. But if you are aware of the things Ralph has achieved in his life, you’d know that the smart money was on him.

After much persistent effort, Ralph negotiated a few preliminary sessions for a small group of fliers. Along with Stan’s achievements there, Ralph was rewarded with an opportunity to host competition in the hangar and gained the chance to break the 11-year-old Category IV Standard Catapult Glider record. Ralph and Stan had been making significant developments in catapult gliders, and the results showed. Ralph held the record for 23 days before Stan broke it again in November.

Plans are in the works for a multi-day springtime meet at Tustin. If all goes as intended, it may even be done by the time this column hits the street. Great job, Ralph. Keep up the good work!

Glider Rules Ponderings

Several rules changes are being tossed around in the glider circles. Now that the 1:30 mark has been achieved again and large tip-launched models are the way of the future, discussion is brewing about the 100-square-inch limit on AMA indoor gliders.

Nobody I’ve spoken to is sure where that rule came from; experts say that they couldn’t even be competitive with a model that large using the old javelin technique. Removing the restriction would allow US-rule aircraft to compete better under the international F1N rules.

However, there is concern about the existing F1N setup. US models fit the less restrictive F1N requirements, but some experienced fliers believe that international rules don’t include lessons learned during the evolution of the US rules. We have already faced such issues as microfilm gliders that would have no chance of staying together during a hard launch but glide so slowly that they ended up dominating. It will be interesting to see how F1N shapes up. Perhaps some knowledgeable people will draft a proposal to stop any F1N problems before they start.

There is also an effort mounting to remove the rubber limit on outdoor catapult gliders. The argument is that the amount of usable power is self-limiting, and removing the restriction will allow the use of more readily available batches of rubber. Since the rubber isn’t being carried on the model, weight isn’t a factor; simply use as much as is required to get the power you need. This system is being used on indoor catapult gliders and has proven to work well.

Rubber Rebound

For the last eight years, rubber fliers have hoarded their collections of FAI Model Supply Tan II. March 2002 was the last great batch of high-energy-capacity rubber, and we’ve been in a drought ever since.

Super Sport, Tan II’s successor, has proven adequate for non-flyoff outdoor rounds and indoor sport-flying, but it hasn’t been able to match its predecessor’s performance—until now. With the release of the latest Super Sport batches, it looks as if the famine is over. Preliminary tests of 9/09 Super Sport show that it is much tougher than the best Tan II and, more important, has at least similar energy capacity.

That’s great for newcomers to the sport, who otherwise have been reduced to searching for rubber on rare eBay auctions or relying on generous friends. It is also good for competitors who must fly in demanding high-heat environments (e.g., the World Champs in Serbia). John Clapp of FAI Model Supply has generously donated a bunch of 9/09 to the US F1D World Championship teams. Keep an eye out for more results as the team continues to test these new batches.

According to John, improved production methods should provide more consistency between batches, so the rubber you order now should be at the same peak level. You can find FAI Model Supply’s ordering information at the end of this column.

This is my last chance to remind everyone about the Erv Rodemsky Limited Pennyplane (LPP) Pro/Am that is being held at this year’s Indoor Nats. For the cost of a non-AMA-event entry fee, an "Amateur" will be paired with an indoor free-flight "Pro," receive an expertly built competitive LPP model to keep, and get to compete for bragging rights and cool prizes.

Our goal is to make the already entrancing world of indoor free flight as accessible and enticing as possible. This is the perfect opportunity for Science Olympiad competitors to continue on to AMA competition. It’s also great for anyone who wants to try indoor or would like help being successful with a competition aircraft.

The Pro/Am will be held from noon until 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 29. Saturday night we’ll collect a few bucks from anyone who’s hungry and order some pizzas. On Sunday there will be a Sportsman-class LPP event (no Builder-of-the-Model rule), giving Ams a second opportunity to fly their new airplanes.

Several people have said they want to participate but aren’t sure whether they should enter as Pros or Ams. It’s a gray area, but a reasonable division is that you should enter as a Pro if you’ve ever built a successful LPP. If you haven’t, be an Am and join the fun.

  • Are you a glider flier? Be an Am.
  • Fly scale only? Am.
  • Science Olympiad? Am.
  • Flying Aces Club? Am.
  • You tried LPP, but it didn’t work out so well? Am.
  • Your AMA card is labeled “Steve Brown,” “Jim Richmond,” or “Brett Sanborn”? Pro.

Contact me at the e-mail address on my byline to get added to the list. Slots are filling up. Don’t miss it; this might be a once-in-a-lifetime event!

Sources

  • "Holy Grail" plans and information:
  • US Priority Mail in a tube: $35
  • First Class envelope: $32
  • Outside US Airmail envelope: $33
  • Outside US Priority Mail tube: $50
  • Stan Buddenbohm
  • Box 1677
  • Boulevard, CA 91905

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.