Free Flight Scale - But wait, there’s more! - 2015/06

Author: Dennis Norman

Edition: Model Aviation - 2015/06
Page Numbers: 125,126,127

But wait, there’s more!

As last winter’s arctic blasts rolled through much of the country, it appeared that Peck-Polymers, a well-known mainstay of Free Flight (FF) Scale kits and supplies, might be closing its doors forever. Fortunately, Chuck Imbergamo (doing business as Wind-it-up Enterprises) stepped in and bought Peck-Polymers.

Chuck has been busy designing a new website, restocking depleted inventory, and planning the creation of new kits for our building pleasure. Chuck’s vigor and enthusiasm bode well for our hobby. I encourage you to look at his efforts and enthusiastically support them.

A New Beginning

Lee Campbell was a leader in FF and FF Scale activity for decades. Among other things, he was one of the founding fathers of the Cleveland Free Flight Society in the early 1970s. His kit-manufacturing business, Campbell’s Custom Kits, has long provided us with high-quality kits and supplies.

Unfortunately, Lee has developed health problems that forced him to move from the Muncie, Indiana, area to Detroit, and his company was put up for sale. I am happy to report that Campbell’s Custom Kits has been purchased by Mark Freeland of Retro RC, who intends to continue and expand Lee’s company. Mark’s well-known enthusiasm and the quality of his efforts will provide Campbell’s Custom Kits with ample energy for its new beginning.

I encourage you to follow and support Mark’s efforts.

2014 Dawn Patrol Rendezvous Revisited

Many thanks to all for your warm reception of my feature articles about the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous and the 2014 Flying Aces Nationals (FAC Nats), published in the February 2015 issue of Model Aviation. Both events were spectacular and the photo coverage for each was superb. Model Aviation could only show a fraction of the pictures taken; the Dawn Patrol coverage was nicely augmented online, and I am including a few pictures in this column for readers who do not have Internet access.

Particularly memorable at the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous was the impeccably uniformed British author Andrew Robertshaw, who enjoyed the show and thrilled the crowd with historical accounts of World War I aviation.

Frank Scott, widely known for his FAC activities in the Dayton, Ohio, area, stopped by the Air Ace display to visit. Frank has hosted many FAC contests on the field adjacent to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and thoroughly enjoyed the 2014 Dawn Patrol Rendezvous.

Dick Bennett, a longtime member of the Cleveland Free Flight Society who now resides in Illinois, was a featured speaker at the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous. He contributed much to its success, looked robust, and made a wonderful presentation about WWI aviation. We visited for nearly an hour.

2014 FAC Nats Encore

Although unpublished highlights from the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous were available online, there was no online coverage of the 2014 FAC Nats in the same venue. To supplement coverage of that event, here are some standout entries:

Richard Zapf’s handsome Canadair CL-215 — the first aircraft specifically designed for water bombing.
Walt Farrell’s massive Breda Ba.88 — which placed second in FAC Scale.
F.S. Gilbert’s Fairey Swordfish — one of two entered in the D-Day Combat Event, wowing the judges with details such as retractable wings.
Bernard Dion’s massive Giant Scale Voyager — ever bold and creative; Bernard also assisted his son Benedict in preparing his original B-8 for flight.
Donald Becker’s 1:35-scale diorama of the fighting on Utah Beach, located in the 1941 Historical Aircraft Group Museum (now known as the National Warplane Museum) visitor’s center in Geneseo, New York. The diorama was described in the FAC Nats article but no pictures accompanied it; a glimpse of Donald’s masterpiece demonstrates the magnificence of his effort.

If you wish to see more pictures of the 2014 FAC Nats, check the websites of the FAC, DC Maxecuters, and Tom Hallman.