by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/11
Page Numbers: 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,27
by Jay Smith
A national
competition
with an
international flair
Paul Crowley launches his own-design F1B
Outdoor FF model. It has been flown
internationally and features an electronic
timer with five functions, as well as a radiocontrolled
DT as a backup.
A BENEFIT oF our hobby is the great people we
meet along the way. Some live near us and we get
to see them regularly, while we see others only at
fun-flys or various competitions. In either setting, it
is enjoyable to be around people who share our
appreciation of aeromodeling, and it is a great way
to learn and grow in the hobby.
Those great people include Ron Morgan—
director/manager of the Nationals—who celebrated
his 50th Nats this year, and his wife, Jane. Others
are Al Williamson, Brenda Schuette, Phil Sullivan,
and Wayne Yeager, who spend upward of six
weeks working days, nights, and weekends to make
this event happen.
Add to that all the time spent together before
and after the Nats in planning meetings, and you
might understand the strong bond that is formed.
The same goes for the members of each AMA SIG,
since every four or so days of the more-thanmonth-
long event brings a new group of friends.
A bonus of the Nats is that even though it is a
national competition, it draws international
competitors. This provides American participants
the opportunity to interact with distant neighbors
and see and hear how the hobby is for those who
live outside the US.
This year was the 83rd National Aeromodeling
Championships. It spanned May 27-31 inside the
East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome in
Johnson City, Tennessee, and June 29-August 2 in
Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling
Center (IAC). In 40 days, 1,022 competitors
competed in 154 events that encompassed many
facets of CL, Indoor and Outdoor FF, and RC.
The weather this year was some of the best we
could have asked for, with little rain and much
cooler temperatures than normal in Muncie. The
only complaints resulted from a few windy days
and the occasional rain shower.
FF: Outdoor FF was well attended, with 236
registered pilots flying a total of 52 events during
the course of five days. FF fliers have to be the
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 1:54 PM Page 16
November 2009 17
Right: Gary Parenti built this Czech
Beta Minor and flew it in RC Designer
Scale. It has a rather large wingspan of
111 inches. Stan Alexander photo.
Below: Allen Brickhaus built his
Olympus, for CL Precision Aerobatics,
after meeting the designer, Louis van
den Hout, in 2004. Allen’s version is
powered by a Randy Smith PA .61,
weighs 56.5 ounces, and has 724
square inches of wing area.
Right: Brazilians Bruno Macedo and
Luis Racanicchi stand in the
foreground as their beautiful Ultimate
Models Yak-54 comes by with smoke
on during a low knife-edge pass in RC
Scale Aerobatics.
Below: Kaz Minato and his two sons
traveled from Japan to compete in CL
Aerobatics. Oki (L) finished fifth and
Yuhi finished seventh in the Advanced
class.
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:01 PM Page 17
18 MODEL AVIATION
Dave Johnson’s Fokker D.VII is a replica of George Von Hantleman’s
mount. The RC Expert Sport Scale model has functional scale
exhaust and scratch-built wire wheels. It spans 120 inches, weighs 40
pounds, and is powered by a ZDZ 80 engine.
George Batiuk and
Sarah Radziunas put
their tracking device to
the test. They and the
author found Brian
Pacelli’s F1P model
approximately 2 miles
from its launch site.
Gabriel Tahhan (L) and Juan Baez traveled from Venezuela to
attend the Nats. Juan commented that he was drawn to the Nats
to compete in the largest RC Pylon Racing event he has attended.
Andrew Jesky,
F3A (FAI RC
Aerobatics)
National
Champion, with
his electricpowered
Krill
Spark. He used
the Nats as
practice for the
upcoming F3A
World
Championships.
Kyle Jones, who finished third in F1H Outdoor FF, was this year’s
recipient of the Charles Hampson Grant funds, Toledo Weak
Signals award, and Telford Grant. L-R: Ron and Jane Morgan, Kyle’s
dad, Bob Brown, Kyle, his mom, Jack Frost, and April Hathaway.
Kerry Muncy and Wayne Mason both competed in RC Scale
Helicopter with electric-powered AH-64 Apaches. They finished
second and fifth respectively.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:16 PM Page 18
November 2009 19
The Quickie 500 starting line at the RC Pylon Racing venue is both noisy and exciting.
Four aircraft are launched simultaneously when the countdown clock runs out.
Sean McMurtry flies his Aeroworks Extra 260 in a sky darkened by
impending rain. He finished fifth in Freestyle and seventh in
Unlimited RC Scale Aerobatics.
Tim Stone, Dave Hallas, and Dave Hull mix it up in the CL Racing
circle, while trying to keep their lines from crossing.
Tom Scully launches
his Two-Meter Ruby
into the wild blue in
RC Soaring
competition. Twohundred-
pound-test
line was used this
year, with no line
breaks.
k and
as put
evice to
and the
Brian
model
2 miles
te.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:27 PM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
Right: Peter Bauer’s Skyraider flew as
great as it looks, and he finished third
in CL Sport Scale. Peter also won the
Control Line Scale National
Champion award.
Above: Cody Remington (L) and Skip
Miller search the sky for signs of lift. RC
Soaring pilots struggled to make their
flight times during a few challenging
rounds.
Patrick Mackenzie pilots his electric RC Sailplane, while
Ivan Mackenzie times from a comfortable spot on the
ground. They traveled from Toronto, Canada, to compete.
Edward Mason put on a show in CL Scale with two B-17s, competing in different classes.
“Fuddy Duddy,” shown, had a nice hum with all four engines running in unison.
Dave Johnson uses chalk to add a bit more
grime and grit to the front of his Fokker
D.VII, for a more scale appearance before
static judging.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/24/09 2:32 PM Page 20
November 2009 21
Curtis Youngblood debuted his new electric-powered Next D
Rave 90 ENV and hovered between first and second place
during the F3C competition. He ultimately took second place.
Al Kretz flew his SBD Dauntless dive-bomber with retractable
canopy in RC Expert Sport Scale. It takes 13 servos to work
everything on this masterpiece!
Emile Sheriff looks as intimidating as his Kiowa LongRanger does.
Both performed well in RC Scale Helicopter.
Above right: This perspective gives
you a look down the flightline as pilots
prepare for the next round of RC
Aerobatics, or Pattern, competition.
Right: Charlie Bauer, AMA District VI
vice president, flew his electricpowered
Lockheed Constellation to
second place in CL Profile Scale.
AMA Headquarters is visible in the
background.
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 10:57 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
A Conversation With
Nats Director Ron Morgan
JS: Where was the first Nats you attended?
RM: 1960, Dallas, Texas.
JS: How do the Nats held on military bases compare to having them at the IAC?
RM: It’s totally different; everything was on one site. Now it’s so big it takes this whole site, and
you can’t even finish it in a week like you used to. It’s a lot more complicated.
Back then we only had Pylon and Pattern for RC, and we would fly one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. RC or radio was more experimental at the time, with guys just trying to
make the things work and laying the groundwork for what we have today. That’s what
competition does for us.
JS: Were you a competitor in 1960?
RM: No. I just went as an observer, to see what was going on. While there, I was asked if I would
help and that was the beginning of it.
JS: So you have never competed in the Nats?
RM: Never. I went with the intention to compete in the 1962 Nats, but they needed somebody to handle Free Flight Scale. After that, I got
pushed up real quick to this level.
JS: When did you start modeling?
RM: I started in 1942, building little 10¢ Comet kits. I spent all allowance and saved money to buy stuff. I also bought my original X-Acto
set during World War II. It has a wooden handle, as metal was a premium, and I still have it and use it. That was the beginning of the
experience.
After World War II, we used to build anything we could get our hands on. There were a lot of kits available, such as Joe Ott, Comet, and
Monogram. Everything was rubber powered for us; we didn’t have the funding to get engines, and I didn’t really get serious about engines
till about 1948.
I wanted a McCoy .19 so bad I could taste it. I asked for one for Christmas and my dad checked around and was told an Ohlsson & Rice
.23 was the best on the market. So he told me the Ohlsson or nothing; I took the Ohlsson.
I did finally get the McCoy .19, but it took a lot of work and put it in a Control Line airplane called the New Era. I got interested in radio
as a teenager and built a single-channel radio and still have that radio as well.
You read all the cool names of the guys flying airplanes and you wanted to get a chance to see them. That’s what brought me to the Nats.
JS: What was the most memorable Nats for you?
RM: They all run at such a consistent level. The first one in Muncie was special, as we were really breaking new ground that was different
from anything we had done in the past.
JS: How is the turnout at the AMA vs. previous Nats held at military bases?
RM: The biggest Nationals I ever attended was at Glenview [Naval Air Station in Illinois], and it would draw 2,000 competitors. Here we
draw about 1,000. It is just a change in the times. This is still a good show; it is good competition.
JS: How many years have you been a Nats manager?
RM: Since 1964, when I was asked to do it.
JS: Any funny stories from the Nats?
RM: Competitors by nature are very intense, and they focus on what they are doing at that time. We had competitors that would do foolish
things on-site, like we had one lady from Florida who was a very good pilot and she took a disliking to us in Dallas in 1964. And instead of
accepting a decision, she started getting garbage cans and throwing them at us and chased us across the field. She had to be escorted off the
field by the Navy. That is probably the strangest one that I can recall.
JS: A lot of people don’t realize all the preparation that goes into the Nats. Tell us about that.
RM: It is a 12-month project. I will go home in the middle of August [when that year’s Nats is finished] and then go over paperwork to
determine what we did well and what we did not do so well, to prepare for a planning meeting in September.
We will call all the SIGs together and have a meeting to work out the schedule. We also have to accommodate World Championships at
times as well.
JS: For those who have never competed in the Nats or come to Muncie, what would you say to them to get them to attend?
RM: First of all, if they are going to compete, then they have to have a competitive nature to themselves anyhow. Most of the people our
hobby attracts are not competitors; they come into the hobby to enjoy it as recreation and just go fly, and that is okay.
A visit to Muncie should be on the list for anybody who flies model aircraft. The museum is phenomenal and the facility is phenomenal.
There is a lot of history here, and they should come see it.
JS: What do you do when you’re not running the Nats?
RM: I have a workshop that I love to work in that some say is second to none. I fly single-stick radios and I have about 75. I like to build
them and make them work as well as when they were original.
JS: What do you see for the future of the Nats?
RM: Digital spread spectrum. We spend a lot of man-hours having events overlap with frequency boards, and we make sure that they can
fly together. With DSS, that all goes away. We are working on getting the Nats up and running in the future, using DSS exclusively.
The other thing is electric. It is growing at leaps and bounds. MA
—Jay Smith
11sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 9/25/09 11:03 AM Page 22
most mobile bunch at the competition.
Methods of model retrieval include on foot,
bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, and
convertible vehicles on occasion. At times,
it seems like retrieval is half the fun of the
competition; that is, if the aircraft can be
easily retrieved.
I had the opportunity to go off-site to
help find Brian Pacelli’s F1P model, which
he was fond of and eager to get back. I was
accompanied by veteran FF competitors,
Sarah Radziunas and George Batiuk.
The airplane had a tracking device, and
we followed the receiver’s reassuring beeps
as we made our way roughly 2 miles from
the launch site. We disembarked the
vehicle and ventured into a cornfield that
was surrounded by thick tree cover and
foliage.
With the tracker’s help, I spotted a
glimmer of the red aircraft high in one of
the trees. We marked the location and
headed back to let Brian know that we had
found his aircraft. Later, he recovered his
model with a small monetary incentive to
the local tree climber.
RC Soaring and RC Electric: This was the
first year of fully integrated RC Soaring
events under the direction of the Soaring
SIG: the League of Silent Flight (LSF).
Soaring and Electric combined for a total
of 168 registered pilots flying 12 official
events during the course of 12 days.
In Soaring, the Unlimited class had the
highest pilot count, followed by RES
(Rudder-Elevator-Spoiler). This year, 290-
pound-test line was used for RES and
Unlimited, while 200-pound-test was used
for Nostalgia and Two-Meter. The line
change proved to be good; during the
course of the competition, there were 1,800
or so launches with no line breaks.
LSF Soaring Event Director Tom
Kallevang noticed the proliferation of 2.4
GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) radios.
Overall, Soaring had just approximately
30% of the registered pilots flying on 2.4
GHz. Moving to DSS radios opens up the
competition even further, allowing anyone
to compete against anyone else and doing
away with the “protection” of those
registered to fly on the same channel.
In RC Electric, event director Mike
McGowan had a few thoughts. Electric
Soaring was an exercise in transitioning the
Electric events to true man-on-man Soaring
events. With electric Soaring, it is possible
to launch a group simultaneously; no flier
gains advantage of being the last to launch.
In winch launch with large groups, the
last person to launch has a full minute and
numerous airplanes in front of him or her
to analyze the air. So the “luck” of the
draw for launch position often affects the
outcome.
The Electric Soaring groups were
launched at the same time this year, which
meant that they were all on approach and
landing simultaneously if they were on
time. That worked well, and lessons were
learned to improve the field setup next
year.
This year, the FAI-style landing tape was
introduced. It worked wonderfully and will
probably be incorporated in the following
years.
Electric Soaring is still fairly new and is
constantly evolving, thanks to advancements
in technology. However, several current
sailplanes require an electric-conversion
nose cone.
“Electric sailplanes are still basically
regular sailplanes flying with 12 or more
ounces of ballast with a big drag device stuck
on the nose!” said competitor Bob Burson.
RC Combat: This is a crowd pleaser at the
Nats, providing spectators with the chance
to see aerial dogfighting re-created with the
help of streamers that each aircraft carries.
Pilots try to get “cuts” on their
competition’s streamers, to gain points,
while trying to avoid midair collisions.
Fliers put tacky material, such as
Tanglefoot, on the wing LE, to assist in
snagging any streamers that make contact.
Slow Survivable Combat (SSC) was
recognized as an official event for the first
time this year. SSC limits engine sizes and
model weights to make the class
inexpensive and the aircraft durable and
easily repairable.
Combat pilots have been flying SSC
unofficially with hopes that it would
become one of the recognized events, and
23 pilots participated this year. There are
expectations that the class will continue to
grow.
Brian Gilkey, who is well known at the
Combat Nats and who swept the
competition the last two years, saw his
reign come to an end in 2009. He was
beaten by his younger brother, Eric Gilkey,
in the Limited B class by 188 points.
The other big news in Combat is that the
O.S. 25FX engine is being discontinued. It
has been a popular choice for the 2548,
2610, Open B, and Limited B classes. Its
replacement—the O.S. 25AX—has not
been as good a fit for this application and
has Combat pilots scouring the Internet and
hobby stores for backup power plants.
RC Scale Aerobatics: Phil Vance and his
team put on a successful event that drew 79
pilots. Contestants had to deal with unusual
temperature changes and high winds, with
gusts pushing upward of 30 mph.
Riley Kissenberth attended his first Nats
and won Sportsman class and the highly
sought-after Bennett Cup. First awarded in
2002, the award is given to the Nats Scale
Aerobatics competitor who amasses the
highest average maneuver score.
Jason Noll, another outstanding flier and
last year’s Bennett Cup winner, walked
away with first place in both Unlimited and
Freestyle categories.
Bruno Macedo and Luis Racanicchi,
both of Brazil, also attended the Scale
Aerobatics Nats for the first time. Luis put
on quite a show during the Freestyle
competition, flying a beautiful Yak-54 from
Ultimate Models.
RC Aerobatics (Pattern): This event was
missing some competitors, because top
pilots such as Quique Somenzini and Jason
Shulman were focusing their efforts on
practicing for the F3A World
Championships that took place in Pombal,
Portugal, in August. However, there were
still 111 pilots.
In his sixth year as Pattern manager,
Dave Guerin and his staff did a nice job of
maintaining three separate flightlines for
four classes: Intermediate, Advanced, FAI
F3A, and Masters.
Electric-powered models continued to
dominate as the propulsion of choice for the
majority of pilots. A quick look at the
charging stations showed a large diversity
in battery packs in the lower classes, while
the upper classes competed with majorname-
brand packs. This year’s F3A winner,
Andrew Jesky, flew a Hacker motorpowered
Spark by Krill Model.
Scale: Both RC and CL Scale bring out a
large number of spectators who want to see
these beautiful handcrafted masterpieces on
display and in the air. There are no “hangar
queens” at the Scale Nats!
RC pilots had to contend with a rolling
crosswind during part of the competition,
causing even the most experienced fliers to
have difficulty getting a good landing.
Dennis Crooks walked away as the RC
Scale National Champion, garnering an
amazing 191.875 points flying his P-38 in
Expert Sport Scale. Dave Johnson was
close behind, with a 191.125 score. This
was his Fokker D.VII’s first Nats
appearance. Dave competed with three WW
I aircraft, keeping him busy throughout the
competition.
In CL, the competition was close in
Sport Scale between Allen Goff flying a
WACO and John Brodak with his
Shoestring racer. In the end, Allen won by a
small margin.
The CL Scale National Champion award
was given to Peter Bauer. The National
Association of Scale Aeromodelers
presents this award to the competitor with
the highest total score (three flights and
static) in the Sport Scale class.
RC Helicopter: The F3C Helicopter World
Championship was scheduled to take place
immediately following the Nats. This meant
that the helicopter Nats was being viewed as
a test run for the judges and staff. Craig
Bradley, the helicopter event director, had
three major events on his plate: the Nats, the
World Championship, and the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree.
Electric-powered helicopters continue to
gain momentum in the competition;
however, this year’s winner, Scott Gray,
was flying his tried-and-true O.S. .91-
powered JR Sylphide in a Stacy fuselage.
Scott has been using this setup for
approximately three years, and he thought
that being comfortable with his machine
helped him in the competition.
Scott was followed closely in the
standings by Curtis Youngblood, debuting
his Next D Rave 90 ENV electric. Curtis is
no stranger to winning the Helicopter Nats,
having done so numerous times.
In Scale Helicopter, Len Mount’s arrival
was eagerly awaited; people wanted to see
what new competition model he would
unveil after a successful three-year run with
his Scout. Len had planned to debut his
extremely aerobatic Red Bull Bo 105 CBS
helicopter and intended to fly it just as
Chuck Aaron flies the full-scale version—
to the extreme.
However, the Bo 105 was damaged
because of a turbine backfire. So Len—
who had pondered selling the Scout—
pulled it out of retirement and flew it to his
fourth Nats win
RC Pylon Racing: Pete Bergstrom stepped
up as event director, since Gary Freeman
Jr., Randy Bridge, and Travis Flynn were
absent supporting the 2009 F3D (FAI Pylon
Racing) World Championships.
The Quickie 500 (Q-500) event started
with nearly 60 pilots at the beginning.
Heading into the finals, 14 pilots and two wild
cards were left in contention for the
championship.
In the end, it came down to an amazing
flyoff between Dave Norman and Fred
Burgdorf. The two fought it out wingtip to
wingtip until the 10th lap, when Fred cut Pylon
One, allowing Dave to become the National
Champion.
The excitement didn’t end when
determining the Quarter 40 (Q-40) champion.
As in Q-500, a flyoff was required to establish
the winner. A.J. Seaholm and Roy Andrassy
squared off with the title in their sights.
Disaster struck for Roy during the fourth
lap, as his model’s wing let loose around
Pylon One. A.J. flew on to his first RC Pylon
Racing National Championship.
CL: This year the circles were full of activity,
as 181 registered participants flew in Precision
Aerobatics, Racing, Combat, Navy Carrier,
and Speed. Several participants came from
other countries, including Japan, Brazil, and
Canada.
Having flown RC Combat, I am amazed to
watch CL Combat. As if trying to cut your
competitor’s streamer without a spectacular
midair is not enough, CL presents the added
challenge of keeping the wires from tangling.
This year, the win came down to Don
McKay and Don Spoka. In their final match
together, they had the only midair of the event.
When the balsa settled, Don McKay had
become the winner. This was his first Nats,
and he’s probably happy he attended.
CL Combat pilots aren’t the only ones who
have to deal with crossed lines. CL Racing
fliers have some fancy footwork of their own.
And winning at Racing requires more than
being a good pilot. While a flier focuses on
flying, the pitman has a big responsibility.
That person has to catch the aircraft once the
engine stops, refuel it, restart it by hand, and
repeat as many times as is necessary to finish
the race.
This year’s Nats drew competitors from
across our nation, from Florida, to Maine, to
California, and almost everywhere in between.
Some showed up for competition and others
for fellowship, but all were given the chance
to immerse themselves in the model aviation
experience.
I also had the opportunity to spend time
with guests who traveled to the event from
outside our country. They were amazed by our
facilities at the IAC, as well as the large
number of competitors that the contest
attracts.
Venezuela’s Juan Baez, who competed in
Pylon, told me that in his home country, Pylon
competitions are few and far between and do
not draw a large number of competitors. I also
learned that CL competition is almost
nonexistent in some European countries.
If you have never visited your facilities in
Muncie or attended the Nats, consider adding
it to your to-do list. Pictures and articles can’t
fully convey what it is like to see
aeromodeling at its best, with all of the SIGs
represented.
For even more coverage, check out
NatsNews, our daily newsletter, which
features talented reporters’ pictures and stories
of events as they happen throughout the
competition. Every issue is available online to
view or print. See the “Sources” list for the
Web site address. MA
Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
NatsNews
www.modelaircraft.org/events/nats/natsnew
s.aspx