This year marks 75 years since AMA’s
inception. Join us from July 14-17 at the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)
in Muncie, Indiana, for four days and
nights of fun and fellowship to celebrate
AMA’s 75th Anniversary.
The Academy was born during the
Golden Age of Aviation in 1936. Seventyfive
years later the hobby and sport have
changed considerably. What has remained
is that AMA continues its leadership role
helping the aeromodeling community in
dozens of ways.
If you’ve always wanted to visit the
AMA Headquarters, tour the National
Model Aviation Museum, and fly at the
1,100-acre IAC, consider this the red carpet
treatment. Join the RC, FF, and CL
community in celebrating this remarkable
achievement, as well as the 85th National
Aeromodeling Championships.
This special event will include funflying,
guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all in one place. Bring yourself,
friends, family, and your favorite model!
For more information on AMA’s 75th
Anniversary, please visit http://ama75.com.
You may also contact April Hathaway at
(765) 287-1256, extension 516, or email
[email protected]. MA
—AMA Staff
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2011 9
Art Christensen of Palatine, Illinois, was a 77-year modeler who
passed away on March 4, 2011. He was 86.
“On my tenth birthday I received a gift of 10¢ that I used to buy
a Fokker D.VII for a starter in a hobby that has been going strong
for 62 years,” Art wrote in his 1998 AMA History Program
autobiography.
That first Fokker D.VII not only inspired Art’s lifelong hobby,
but a job as well. At the age of 18, he was working for Comet
Models as a draftsman and designer. He also worked as a model
maker for Sparky Industries from 1948 to 1950.
Art began flying competitively in 1946 and won in indoor Easy
B event as well as microfilm and outdoor events. He never placed
lower than first in the Pan Am Payload and Pan Am 5-ounce
categories. Art was a finalist in Wakefield competition and also
made it to semifinals in FAI indoor competition with a flight of
more than 21 minutes.
Art was active in organizing the Flying Eight Balls club. He
served as both secretary and treasurer while a member. Art also
became a member of the Chicago Aeronuts and served as president
for three years. Part of Art’s agenda with the Aeronuts was to
increase membership. He did this by writing feature articles for
American Modeler magazine.
While with the Aeronuts, Art realized the need for an indoor
flying site. After a few calls to the colonel in charge of the Madison
Street Armory, the club received permission to fly and did so rent
free for approximately 10 years.
Another problem facing the Aeronuts was a lack of treasury
funds. With a professional career in sales, Art was able to solicit
manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops for merchandise to be
used in club raffles and auctions. These raffles are still part of
contests held by clubs including the Bong Eagles and the Aeronuts.
Art drew illustrations for a Wakefield brochure that helped raise
money for the Wakefield Team expenses. He met Gerry Ritz, 1959
World Nordic Champion, and drew the plans for Gerry’s Nordic
Glider, which were featured in MAN, March 1960.
Thirty-five years later and after Gerry’s passing, the Aeronuts
approached Art to reconstruct the airplane, which is now on display
at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. Art
also constructed Wally Simmers’ Jabberwock and Gollywock
which are displayed in the National Model Aviation Museum.
Art had many designs featured in NFFS publications and his
original Tri-Flite RC Sailplane was published in MA in April 1996.
In April 1960 Art became an AMA Leader Member. He
received CD certification in 1986 and organized five Midwestern
State Championships and two Bong Eagles Annual Summer
Meets.
For more information on Art Christensen, visit the AMA
History Program at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/
history.aspx. MA
—AMA Staff
Arthur H. Christensen 1924-2011
AMA’s Diamond Anniversary
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 9
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
History Preserved:
T h e C o l l e c t i o n o f t h e
National Model Aviation Museum
As noted before, sometimes museum employees don’t
know everything and need your help!
When sorting through the records, the paperwork was
discovered for two models that were loaned to the museum
in 1989. The signature on the paperwork appears to read
Dr. David Roberts. Dr. Roberts did not leave an address,
and no other documentation relating to the models can be
located.
Both are static scale models of World War II aircraft.
Because of the subject matter and size of the airplanes, they
were likely built from Guillow’s kits. One is a Stuka Ju-87
with a 34½-inch wingspan; the second is a
Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a 30-inch wingspan.
They are sheeted with balsa and adorned
with panel lines and rivets, and weathered to
show the wear of panel access, pilots climbing
into the cockpit, and exhaust fumes. The Stuka
was built from a multipurpose Guillow’s kit—kit number
1002—that allowed one to build a model for either rubberpowered
FF, .049 gas FF, a .09
CL model, or a single
channel RC aircraft.
According to the text on the
box, they make “magnificent
display pieces if built as a
non-flying model.”
The kit came complete with
all the pieces for building the
model, and everything needed to
fly the model for FF and CL
flying, including six feet of rubber motor, a CL handle,
bellcrank, pushrod, and clay for balancing the model. The
copyright date on the “Special Guillow’s Action Plan,”
which supplemented the included plans, is listed as 1969.
The museum staff wants to make sure that the models
can be returned to Dr. Roberts or his family, or have them
formally donated to the museum. If anyone knows anything
about these models, please contact the museum registrar at
[email protected], or (765) 287-1256, extension
508.
These are great models and the staff is happy to have
them in the collection, but proper documentation is
necessary. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 10
[ ]
Picture a four-year-old boy gathering
scraps of wood to make out the
rudimentary shape of an airplane and
finding hours of fun sitting on and flying
his creation. Move forward about a
decade and picture that same young man
struggling in school, although his parents
were accomplished academics.
Picture a shop teacher who intervened
and provided a method of education, not
from books, but from using your hands
and working with wood. Now move
forward many decades to the present. The
young man is now graying and
semiretired, but with the same passion for
aviation, learning and sharing both with
youth in the same way that shop teacher
did for him so many years ago.
Mark Freeland of Retro RC
(http://retro.us.com) has taken his life
experiences and created some fascinating
aircraft and accessories for all of us to
enjoy. There is a decided emphasis on
successful designs of the past, hence the
name Retro. But Mark also wanted to
provide young people with an avenue to
enjoy model aviation as he has for many
years.
Always thinking outside the box,
Mark looked at the standard curriculum of
simple introductory aircraft and could see
why youngsters weren’t interested. Mark
went to his own inventory of designs and
presented a group of students from
Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake,
Michigan, with a plan that would allow
them to build, cover, and fly an unusual
canard rubber-powered aircraft: his
version of the Frank Ehling Trioxide
Darling. All the kids had to do was make
the initial purchase at a deeply discounted
price and show up.
Mark invested roughly two hours per
week in class with the kids. Much
preparation work went into each session,
but in 10 shorts week, all 20 students
finished their aircraft.
At the appointed “fly day,” those
present flew successfully! One young
man was required to stay home per
doctor’s orders, but upon getting
clearance to return to school, his aircraft
put in the longest flight of any of the
participants.
They built all-balsa, rubber-powered
canards, covered them with tissue, and all
flew! A great design was matched with
laser-cut technology and a talented and
dedicated instructor.
Retro RC is located in Keego Harbor,
Michigan. Mark can be reached at (248)
212-9666. MA
—Joe Hass
Skymasters RC Club
District VII
INtheAIR
June 2011 11
Dedicated Modeler and Manufacturer
Introduces the Thrill of Flight to Middle Schoolers
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:14 AM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Thanks
Its Lifetime
Supporters!
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Timothy McDonnell (Woodlands
TX), Don Speers (Howell NJ), and Glenn Titchie (Ridgecrest CA).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at
(800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
The Burnsville Public Library, a branch of the Northeast
Regional Library System in Mississippi, has been awarded the
Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming award
by the American Library Association.
Given annually, the Marshall Cavendish Award consists of
$2,000 and a citation of achievement. The award recognizes
either a school or public library that demonstrates excellence in
library programming by providing programs that have
community impact and respond to community needs.
Advocacy, partnerships, and creative use of resources,
regardless of the size of the library, are taken into
consideration.
Burnsville Library received the Marshall Cavendish Award
for two programs that target elementary and preadolescent
children. A Learning Opportunity: Flight Technology
(ALOFT), is a model aircraft construction class that is offered
after school at the library; and Stop Abductions Forever
(SAFE), an interactive program that teaches personal safety to
elementary and preteen children.
Librarian Robert (Bob) Forbes created the ALOFT program
in an effort to provide an activity for after-school children who
might not otherwise have an opportunity for extracurricular
involvement. Children construct model aircraft from kits
provided by the library and learn the mechanics of flight. Upon
completion of their projects, students participate in a fly-in
sponsored by local model builders’ clubs and get to test fly
their airplanes.
ALOFT is sponsored in part by local contributions and by a
Library Services and Construction Act (LSTA) grant awarded
to the library in 2009 through the Mississippi Library
Commission. Classes are free of charge. All participating
students receive complimentary membership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics.
Forbes will travel to New Orleans to accept the award at the
American Library Association’s annual conference this
summer. Congratulations to Bob Forbes for his hard work and
dedication in making his library an integral part of his
community. MA
—submitted by Cathy Kanady
Assistant Director, Northeast Regional Library
Burnsville Library
Receives Award for
Model Aviation Program
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
has appointed past AMA President Dave
Mathewson as its new executive director,
effective immediately. Mathewson was the
AMA’s prior president and leader of its
governing Executive Council.
Assuming the responsibilities of the
AMA president, per the bylaws, is
Executive Vice President Mark Smith.
Smith will undertake these additional
duties until a special election for AMA
president is conducted this September,
concurrent with the regular annual AMA
officer elections. The Interim Executive
Director, Joyce Hager, will resume her
duties as staff director and assistant
executive director.
“Dave has been an exemplary leader
for the AMA,” said Smith. “The executive
council is behind him 120%. For more
than three years, Dave has been an
outstanding president and we’re very
confident he will bring this level of
success to his new role.”
Mathewson will move from his home
near Syracuse, New York, to Muncie,
Indiana, approximately June 1. MA
—April 15, 2011 Press Release
Chris Brooks, APR
[email protected]
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Selects New Executive Director
INtheAIR
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:49 PM Page 12
A scratch build involves days of
research, discussing techniques with fellow
pilots, random sketches in a notebook, and
often a lot of coffee. Building a website is
not much different.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics formed a
development team to redesign the Model
Aviation website with a projected launch
date of July 1, 2011. We agreed that the
design needed to be more than just art; it
needs to be strategic.
We wanted to be methodical with our
approach, so after countless hours and pots
of coffee, we established our goals and
began developing a strategy.
The online edition of Model Aviation
will have three goals. First, we want to
continue supporting the print publication.
We understand that many readers
appreciate the convenience and value of the
printed page. We do not want to erode the
significance our monthly magazine; instead
we want the online edition to support and
supplement the magazine.
Model Aviation Online’s second
objective is to adhere to the print
magazine’s mission to be the voice of the
AMA. Throughout the new website, we
will cross-promote and reflect the
association’s position as the world’s largest
model aviation organization. Examples
include additional coverage of events as
well as updates on AMA’s advocacy
efforts.
Our third goal is to have Model Aviation
Online be a self-sustaining and viable
entity. We want to ensure that we wisely
invest in the resources given to us.
Content is king. A website needs to be
more than great looking and aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Too many goodlooking
websites quickly become useless
when there is no content to drive traffic.
Therefore, we have implemented a heavy
production schedule that continually filters
content to Model Aviation Online.
The site will be rich with supplemental
features, abridged stories, and online
exclusives. In addition to content provided
by the AMA staff, the site will offer outlets
for our members to contribute as well!
Interactive features will allow you to share
your thoughts on a story, engage with other
members, have a direct line of contact with
the publications team, and even submit a
story of your own.
Multimedia features will add a new
level of content. After reading a story, you
can view a video product review, tutorial,
or how-to.
Technology is moving at lightning
speed. More than half of all webpages are
now accessed with a smartphone
(comScore MobiLens Report 2011). It is
not uncommon to discover that the person
next to you on the golf course, in the
elevator, or in a business meeting was
probably checking his or her email on a
smartphone.
iPads, tablets, and other e-readers were
unheard of a couple years ago. And it’s
easy to forget that some of the most popular
websites such as YouTube, Groupon, and
Facebook are only five years old or less!
We want to protect the online edition of
Model Aviation from being outpaced and
falling victim to dated technology.
Without getting too deep in “geek
speak,” under the hood of the website is
powerful coding used by entities such as
NASA and Harvard’s Science and
Engineering Department, as well as popular
publications including The New York
Observer and Popular Science.
We are excited about unveiling the new
look and tone of Model Aviation Online
on July 1, 2011. We invite you to become a
part of the development team. We welcome
your thoughts, ideas, or feedback at
www.modelaviation.com/publications/
feedback.aspx.
The membership is the heart of the
AMA, and we want you to have a voice as
we enter this new frontier for Model
Aviation. MA
—MA Staff
June 2011 13
The April “In the Air” section contained the wrong email address for Ryan Olszewski, who organized an
aeromodeling program for Tiger Scouts in Pennsylvania. Ryan’s correct address is [email protected].
Our apologies for the error. MA
—MA Staff
CORRECTION
INtheAIR
Model Aviation Online
Gets a Facelift!
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
The AMA’s Government Relations Web pages, which you can find at
www.modelaircraft.org/gov, will serve as your hub of information. There you
can find background information, the latest developments, how to contact your
senators and representatives, and even how to identify them if you don’t know
who they are.
All AMA members—indeed, all who love aeromodeling—should familiarize
themselves with the issue and let your voices be heard. MA
—AMA HQ
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Nominations for the offices of
president, executive vice president,
and vice presidents in Districts III,
VII, and XI are due at the
Headquarters of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011.
Any AMA Open Member may
submit a nomination.
A special election for president
will run concurrently with the 2011
elections.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA president, a nominee
must be an AMA Leader Member
and must previously have served as a
member of the Executive Council or
an associate vice president (AVP) or
as a Contest Board member for at
least one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of executive vice president, a
nominee must be an AMA Leader
Member and must previously have
served as a member of the Executive
Council or an AVP, or have served
on the Contest Board for at least
one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA vice president, a
nominee must be a Leader Member
of the Academy and must reside in
the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be
notified by AMA Headquarters
confirming receipt of nomination. If
confirmation is not received within
two weeks after you have mailed
your document, contact Lisa Johnson
at [765] 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a
résumé of professional qualifications
and model aviation experience from
the nominee must be on file at AMA
Headquarters by June 24, 2011, 15
days before the published Executive
Council meeting. MA
Nominations Due
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:53 PM Page 144/21/11 1:51 PM Page 13
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12,13,14
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12,13,14
This year marks 75 years since AMA’s
inception. Join us from July 14-17 at the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)
in Muncie, Indiana, for four days and
nights of fun and fellowship to celebrate
AMA’s 75th Anniversary.
The Academy was born during the
Golden Age of Aviation in 1936. Seventyfive
years later the hobby and sport have
changed considerably. What has remained
is that AMA continues its leadership role
helping the aeromodeling community in
dozens of ways.
If you’ve always wanted to visit the
AMA Headquarters, tour the National
Model Aviation Museum, and fly at the
1,100-acre IAC, consider this the red carpet
treatment. Join the RC, FF, and CL
community in celebrating this remarkable
achievement, as well as the 85th National
Aeromodeling Championships.
This special event will include funflying,
guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all in one place. Bring yourself,
friends, family, and your favorite model!
For more information on AMA’s 75th
Anniversary, please visit http://ama75.com.
You may also contact April Hathaway at
(765) 287-1256, extension 516, or email
[email protected]. MA
—AMA Staff
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2011 9
Art Christensen of Palatine, Illinois, was a 77-year modeler who
passed away on March 4, 2011. He was 86.
“On my tenth birthday I received a gift of 10¢ that I used to buy
a Fokker D.VII for a starter in a hobby that has been going strong
for 62 years,” Art wrote in his 1998 AMA History Program
autobiography.
That first Fokker D.VII not only inspired Art’s lifelong hobby,
but a job as well. At the age of 18, he was working for Comet
Models as a draftsman and designer. He also worked as a model
maker for Sparky Industries from 1948 to 1950.
Art began flying competitively in 1946 and won in indoor Easy
B event as well as microfilm and outdoor events. He never placed
lower than first in the Pan Am Payload and Pan Am 5-ounce
categories. Art was a finalist in Wakefield competition and also
made it to semifinals in FAI indoor competition with a flight of
more than 21 minutes.
Art was active in organizing the Flying Eight Balls club. He
served as both secretary and treasurer while a member. Art also
became a member of the Chicago Aeronuts and served as president
for three years. Part of Art’s agenda with the Aeronuts was to
increase membership. He did this by writing feature articles for
American Modeler magazine.
While with the Aeronuts, Art realized the need for an indoor
flying site. After a few calls to the colonel in charge of the Madison
Street Armory, the club received permission to fly and did so rent
free for approximately 10 years.
Another problem facing the Aeronuts was a lack of treasury
funds. With a professional career in sales, Art was able to solicit
manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops for merchandise to be
used in club raffles and auctions. These raffles are still part of
contests held by clubs including the Bong Eagles and the Aeronuts.
Art drew illustrations for a Wakefield brochure that helped raise
money for the Wakefield Team expenses. He met Gerry Ritz, 1959
World Nordic Champion, and drew the plans for Gerry’s Nordic
Glider, which were featured in MAN, March 1960.
Thirty-five years later and after Gerry’s passing, the Aeronuts
approached Art to reconstruct the airplane, which is now on display
at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. Art
also constructed Wally Simmers’ Jabberwock and Gollywock
which are displayed in the National Model Aviation Museum.
Art had many designs featured in NFFS publications and his
original Tri-Flite RC Sailplane was published in MA in April 1996.
In April 1960 Art became an AMA Leader Member. He
received CD certification in 1986 and organized five Midwestern
State Championships and two Bong Eagles Annual Summer
Meets.
For more information on Art Christensen, visit the AMA
History Program at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/
history.aspx. MA
—AMA Staff
Arthur H. Christensen 1924-2011
AMA’s Diamond Anniversary
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 9
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
History Preserved:
T h e C o l l e c t i o n o f t h e
National Model Aviation Museum
As noted before, sometimes museum employees don’t
know everything and need your help!
When sorting through the records, the paperwork was
discovered for two models that were loaned to the museum
in 1989. The signature on the paperwork appears to read
Dr. David Roberts. Dr. Roberts did not leave an address,
and no other documentation relating to the models can be
located.
Both are static scale models of World War II aircraft.
Because of the subject matter and size of the airplanes, they
were likely built from Guillow’s kits. One is a Stuka Ju-87
with a 34½-inch wingspan; the second is a
Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a 30-inch wingspan.
They are sheeted with balsa and adorned
with panel lines and rivets, and weathered to
show the wear of panel access, pilots climbing
into the cockpit, and exhaust fumes. The Stuka
was built from a multipurpose Guillow’s kit—kit number
1002—that allowed one to build a model for either rubberpowered
FF, .049 gas FF, a .09
CL model, or a single
channel RC aircraft.
According to the text on the
box, they make “magnificent
display pieces if built as a
non-flying model.”
The kit came complete with
all the pieces for building the
model, and everything needed to
fly the model for FF and CL
flying, including six feet of rubber motor, a CL handle,
bellcrank, pushrod, and clay for balancing the model. The
copyright date on the “Special Guillow’s Action Plan,”
which supplemented the included plans, is listed as 1969.
The museum staff wants to make sure that the models
can be returned to Dr. Roberts or his family, or have them
formally donated to the museum. If anyone knows anything
about these models, please contact the museum registrar at
[email protected], or (765) 287-1256, extension
508.
These are great models and the staff is happy to have
them in the collection, but proper documentation is
necessary. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 10
[ ]
Picture a four-year-old boy gathering
scraps of wood to make out the
rudimentary shape of an airplane and
finding hours of fun sitting on and flying
his creation. Move forward about a
decade and picture that same young man
struggling in school, although his parents
were accomplished academics.
Picture a shop teacher who intervened
and provided a method of education, not
from books, but from using your hands
and working with wood. Now move
forward many decades to the present. The
young man is now graying and
semiretired, but with the same passion for
aviation, learning and sharing both with
youth in the same way that shop teacher
did for him so many years ago.
Mark Freeland of Retro RC
(http://retro.us.com) has taken his life
experiences and created some fascinating
aircraft and accessories for all of us to
enjoy. There is a decided emphasis on
successful designs of the past, hence the
name Retro. But Mark also wanted to
provide young people with an avenue to
enjoy model aviation as he has for many
years.
Always thinking outside the box,
Mark looked at the standard curriculum of
simple introductory aircraft and could see
why youngsters weren’t interested. Mark
went to his own inventory of designs and
presented a group of students from
Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake,
Michigan, with a plan that would allow
them to build, cover, and fly an unusual
canard rubber-powered aircraft: his
version of the Frank Ehling Trioxide
Darling. All the kids had to do was make
the initial purchase at a deeply discounted
price and show up.
Mark invested roughly two hours per
week in class with the kids. Much
preparation work went into each session,
but in 10 shorts week, all 20 students
finished their aircraft.
At the appointed “fly day,” those
present flew successfully! One young
man was required to stay home per
doctor’s orders, but upon getting
clearance to return to school, his aircraft
put in the longest flight of any of the
participants.
They built all-balsa, rubber-powered
canards, covered them with tissue, and all
flew! A great design was matched with
laser-cut technology and a talented and
dedicated instructor.
Retro RC is located in Keego Harbor,
Michigan. Mark can be reached at (248)
212-9666. MA
—Joe Hass
Skymasters RC Club
District VII
INtheAIR
June 2011 11
Dedicated Modeler and Manufacturer
Introduces the Thrill of Flight to Middle Schoolers
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:14 AM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Thanks
Its Lifetime
Supporters!
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Timothy McDonnell (Woodlands
TX), Don Speers (Howell NJ), and Glenn Titchie (Ridgecrest CA).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at
(800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
The Burnsville Public Library, a branch of the Northeast
Regional Library System in Mississippi, has been awarded the
Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming award
by the American Library Association.
Given annually, the Marshall Cavendish Award consists of
$2,000 and a citation of achievement. The award recognizes
either a school or public library that demonstrates excellence in
library programming by providing programs that have
community impact and respond to community needs.
Advocacy, partnerships, and creative use of resources,
regardless of the size of the library, are taken into
consideration.
Burnsville Library received the Marshall Cavendish Award
for two programs that target elementary and preadolescent
children. A Learning Opportunity: Flight Technology
(ALOFT), is a model aircraft construction class that is offered
after school at the library; and Stop Abductions Forever
(SAFE), an interactive program that teaches personal safety to
elementary and preteen children.
Librarian Robert (Bob) Forbes created the ALOFT program
in an effort to provide an activity for after-school children who
might not otherwise have an opportunity for extracurricular
involvement. Children construct model aircraft from kits
provided by the library and learn the mechanics of flight. Upon
completion of their projects, students participate in a fly-in
sponsored by local model builders’ clubs and get to test fly
their airplanes.
ALOFT is sponsored in part by local contributions and by a
Library Services and Construction Act (LSTA) grant awarded
to the library in 2009 through the Mississippi Library
Commission. Classes are free of charge. All participating
students receive complimentary membership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics.
Forbes will travel to New Orleans to accept the award at the
American Library Association’s annual conference this
summer. Congratulations to Bob Forbes for his hard work and
dedication in making his library an integral part of his
community. MA
—submitted by Cathy Kanady
Assistant Director, Northeast Regional Library
Burnsville Library
Receives Award for
Model Aviation Program
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
has appointed past AMA President Dave
Mathewson as its new executive director,
effective immediately. Mathewson was the
AMA’s prior president and leader of its
governing Executive Council.
Assuming the responsibilities of the
AMA president, per the bylaws, is
Executive Vice President Mark Smith.
Smith will undertake these additional
duties until a special election for AMA
president is conducted this September,
concurrent with the regular annual AMA
officer elections. The Interim Executive
Director, Joyce Hager, will resume her
duties as staff director and assistant
executive director.
“Dave has been an exemplary leader
for the AMA,” said Smith. “The executive
council is behind him 120%. For more
than three years, Dave has been an
outstanding president and we’re very
confident he will bring this level of
success to his new role.”
Mathewson will move from his home
near Syracuse, New York, to Muncie,
Indiana, approximately June 1. MA
—April 15, 2011 Press Release
Chris Brooks, APR
[email protected]
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Selects New Executive Director
INtheAIR
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:49 PM Page 12
A scratch build involves days of
research, discussing techniques with fellow
pilots, random sketches in a notebook, and
often a lot of coffee. Building a website is
not much different.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics formed a
development team to redesign the Model
Aviation website with a projected launch
date of July 1, 2011. We agreed that the
design needed to be more than just art; it
needs to be strategic.
We wanted to be methodical with our
approach, so after countless hours and pots
of coffee, we established our goals and
began developing a strategy.
The online edition of Model Aviation
will have three goals. First, we want to
continue supporting the print publication.
We understand that many readers
appreciate the convenience and value of the
printed page. We do not want to erode the
significance our monthly magazine; instead
we want the online edition to support and
supplement the magazine.
Model Aviation Online’s second
objective is to adhere to the print
magazine’s mission to be the voice of the
AMA. Throughout the new website, we
will cross-promote and reflect the
association’s position as the world’s largest
model aviation organization. Examples
include additional coverage of events as
well as updates on AMA’s advocacy
efforts.
Our third goal is to have Model Aviation
Online be a self-sustaining and viable
entity. We want to ensure that we wisely
invest in the resources given to us.
Content is king. A website needs to be
more than great looking and aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Too many goodlooking
websites quickly become useless
when there is no content to drive traffic.
Therefore, we have implemented a heavy
production schedule that continually filters
content to Model Aviation Online.
The site will be rich with supplemental
features, abridged stories, and online
exclusives. In addition to content provided
by the AMA staff, the site will offer outlets
for our members to contribute as well!
Interactive features will allow you to share
your thoughts on a story, engage with other
members, have a direct line of contact with
the publications team, and even submit a
story of your own.
Multimedia features will add a new
level of content. After reading a story, you
can view a video product review, tutorial,
or how-to.
Technology is moving at lightning
speed. More than half of all webpages are
now accessed with a smartphone
(comScore MobiLens Report 2011). It is
not uncommon to discover that the person
next to you on the golf course, in the
elevator, or in a business meeting was
probably checking his or her email on a
smartphone.
iPads, tablets, and other e-readers were
unheard of a couple years ago. And it’s
easy to forget that some of the most popular
websites such as YouTube, Groupon, and
Facebook are only five years old or less!
We want to protect the online edition of
Model Aviation from being outpaced and
falling victim to dated technology.
Without getting too deep in “geek
speak,” under the hood of the website is
powerful coding used by entities such as
NASA and Harvard’s Science and
Engineering Department, as well as popular
publications including The New York
Observer and Popular Science.
We are excited about unveiling the new
look and tone of Model Aviation Online
on July 1, 2011. We invite you to become a
part of the development team. We welcome
your thoughts, ideas, or feedback at
www.modelaviation.com/publications/
feedback.aspx.
The membership is the heart of the
AMA, and we want you to have a voice as
we enter this new frontier for Model
Aviation. MA
—MA Staff
June 2011 13
The April “In the Air” section contained the wrong email address for Ryan Olszewski, who organized an
aeromodeling program for Tiger Scouts in Pennsylvania. Ryan’s correct address is [email protected].
Our apologies for the error. MA
—MA Staff
CORRECTION
INtheAIR
Model Aviation Online
Gets a Facelift!
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
The AMA’s Government Relations Web pages, which you can find at
www.modelaircraft.org/gov, will serve as your hub of information. There you
can find background information, the latest developments, how to contact your
senators and representatives, and even how to identify them if you don’t know
who they are.
All AMA members—indeed, all who love aeromodeling—should familiarize
themselves with the issue and let your voices be heard. MA
—AMA HQ
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Nominations for the offices of
president, executive vice president,
and vice presidents in Districts III,
VII, and XI are due at the
Headquarters of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011.
Any AMA Open Member may
submit a nomination.
A special election for president
will run concurrently with the 2011
elections.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA president, a nominee
must be an AMA Leader Member
and must previously have served as a
member of the Executive Council or
an associate vice president (AVP) or
as a Contest Board member for at
least one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of executive vice president, a
nominee must be an AMA Leader
Member and must previously have
served as a member of the Executive
Council or an AVP, or have served
on the Contest Board for at least
one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA vice president, a
nominee must be a Leader Member
of the Academy and must reside in
the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be
notified by AMA Headquarters
confirming receipt of nomination. If
confirmation is not received within
two weeks after you have mailed
your document, contact Lisa Johnson
at [765] 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a
résumé of professional qualifications
and model aviation experience from
the nominee must be on file at AMA
Headquarters by June 24, 2011, 15
days before the published Executive
Council meeting. MA
Nominations Due
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:53 PM Page 144/21/11 1:51 PM Page 13
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12,13,14
This year marks 75 years since AMA’s
inception. Join us from July 14-17 at the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)
in Muncie, Indiana, for four days and
nights of fun and fellowship to celebrate
AMA’s 75th Anniversary.
The Academy was born during the
Golden Age of Aviation in 1936. Seventyfive
years later the hobby and sport have
changed considerably. What has remained
is that AMA continues its leadership role
helping the aeromodeling community in
dozens of ways.
If you’ve always wanted to visit the
AMA Headquarters, tour the National
Model Aviation Museum, and fly at the
1,100-acre IAC, consider this the red carpet
treatment. Join the RC, FF, and CL
community in celebrating this remarkable
achievement, as well as the 85th National
Aeromodeling Championships.
This special event will include funflying,
guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all in one place. Bring yourself,
friends, family, and your favorite model!
For more information on AMA’s 75th
Anniversary, please visit http://ama75.com.
You may also contact April Hathaway at
(765) 287-1256, extension 516, or email
[email protected]. MA
—AMA Staff
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2011 9
Art Christensen of Palatine, Illinois, was a 77-year modeler who
passed away on March 4, 2011. He was 86.
“On my tenth birthday I received a gift of 10¢ that I used to buy
a Fokker D.VII for a starter in a hobby that has been going strong
for 62 years,” Art wrote in his 1998 AMA History Program
autobiography.
That first Fokker D.VII not only inspired Art’s lifelong hobby,
but a job as well. At the age of 18, he was working for Comet
Models as a draftsman and designer. He also worked as a model
maker for Sparky Industries from 1948 to 1950.
Art began flying competitively in 1946 and won in indoor Easy
B event as well as microfilm and outdoor events. He never placed
lower than first in the Pan Am Payload and Pan Am 5-ounce
categories. Art was a finalist in Wakefield competition and also
made it to semifinals in FAI indoor competition with a flight of
more than 21 minutes.
Art was active in organizing the Flying Eight Balls club. He
served as both secretary and treasurer while a member. Art also
became a member of the Chicago Aeronuts and served as president
for three years. Part of Art’s agenda with the Aeronuts was to
increase membership. He did this by writing feature articles for
American Modeler magazine.
While with the Aeronuts, Art realized the need for an indoor
flying site. After a few calls to the colonel in charge of the Madison
Street Armory, the club received permission to fly and did so rent
free for approximately 10 years.
Another problem facing the Aeronuts was a lack of treasury
funds. With a professional career in sales, Art was able to solicit
manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops for merchandise to be
used in club raffles and auctions. These raffles are still part of
contests held by clubs including the Bong Eagles and the Aeronuts.
Art drew illustrations for a Wakefield brochure that helped raise
money for the Wakefield Team expenses. He met Gerry Ritz, 1959
World Nordic Champion, and drew the plans for Gerry’s Nordic
Glider, which were featured in MAN, March 1960.
Thirty-five years later and after Gerry’s passing, the Aeronuts
approached Art to reconstruct the airplane, which is now on display
at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. Art
also constructed Wally Simmers’ Jabberwock and Gollywock
which are displayed in the National Model Aviation Museum.
Art had many designs featured in NFFS publications and his
original Tri-Flite RC Sailplane was published in MA in April 1996.
In April 1960 Art became an AMA Leader Member. He
received CD certification in 1986 and organized five Midwestern
State Championships and two Bong Eagles Annual Summer
Meets.
For more information on Art Christensen, visit the AMA
History Program at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/
history.aspx. MA
—AMA Staff
Arthur H. Christensen 1924-2011
AMA’s Diamond Anniversary
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 9
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
History Preserved:
T h e C o l l e c t i o n o f t h e
National Model Aviation Museum
As noted before, sometimes museum employees don’t
know everything and need your help!
When sorting through the records, the paperwork was
discovered for two models that were loaned to the museum
in 1989. The signature on the paperwork appears to read
Dr. David Roberts. Dr. Roberts did not leave an address,
and no other documentation relating to the models can be
located.
Both are static scale models of World War II aircraft.
Because of the subject matter and size of the airplanes, they
were likely built from Guillow’s kits. One is a Stuka Ju-87
with a 34½-inch wingspan; the second is a
Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a 30-inch wingspan.
They are sheeted with balsa and adorned
with panel lines and rivets, and weathered to
show the wear of panel access, pilots climbing
into the cockpit, and exhaust fumes. The Stuka
was built from a multipurpose Guillow’s kit—kit number
1002—that allowed one to build a model for either rubberpowered
FF, .049 gas FF, a .09
CL model, or a single
channel RC aircraft.
According to the text on the
box, they make “magnificent
display pieces if built as a
non-flying model.”
The kit came complete with
all the pieces for building the
model, and everything needed to
fly the model for FF and CL
flying, including six feet of rubber motor, a CL handle,
bellcrank, pushrod, and clay for balancing the model. The
copyright date on the “Special Guillow’s Action Plan,”
which supplemented the included plans, is listed as 1969.
The museum staff wants to make sure that the models
can be returned to Dr. Roberts or his family, or have them
formally donated to the museum. If anyone knows anything
about these models, please contact the museum registrar at
[email protected], or (765) 287-1256, extension
508.
These are great models and the staff is happy to have
them in the collection, but proper documentation is
necessary. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 10
[ ]
Picture a four-year-old boy gathering
scraps of wood to make out the
rudimentary shape of an airplane and
finding hours of fun sitting on and flying
his creation. Move forward about a
decade and picture that same young man
struggling in school, although his parents
were accomplished academics.
Picture a shop teacher who intervened
and provided a method of education, not
from books, but from using your hands
and working with wood. Now move
forward many decades to the present. The
young man is now graying and
semiretired, but with the same passion for
aviation, learning and sharing both with
youth in the same way that shop teacher
did for him so many years ago.
Mark Freeland of Retro RC
(http://retro.us.com) has taken his life
experiences and created some fascinating
aircraft and accessories for all of us to
enjoy. There is a decided emphasis on
successful designs of the past, hence the
name Retro. But Mark also wanted to
provide young people with an avenue to
enjoy model aviation as he has for many
years.
Always thinking outside the box,
Mark looked at the standard curriculum of
simple introductory aircraft and could see
why youngsters weren’t interested. Mark
went to his own inventory of designs and
presented a group of students from
Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake,
Michigan, with a plan that would allow
them to build, cover, and fly an unusual
canard rubber-powered aircraft: his
version of the Frank Ehling Trioxide
Darling. All the kids had to do was make
the initial purchase at a deeply discounted
price and show up.
Mark invested roughly two hours per
week in class with the kids. Much
preparation work went into each session,
but in 10 shorts week, all 20 students
finished their aircraft.
At the appointed “fly day,” those
present flew successfully! One young
man was required to stay home per
doctor’s orders, but upon getting
clearance to return to school, his aircraft
put in the longest flight of any of the
participants.
They built all-balsa, rubber-powered
canards, covered them with tissue, and all
flew! A great design was matched with
laser-cut technology and a talented and
dedicated instructor.
Retro RC is located in Keego Harbor,
Michigan. Mark can be reached at (248)
212-9666. MA
—Joe Hass
Skymasters RC Club
District VII
INtheAIR
June 2011 11
Dedicated Modeler and Manufacturer
Introduces the Thrill of Flight to Middle Schoolers
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:14 AM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Thanks
Its Lifetime
Supporters!
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Timothy McDonnell (Woodlands
TX), Don Speers (Howell NJ), and Glenn Titchie (Ridgecrest CA).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at
(800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
The Burnsville Public Library, a branch of the Northeast
Regional Library System in Mississippi, has been awarded the
Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming award
by the American Library Association.
Given annually, the Marshall Cavendish Award consists of
$2,000 and a citation of achievement. The award recognizes
either a school or public library that demonstrates excellence in
library programming by providing programs that have
community impact and respond to community needs.
Advocacy, partnerships, and creative use of resources,
regardless of the size of the library, are taken into
consideration.
Burnsville Library received the Marshall Cavendish Award
for two programs that target elementary and preadolescent
children. A Learning Opportunity: Flight Technology
(ALOFT), is a model aircraft construction class that is offered
after school at the library; and Stop Abductions Forever
(SAFE), an interactive program that teaches personal safety to
elementary and preteen children.
Librarian Robert (Bob) Forbes created the ALOFT program
in an effort to provide an activity for after-school children who
might not otherwise have an opportunity for extracurricular
involvement. Children construct model aircraft from kits
provided by the library and learn the mechanics of flight. Upon
completion of their projects, students participate in a fly-in
sponsored by local model builders’ clubs and get to test fly
their airplanes.
ALOFT is sponsored in part by local contributions and by a
Library Services and Construction Act (LSTA) grant awarded
to the library in 2009 through the Mississippi Library
Commission. Classes are free of charge. All participating
students receive complimentary membership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics.
Forbes will travel to New Orleans to accept the award at the
American Library Association’s annual conference this
summer. Congratulations to Bob Forbes for his hard work and
dedication in making his library an integral part of his
community. MA
—submitted by Cathy Kanady
Assistant Director, Northeast Regional Library
Burnsville Library
Receives Award for
Model Aviation Program
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
has appointed past AMA President Dave
Mathewson as its new executive director,
effective immediately. Mathewson was the
AMA’s prior president and leader of its
governing Executive Council.
Assuming the responsibilities of the
AMA president, per the bylaws, is
Executive Vice President Mark Smith.
Smith will undertake these additional
duties until a special election for AMA
president is conducted this September,
concurrent with the regular annual AMA
officer elections. The Interim Executive
Director, Joyce Hager, will resume her
duties as staff director and assistant
executive director.
“Dave has been an exemplary leader
for the AMA,” said Smith. “The executive
council is behind him 120%. For more
than three years, Dave has been an
outstanding president and we’re very
confident he will bring this level of
success to his new role.”
Mathewson will move from his home
near Syracuse, New York, to Muncie,
Indiana, approximately June 1. MA
—April 15, 2011 Press Release
Chris Brooks, APR
[email protected]
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Selects New Executive Director
INtheAIR
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:49 PM Page 12
A scratch build involves days of
research, discussing techniques with fellow
pilots, random sketches in a notebook, and
often a lot of coffee. Building a website is
not much different.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics formed a
development team to redesign the Model
Aviation website with a projected launch
date of July 1, 2011. We agreed that the
design needed to be more than just art; it
needs to be strategic.
We wanted to be methodical with our
approach, so after countless hours and pots
of coffee, we established our goals and
began developing a strategy.
The online edition of Model Aviation
will have three goals. First, we want to
continue supporting the print publication.
We understand that many readers
appreciate the convenience and value of the
printed page. We do not want to erode the
significance our monthly magazine; instead
we want the online edition to support and
supplement the magazine.
Model Aviation Online’s second
objective is to adhere to the print
magazine’s mission to be the voice of the
AMA. Throughout the new website, we
will cross-promote and reflect the
association’s position as the world’s largest
model aviation organization. Examples
include additional coverage of events as
well as updates on AMA’s advocacy
efforts.
Our third goal is to have Model Aviation
Online be a self-sustaining and viable
entity. We want to ensure that we wisely
invest in the resources given to us.
Content is king. A website needs to be
more than great looking and aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Too many goodlooking
websites quickly become useless
when there is no content to drive traffic.
Therefore, we have implemented a heavy
production schedule that continually filters
content to Model Aviation Online.
The site will be rich with supplemental
features, abridged stories, and online
exclusives. In addition to content provided
by the AMA staff, the site will offer outlets
for our members to contribute as well!
Interactive features will allow you to share
your thoughts on a story, engage with other
members, have a direct line of contact with
the publications team, and even submit a
story of your own.
Multimedia features will add a new
level of content. After reading a story, you
can view a video product review, tutorial,
or how-to.
Technology is moving at lightning
speed. More than half of all webpages are
now accessed with a smartphone
(comScore MobiLens Report 2011). It is
not uncommon to discover that the person
next to you on the golf course, in the
elevator, or in a business meeting was
probably checking his or her email on a
smartphone.
iPads, tablets, and other e-readers were
unheard of a couple years ago. And it’s
easy to forget that some of the most popular
websites such as YouTube, Groupon, and
Facebook are only five years old or less!
We want to protect the online edition of
Model Aviation from being outpaced and
falling victim to dated technology.
Without getting too deep in “geek
speak,” under the hood of the website is
powerful coding used by entities such as
NASA and Harvard’s Science and
Engineering Department, as well as popular
publications including The New York
Observer and Popular Science.
We are excited about unveiling the new
look and tone of Model Aviation Online
on July 1, 2011. We invite you to become a
part of the development team. We welcome
your thoughts, ideas, or feedback at
www.modelaviation.com/publications/
feedback.aspx.
The membership is the heart of the
AMA, and we want you to have a voice as
we enter this new frontier for Model
Aviation. MA
—MA Staff
June 2011 13
The April “In the Air” section contained the wrong email address for Ryan Olszewski, who organized an
aeromodeling program for Tiger Scouts in Pennsylvania. Ryan’s correct address is [email protected].
Our apologies for the error. MA
—MA Staff
CORRECTION
INtheAIR
Model Aviation Online
Gets a Facelift!
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
The AMA’s Government Relations Web pages, which you can find at
www.modelaircraft.org/gov, will serve as your hub of information. There you
can find background information, the latest developments, how to contact your
senators and representatives, and even how to identify them if you don’t know
who they are.
All AMA members—indeed, all who love aeromodeling—should familiarize
themselves with the issue and let your voices be heard. MA
—AMA HQ
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Nominations for the offices of
president, executive vice president,
and vice presidents in Districts III,
VII, and XI are due at the
Headquarters of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011.
Any AMA Open Member may
submit a nomination.
A special election for president
will run concurrently with the 2011
elections.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA president, a nominee
must be an AMA Leader Member
and must previously have served as a
member of the Executive Council or
an associate vice president (AVP) or
as a Contest Board member for at
least one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of executive vice president, a
nominee must be an AMA Leader
Member and must previously have
served as a member of the Executive
Council or an AVP, or have served
on the Contest Board for at least
one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA vice president, a
nominee must be a Leader Member
of the Academy and must reside in
the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be
notified by AMA Headquarters
confirming receipt of nomination. If
confirmation is not received within
two weeks after you have mailed
your document, contact Lisa Johnson
at [765] 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a
résumé of professional qualifications
and model aviation experience from
the nominee must be on file at AMA
Headquarters by June 24, 2011, 15
days before the published Executive
Council meeting. MA
Nominations Due
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:53 PM Page 144/21/11 1:51 PM Page 13
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12,13,14
This year marks 75 years since AMA’s
inception. Join us from July 14-17 at the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)
in Muncie, Indiana, for four days and
nights of fun and fellowship to celebrate
AMA’s 75th Anniversary.
The Academy was born during the
Golden Age of Aviation in 1936. Seventyfive
years later the hobby and sport have
changed considerably. What has remained
is that AMA continues its leadership role
helping the aeromodeling community in
dozens of ways.
If you’ve always wanted to visit the
AMA Headquarters, tour the National
Model Aviation Museum, and fly at the
1,100-acre IAC, consider this the red carpet
treatment. Join the RC, FF, and CL
community in celebrating this remarkable
achievement, as well as the 85th National
Aeromodeling Championships.
This special event will include funflying,
guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all in one place. Bring yourself,
friends, family, and your favorite model!
For more information on AMA’s 75th
Anniversary, please visit http://ama75.com.
You may also contact April Hathaway at
(765) 287-1256, extension 516, or email
[email protected]. MA
—AMA Staff
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2011 9
Art Christensen of Palatine, Illinois, was a 77-year modeler who
passed away on March 4, 2011. He was 86.
“On my tenth birthday I received a gift of 10¢ that I used to buy
a Fokker D.VII for a starter in a hobby that has been going strong
for 62 years,” Art wrote in his 1998 AMA History Program
autobiography.
That first Fokker D.VII not only inspired Art’s lifelong hobby,
but a job as well. At the age of 18, he was working for Comet
Models as a draftsman and designer. He also worked as a model
maker for Sparky Industries from 1948 to 1950.
Art began flying competitively in 1946 and won in indoor Easy
B event as well as microfilm and outdoor events. He never placed
lower than first in the Pan Am Payload and Pan Am 5-ounce
categories. Art was a finalist in Wakefield competition and also
made it to semifinals in FAI indoor competition with a flight of
more than 21 minutes.
Art was active in organizing the Flying Eight Balls club. He
served as both secretary and treasurer while a member. Art also
became a member of the Chicago Aeronuts and served as president
for three years. Part of Art’s agenda with the Aeronuts was to
increase membership. He did this by writing feature articles for
American Modeler magazine.
While with the Aeronuts, Art realized the need for an indoor
flying site. After a few calls to the colonel in charge of the Madison
Street Armory, the club received permission to fly and did so rent
free for approximately 10 years.
Another problem facing the Aeronuts was a lack of treasury
funds. With a professional career in sales, Art was able to solicit
manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops for merchandise to be
used in club raffles and auctions. These raffles are still part of
contests held by clubs including the Bong Eagles and the Aeronuts.
Art drew illustrations for a Wakefield brochure that helped raise
money for the Wakefield Team expenses. He met Gerry Ritz, 1959
World Nordic Champion, and drew the plans for Gerry’s Nordic
Glider, which were featured in MAN, March 1960.
Thirty-five years later and after Gerry’s passing, the Aeronuts
approached Art to reconstruct the airplane, which is now on display
at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. Art
also constructed Wally Simmers’ Jabberwock and Gollywock
which are displayed in the National Model Aviation Museum.
Art had many designs featured in NFFS publications and his
original Tri-Flite RC Sailplane was published in MA in April 1996.
In April 1960 Art became an AMA Leader Member. He
received CD certification in 1986 and organized five Midwestern
State Championships and two Bong Eagles Annual Summer
Meets.
For more information on Art Christensen, visit the AMA
History Program at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/
history.aspx. MA
—AMA Staff
Arthur H. Christensen 1924-2011
AMA’s Diamond Anniversary
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 9
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
History Preserved:
T h e C o l l e c t i o n o f t h e
National Model Aviation Museum
As noted before, sometimes museum employees don’t
know everything and need your help!
When sorting through the records, the paperwork was
discovered for two models that were loaned to the museum
in 1989. The signature on the paperwork appears to read
Dr. David Roberts. Dr. Roberts did not leave an address,
and no other documentation relating to the models can be
located.
Both are static scale models of World War II aircraft.
Because of the subject matter and size of the airplanes, they
were likely built from Guillow’s kits. One is a Stuka Ju-87
with a 34½-inch wingspan; the second is a
Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a 30-inch wingspan.
They are sheeted with balsa and adorned
with panel lines and rivets, and weathered to
show the wear of panel access, pilots climbing
into the cockpit, and exhaust fumes. The Stuka
was built from a multipurpose Guillow’s kit—kit number
1002—that allowed one to build a model for either rubberpowered
FF, .049 gas FF, a .09
CL model, or a single
channel RC aircraft.
According to the text on the
box, they make “magnificent
display pieces if built as a
non-flying model.”
The kit came complete with
all the pieces for building the
model, and everything needed to
fly the model for FF and CL
flying, including six feet of rubber motor, a CL handle,
bellcrank, pushrod, and clay for balancing the model. The
copyright date on the “Special Guillow’s Action Plan,”
which supplemented the included plans, is listed as 1969.
The museum staff wants to make sure that the models
can be returned to Dr. Roberts or his family, or have them
formally donated to the museum. If anyone knows anything
about these models, please contact the museum registrar at
[email protected], or (765) 287-1256, extension
508.
These are great models and the staff is happy to have
them in the collection, but proper documentation is
necessary. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 10
[ ]
Picture a four-year-old boy gathering
scraps of wood to make out the
rudimentary shape of an airplane and
finding hours of fun sitting on and flying
his creation. Move forward about a
decade and picture that same young man
struggling in school, although his parents
were accomplished academics.
Picture a shop teacher who intervened
and provided a method of education, not
from books, but from using your hands
and working with wood. Now move
forward many decades to the present. The
young man is now graying and
semiretired, but with the same passion for
aviation, learning and sharing both with
youth in the same way that shop teacher
did for him so many years ago.
Mark Freeland of Retro RC
(http://retro.us.com) has taken his life
experiences and created some fascinating
aircraft and accessories for all of us to
enjoy. There is a decided emphasis on
successful designs of the past, hence the
name Retro. But Mark also wanted to
provide young people with an avenue to
enjoy model aviation as he has for many
years.
Always thinking outside the box,
Mark looked at the standard curriculum of
simple introductory aircraft and could see
why youngsters weren’t interested. Mark
went to his own inventory of designs and
presented a group of students from
Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake,
Michigan, with a plan that would allow
them to build, cover, and fly an unusual
canard rubber-powered aircraft: his
version of the Frank Ehling Trioxide
Darling. All the kids had to do was make
the initial purchase at a deeply discounted
price and show up.
Mark invested roughly two hours per
week in class with the kids. Much
preparation work went into each session,
but in 10 shorts week, all 20 students
finished their aircraft.
At the appointed “fly day,” those
present flew successfully! One young
man was required to stay home per
doctor’s orders, but upon getting
clearance to return to school, his aircraft
put in the longest flight of any of the
participants.
They built all-balsa, rubber-powered
canards, covered them with tissue, and all
flew! A great design was matched with
laser-cut technology and a talented and
dedicated instructor.
Retro RC is located in Keego Harbor,
Michigan. Mark can be reached at (248)
212-9666. MA
—Joe Hass
Skymasters RC Club
District VII
INtheAIR
June 2011 11
Dedicated Modeler and Manufacturer
Introduces the Thrill of Flight to Middle Schoolers
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:14 AM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Thanks
Its Lifetime
Supporters!
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Timothy McDonnell (Woodlands
TX), Don Speers (Howell NJ), and Glenn Titchie (Ridgecrest CA).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at
(800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
The Burnsville Public Library, a branch of the Northeast
Regional Library System in Mississippi, has been awarded the
Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming award
by the American Library Association.
Given annually, the Marshall Cavendish Award consists of
$2,000 and a citation of achievement. The award recognizes
either a school or public library that demonstrates excellence in
library programming by providing programs that have
community impact and respond to community needs.
Advocacy, partnerships, and creative use of resources,
regardless of the size of the library, are taken into
consideration.
Burnsville Library received the Marshall Cavendish Award
for two programs that target elementary and preadolescent
children. A Learning Opportunity: Flight Technology
(ALOFT), is a model aircraft construction class that is offered
after school at the library; and Stop Abductions Forever
(SAFE), an interactive program that teaches personal safety to
elementary and preteen children.
Librarian Robert (Bob) Forbes created the ALOFT program
in an effort to provide an activity for after-school children who
might not otherwise have an opportunity for extracurricular
involvement. Children construct model aircraft from kits
provided by the library and learn the mechanics of flight. Upon
completion of their projects, students participate in a fly-in
sponsored by local model builders’ clubs and get to test fly
their airplanes.
ALOFT is sponsored in part by local contributions and by a
Library Services and Construction Act (LSTA) grant awarded
to the library in 2009 through the Mississippi Library
Commission. Classes are free of charge. All participating
students receive complimentary membership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics.
Forbes will travel to New Orleans to accept the award at the
American Library Association’s annual conference this
summer. Congratulations to Bob Forbes for his hard work and
dedication in making his library an integral part of his
community. MA
—submitted by Cathy Kanady
Assistant Director, Northeast Regional Library
Burnsville Library
Receives Award for
Model Aviation Program
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
has appointed past AMA President Dave
Mathewson as its new executive director,
effective immediately. Mathewson was the
AMA’s prior president and leader of its
governing Executive Council.
Assuming the responsibilities of the
AMA president, per the bylaws, is
Executive Vice President Mark Smith.
Smith will undertake these additional
duties until a special election for AMA
president is conducted this September,
concurrent with the regular annual AMA
officer elections. The Interim Executive
Director, Joyce Hager, will resume her
duties as staff director and assistant
executive director.
“Dave has been an exemplary leader
for the AMA,” said Smith. “The executive
council is behind him 120%. For more
than three years, Dave has been an
outstanding president and we’re very
confident he will bring this level of
success to his new role.”
Mathewson will move from his home
near Syracuse, New York, to Muncie,
Indiana, approximately June 1. MA
—April 15, 2011 Press Release
Chris Brooks, APR
[email protected]
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Selects New Executive Director
INtheAIR
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:49 PM Page 12
A scratch build involves days of
research, discussing techniques with fellow
pilots, random sketches in a notebook, and
often a lot of coffee. Building a website is
not much different.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics formed a
development team to redesign the Model
Aviation website with a projected launch
date of July 1, 2011. We agreed that the
design needed to be more than just art; it
needs to be strategic.
We wanted to be methodical with our
approach, so after countless hours and pots
of coffee, we established our goals and
began developing a strategy.
The online edition of Model Aviation
will have three goals. First, we want to
continue supporting the print publication.
We understand that many readers
appreciate the convenience and value of the
printed page. We do not want to erode the
significance our monthly magazine; instead
we want the online edition to support and
supplement the magazine.
Model Aviation Online’s second
objective is to adhere to the print
magazine’s mission to be the voice of the
AMA. Throughout the new website, we
will cross-promote and reflect the
association’s position as the world’s largest
model aviation organization. Examples
include additional coverage of events as
well as updates on AMA’s advocacy
efforts.
Our third goal is to have Model Aviation
Online be a self-sustaining and viable
entity. We want to ensure that we wisely
invest in the resources given to us.
Content is king. A website needs to be
more than great looking and aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Too many goodlooking
websites quickly become useless
when there is no content to drive traffic.
Therefore, we have implemented a heavy
production schedule that continually filters
content to Model Aviation Online.
The site will be rich with supplemental
features, abridged stories, and online
exclusives. In addition to content provided
by the AMA staff, the site will offer outlets
for our members to contribute as well!
Interactive features will allow you to share
your thoughts on a story, engage with other
members, have a direct line of contact with
the publications team, and even submit a
story of your own.
Multimedia features will add a new
level of content. After reading a story, you
can view a video product review, tutorial,
or how-to.
Technology is moving at lightning
speed. More than half of all webpages are
now accessed with a smartphone
(comScore MobiLens Report 2011). It is
not uncommon to discover that the person
next to you on the golf course, in the
elevator, or in a business meeting was
probably checking his or her email on a
smartphone.
iPads, tablets, and other e-readers were
unheard of a couple years ago. And it’s
easy to forget that some of the most popular
websites such as YouTube, Groupon, and
Facebook are only five years old or less!
We want to protect the online edition of
Model Aviation from being outpaced and
falling victim to dated technology.
Without getting too deep in “geek
speak,” under the hood of the website is
powerful coding used by entities such as
NASA and Harvard’s Science and
Engineering Department, as well as popular
publications including The New York
Observer and Popular Science.
We are excited about unveiling the new
look and tone of Model Aviation Online
on July 1, 2011. We invite you to become a
part of the development team. We welcome
your thoughts, ideas, or feedback at
www.modelaviation.com/publications/
feedback.aspx.
The membership is the heart of the
AMA, and we want you to have a voice as
we enter this new frontier for Model
Aviation. MA
—MA Staff
June 2011 13
The April “In the Air” section contained the wrong email address for Ryan Olszewski, who organized an
aeromodeling program for Tiger Scouts in Pennsylvania. Ryan’s correct address is [email protected].
Our apologies for the error. MA
—MA Staff
CORRECTION
INtheAIR
Model Aviation Online
Gets a Facelift!
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
The AMA’s Government Relations Web pages, which you can find at
www.modelaircraft.org/gov, will serve as your hub of information. There you
can find background information, the latest developments, how to contact your
senators and representatives, and even how to identify them if you don’t know
who they are.
All AMA members—indeed, all who love aeromodeling—should familiarize
themselves with the issue and let your voices be heard. MA
—AMA HQ
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Nominations for the offices of
president, executive vice president,
and vice presidents in Districts III,
VII, and XI are due at the
Headquarters of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011.
Any AMA Open Member may
submit a nomination.
A special election for president
will run concurrently with the 2011
elections.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA president, a nominee
must be an AMA Leader Member
and must previously have served as a
member of the Executive Council or
an associate vice president (AVP) or
as a Contest Board member for at
least one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of executive vice president, a
nominee must be an AMA Leader
Member and must previously have
served as a member of the Executive
Council or an AVP, or have served
on the Contest Board for at least
one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA vice president, a
nominee must be a Leader Member
of the Academy and must reside in
the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be
notified by AMA Headquarters
confirming receipt of nomination. If
confirmation is not received within
two weeks after you have mailed
your document, contact Lisa Johnson
at [765] 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a
résumé of professional qualifications
and model aviation experience from
the nominee must be on file at AMA
Headquarters by June 24, 2011, 15
days before the published Executive
Council meeting. MA
Nominations Due
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:53 PM Page 144/21/11 1:51 PM Page 13
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12,13,14
This year marks 75 years since AMA’s
inception. Join us from July 14-17 at the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)
in Muncie, Indiana, for four days and
nights of fun and fellowship to celebrate
AMA’s 75th Anniversary.
The Academy was born during the
Golden Age of Aviation in 1936. Seventyfive
years later the hobby and sport have
changed considerably. What has remained
is that AMA continues its leadership role
helping the aeromodeling community in
dozens of ways.
If you’ve always wanted to visit the
AMA Headquarters, tour the National
Model Aviation Museum, and fly at the
1,100-acre IAC, consider this the red carpet
treatment. Join the RC, FF, and CL
community in celebrating this remarkable
achievement, as well as the 85th National
Aeromodeling Championships.
This special event will include funflying,
guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all in one place. Bring yourself,
friends, family, and your favorite model!
For more information on AMA’s 75th
Anniversary, please visit http://ama75.com.
You may also contact April Hathaway at
(765) 287-1256, extension 516, or email
[email protected]. MA
—AMA Staff
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2011 9
Art Christensen of Palatine, Illinois, was a 77-year modeler who
passed away on March 4, 2011. He was 86.
“On my tenth birthday I received a gift of 10¢ that I used to buy
a Fokker D.VII for a starter in a hobby that has been going strong
for 62 years,” Art wrote in his 1998 AMA History Program
autobiography.
That first Fokker D.VII not only inspired Art’s lifelong hobby,
but a job as well. At the age of 18, he was working for Comet
Models as a draftsman and designer. He also worked as a model
maker for Sparky Industries from 1948 to 1950.
Art began flying competitively in 1946 and won in indoor Easy
B event as well as microfilm and outdoor events. He never placed
lower than first in the Pan Am Payload and Pan Am 5-ounce
categories. Art was a finalist in Wakefield competition and also
made it to semifinals in FAI indoor competition with a flight of
more than 21 minutes.
Art was active in organizing the Flying Eight Balls club. He
served as both secretary and treasurer while a member. Art also
became a member of the Chicago Aeronuts and served as president
for three years. Part of Art’s agenda with the Aeronuts was to
increase membership. He did this by writing feature articles for
American Modeler magazine.
While with the Aeronuts, Art realized the need for an indoor
flying site. After a few calls to the colonel in charge of the Madison
Street Armory, the club received permission to fly and did so rent
free for approximately 10 years.
Another problem facing the Aeronuts was a lack of treasury
funds. With a professional career in sales, Art was able to solicit
manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops for merchandise to be
used in club raffles and auctions. These raffles are still part of
contests held by clubs including the Bong Eagles and the Aeronuts.
Art drew illustrations for a Wakefield brochure that helped raise
money for the Wakefield Team expenses. He met Gerry Ritz, 1959
World Nordic Champion, and drew the plans for Gerry’s Nordic
Glider, which were featured in MAN, March 1960.
Thirty-five years later and after Gerry’s passing, the Aeronuts
approached Art to reconstruct the airplane, which is now on display
at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. Art
also constructed Wally Simmers’ Jabberwock and Gollywock
which are displayed in the National Model Aviation Museum.
Art had many designs featured in NFFS publications and his
original Tri-Flite RC Sailplane was published in MA in April 1996.
In April 1960 Art became an AMA Leader Member. He
received CD certification in 1986 and organized five Midwestern
State Championships and two Bong Eagles Annual Summer
Meets.
For more information on Art Christensen, visit the AMA
History Program at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/
history.aspx. MA
—AMA Staff
Arthur H. Christensen 1924-2011
AMA’s Diamond Anniversary
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 9
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
History Preserved:
T h e C o l l e c t i o n o f t h e
National Model Aviation Museum
As noted before, sometimes museum employees don’t
know everything and need your help!
When sorting through the records, the paperwork was
discovered for two models that were loaned to the museum
in 1989. The signature on the paperwork appears to read
Dr. David Roberts. Dr. Roberts did not leave an address,
and no other documentation relating to the models can be
located.
Both are static scale models of World War II aircraft.
Because of the subject matter and size of the airplanes, they
were likely built from Guillow’s kits. One is a Stuka Ju-87
with a 34½-inch wingspan; the second is a
Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a 30-inch wingspan.
They are sheeted with balsa and adorned
with panel lines and rivets, and weathered to
show the wear of panel access, pilots climbing
into the cockpit, and exhaust fumes. The Stuka
was built from a multipurpose Guillow’s kit—kit number
1002—that allowed one to build a model for either rubberpowered
FF, .049 gas FF, a .09
CL model, or a single
channel RC aircraft.
According to the text on the
box, they make “magnificent
display pieces if built as a
non-flying model.”
The kit came complete with
all the pieces for building the
model, and everything needed to
fly the model for FF and CL
flying, including six feet of rubber motor, a CL handle,
bellcrank, pushrod, and clay for balancing the model. The
copyright date on the “Special Guillow’s Action Plan,”
which supplemented the included plans, is listed as 1969.
The museum staff wants to make sure that the models
can be returned to Dr. Roberts or his family, or have them
formally donated to the museum. If anyone knows anything
about these models, please contact the museum registrar at
[email protected], or (765) 287-1256, extension
508.
These are great models and the staff is happy to have
them in the collection, but proper documentation is
necessary. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 10
[ ]
Picture a four-year-old boy gathering
scraps of wood to make out the
rudimentary shape of an airplane and
finding hours of fun sitting on and flying
his creation. Move forward about a
decade and picture that same young man
struggling in school, although his parents
were accomplished academics.
Picture a shop teacher who intervened
and provided a method of education, not
from books, but from using your hands
and working with wood. Now move
forward many decades to the present. The
young man is now graying and
semiretired, but with the same passion for
aviation, learning and sharing both with
youth in the same way that shop teacher
did for him so many years ago.
Mark Freeland of Retro RC
(http://retro.us.com) has taken his life
experiences and created some fascinating
aircraft and accessories for all of us to
enjoy. There is a decided emphasis on
successful designs of the past, hence the
name Retro. But Mark also wanted to
provide young people with an avenue to
enjoy model aviation as he has for many
years.
Always thinking outside the box,
Mark looked at the standard curriculum of
simple introductory aircraft and could see
why youngsters weren’t interested. Mark
went to his own inventory of designs and
presented a group of students from
Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake,
Michigan, with a plan that would allow
them to build, cover, and fly an unusual
canard rubber-powered aircraft: his
version of the Frank Ehling Trioxide
Darling. All the kids had to do was make
the initial purchase at a deeply discounted
price and show up.
Mark invested roughly two hours per
week in class with the kids. Much
preparation work went into each session,
but in 10 shorts week, all 20 students
finished their aircraft.
At the appointed “fly day,” those
present flew successfully! One young
man was required to stay home per
doctor’s orders, but upon getting
clearance to return to school, his aircraft
put in the longest flight of any of the
participants.
They built all-balsa, rubber-powered
canards, covered them with tissue, and all
flew! A great design was matched with
laser-cut technology and a talented and
dedicated instructor.
Retro RC is located in Keego Harbor,
Michigan. Mark can be reached at (248)
212-9666. MA
—Joe Hass
Skymasters RC Club
District VII
INtheAIR
June 2011 11
Dedicated Modeler and Manufacturer
Introduces the Thrill of Flight to Middle Schoolers
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:14 AM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Thanks
Its Lifetime
Supporters!
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Timothy McDonnell (Woodlands
TX), Don Speers (Howell NJ), and Glenn Titchie (Ridgecrest CA).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at
(800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
The Burnsville Public Library, a branch of the Northeast
Regional Library System in Mississippi, has been awarded the
Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming award
by the American Library Association.
Given annually, the Marshall Cavendish Award consists of
$2,000 and a citation of achievement. The award recognizes
either a school or public library that demonstrates excellence in
library programming by providing programs that have
community impact and respond to community needs.
Advocacy, partnerships, and creative use of resources,
regardless of the size of the library, are taken into
consideration.
Burnsville Library received the Marshall Cavendish Award
for two programs that target elementary and preadolescent
children. A Learning Opportunity: Flight Technology
(ALOFT), is a model aircraft construction class that is offered
after school at the library; and Stop Abductions Forever
(SAFE), an interactive program that teaches personal safety to
elementary and preteen children.
Librarian Robert (Bob) Forbes created the ALOFT program
in an effort to provide an activity for after-school children who
might not otherwise have an opportunity for extracurricular
involvement. Children construct model aircraft from kits
provided by the library and learn the mechanics of flight. Upon
completion of their projects, students participate in a fly-in
sponsored by local model builders’ clubs and get to test fly
their airplanes.
ALOFT is sponsored in part by local contributions and by a
Library Services and Construction Act (LSTA) grant awarded
to the library in 2009 through the Mississippi Library
Commission. Classes are free of charge. All participating
students receive complimentary membership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics.
Forbes will travel to New Orleans to accept the award at the
American Library Association’s annual conference this
summer. Congratulations to Bob Forbes for his hard work and
dedication in making his library an integral part of his
community. MA
—submitted by Cathy Kanady
Assistant Director, Northeast Regional Library
Burnsville Library
Receives Award for
Model Aviation Program
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
has appointed past AMA President Dave
Mathewson as its new executive director,
effective immediately. Mathewson was the
AMA’s prior president and leader of its
governing Executive Council.
Assuming the responsibilities of the
AMA president, per the bylaws, is
Executive Vice President Mark Smith.
Smith will undertake these additional
duties until a special election for AMA
president is conducted this September,
concurrent with the regular annual AMA
officer elections. The Interim Executive
Director, Joyce Hager, will resume her
duties as staff director and assistant
executive director.
“Dave has been an exemplary leader
for the AMA,” said Smith. “The executive
council is behind him 120%. For more
than three years, Dave has been an
outstanding president and we’re very
confident he will bring this level of
success to his new role.”
Mathewson will move from his home
near Syracuse, New York, to Muncie,
Indiana, approximately June 1. MA
—April 15, 2011 Press Release
Chris Brooks, APR
[email protected]
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Selects New Executive Director
INtheAIR
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:49 PM Page 12
A scratch build involves days of
research, discussing techniques with fellow
pilots, random sketches in a notebook, and
often a lot of coffee. Building a website is
not much different.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics formed a
development team to redesign the Model
Aviation website with a projected launch
date of July 1, 2011. We agreed that the
design needed to be more than just art; it
needs to be strategic.
We wanted to be methodical with our
approach, so after countless hours and pots
of coffee, we established our goals and
began developing a strategy.
The online edition of Model Aviation
will have three goals. First, we want to
continue supporting the print publication.
We understand that many readers
appreciate the convenience and value of the
printed page. We do not want to erode the
significance our monthly magazine; instead
we want the online edition to support and
supplement the magazine.
Model Aviation Online’s second
objective is to adhere to the print
magazine’s mission to be the voice of the
AMA. Throughout the new website, we
will cross-promote and reflect the
association’s position as the world’s largest
model aviation organization. Examples
include additional coverage of events as
well as updates on AMA’s advocacy
efforts.
Our third goal is to have Model Aviation
Online be a self-sustaining and viable
entity. We want to ensure that we wisely
invest in the resources given to us.
Content is king. A website needs to be
more than great looking and aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Too many goodlooking
websites quickly become useless
when there is no content to drive traffic.
Therefore, we have implemented a heavy
production schedule that continually filters
content to Model Aviation Online.
The site will be rich with supplemental
features, abridged stories, and online
exclusives. In addition to content provided
by the AMA staff, the site will offer outlets
for our members to contribute as well!
Interactive features will allow you to share
your thoughts on a story, engage with other
members, have a direct line of contact with
the publications team, and even submit a
story of your own.
Multimedia features will add a new
level of content. After reading a story, you
can view a video product review, tutorial,
or how-to.
Technology is moving at lightning
speed. More than half of all webpages are
now accessed with a smartphone
(comScore MobiLens Report 2011). It is
not uncommon to discover that the person
next to you on the golf course, in the
elevator, or in a business meeting was
probably checking his or her email on a
smartphone.
iPads, tablets, and other e-readers were
unheard of a couple years ago. And it’s
easy to forget that some of the most popular
websites such as YouTube, Groupon, and
Facebook are only five years old or less!
We want to protect the online edition of
Model Aviation from being outpaced and
falling victim to dated technology.
Without getting too deep in “geek
speak,” under the hood of the website is
powerful coding used by entities such as
NASA and Harvard’s Science and
Engineering Department, as well as popular
publications including The New York
Observer and Popular Science.
We are excited about unveiling the new
look and tone of Model Aviation Online
on July 1, 2011. We invite you to become a
part of the development team. We welcome
your thoughts, ideas, or feedback at
www.modelaviation.com/publications/
feedback.aspx.
The membership is the heart of the
AMA, and we want you to have a voice as
we enter this new frontier for Model
Aviation. MA
—MA Staff
June 2011 13
The April “In the Air” section contained the wrong email address for Ryan Olszewski, who organized an
aeromodeling program for Tiger Scouts in Pennsylvania. Ryan’s correct address is [email protected].
Our apologies for the error. MA
—MA Staff
CORRECTION
INtheAIR
Model Aviation Online
Gets a Facelift!
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
The AMA’s Government Relations Web pages, which you can find at
www.modelaircraft.org/gov, will serve as your hub of information. There you
can find background information, the latest developments, how to contact your
senators and representatives, and even how to identify them if you don’t know
who they are.
All AMA members—indeed, all who love aeromodeling—should familiarize
themselves with the issue and let your voices be heard. MA
—AMA HQ
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Nominations for the offices of
president, executive vice president,
and vice presidents in Districts III,
VII, and XI are due at the
Headquarters of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011.
Any AMA Open Member may
submit a nomination.
A special election for president
will run concurrently with the 2011
elections.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA president, a nominee
must be an AMA Leader Member
and must previously have served as a
member of the Executive Council or
an associate vice president (AVP) or
as a Contest Board member for at
least one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of executive vice president, a
nominee must be an AMA Leader
Member and must previously have
served as a member of the Executive
Council or an AVP, or have served
on the Contest Board for at least
one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA vice president, a
nominee must be a Leader Member
of the Academy and must reside in
the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be
notified by AMA Headquarters
confirming receipt of nomination. If
confirmation is not received within
two weeks after you have mailed
your document, contact Lisa Johnson
at [765] 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a
résumé of professional qualifications
and model aviation experience from
the nominee must be on file at AMA
Headquarters by June 24, 2011, 15
days before the published Executive
Council meeting. MA
Nominations Due
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:53 PM Page 144/21/11 1:51 PM Page 13
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/06
Page Numbers: 9,10,11,12,13,14
This year marks 75 years since AMA’s
inception. Join us from July 14-17 at the
International Aeromodeling Center (IAC)
in Muncie, Indiana, for four days and
nights of fun and fellowship to celebrate
AMA’s 75th Anniversary.
The Academy was born during the
Golden Age of Aviation in 1936. Seventyfive
years later the hobby and sport have
changed considerably. What has remained
is that AMA continues its leadership role
helping the aeromodeling community in
dozens of ways.
If you’ve always wanted to visit the
AMA Headquarters, tour the National
Model Aviation Museum, and fly at the
1,100-acre IAC, consider this the red carpet
treatment. Join the RC, FF, and CL
community in celebrating this remarkable
achievement, as well as the 85th National
Aeromodeling Championships.
This special event will include funflying,
guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all in one place. Bring yourself,
friends, family, and your favorite model!
For more information on AMA’s 75th
Anniversary, please visit http://ama75.com.
You may also contact April Hathaway at
(765) 287-1256, extension 516, or email
[email protected]. MA
—AMA Staff
INtheAIR
AMA HEADQUARTERS AND MEMBER NEWS
June 2011 9
Art Christensen of Palatine, Illinois, was a 77-year modeler who
passed away on March 4, 2011. He was 86.
“On my tenth birthday I received a gift of 10¢ that I used to buy
a Fokker D.VII for a starter in a hobby that has been going strong
for 62 years,” Art wrote in his 1998 AMA History Program
autobiography.
That first Fokker D.VII not only inspired Art’s lifelong hobby,
but a job as well. At the age of 18, he was working for Comet
Models as a draftsman and designer. He also worked as a model
maker for Sparky Industries from 1948 to 1950.
Art began flying competitively in 1946 and won in indoor Easy
B event as well as microfilm and outdoor events. He never placed
lower than first in the Pan Am Payload and Pan Am 5-ounce
categories. Art was a finalist in Wakefield competition and also
made it to semifinals in FAI indoor competition with a flight of
more than 21 minutes.
Art was active in organizing the Flying Eight Balls club. He
served as both secretary and treasurer while a member. Art also
became a member of the Chicago Aeronuts and served as president
for three years. Part of Art’s agenda with the Aeronuts was to
increase membership. He did this by writing feature articles for
American Modeler magazine.
While with the Aeronuts, Art realized the need for an indoor
flying site. After a few calls to the colonel in charge of the Madison
Street Armory, the club received permission to fly and did so rent
free for approximately 10 years.
Another problem facing the Aeronuts was a lack of treasury
funds. With a professional career in sales, Art was able to solicit
manufacturers, distributors, and hobby shops for merchandise to be
used in club raffles and auctions. These raffles are still part of
contests held by clubs including the Bong Eagles and the Aeronuts.
Art drew illustrations for a Wakefield brochure that helped raise
money for the Wakefield Team expenses. He met Gerry Ritz, 1959
World Nordic Champion, and drew the plans for Gerry’s Nordic
Glider, which were featured in MAN, March 1960.
Thirty-five years later and after Gerry’s passing, the Aeronuts
approached Art to reconstruct the airplane, which is now on display
at the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Indiana. Art
also constructed Wally Simmers’ Jabberwock and Gollywock
which are displayed in the National Model Aviation Museum.
Art had many designs featured in NFFS publications and his
original Tri-Flite RC Sailplane was published in MA in April 1996.
In April 1960 Art became an AMA Leader Member. He
received CD certification in 1986 and organized five Midwestern
State Championships and two Bong Eagles Annual Summer
Meets.
For more information on Art Christensen, visit the AMA
History Program at www.modelaircraft.org/museum/whatshere/
history.aspx. MA
—AMA Staff
Arthur H. Christensen 1924-2011
AMA’s Diamond Anniversary
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 9
INtheAIR
10 MODEL AVIATION
History Preserved:
T h e C o l l e c t i o n o f t h e
National Model Aviation Museum
As noted before, sometimes museum employees don’t
know everything and need your help!
When sorting through the records, the paperwork was
discovered for two models that were loaned to the museum
in 1989. The signature on the paperwork appears to read
Dr. David Roberts. Dr. Roberts did not leave an address,
and no other documentation relating to the models can be
located.
Both are static scale models of World War II aircraft.
Because of the subject matter and size of the airplanes, they
were likely built from Guillow’s kits. One is a Stuka Ju-87
with a 34½-inch wingspan; the second is a
Mitsubishi A6M Zero with a 30-inch wingspan.
They are sheeted with balsa and adorned
with panel lines and rivets, and weathered to
show the wear of panel access, pilots climbing
into the cockpit, and exhaust fumes. The Stuka
was built from a multipurpose Guillow’s kit—kit number
1002—that allowed one to build a model for either rubberpowered
FF, .049 gas FF, a .09
CL model, or a single
channel RC aircraft.
According to the text on the
box, they make “magnificent
display pieces if built as a
non-flying model.”
The kit came complete with
all the pieces for building the
model, and everything needed to
fly the model for FF and CL
flying, including six feet of rubber motor, a CL handle,
bellcrank, pushrod, and clay for balancing the model. The
copyright date on the “Special Guillow’s Action Plan,”
which supplemented the included plans, is listed as 1969.
The museum staff wants to make sure that the models
can be returned to Dr. Roberts or his family, or have them
formally donated to the museum. If anyone knows anything
about these models, please contact the museum registrar at
[email protected], or (765) 287-1256, extension
508.
These are great models and the staff is happy to have
them in the collection, but proper documentation is
necessary. MA
—Maria VanVreede
Museum Registrar
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:13 AM Page 10
[ ]
Picture a four-year-old boy gathering
scraps of wood to make out the
rudimentary shape of an airplane and
finding hours of fun sitting on and flying
his creation. Move forward about a
decade and picture that same young man
struggling in school, although his parents
were accomplished academics.
Picture a shop teacher who intervened
and provided a method of education, not
from books, but from using your hands
and working with wood. Now move
forward many decades to the present. The
young man is now graying and
semiretired, but with the same passion for
aviation, learning and sharing both with
youth in the same way that shop teacher
did for him so many years ago.
Mark Freeland of Retro RC
(http://retro.us.com) has taken his life
experiences and created some fascinating
aircraft and accessories for all of us to
enjoy. There is a decided emphasis on
successful designs of the past, hence the
name Retro. But Mark also wanted to
provide young people with an avenue to
enjoy model aviation as he has for many
years.
Always thinking outside the box,
Mark looked at the standard curriculum of
simple introductory aircraft and could see
why youngsters weren’t interested. Mark
went to his own inventory of designs and
presented a group of students from
Geisler Middle School in Walled Lake,
Michigan, with a plan that would allow
them to build, cover, and fly an unusual
canard rubber-powered aircraft: his
version of the Frank Ehling Trioxide
Darling. All the kids had to do was make
the initial purchase at a deeply discounted
price and show up.
Mark invested roughly two hours per
week in class with the kids. Much
preparation work went into each session,
but in 10 shorts week, all 20 students
finished their aircraft.
At the appointed “fly day,” those
present flew successfully! One young
man was required to stay home per
doctor’s orders, but upon getting
clearance to return to school, his aircraft
put in the longest flight of any of the
participants.
They built all-balsa, rubber-powered
canards, covered them with tissue, and all
flew! A great design was matched with
laser-cut technology and a talented and
dedicated instructor.
Retro RC is located in Keego Harbor,
Michigan. Mark can be reached at (248)
212-9666. MA
—Joe Hass
Skymasters RC Club
District VII
INtheAIR
June 2011 11
Dedicated Modeler and Manufacturer
Introduces the Thrill of Flight to Middle Schoolers
06sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/20/11 11:14 AM Page 11
12 MODEL AVIATION
AMA Thanks
Its Lifetime
Supporters!
The Academy recently welcomed Life Members Timothy McDonnell (Woodlands
TX), Don Speers (Howell NJ), and Glenn Titchie (Ridgecrest CA).
For information about becoming a Life Member, contact AMA Headquarters at
(800) 435-9262. MA
—AMA Membership Department
The Burnsville Public Library, a branch of the Northeast
Regional Library System in Mississippi, has been awarded the
Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming award
by the American Library Association.
Given annually, the Marshall Cavendish Award consists of
$2,000 and a citation of achievement. The award recognizes
either a school or public library that demonstrates excellence in
library programming by providing programs that have
community impact and respond to community needs.
Advocacy, partnerships, and creative use of resources,
regardless of the size of the library, are taken into
consideration.
Burnsville Library received the Marshall Cavendish Award
for two programs that target elementary and preadolescent
children. A Learning Opportunity: Flight Technology
(ALOFT), is a model aircraft construction class that is offered
after school at the library; and Stop Abductions Forever
(SAFE), an interactive program that teaches personal safety to
elementary and preteen children.
Librarian Robert (Bob) Forbes created the ALOFT program
in an effort to provide an activity for after-school children who
might not otherwise have an opportunity for extracurricular
involvement. Children construct model aircraft from kits
provided by the library and learn the mechanics of flight. Upon
completion of their projects, students participate in a fly-in
sponsored by local model builders’ clubs and get to test fly
their airplanes.
ALOFT is sponsored in part by local contributions and by a
Library Services and Construction Act (LSTA) grant awarded
to the library in 2009 through the Mississippi Library
Commission. Classes are free of charge. All participating
students receive complimentary membership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics.
Forbes will travel to New Orleans to accept the award at the
American Library Association’s annual conference this
summer. Congratulations to Bob Forbes for his hard work and
dedication in making his library an integral part of his
community. MA
—submitted by Cathy Kanady
Assistant Director, Northeast Regional Library
Burnsville Library
Receives Award for
Model Aviation Program
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
has appointed past AMA President Dave
Mathewson as its new executive director,
effective immediately. Mathewson was the
AMA’s prior president and leader of its
governing Executive Council.
Assuming the responsibilities of the
AMA president, per the bylaws, is
Executive Vice President Mark Smith.
Smith will undertake these additional
duties until a special election for AMA
president is conducted this September,
concurrent with the regular annual AMA
officer elections. The Interim Executive
Director, Joyce Hager, will resume her
duties as staff director and assistant
executive director.
“Dave has been an exemplary leader
for the AMA,” said Smith. “The executive
council is behind him 120%. For more
than three years, Dave has been an
outstanding president and we’re very
confident he will bring this level of
success to his new role.”
Mathewson will move from his home
near Syracuse, New York, to Muncie,
Indiana, approximately June 1. MA
—April 15, 2011 Press Release
Chris Brooks, APR
[email protected]
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Selects New Executive Director
INtheAIR
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:49 PM Page 12
A scratch build involves days of
research, discussing techniques with fellow
pilots, random sketches in a notebook, and
often a lot of coffee. Building a website is
not much different.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, the
Academy of Model Aeronautics formed a
development team to redesign the Model
Aviation website with a projected launch
date of July 1, 2011. We agreed that the
design needed to be more than just art; it
needs to be strategic.
We wanted to be methodical with our
approach, so after countless hours and pots
of coffee, we established our goals and
began developing a strategy.
The online edition of Model Aviation
will have three goals. First, we want to
continue supporting the print publication.
We understand that many readers
appreciate the convenience and value of the
printed page. We do not want to erode the
significance our monthly magazine; instead
we want the online edition to support and
supplement the magazine.
Model Aviation Online’s second
objective is to adhere to the print
magazine’s mission to be the voice of the
AMA. Throughout the new website, we
will cross-promote and reflect the
association’s position as the world’s largest
model aviation organization. Examples
include additional coverage of events as
well as updates on AMA’s advocacy
efforts.
Our third goal is to have Model Aviation
Online be a self-sustaining and viable
entity. We want to ensure that we wisely
invest in the resources given to us.
Content is king. A website needs to be
more than great looking and aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. Too many goodlooking
websites quickly become useless
when there is no content to drive traffic.
Therefore, we have implemented a heavy
production schedule that continually filters
content to Model Aviation Online.
The site will be rich with supplemental
features, abridged stories, and online
exclusives. In addition to content provided
by the AMA staff, the site will offer outlets
for our members to contribute as well!
Interactive features will allow you to share
your thoughts on a story, engage with other
members, have a direct line of contact with
the publications team, and even submit a
story of your own.
Multimedia features will add a new
level of content. After reading a story, you
can view a video product review, tutorial,
or how-to.
Technology is moving at lightning
speed. More than half of all webpages are
now accessed with a smartphone
(comScore MobiLens Report 2011). It is
not uncommon to discover that the person
next to you on the golf course, in the
elevator, or in a business meeting was
probably checking his or her email on a
smartphone.
iPads, tablets, and other e-readers were
unheard of a couple years ago. And it’s
easy to forget that some of the most popular
websites such as YouTube, Groupon, and
Facebook are only five years old or less!
We want to protect the online edition of
Model Aviation from being outpaced and
falling victim to dated technology.
Without getting too deep in “geek
speak,” under the hood of the website is
powerful coding used by entities such as
NASA and Harvard’s Science and
Engineering Department, as well as popular
publications including The New York
Observer and Popular Science.
We are excited about unveiling the new
look and tone of Model Aviation Online
on July 1, 2011. We invite you to become a
part of the development team. We welcome
your thoughts, ideas, or feedback at
www.modelaviation.com/publications/
feedback.aspx.
The membership is the heart of the
AMA, and we want you to have a voice as
we enter this new frontier for Model
Aviation. MA
—MA Staff
June 2011 13
The April “In the Air” section contained the wrong email address for Ryan Olszewski, who organized an
aeromodeling program for Tiger Scouts in Pennsylvania. Ryan’s correct address is [email protected].
Our apologies for the error. MA
—MA Staff
CORRECTION
INtheAIR
Model Aviation Online
Gets a Facelift!
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD INtheAIR
14 MODEL AVIATION
The AMA’s Government Relations Web pages, which you can find at
www.modelaircraft.org/gov, will serve as your hub of information. There you
can find background information, the latest developments, how to contact your
senators and representatives, and even how to identify them if you don’t know
who they are.
All AMA members—indeed, all who love aeromodeling—should familiarize
themselves with the issue and let your voices be heard. MA
—AMA HQ
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
Nominations for the offices of
president, executive vice president,
and vice presidents in Districts III,
VII, and XI are due at the
Headquarters of the Academy of
Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011.
Any AMA Open Member may
submit a nomination.
A special election for president
will run concurrently with the 2011
elections.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA president, a nominee
must be an AMA Leader Member
and must previously have served as a
member of the Executive Council or
an associate vice president (AVP) or
as a Contest Board member for at
least one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of executive vice president, a
nominee must be an AMA Leader
Member and must previously have
served as a member of the Executive
Council or an AVP, or have served
on the Contest Board for at least
one year.
To be eligible to discharge the
duties of AMA vice president, a
nominee must be a Leader Member
of the Academy and must reside in
the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be
notified by AMA Headquarters
confirming receipt of nomination. If
confirmation is not received within
two weeks after you have mailed
your document, contact Lisa Johnson
at [765] 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a
résumé of professional qualifications
and model aviation experience from
the nominee must be on file at AMA
Headquarters by June 24, 2011, 15
days before the published Executive
Council meeting. MA
Nominations Due
06sig1xx.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 4/21/11 1:53 PM Page 144/21/11 1:51 PM Page 13
