Free Flight: Old-Timers

FREE FLIGHT OLD-TIMERS LOVE Hand-Launched Gliders HLGs grew up Thermic 18s 20s generally entered HLG events went contest fly rubber gas events would put glider flights late day after finished flying serious events remember first time saw Stoy brothers action talked HLG serious event got serious results too Society Antique Modelers SAM has HLG event think seldom offered except annual SAM Champs won event year almost accident windy day times HLG high finished other events put HLG flights standing about fourth resultsgood enough trophy because large number entrants standing around talking waiting contest close got timer intended take last flight talking got very interesting forgot fly until someone said wind just quit Timer said still bless him threw Huguelet center big thermal day No attempt made chase won first place think have enjoyed HLG just fun-flying contest-flying though often used take glider two out nearby athletic field enjoy throwing running used run after free flights try catch before landed dont sometimes take HLG rubber model go out fly RC models winds light still enjoy throwing HLG cant throw high used fairly competitive can still get transition sometimes thermal ride success years design kit produced Testor s company called Endurance Glider came out late 40s know flying contests 1948 flew designs kept coming back still using some 1988 retired competition Recently made three has real fun re-learning trim throw get transition glide went out fly fellow geezers other day pulling stuff out car heard say thermal right over us quit pulling parts big airplanes out got little Testors Endurance Glider threw wind very light could watch long time glider flew away remembering first time ever happened first out-of-sight flight free fighter remembers foreverit about 50 years ago same design time chased glider foot two miles knew nothing thermals thought flew away because made incredibly perfect very upset thinking could never make another perfect again Guess did Does anyone know designed glider designed Sorta-Korda Bostonian back early happy days Walt Mooney doing sort caricature scale Bostonians break monthly Peanut Scale feature Model Builder can forget Boston Found Revere Speedster Back Bay Bellanca plans still available way several suppliers including Peck-Polymers sell plan packets Mooneys designs called Bags Peanuts Mooneys Peanuts easily blown up larger sizes make great sport flyers size long ago learned Sorta-Korda still stir air China photo shows four students Sichuan University posing stickand-tissue models front statue Chairman Mao girl hand raised holding Sorta-Korda Old model plans can reach people nice ways across time space old plans get built young people distant lands Thats nice new 1996 revised SAM Rule Book now available SAIVI Secretary/Treasurer Larry Clark Also available revised much-improved List Approved Gas Model Designs first time list Approved Rubber Models rule book $2 plus $50 postage lists $4 plus $1 postage Larry Clark Box 528 Lucerne Valley CA 92356 Airspan non-woven polyester about like Polyspan lighter available colors gave address American distributor September column also Canadian distributor Dave Larkin 685 Farmington Ave Ottawa Ontario KlV 7H4 Canada Tel 613 523-1533 Fax 613 736-9003 also imports some interesting kits engines British Isles mostly has US $ price list available Dave active modeler very informative talk about experiences Airspan author fine article March-April issue SAM Speaks magazine included SAM membership Get application form Larry Clark article Larkin compares contrasts Litespan Airspan Fibrafilm aka Micafllm As service missed out Larkin s article will provide copy buck half buck provide SASE also will send copies Thermic 18 20 HLG plans get started Old-Timer HLG same deal will throw plans Sorta Korda ask mber1996 113 Bill Baker favorite HLG Testors Endurance Glider Does anyone know designed model Chinese students stick-and-tissue rubber models including authors Sorta Korda Bostonian Scot Dobberfuhl photo