Navy Carrier
Dick Perry 427 Live Oak Ln. N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87122 E-mail: [email protected]
IF one were to ask any participants of this year's Control Line (CL) Navy Carrier Nationals competition to describe the most memorable part of the events, the most common answer would probably be the weather. We came closer this year than any time in memory to having a true floating carrier deck and flying over water.
Muncie had received 16 inches of rain in two weeks, which is quite a change for me; I am used to getting 16 inches of rain in two years in Albuquerque. Aside from the flooded roads that made driving a challenge, the traditional Carrier-event location was waterlogged and far too wet for flying.
Fortunately, AMA had just completed a double paved circle northeast of the usual Carrier venue in preparation for the CL World Championships to be held at the site in 2004. Carrier was flown this year on those circles. It was nice to be able to land off the deck without worrying about flipping over in the grass, but the hard pavement was unforgiving Friday when gusts to 30 knots caused many inadvertent ground contacts.
Few contestants or spectators expected to need jackets in Muncie in July, which added some discomfort to the mix. In spite of the adverse weather, the camaraderie was outstanding; everyone pitched in to make the best of the conditions.
Event overview
- Date: July 10–12
- Venue: Double paved circle (temporary Carrier deck) northeast of the traditional site
- Notable: Heavy rain preceding the event; gusty winds up to 30 knots on Friday
Profile Carrier (Thursday, July 10)
Profile Carrier was flown Thursday, July 10, with an unofficial Sportsman Profile Carrier event at the same time. Ten contestants posted official flights in Profile, and five did so in Sportsman.
The weather started out calm, with a slight breeze developing about an hour into the official competition. By 11 a.m. the wind was a little stronger and becoming more variable, with gusts to roughly 10 knots. With more rain threatening later in the day, most contestants elected to complete their flights early.
A variety of models were entered this year. The MO-1 remained popular but was in the minority: five MO-1s among 15 total entries. Other aircraft included:
- Three different MO-1 designs
- Two de Havilland Vampires
- Two Vought Kingfishers
- Two Grumman Guardians
- A Douglas Dauntless
- A Brewster 340
- A Consolidated XBY-1
- A Sig Skyray
John Vlna's XBY-1 was one of the more interesting aircraft. Modeled after an obscure single-engine level bomber that didn't progress past initial testing, it is a high-wing airplane with proportions similar to the MO-1 but offering a welcome change of pace without deviating significantly from the proven MO-1 configuration.
John Vlna was first off the deck in Profile Carrier with his XBY-1. His successful attempt started the competition much better than it began last year, when no complete flights were made during the first hour. Mike Greb followed with the second flight of the day and moved into first place with a 318.1 score. Mike's 90-mph high speed was respectable, and his low time of just less than four minutes was great with no wind to assist.
The initial trend of complete flights did not endure; a succession of mechanical and engine problems began to challenge contestants. Slow engine response, flameouts, engine sag on takeoff, and line-slider malfunctions left the early leaders secure for a while.
As the morning progressed, conditions improved and performances followed. Brian Silversmith flew his Kingfisher into second place with an 83.4-mph high speed and a 216-second low. My Nostalgia Guardian managed a 97.2-mph high speed (the best of the day), but the design’s limited slow-flight capability affected total score potential, and I inched ahead of John Vlna by less than three points.
The good conditions didn’t last long; much opportunity for higher scores was lost while equipment issues were addressed. Tom Schaefer had the other complete flight of the day, but low speed kept him out of the running for a trophy.
The wind began to change in consistency, with gusts disrupting the low-speed portions of flights and affecting landings. Dale Gleason moved into third place with his MO-1, but low-speed performance and missed landings kept other contestants from the trophies.
Specific equipment problems included:
- Bill Calkins: loose throttle retaining screw and a tail-high landing
- Pete Mazur: initial engine failure on low speed, likely from a failing throttle arm; later lost throttle arm completely
- Gary Hull and Ted Kraver: problems that kept them from scoring a landing and a low speed, respectively
At the end of the day, Mike Greb was in first and leading the Eugene Ely Award competition. Only Dale Gleason and John Vlna had flights in Profile and Class I and II capable of challenging Mike for the Ely Award. Other competitors were at a distinct disadvantage without complete Profile flights.
Sportsman Profile
The Schwalbe family—John, Charlie, and Rob—took on Dave King and Bob Frogner. Final placings:
- 1st: John Schwalbe
- 2nd: Dave King
- 3rd: Charlie Schwalbe
Bob Frogner had the best high and low speeds, but his model missed the arresting lines during landing and rolled off the end of the deck, removing him from contention.
Friday, July 11 — Classes I & II
Friday started with strong winds and a forecast for more of the same. With the potential for complete flights limited, the Eugene Ely Award competition was wide open.
Highlights and incidents:
- Mike Greb (Class II) posted a 96-mph high and a safe 44-mph low, but his model hit the ground hard short of the deck during landing. The tail separated; the model then hit the ground again with dire consequences.
- Pete Mazur (Class II MO-1) was running rich in transition because of the level attitude; the engine flamed out before low speed. He landed safely.
- John Vlna and Ted Kraver lost control of their Class I models on low speed and hit the pavement.
- John Vlna (Class II Myrt) flew high and a 43-mph low, but a high speed on approach caused him to touch down three feet past the last arresting line; the airplane rolled off the deck and into second place behind Mike.
- Pete Mazur’s Class I aircraft spun in from the top of the circle after he lost line tension during low speed.
- Ted Kraver and John Vlna crashed before completing their Class I low speeds; both were more successful in Class II but missed their landings.
Bill Calkins (Class II, MO-1) completed a high of 94.4 mph and a low of 55.8 mph. He set up for landing by cutting throttle on the far side of the circle and attempting to slow while flying downwind toward the deck. After going around on the first approach, he completed the landing on his second try and moved into first place, 90 points ahead of Mike Greb. The differences in their Class II and Profile scores nearly canceled each other, leaving them close in the Ely Award race; both waited to compete in Class I.
Pete Mazur's second attempt in Class II ended with a flameout less than half a lap remaining in low speed.
In the Class I competition between Mike Greb and Bill Calkins:
- Mike's first attempt ended with a throttle failure before his low-speed signal; no score.
- On his second try Mike finished high and low (94.3 and 44 mph) but touched down short of the deck with no damage.
- Bill posted a 97.4-mph high but a low of more than 63 mph, not enough to beat Mike for Class I or the Eugene Ely Award.
- Bill's second attempt produced a slower high speed; his third flight ended with a flameout during low.
With first place in Class I and the lead in the Eugene Ely competition, Mike elected not to risk his airplane again and waived his final official flight.
With the competition starting to resemble a demolition derby, other contestants withdrew to fly another day with airplanes intact.
Awards banquet
The Navy Carrier Society awards banquet was a welcome chance to relax after the day's trials. Mike Greb was crowned the overall CL Navy Carrier champion and presented with the Eugene Ely Award.
Each year the Navy Carrier Society honors an outstanding volunteer whose service enhances the participants' enjoyment. The Carol Johnson Spirit of Volunteerism Award went to Brenda Schuette. She has been the CL category director at the Nationals for many years, running the events superbly. Thanks, Brenda, from all of us.
Saturday, July 12 — Unofficial events
Saturday’s weather was nearly perfect for the unofficial events.
.15 Carrier (sponsored by the Texas Contingent)
- Expert:
- 1st: Bill Bischoff
- 2nd: Melvin Schuette
- 3rd: Dale Gleason
- Note: Melvin (a Kansan) kept the Texans from dominating the event.
- Sportsman:
- 1st: Bob Frogner
- 2nd: Dave King
- 3rd: Art Johnson
Skyray Carrier (sponsored by Sig; prizes included fuel and a Skyray kit)
- 1st: Bill Bischoff
- 2nd: Ted Kraver
- 3rd: John Vlna
Nostalgia Carrier Participation increased this year; merchandise prizes were offered in addition to plaques. Donors and prizes included:
- John Brodak (Brodak Manufacturing): F7F Tigercat kit
- APC: propellers
- Frank Landry: one of his new Profile MO-1 kits
- Kit Logan: Dumas Crusader kit
Nostalgia results:
- Profile:
- 1st: Dick Perry — Melton Guardian, 356.51 points
- 2nd: Art Johnson — Cordes Spearfish
- 3rd: John Vlna — Mottin XPC-1 Starjet
- Class I:
- 1st: Ted Kraver — Domizi-designed Guardian with Fox .29 and flapper valve speed control
- 2nd: Dick Perry — Short Seamew with SuperTigre G-40 (reliability issues affected both)
- Class II:
- 1st: John Vlna — Myrt by Roland Baltes, 450.40 points (also won the McCoy .60 engine awarded to the most total points in all three Nostalgia Carrier events)
- 2nd: Ted Kraver — Guardian (Sterling kit)
- 3rd: Art Johnson — Guardian (Bill Johnson design with McCoy .60, fuel meter, and exhaust slide)
Volunteers and organizers
The Nationals would have been impossible without the volunteers who served as officials and support. Key volunteers included:
- Event director (Navy Carrier): Bill Bischoff
- Center judge: Art Johnson (Friday); Bill Calkins (Saturday)
- Pit boss: Dave King
- Scorekeeper: John "Doc" Holliday
- Deck/events director (Saturday): Pete Mazur
Timers and helpers over the three days included John Schwalbe, Melvin Schuette, Gary Hull, Bob Frogner, Linda Gleason, and many of the contestants.
In addition, the AMA staff repaired and refinished the Navy Carrier deck during the winter.
Thanks to all of you for making this year's CL Navy Carrier events possible.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
