THIS PAST MONTH (March) has flown by
for me, and so much has happened that I
really don’t know where to begin to give you
a report.
The month started with my annual trek to
Tucson, Arizona, to attend the 16th-annual
Vintage Stunt Championships (VSC). I drive
out to this meet each year with Bill Werwage
and really look forward to the trip because it
gives me the opportunity to spend a lot of
quality conversation time with a kindred
spirit. Having an entire week to spend with
many other kindred spirits once we arrive is
also a very neat thing.
Many of my VSC friends who have been
living in California are beginning to retire,
and most of them have decided to move to
Tucson. In fact, several of them are already
settled into beautiful new homes there and
hosted parties during this year’s VSC.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank Bill and Elaine Heyworth for opening
their hearts and home to us on two occasions
at VSC. They hosted two great evenings of
food and fun at their new house, which is
wonderfully decorated in true cowboy
fashion. The same goes out to my old and
dear friends Lucky and Ricki Pyatt for the
great party they hosted in their equally
beautiful new home. Seems like we are going
to need a social secretary to keep track of our
evening engagements there next year!
A very special thanks goes out to Larry
Foster, who saved the day for me when two
engine-mounting plates in my Caprice broke
during a practice session. Larry currently
lives with Bart and Donna Klapinski at their
gorgeous home, which is just a two-minute
drive from the Cholla Choppers’ field. There,
he has a complete machine shop, including a
milling machine. He was able to whip up a
new set of plates that were much better than
the original units, and he had me back in the
air in a little more than an hour. Foster,
you’re the best!
Bart and Donna, by the way, tied the knot
during VSC and exchanged their vows at the
Rodeway Inn courtyard. The Rodeway is
where almost all of the VSC contestants stay
during the event, and we were all invited to
be witnesses to their wedding. I’m sure the
entire VSC family joins me here in wishing
them everlasting happiness.
Upon my return from VSC (a total of a
5,100-mile trip for me), I had to quickly
change gears and get into trade-show mode
in preparation to attend the 50th-anniversary
Weak Signals RC Exposition, or simply the
“Toledo Show,” as we modelers have come
to know it. (Another 1,200 miles on the
road!)
The story of this group and this show is
very interesting, and in celebration of this
golden milestone I’ve asked John Worth to
write a piece on the Weak Signals and the
history of the “Toledo Show.” Look for it
soon in MA.
In the meantime, I’d like to express my
personal congratulations, and those of the
entire Academy of Model Aeronautics, to
the Weak Signals club for their monumental
effort each year and the success that this
effort has yielded. I truly believe that this
great hobby/sport would not be where it is
today without the Toledo Show.
I arrived at Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday,
which is setup day for exhibitors, and
learned then that a special event had been
planned for the following evening. I’m sure
you’ve all heard about the Tournament of
Champions (TOC)—the invitational Scale
Aerobatics event that was sponsored and
hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, by the late
and great Bill Bennett. That event evolved
through the years to be a showcase for
arguably the best RC Aerobatics talent in
the world.
The format included spectacular 3-Dtype
maneuvers flown to music in tightly
choreographed programs. I never had the
pleasure of attending a TOC, but from all
accounts the aerial action and the pilots’
imagination in coming up with wild new
maneuvers was simply amazing.
The special event planned for Friday
night in Toledo was the first Electric
Tournament of Champions, or ETOC. This
event was dreamed up collectively by Tom
Kroggel, Greg Poppel, and Mike Skibinski,
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
We have needed
something that would
interest the younger
generation ... and
this might be it.
Modeling Spoken Here
Continued on page 149
July 2004 7
Page 7
enegin
Desert
Aircraf
t
Engine
K M
Y
07sig1.QXD 4/26/04 9:23 am Page 7
and it was sponsored by TNT Landing Gear,
Fly RC magazine, and RC Universe
(www.rcuniverse.com).
Featured were some of the pilots who used
to be invited to fly at the original TOC—and a
few new and younger ones. But this time the
models flown were the new breed of all-sheetfoam,
electric-powered 3-D models that have
hit the modeling scene in the past year or so.
These models characteristically feature extralarge
control surfaces that can be moved to
extremely high deflection angles.
For the most part, the new breed of hightorque,
rotating can or “outrunner”-type
brushless motors are used in these models, in
conjunction with the light and high-output Li-
Poly batteries. Micro radio gear is employed,
and the result is, well, extreme performance!
Twelve of the best RC pilots on the face of
this earth entertained a crowd of
approximately 1,500 with two qualifying
rounds, and then the top six pilots flew in a
final round to determine the winner.
This was not just for fun, however; a total
purse of $1,750 was awarded, with $1,000
going to first place, $500 to second, and $250
to third. The event was flown in an extremely
low-ceiling venue at The University of Toledo
(with only a 23-foot ceiling height!), and I
must admit that I wasn’t anticipating too
much in the way of integrated, flowing flight
routines. Boy, was I wrong!
For the record, George Hicks took the top
spot flying a new-design biplane that featured
movable “rudders” on the interplane struts.
Many credit him with being the main pioneer
in the development of this type of electric
aerobatic model, and he certainly showed that
he knows how to fly them as well. His
performance was eloquent, exciting, and fun
to watch.
George, and all of the contestants for that
matter, had designed routines that closely
followed the music and displayed the
incredible rolling and pitching properties of
this new breed of aircraft. There is no way in
mere words to describe these models’
performance adequately.
I’m not going to give you a complete
ETOC report here. I was so impressed with
what I saw that I asked Terry Terrenoire to
prepare a piece about this amazing event for
MA. It will be published soon. What I do want
to focus on is the potential that this new type
of modeling has.
The ETOC pilots flew to loud and exciting
music, and the maneuvers they performed
could certainly qualify as “extreme.” These
are two elements that I predict will attract new
and younger-generation pilots. We have
needed something that would interest the
younger generation for many years, and this
might be it.
Many of us older modelers came to a love
of aviation because of the romanticism of the
Golden Age of aviation and the World War II
fighter-pilot image. Aviation was a normal
part of our daily lives in the 1950s and ’60s.
We could “hang out” at the local aerodrome
and listen to the stories told by the pilots
there. We could watch piston-engine-powered
airliners climb out from urban airports and
listen as the engines strained to produce
power to climb. We could witness aviation
progress firsthand.
And then, suddenly, aviation for the
average modern youngster became a small
silver dot in the sky at the point of a white
contrail 30,000 feet in the air. The Jet Age
changed aviation forever and, with it, our
ability to relate to it on a daily basis up close
and personal. Just as suddenly, there were
fewer places to fly in urban and suburban
areas as noise and legal issues became a
factor.
It is no wonder that the last generation has
had little interest in aviation in any form.
They haven’t been able to see it on a daily
basis or have reason to love it as past
generations have. That can change, and events
such as the ETOC can show the way.
No, I do not expect youngsters to simply
pick up a transmitter and fly like the pilots
who entertained us at Toledo this year, but the
elements of extreme performance set to music
is what this current generation has grown up
watching on TV. Extreme bicycling,
skateboarding, inline skating, motorcycling,
snowboarding, etc. have attracted many
young advocates. This is the opportunity that I
see for us with this new type of model and
flight envelope.
If we can get the current crop of computer
gamers, who are adept at operating joysticks,
Continued from page 7
Aeromodeling Editor
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 149
150 MODEL AVIATION
to play the extreme video games—which are
the latest craze—to take a look at this type of
flying, we might be able to attract them to try
it. We must realize that the next generation of
modelers will probably have to come to an
appreciation of aviation, and especially model
aviation, from a completely different
perspective than we did.
Kids learn fast, and they generally have
much better eye-hand coordination than
previous generations. We can thank video
games for that. I’m by far not the first person
to realize that RC flying is just one step
beyond a video game. They will be able to
learn quickly how to competently fly these
new electric-powered foam models in limited
spaces. The result could be a whole new vista
of entertainment for them.
Much like the old game of “Horse” in
basketball, I can foresee kids challenging each
other to try new maneuvers that they have
invented. Extrapolate this a bit further, and
you might agree that school-sponsored teams
of 3-D aerobats competing in leagues is not
too far-fetched.
The preceding could happen. It could be a
whole new vista of modeling for the current
and the next generation. I believe that we now
have the proper elements in place for all of
this—and much more—to happen in the near
to foreseeable future.
The challenges will be many, including
properly introducing youngsters to the genre,
educating them on safety and practice, and us
older modelers having the ability to adjust to
the needs of the new generation without
expecting them to see it from our perspective.
Turn up the volume, turn on the motors, and
let the games begin! Hey, cotton balls for the
ears are cheap ...
Sharper Focus: “Focal Point” continues to be
one of the most popular features in MA. It
seems that most of our readers/members have
AMA Academy of Model
Aeronautics
ARF Almost Ready to Fly
BEC Battery Eliminator Circuit
CAD computer-aided design
cc cubic centimeter
CD contest director or
compact disc
CG center of gravity
CL Control Line
cm centimeter
cu. in. cubic inch
DT dethermalizer
EPP (foam) expanded polypropylene
ESC Electronic Speed Control
FAI Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale
FCC Federal Communications
Commission
FF Free Flight
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LE leading edge
LED light-emitting diode
Li-Poly Lithium Polymer
mA milliamperes
MA Model Aviation
mAh milliampere-hours
MHz megahertz
mm millimeter
Nats AMA Nationals
Ni-Cd Nickel Cadmium
NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride
RC Radio Control
rpm revolutions per minute
RTF Ready to Fly
SASE self-addressed, stamped
envelope
SIG Special Interest Group
TE trailing edge
ModelAviation’s
Frequently Used Abbreviations/Acronyms
Wireless Video System
This micro sized color video camera puts you in the pilot seat.
Camera features a built in 2.4ghz transmitter which sends real
time video and audio up to 2000ft*, no special license required.
www.MicroWireless.net
[email protected]
817-715-1989
Dealers inquire
System includes:
Color camera w/audio
Four channel receiver
Camera mount
A/C adapters
9v battery cable
Audio/video cables
Stock# 2401
Other systems
also available
*LOS using optional receiver antenna
more than a passing interest in what others are
building and flying. The proof of this is that
we receive many more “Focal Point”
submissions each month than we can possibly
run in a timely manner. The backlog
continues to grow.
We have begun running 16 “Focal Point”
submissions on the AMA Web site each
month in addition to the 16 that we present in
MA. Still, catching up seems to be all but
impossible at this point. If you have submitted
a “Focal Point” photo and story, please have
patience. It may take more than 11⁄2 years for
it to appear in the magazine or on the Web
site.
Occasionally we come across a model
that, for whatever reason, catches our eye. It
may be an unusual subject or one that has a
special story behind it. It may be a massive
project or a simple one. We have wished on
those occasions that we could highlight the
model in question a bit more than the “Focal
Point” format allows.
Therefore, we have started a new section
in MA called “Sharper Focus” to spotlight
these special models. This section will not run
on a monthly basis; it will appear whenever
we find a model that we feel deserves some
extra attention.
We are presenting our first “Sharper
Focus” piece this month. It is Joe Beshar’s
gorgeous, turbine-powered Me 163 Komet.
The model itself is a work of art, but the
reason why Joe built it is the real story. That
should be enough of a tease to get you to turn
to page 66 and give it a look.
Please do not send in dedicated
submissions for “Sharper Focus.” We will
determine which airplanes will be presented
in this section. We may see a “Focal Point”
submission that catches our eye, and then we
will get in touch with the modeler who sent it
in to get further information. We may see a
model in our travels that fits the requirements,
and we will photograph it and get the story
then. We hope you will agree with our picks!
Need to reach this old-timer? You can call
me at (610) 614-1747 (talk loud) or you can
reach me on this newfangled Internet thing at
[email protected]. For those who still
know where the post office is, my address is
Box 68, Stockertown PA 18083. MA
New Life Members
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
recently welcomed new Life Members
Dennis Lien (L678), Leon Pond (L503),
Kenneth D. Miller (L9074), and Matthew
Mikka (L804).
For information about becoming a Life
Member, contact AMA Headquarters at (800)
435-9262. MA
—Membership Department
Continued from page 6
On the Fly
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 150
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 7,149,150
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 7,149,150
THIS PAST MONTH (March) has flown by
for me, and so much has happened that I
really don’t know where to begin to give you
a report.
The month started with my annual trek to
Tucson, Arizona, to attend the 16th-annual
Vintage Stunt Championships (VSC). I drive
out to this meet each year with Bill Werwage
and really look forward to the trip because it
gives me the opportunity to spend a lot of
quality conversation time with a kindred
spirit. Having an entire week to spend with
many other kindred spirits once we arrive is
also a very neat thing.
Many of my VSC friends who have been
living in California are beginning to retire,
and most of them have decided to move to
Tucson. In fact, several of them are already
settled into beautiful new homes there and
hosted parties during this year’s VSC.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank Bill and Elaine Heyworth for opening
their hearts and home to us on two occasions
at VSC. They hosted two great evenings of
food and fun at their new house, which is
wonderfully decorated in true cowboy
fashion. The same goes out to my old and
dear friends Lucky and Ricki Pyatt for the
great party they hosted in their equally
beautiful new home. Seems like we are going
to need a social secretary to keep track of our
evening engagements there next year!
A very special thanks goes out to Larry
Foster, who saved the day for me when two
engine-mounting plates in my Caprice broke
during a practice session. Larry currently
lives with Bart and Donna Klapinski at their
gorgeous home, which is just a two-minute
drive from the Cholla Choppers’ field. There,
he has a complete machine shop, including a
milling machine. He was able to whip up a
new set of plates that were much better than
the original units, and he had me back in the
air in a little more than an hour. Foster,
you’re the best!
Bart and Donna, by the way, tied the knot
during VSC and exchanged their vows at the
Rodeway Inn courtyard. The Rodeway is
where almost all of the VSC contestants stay
during the event, and we were all invited to
be witnesses to their wedding. I’m sure the
entire VSC family joins me here in wishing
them everlasting happiness.
Upon my return from VSC (a total of a
5,100-mile trip for me), I had to quickly
change gears and get into trade-show mode
in preparation to attend the 50th-anniversary
Weak Signals RC Exposition, or simply the
“Toledo Show,” as we modelers have come
to know it. (Another 1,200 miles on the
road!)
The story of this group and this show is
very interesting, and in celebration of this
golden milestone I’ve asked John Worth to
write a piece on the Weak Signals and the
history of the “Toledo Show.” Look for it
soon in MA.
In the meantime, I’d like to express my
personal congratulations, and those of the
entire Academy of Model Aeronautics, to
the Weak Signals club for their monumental
effort each year and the success that this
effort has yielded. I truly believe that this
great hobby/sport would not be where it is
today without the Toledo Show.
I arrived at Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday,
which is setup day for exhibitors, and
learned then that a special event had been
planned for the following evening. I’m sure
you’ve all heard about the Tournament of
Champions (TOC)—the invitational Scale
Aerobatics event that was sponsored and
hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, by the late
and great Bill Bennett. That event evolved
through the years to be a showcase for
arguably the best RC Aerobatics talent in
the world.
The format included spectacular 3-Dtype
maneuvers flown to music in tightly
choreographed programs. I never had the
pleasure of attending a TOC, but from all
accounts the aerial action and the pilots’
imagination in coming up with wild new
maneuvers was simply amazing.
The special event planned for Friday
night in Toledo was the first Electric
Tournament of Champions, or ETOC. This
event was dreamed up collectively by Tom
Kroggel, Greg Poppel, and Mike Skibinski,
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
We have needed
something that would
interest the younger
generation ... and
this might be it.
Modeling Spoken Here
Continued on page 149
July 2004 7
Page 7
enegin
Desert
Aircraf
t
Engine
K M
Y
07sig1.QXD 4/26/04 9:23 am Page 7
and it was sponsored by TNT Landing Gear,
Fly RC magazine, and RC Universe
(www.rcuniverse.com).
Featured were some of the pilots who used
to be invited to fly at the original TOC—and a
few new and younger ones. But this time the
models flown were the new breed of all-sheetfoam,
electric-powered 3-D models that have
hit the modeling scene in the past year or so.
These models characteristically feature extralarge
control surfaces that can be moved to
extremely high deflection angles.
For the most part, the new breed of hightorque,
rotating can or “outrunner”-type
brushless motors are used in these models, in
conjunction with the light and high-output Li-
Poly batteries. Micro radio gear is employed,
and the result is, well, extreme performance!
Twelve of the best RC pilots on the face of
this earth entertained a crowd of
approximately 1,500 with two qualifying
rounds, and then the top six pilots flew in a
final round to determine the winner.
This was not just for fun, however; a total
purse of $1,750 was awarded, with $1,000
going to first place, $500 to second, and $250
to third. The event was flown in an extremely
low-ceiling venue at The University of Toledo
(with only a 23-foot ceiling height!), and I
must admit that I wasn’t anticipating too
much in the way of integrated, flowing flight
routines. Boy, was I wrong!
For the record, George Hicks took the top
spot flying a new-design biplane that featured
movable “rudders” on the interplane struts.
Many credit him with being the main pioneer
in the development of this type of electric
aerobatic model, and he certainly showed that
he knows how to fly them as well. His
performance was eloquent, exciting, and fun
to watch.
George, and all of the contestants for that
matter, had designed routines that closely
followed the music and displayed the
incredible rolling and pitching properties of
this new breed of aircraft. There is no way in
mere words to describe these models’
performance adequately.
I’m not going to give you a complete
ETOC report here. I was so impressed with
what I saw that I asked Terry Terrenoire to
prepare a piece about this amazing event for
MA. It will be published soon. What I do want
to focus on is the potential that this new type
of modeling has.
The ETOC pilots flew to loud and exciting
music, and the maneuvers they performed
could certainly qualify as “extreme.” These
are two elements that I predict will attract new
and younger-generation pilots. We have
needed something that would interest the
younger generation for many years, and this
might be it.
Many of us older modelers came to a love
of aviation because of the romanticism of the
Golden Age of aviation and the World War II
fighter-pilot image. Aviation was a normal
part of our daily lives in the 1950s and ’60s.
We could “hang out” at the local aerodrome
and listen to the stories told by the pilots
there. We could watch piston-engine-powered
airliners climb out from urban airports and
listen as the engines strained to produce
power to climb. We could witness aviation
progress firsthand.
And then, suddenly, aviation for the
average modern youngster became a small
silver dot in the sky at the point of a white
contrail 30,000 feet in the air. The Jet Age
changed aviation forever and, with it, our
ability to relate to it on a daily basis up close
and personal. Just as suddenly, there were
fewer places to fly in urban and suburban
areas as noise and legal issues became a
factor.
It is no wonder that the last generation has
had little interest in aviation in any form.
They haven’t been able to see it on a daily
basis or have reason to love it as past
generations have. That can change, and events
such as the ETOC can show the way.
No, I do not expect youngsters to simply
pick up a transmitter and fly like the pilots
who entertained us at Toledo this year, but the
elements of extreme performance set to music
is what this current generation has grown up
watching on TV. Extreme bicycling,
skateboarding, inline skating, motorcycling,
snowboarding, etc. have attracted many
young advocates. This is the opportunity that I
see for us with this new type of model and
flight envelope.
If we can get the current crop of computer
gamers, who are adept at operating joysticks,
Continued from page 7
Aeromodeling Editor
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 149
150 MODEL AVIATION
to play the extreme video games—which are
the latest craze—to take a look at this type of
flying, we might be able to attract them to try
it. We must realize that the next generation of
modelers will probably have to come to an
appreciation of aviation, and especially model
aviation, from a completely different
perspective than we did.
Kids learn fast, and they generally have
much better eye-hand coordination than
previous generations. We can thank video
games for that. I’m by far not the first person
to realize that RC flying is just one step
beyond a video game. They will be able to
learn quickly how to competently fly these
new electric-powered foam models in limited
spaces. The result could be a whole new vista
of entertainment for them.
Much like the old game of “Horse” in
basketball, I can foresee kids challenging each
other to try new maneuvers that they have
invented. Extrapolate this a bit further, and
you might agree that school-sponsored teams
of 3-D aerobats competing in leagues is not
too far-fetched.
The preceding could happen. It could be a
whole new vista of modeling for the current
and the next generation. I believe that we now
have the proper elements in place for all of
this—and much more—to happen in the near
to foreseeable future.
The challenges will be many, including
properly introducing youngsters to the genre,
educating them on safety and practice, and us
older modelers having the ability to adjust to
the needs of the new generation without
expecting them to see it from our perspective.
Turn up the volume, turn on the motors, and
let the games begin! Hey, cotton balls for the
ears are cheap ...
Sharper Focus: “Focal Point” continues to be
one of the most popular features in MA. It
seems that most of our readers/members have
AMA Academy of Model
Aeronautics
ARF Almost Ready to Fly
BEC Battery Eliminator Circuit
CAD computer-aided design
cc cubic centimeter
CD contest director or
compact disc
CG center of gravity
CL Control Line
cm centimeter
cu. in. cubic inch
DT dethermalizer
EPP (foam) expanded polypropylene
ESC Electronic Speed Control
FAI Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale
FCC Federal Communications
Commission
FF Free Flight
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LE leading edge
LED light-emitting diode
Li-Poly Lithium Polymer
mA milliamperes
MA Model Aviation
mAh milliampere-hours
MHz megahertz
mm millimeter
Nats AMA Nationals
Ni-Cd Nickel Cadmium
NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride
RC Radio Control
rpm revolutions per minute
RTF Ready to Fly
SASE self-addressed, stamped
envelope
SIG Special Interest Group
TE trailing edge
ModelAviation’s
Frequently Used Abbreviations/Acronyms
Wireless Video System
This micro sized color video camera puts you in the pilot seat.
Camera features a built in 2.4ghz transmitter which sends real
time video and audio up to 2000ft*, no special license required.
www.MicroWireless.net
[email protected]
817-715-1989
Dealers inquire
System includes:
Color camera w/audio
Four channel receiver
Camera mount
A/C adapters
9v battery cable
Audio/video cables
Stock# 2401
Other systems
also available
*LOS using optional receiver antenna
more than a passing interest in what others are
building and flying. The proof of this is that
we receive many more “Focal Point”
submissions each month than we can possibly
run in a timely manner. The backlog
continues to grow.
We have begun running 16 “Focal Point”
submissions on the AMA Web site each
month in addition to the 16 that we present in
MA. Still, catching up seems to be all but
impossible at this point. If you have submitted
a “Focal Point” photo and story, please have
patience. It may take more than 11⁄2 years for
it to appear in the magazine or on the Web
site.
Occasionally we come across a model
that, for whatever reason, catches our eye. It
may be an unusual subject or one that has a
special story behind it. It may be a massive
project or a simple one. We have wished on
those occasions that we could highlight the
model in question a bit more than the “Focal
Point” format allows.
Therefore, we have started a new section
in MA called “Sharper Focus” to spotlight
these special models. This section will not run
on a monthly basis; it will appear whenever
we find a model that we feel deserves some
extra attention.
We are presenting our first “Sharper
Focus” piece this month. It is Joe Beshar’s
gorgeous, turbine-powered Me 163 Komet.
The model itself is a work of art, but the
reason why Joe built it is the real story. That
should be enough of a tease to get you to turn
to page 66 and give it a look.
Please do not send in dedicated
submissions for “Sharper Focus.” We will
determine which airplanes will be presented
in this section. We may see a “Focal Point”
submission that catches our eye, and then we
will get in touch with the modeler who sent it
in to get further information. We may see a
model in our travels that fits the requirements,
and we will photograph it and get the story
then. We hope you will agree with our picks!
Need to reach this old-timer? You can call
me at (610) 614-1747 (talk loud) or you can
reach me on this newfangled Internet thing at
[email protected]. For those who still
know where the post office is, my address is
Box 68, Stockertown PA 18083. MA
New Life Members
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
recently welcomed new Life Members
Dennis Lien (L678), Leon Pond (L503),
Kenneth D. Miller (L9074), and Matthew
Mikka (L804).
For information about becoming a Life
Member, contact AMA Headquarters at (800)
435-9262. MA
—Membership Department
Continued from page 6
On the Fly
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 150
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 7,149,150
THIS PAST MONTH (March) has flown by
for me, and so much has happened that I
really don’t know where to begin to give you
a report.
The month started with my annual trek to
Tucson, Arizona, to attend the 16th-annual
Vintage Stunt Championships (VSC). I drive
out to this meet each year with Bill Werwage
and really look forward to the trip because it
gives me the opportunity to spend a lot of
quality conversation time with a kindred
spirit. Having an entire week to spend with
many other kindred spirits once we arrive is
also a very neat thing.
Many of my VSC friends who have been
living in California are beginning to retire,
and most of them have decided to move to
Tucson. In fact, several of them are already
settled into beautiful new homes there and
hosted parties during this year’s VSC.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank Bill and Elaine Heyworth for opening
their hearts and home to us on two occasions
at VSC. They hosted two great evenings of
food and fun at their new house, which is
wonderfully decorated in true cowboy
fashion. The same goes out to my old and
dear friends Lucky and Ricki Pyatt for the
great party they hosted in their equally
beautiful new home. Seems like we are going
to need a social secretary to keep track of our
evening engagements there next year!
A very special thanks goes out to Larry
Foster, who saved the day for me when two
engine-mounting plates in my Caprice broke
during a practice session. Larry currently
lives with Bart and Donna Klapinski at their
gorgeous home, which is just a two-minute
drive from the Cholla Choppers’ field. There,
he has a complete machine shop, including a
milling machine. He was able to whip up a
new set of plates that were much better than
the original units, and he had me back in the
air in a little more than an hour. Foster,
you’re the best!
Bart and Donna, by the way, tied the knot
during VSC and exchanged their vows at the
Rodeway Inn courtyard. The Rodeway is
where almost all of the VSC contestants stay
during the event, and we were all invited to
be witnesses to their wedding. I’m sure the
entire VSC family joins me here in wishing
them everlasting happiness.
Upon my return from VSC (a total of a
5,100-mile trip for me), I had to quickly
change gears and get into trade-show mode
in preparation to attend the 50th-anniversary
Weak Signals RC Exposition, or simply the
“Toledo Show,” as we modelers have come
to know it. (Another 1,200 miles on the
road!)
The story of this group and this show is
very interesting, and in celebration of this
golden milestone I’ve asked John Worth to
write a piece on the Weak Signals and the
history of the “Toledo Show.” Look for it
soon in MA.
In the meantime, I’d like to express my
personal congratulations, and those of the
entire Academy of Model Aeronautics, to
the Weak Signals club for their monumental
effort each year and the success that this
effort has yielded. I truly believe that this
great hobby/sport would not be where it is
today without the Toledo Show.
I arrived at Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday,
which is setup day for exhibitors, and
learned then that a special event had been
planned for the following evening. I’m sure
you’ve all heard about the Tournament of
Champions (TOC)—the invitational Scale
Aerobatics event that was sponsored and
hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, by the late
and great Bill Bennett. That event evolved
through the years to be a showcase for
arguably the best RC Aerobatics talent in
the world.
The format included spectacular 3-Dtype
maneuvers flown to music in tightly
choreographed programs. I never had the
pleasure of attending a TOC, but from all
accounts the aerial action and the pilots’
imagination in coming up with wild new
maneuvers was simply amazing.
The special event planned for Friday
night in Toledo was the first Electric
Tournament of Champions, or ETOC. This
event was dreamed up collectively by Tom
Kroggel, Greg Poppel, and Mike Skibinski,
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
We have needed
something that would
interest the younger
generation ... and
this might be it.
Modeling Spoken Here
Continued on page 149
July 2004 7
Page 7
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Desert
Aircraf
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and it was sponsored by TNT Landing Gear,
Fly RC magazine, and RC Universe
(www.rcuniverse.com).
Featured were some of the pilots who used
to be invited to fly at the original TOC—and a
few new and younger ones. But this time the
models flown were the new breed of all-sheetfoam,
electric-powered 3-D models that have
hit the modeling scene in the past year or so.
These models characteristically feature extralarge
control surfaces that can be moved to
extremely high deflection angles.
For the most part, the new breed of hightorque,
rotating can or “outrunner”-type
brushless motors are used in these models, in
conjunction with the light and high-output Li-
Poly batteries. Micro radio gear is employed,
and the result is, well, extreme performance!
Twelve of the best RC pilots on the face of
this earth entertained a crowd of
approximately 1,500 with two qualifying
rounds, and then the top six pilots flew in a
final round to determine the winner.
This was not just for fun, however; a total
purse of $1,750 was awarded, with $1,000
going to first place, $500 to second, and $250
to third. The event was flown in an extremely
low-ceiling venue at The University of Toledo
(with only a 23-foot ceiling height!), and I
must admit that I wasn’t anticipating too
much in the way of integrated, flowing flight
routines. Boy, was I wrong!
For the record, George Hicks took the top
spot flying a new-design biplane that featured
movable “rudders” on the interplane struts.
Many credit him with being the main pioneer
in the development of this type of electric
aerobatic model, and he certainly showed that
he knows how to fly them as well. His
performance was eloquent, exciting, and fun
to watch.
George, and all of the contestants for that
matter, had designed routines that closely
followed the music and displayed the
incredible rolling and pitching properties of
this new breed of aircraft. There is no way in
mere words to describe these models’
performance adequately.
I’m not going to give you a complete
ETOC report here. I was so impressed with
what I saw that I asked Terry Terrenoire to
prepare a piece about this amazing event for
MA. It will be published soon. What I do want
to focus on is the potential that this new type
of modeling has.
The ETOC pilots flew to loud and exciting
music, and the maneuvers they performed
could certainly qualify as “extreme.” These
are two elements that I predict will attract new
and younger-generation pilots. We have
needed something that would interest the
younger generation for many years, and this
might be it.
Many of us older modelers came to a love
of aviation because of the romanticism of the
Golden Age of aviation and the World War II
fighter-pilot image. Aviation was a normal
part of our daily lives in the 1950s and ’60s.
We could “hang out” at the local aerodrome
and listen to the stories told by the pilots
there. We could watch piston-engine-powered
airliners climb out from urban airports and
listen as the engines strained to produce
power to climb. We could witness aviation
progress firsthand.
And then, suddenly, aviation for the
average modern youngster became a small
silver dot in the sky at the point of a white
contrail 30,000 feet in the air. The Jet Age
changed aviation forever and, with it, our
ability to relate to it on a daily basis up close
and personal. Just as suddenly, there were
fewer places to fly in urban and suburban
areas as noise and legal issues became a
factor.
It is no wonder that the last generation has
had little interest in aviation in any form.
They haven’t been able to see it on a daily
basis or have reason to love it as past
generations have. That can change, and events
such as the ETOC can show the way.
No, I do not expect youngsters to simply
pick up a transmitter and fly like the pilots
who entertained us at Toledo this year, but the
elements of extreme performance set to music
is what this current generation has grown up
watching on TV. Extreme bicycling,
skateboarding, inline skating, motorcycling,
snowboarding, etc. have attracted many
young advocates. This is the opportunity that I
see for us with this new type of model and
flight envelope.
If we can get the current crop of computer
gamers, who are adept at operating joysticks,
Continued from page 7
Aeromodeling Editor
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 149
150 MODEL AVIATION
to play the extreme video games—which are
the latest craze—to take a look at this type of
flying, we might be able to attract them to try
it. We must realize that the next generation of
modelers will probably have to come to an
appreciation of aviation, and especially model
aviation, from a completely different
perspective than we did.
Kids learn fast, and they generally have
much better eye-hand coordination than
previous generations. We can thank video
games for that. I’m by far not the first person
to realize that RC flying is just one step
beyond a video game. They will be able to
learn quickly how to competently fly these
new electric-powered foam models in limited
spaces. The result could be a whole new vista
of entertainment for them.
Much like the old game of “Horse” in
basketball, I can foresee kids challenging each
other to try new maneuvers that they have
invented. Extrapolate this a bit further, and
you might agree that school-sponsored teams
of 3-D aerobats competing in leagues is not
too far-fetched.
The preceding could happen. It could be a
whole new vista of modeling for the current
and the next generation. I believe that we now
have the proper elements in place for all of
this—and much more—to happen in the near
to foreseeable future.
The challenges will be many, including
properly introducing youngsters to the genre,
educating them on safety and practice, and us
older modelers having the ability to adjust to
the needs of the new generation without
expecting them to see it from our perspective.
Turn up the volume, turn on the motors, and
let the games begin! Hey, cotton balls for the
ears are cheap ...
Sharper Focus: “Focal Point” continues to be
one of the most popular features in MA. It
seems that most of our readers/members have
AMA Academy of Model
Aeronautics
ARF Almost Ready to Fly
BEC Battery Eliminator Circuit
CAD computer-aided design
cc cubic centimeter
CD contest director or
compact disc
CG center of gravity
CL Control Line
cm centimeter
cu. in. cubic inch
DT dethermalizer
EPP (foam) expanded polypropylene
ESC Electronic Speed Control
FAI Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale
FCC Federal Communications
Commission
FF Free Flight
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LE leading edge
LED light-emitting diode
Li-Poly Lithium Polymer
mA milliamperes
MA Model Aviation
mAh milliampere-hours
MHz megahertz
mm millimeter
Nats AMA Nationals
Ni-Cd Nickel Cadmium
NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride
RC Radio Control
rpm revolutions per minute
RTF Ready to Fly
SASE self-addressed, stamped
envelope
SIG Special Interest Group
TE trailing edge
ModelAviation’s
Frequently Used Abbreviations/Acronyms
Wireless Video System
This micro sized color video camera puts you in the pilot seat.
Camera features a built in 2.4ghz transmitter which sends real
time video and audio up to 2000ft*, no special license required.
www.MicroWireless.net
[email protected]
817-715-1989
Dealers inquire
System includes:
Color camera w/audio
Four channel receiver
Camera mount
A/C adapters
9v battery cable
Audio/video cables
Stock# 2401
Other systems
also available
*LOS using optional receiver antenna
more than a passing interest in what others are
building and flying. The proof of this is that
we receive many more “Focal Point”
submissions each month than we can possibly
run in a timely manner. The backlog
continues to grow.
We have begun running 16 “Focal Point”
submissions on the AMA Web site each
month in addition to the 16 that we present in
MA. Still, catching up seems to be all but
impossible at this point. If you have submitted
a “Focal Point” photo and story, please have
patience. It may take more than 11⁄2 years for
it to appear in the magazine or on the Web
site.
Occasionally we come across a model
that, for whatever reason, catches our eye. It
may be an unusual subject or one that has a
special story behind it. It may be a massive
project or a simple one. We have wished on
those occasions that we could highlight the
model in question a bit more than the “Focal
Point” format allows.
Therefore, we have started a new section
in MA called “Sharper Focus” to spotlight
these special models. This section will not run
on a monthly basis; it will appear whenever
we find a model that we feel deserves some
extra attention.
We are presenting our first “Sharper
Focus” piece this month. It is Joe Beshar’s
gorgeous, turbine-powered Me 163 Komet.
The model itself is a work of art, but the
reason why Joe built it is the real story. That
should be enough of a tease to get you to turn
to page 66 and give it a look.
Please do not send in dedicated
submissions for “Sharper Focus.” We will
determine which airplanes will be presented
in this section. We may see a “Focal Point”
submission that catches our eye, and then we
will get in touch with the modeler who sent it
in to get further information. We may see a
model in our travels that fits the requirements,
and we will photograph it and get the story
then. We hope you will agree with our picks!
Need to reach this old-timer? You can call
me at (610) 614-1747 (talk loud) or you can
reach me on this newfangled Internet thing at
[email protected]. For those who still
know where the post office is, my address is
Box 68, Stockertown PA 18083. MA
New Life Members
The Academy of Model Aeronautics
recently welcomed new Life Members
Dennis Lien (L678), Leon Pond (L503),
Kenneth D. Miller (L9074), and Matthew
Mikka (L804).
For information about becoming a Life
Member, contact AMA Headquarters at (800)
435-9262. MA
—Membership Department
Continued from page 6
On the Fly
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