128 MODEL AVIATION
SAM Champs 2011
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Gabrielle Montebelli, one of four fliers from Italy, launches for a
teammate. I believe this was Walter Gianati’s Diavolo 1/2A Texaco
aircraft. Angel photo.
Right: Tom Lay, who is a promoter of compressed-air power,
built this compressed-air-powered model. Angel photo.
Rich Minnick, from Northern
California, crafted this stunning
Snow White model, which was
originally designed by Joe Raspante
in 1938. It won Best of Show in the
SAM Champs Concours. Bob
Angel photo.
Also included in this column:
• Concours
• Electric power
• Compressed-air power
• 1/2A Scale
• Glow fuel question
• Engine restoration services
THE DRY LAKE at Boulder City, Nevada,
was once again the site of the 2011 Society of
Antique Modelers (SAM) Champs. The
venue moves between Muncie, Indiana, and
Nevada on alternate years to split the travel
burden. This time Mother Nature pointed out
that even a dry lake needs some rain to retain
its status as a lake. And with rain comes wind.
Fortunately, the lakebed dried quickly,
so the RC pilots flew all five days. The FF
fliers weren’t as lucky because they
require less wind and more clear space to
operate, but they still fit their scheduled
events into the time available.
Earlier in the week there was a daily
wind pattern, which would have allowed
us to put up more flights in hindsight.
Uphill in Boulder, where some of us
stayed in an RV park, a “6-pound wind”
blew each morning. For those unfamiliar
with the term, a 6-pound wind is defined
as capable of blowing a 6-pound rock
across level ground.
Breakfast and the drive down to the
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:47 PM Page 128field was a casual affair. Meanwhile, down
on the flat lakebed, the morning hours were
perfectly calm, so the early risers got in
some good flying before the late morning
winds came. By the final two days, we had
the pattern figured out, but by then there
was ideal weather all day.
There were nearly 140 registered fliers,
but the number of flights was definitely
down this year because of weather.
I don’t have room for contest results
here, but complete event details—including
model designs, engines and flight scores—
should be available in SAM Speaks and on
the SAM website home page—click Contest
Cal—by the time you read this. See the
“Sources” listing.
Evening activities at the Champs
included an early informal banquet called
the “bean feed” and a swap meet, where one
can find enough old and new engines, kits,
and accessories to get a good start in the
Old-Timer (OT) movement. The annual
SAM membership meeting took place,
along with the Friday banquet and awards.
The Concours judging also took place
during the evening hours. When I entered
the hall where the Concours voting was
held, it was easy to spot the eventual Best of
Show winner. The striking rendition of the
Snow White model was the obvious choice.
Winners in several other categories were
less predictable, because there were somany finely crafted models.
To qualify for Concours judging, each
entry must make at least one qualifying
flight. Some of the models were flown in
regular competition, while others put in
only the qualifying flight. The Snow White
was flown for qualification, but later also
went for a demonstration flight by popular
demand.
When the column features a picture of a
particularly nice-looking model, I often
receive requests for a plans source from
potential builders. I’m sure the Snow White
will generate that kind of interest. Roland
Friestad, Editor of SAM Speaks, can supplythe plans, along with many other OT
designs. Check the “Sources” listings.
Electric power is gaining in popularity,
even in the OT movement. There was little
electric-powered flying in the early days,
but it did exist. Today “E” power isn’t a
concession to the green movement, but
rather to the tremendous performance
improvements of the equipment in recent
years. Possibly for the first time, the 25
electric entries in the RC Speed 400 event
surpassed that of both the popular 1/2A
Texaco and Class C Ignition events.
Compressed-air power is also seeing
resurgence among the FF fliers. In the early
years, compressed air was flown quite a bit,
along with rubber power, before gas
engines began to dominate. There are some
new and better compressed-air motors
currently being built, and modelers have
been exchanging information about
constructing lightweight tanks and
airframes. There’s still a low power-toweight
ratio, but that’s being slowly
overcome.
At a couple of recent SAM Champs,
Ron Boots put up a $100 cash prize for the
winner in the compressed-air category.
That, combined with the fascination of
something different, brought a nice turnout
of at least 13 fliers. The rules consist of
four short sentences in the SAM rule book.
One can build to a published model design,
or design your own. For safety, the air-tank
pressure is limited to 150 psi.
Compressed-air motors are simple but
interesting. They are available from one to
five cylinders, with the multicylinder power
plants normally arranged in radial fashion.
Compressed-air enthusiast Tom Lay
recommends Bert Pond’s book, Expansion
Engine Powered Model Aircraft, for
anyone who is interested. It has pictures,
plans, and is well narrated. Unfortunately,
it’s out of print, but it can sometimes be
found at swap meets or on eBay.
The 1/2A Scale event was discussed in the
October 2011 column, where I mentioned
the decline in participation. I arbitrarily
assigned the reason to be the small number
of competitive designs available.
This didn’t sound right to one enthusiast
who did some research, which we then
discussed at the SAM Champs. This man
has been a top competitor in the event, but
prefers to remain anonymous. He presented
some interesting data, charts, and graphs,
showing that there have actually been more
than 50 different designs flown at the SAM
Champs in 16 years. Nearly half had, at one
time or another, placed in the top five.
The decline in event participation
follows a general trend, but has seen a more
dramatic drop than average. Between 1998
and 2004, an average of 17 fliers
participated. But in the following seven
years, the average had dropped to six.Many of us have noticed that there
seems to be a broader variety of designs
flown in regular (non-Scale) 1/2A Texaco,
than in most other SAM events. The
consensus is that the sensitive little Cox
reed-valve engines are harder to master to
get a full run without a flameout.
Getting a steady, complete engine run
is often as important as the aircraft design
chosen, but for consistent success in either
1/2A event, you need both a reliable engine
run and a clean soaring design.
A glow fuel question came as email, which
may have enough general interest to share,
along with my answer.
“Bob: I read your article in the MA
October issue and was especially
interested in spark-ignition fuels. Circa
1946, I switched my Torp 29 (which I still
have) from ignition to glow. If memory
serves me, I ran the glow engine on 3:1 gas
and oil, until converting to alcohol and
Baker’s castor oil. Is that possible? I’m not
sure whether I used my new highcompression
head or not.
“Best regards, Frank Slavin.”
Yes, you can run gas and oil as glow
fuel. The engine can be harder to start and
adjust, and in a few cases you might have to
leave a small battery connected, because you
don’t get that catalytic action between the
methanol and the exotic metal on the plug.
You have to rely on mechanical heat alone
to keep the plug lit. High compression and
high speed help keep the temperature up. An
idle bar plug also might help.
I’ve flown the Texaco event with a
four-stroke engine using a 50/50 mix of
gas and methanol, plus compatible oil.
Gasoline stretches the measured fuel
allotment and also runs at a slightly higher
temperature, making most four-strokes
happier, while there’s enough methanol to
help keep the plug lit.
It’s not as effective as installing custom
breaker points to allow a spark plug to fire
gasoline/oil mix, but breaker points add a
little drag, so you can get good results
either way.
Engine restoration services are in short
supply after the passing of a couple of our
artisans who had performed this work for
years.
Walter Craig contacted me a while
back, asking that I mention his services.
Walt is a member of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA) and also
of SAM. He advertises restoration services,
including cosmetic detailing as well as
tune-up. I’ve seen his ads for years in
publications of the two organizations.
Because I haven’t used Walt’s services,
I can’t comment on the quality of his work,
but I’ve never heard any complaints. He
sent me an email address, but when I
Google it, I get a number of related
websites of interest, but can’t find anything
there listing his services. You might try via
the Google route, just to view some
interesting engines, model race cars, etc.
See the “Sources” listing for more
information. MA
Sources:
SAM
www.antiquemodeler.org
Roland Friestad
(309) 342-7474
[email protected]
Walter Craig Jr.
(717) 229-2840
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,132
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,132
128 MODEL AVIATION
SAM Champs 2011
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Gabrielle Montebelli, one of four fliers from Italy, launches for a
teammate. I believe this was Walter Gianati’s Diavolo 1/2A Texaco
aircraft. Angel photo.
Right: Tom Lay, who is a promoter of compressed-air power,
built this compressed-air-powered model. Angel photo.
Rich Minnick, from Northern
California, crafted this stunning
Snow White model, which was
originally designed by Joe Raspante
in 1938. It won Best of Show in the
SAM Champs Concours. Bob
Angel photo.
Also included in this column:
• Concours
• Electric power
• Compressed-air power
• 1/2A Scale
• Glow fuel question
• Engine restoration services
THE DRY LAKE at Boulder City, Nevada,
was once again the site of the 2011 Society of
Antique Modelers (SAM) Champs. The
venue moves between Muncie, Indiana, and
Nevada on alternate years to split the travel
burden. This time Mother Nature pointed out
that even a dry lake needs some rain to retain
its status as a lake. And with rain comes wind.
Fortunately, the lakebed dried quickly,
so the RC pilots flew all five days. The FF
fliers weren’t as lucky because they
require less wind and more clear space to
operate, but they still fit their scheduled
events into the time available.
Earlier in the week there was a daily
wind pattern, which would have allowed
us to put up more flights in hindsight.
Uphill in Boulder, where some of us
stayed in an RV park, a “6-pound wind”
blew each morning. For those unfamiliar
with the term, a 6-pound wind is defined
as capable of blowing a 6-pound rock
across level ground.
Breakfast and the drive down to the
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:47 PM Page 128field was a casual affair. Meanwhile, down
on the flat lakebed, the morning hours were
perfectly calm, so the early risers got in
some good flying before the late morning
winds came. By the final two days, we had
the pattern figured out, but by then there
was ideal weather all day.
There were nearly 140 registered fliers,
but the number of flights was definitely
down this year because of weather.
I don’t have room for contest results
here, but complete event details—including
model designs, engines and flight scores—
should be available in SAM Speaks and on
the SAM website home page—click Contest
Cal—by the time you read this. See the
“Sources” listing.
Evening activities at the Champs
included an early informal banquet called
the “bean feed” and a swap meet, where one
can find enough old and new engines, kits,
and accessories to get a good start in the
Old-Timer (OT) movement. The annual
SAM membership meeting took place,
along with the Friday banquet and awards.
The Concours judging also took place
during the evening hours. When I entered
the hall where the Concours voting was
held, it was easy to spot the eventual Best of
Show winner. The striking rendition of the
Snow White model was the obvious choice.
Winners in several other categories were
less predictable, because there were somany finely crafted models.
To qualify for Concours judging, each
entry must make at least one qualifying
flight. Some of the models were flown in
regular competition, while others put in
only the qualifying flight. The Snow White
was flown for qualification, but later also
went for a demonstration flight by popular
demand.
When the column features a picture of a
particularly nice-looking model, I often
receive requests for a plans source from
potential builders. I’m sure the Snow White
will generate that kind of interest. Roland
Friestad, Editor of SAM Speaks, can supplythe plans, along with many other OT
designs. Check the “Sources” listings.
Electric power is gaining in popularity,
even in the OT movement. There was little
electric-powered flying in the early days,
but it did exist. Today “E” power isn’t a
concession to the green movement, but
rather to the tremendous performance
improvements of the equipment in recent
years. Possibly for the first time, the 25
electric entries in the RC Speed 400 event
surpassed that of both the popular 1/2A
Texaco and Class C Ignition events.
Compressed-air power is also seeing
resurgence among the FF fliers. In the early
years, compressed air was flown quite a bit,
along with rubber power, before gas
engines began to dominate. There are some
new and better compressed-air motors
currently being built, and modelers have
been exchanging information about
constructing lightweight tanks and
airframes. There’s still a low power-toweight
ratio, but that’s being slowly
overcome.
At a couple of recent SAM Champs,
Ron Boots put up a $100 cash prize for the
winner in the compressed-air category.
That, combined with the fascination of
something different, brought a nice turnout
of at least 13 fliers. The rules consist of
four short sentences in the SAM rule book.
One can build to a published model design,
or design your own. For safety, the air-tank
pressure is limited to 150 psi.
Compressed-air motors are simple but
interesting. They are available from one to
five cylinders, with the multicylinder power
plants normally arranged in radial fashion.
Compressed-air enthusiast Tom Lay
recommends Bert Pond’s book, Expansion
Engine Powered Model Aircraft, for
anyone who is interested. It has pictures,
plans, and is well narrated. Unfortunately,
it’s out of print, but it can sometimes be
found at swap meets or on eBay.
The 1/2A Scale event was discussed in the
October 2011 column, where I mentioned
the decline in participation. I arbitrarily
assigned the reason to be the small number
of competitive designs available.
This didn’t sound right to one enthusiast
who did some research, which we then
discussed at the SAM Champs. This man
has been a top competitor in the event, but
prefers to remain anonymous. He presented
some interesting data, charts, and graphs,
showing that there have actually been more
than 50 different designs flown at the SAM
Champs in 16 years. Nearly half had, at one
time or another, placed in the top five.
The decline in event participation
follows a general trend, but has seen a more
dramatic drop than average. Between 1998
and 2004, an average of 17 fliers
participated. But in the following seven
years, the average had dropped to six.Many of us have noticed that there
seems to be a broader variety of designs
flown in regular (non-Scale) 1/2A Texaco,
than in most other SAM events. The
consensus is that the sensitive little Cox
reed-valve engines are harder to master to
get a full run without a flameout.
Getting a steady, complete engine run
is often as important as the aircraft design
chosen, but for consistent success in either
1/2A event, you need both a reliable engine
run and a clean soaring design.
A glow fuel question came as email, which
may have enough general interest to share,
along with my answer.
“Bob: I read your article in the MA
October issue and was especially
interested in spark-ignition fuels. Circa
1946, I switched my Torp 29 (which I still
have) from ignition to glow. If memory
serves me, I ran the glow engine on 3:1 gas
and oil, until converting to alcohol and
Baker’s castor oil. Is that possible? I’m not
sure whether I used my new highcompression
head or not.
“Best regards, Frank Slavin.”
Yes, you can run gas and oil as glow
fuel. The engine can be harder to start and
adjust, and in a few cases you might have to
leave a small battery connected, because you
don’t get that catalytic action between the
methanol and the exotic metal on the plug.
You have to rely on mechanical heat alone
to keep the plug lit. High compression and
high speed help keep the temperature up. An
idle bar plug also might help.
I’ve flown the Texaco event with a
four-stroke engine using a 50/50 mix of
gas and methanol, plus compatible oil.
Gasoline stretches the measured fuel
allotment and also runs at a slightly higher
temperature, making most four-strokes
happier, while there’s enough methanol to
help keep the plug lit.
It’s not as effective as installing custom
breaker points to allow a spark plug to fire
gasoline/oil mix, but breaker points add a
little drag, so you can get good results
either way.
Engine restoration services are in short
supply after the passing of a couple of our
artisans who had performed this work for
years.
Walter Craig contacted me a while
back, asking that I mention his services.
Walt is a member of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA) and also
of SAM. He advertises restoration services,
including cosmetic detailing as well as
tune-up. I’ve seen his ads for years in
publications of the two organizations.
Because I haven’t used Walt’s services,
I can’t comment on the quality of his work,
but I’ve never heard any complaints. He
sent me an email address, but when I
Google it, I get a number of related
websites of interest, but can’t find anything
there listing his services. You might try via
the Google route, just to view some
interesting engines, model race cars, etc.
See the “Sources” listing for more
information. MA
Sources:
SAM
www.antiquemodeler.org
Roland Friestad
(309) 342-7474
[email protected]
Walter Craig Jr.
(717) 229-2840
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,132
128 MODEL AVIATION
SAM Champs 2011
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Gabrielle Montebelli, one of four fliers from Italy, launches for a
teammate. I believe this was Walter Gianati’s Diavolo 1/2A Texaco
aircraft. Angel photo.
Right: Tom Lay, who is a promoter of compressed-air power,
built this compressed-air-powered model. Angel photo.
Rich Minnick, from Northern
California, crafted this stunning
Snow White model, which was
originally designed by Joe Raspante
in 1938. It won Best of Show in the
SAM Champs Concours. Bob
Angel photo.
Also included in this column:
• Concours
• Electric power
• Compressed-air power
• 1/2A Scale
• Glow fuel question
• Engine restoration services
THE DRY LAKE at Boulder City, Nevada,
was once again the site of the 2011 Society of
Antique Modelers (SAM) Champs. The
venue moves between Muncie, Indiana, and
Nevada on alternate years to split the travel
burden. This time Mother Nature pointed out
that even a dry lake needs some rain to retain
its status as a lake. And with rain comes wind.
Fortunately, the lakebed dried quickly,
so the RC pilots flew all five days. The FF
fliers weren’t as lucky because they
require less wind and more clear space to
operate, but they still fit their scheduled
events into the time available.
Earlier in the week there was a daily
wind pattern, which would have allowed
us to put up more flights in hindsight.
Uphill in Boulder, where some of us
stayed in an RV park, a “6-pound wind”
blew each morning. For those unfamiliar
with the term, a 6-pound wind is defined
as capable of blowing a 6-pound rock
across level ground.
Breakfast and the drive down to the
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:47 PM Page 128field was a casual affair. Meanwhile, down
on the flat lakebed, the morning hours were
perfectly calm, so the early risers got in
some good flying before the late morning
winds came. By the final two days, we had
the pattern figured out, but by then there
was ideal weather all day.
There were nearly 140 registered fliers,
but the number of flights was definitely
down this year because of weather.
I don’t have room for contest results
here, but complete event details—including
model designs, engines and flight scores—
should be available in SAM Speaks and on
the SAM website home page—click Contest
Cal—by the time you read this. See the
“Sources” listing.
Evening activities at the Champs
included an early informal banquet called
the “bean feed” and a swap meet, where one
can find enough old and new engines, kits,
and accessories to get a good start in the
Old-Timer (OT) movement. The annual
SAM membership meeting took place,
along with the Friday banquet and awards.
The Concours judging also took place
during the evening hours. When I entered
the hall where the Concours voting was
held, it was easy to spot the eventual Best of
Show winner. The striking rendition of the
Snow White model was the obvious choice.
Winners in several other categories were
less predictable, because there were somany finely crafted models.
To qualify for Concours judging, each
entry must make at least one qualifying
flight. Some of the models were flown in
regular competition, while others put in
only the qualifying flight. The Snow White
was flown for qualification, but later also
went for a demonstration flight by popular
demand.
When the column features a picture of a
particularly nice-looking model, I often
receive requests for a plans source from
potential builders. I’m sure the Snow White
will generate that kind of interest. Roland
Friestad, Editor of SAM Speaks, can supplythe plans, along with many other OT
designs. Check the “Sources” listings.
Electric power is gaining in popularity,
even in the OT movement. There was little
electric-powered flying in the early days,
but it did exist. Today “E” power isn’t a
concession to the green movement, but
rather to the tremendous performance
improvements of the equipment in recent
years. Possibly for the first time, the 25
electric entries in the RC Speed 400 event
surpassed that of both the popular 1/2A
Texaco and Class C Ignition events.
Compressed-air power is also seeing
resurgence among the FF fliers. In the early
years, compressed air was flown quite a bit,
along with rubber power, before gas
engines began to dominate. There are some
new and better compressed-air motors
currently being built, and modelers have
been exchanging information about
constructing lightweight tanks and
airframes. There’s still a low power-toweight
ratio, but that’s being slowly
overcome.
At a couple of recent SAM Champs,
Ron Boots put up a $100 cash prize for the
winner in the compressed-air category.
That, combined with the fascination of
something different, brought a nice turnout
of at least 13 fliers. The rules consist of
four short sentences in the SAM rule book.
One can build to a published model design,
or design your own. For safety, the air-tank
pressure is limited to 150 psi.
Compressed-air motors are simple but
interesting. They are available from one to
five cylinders, with the multicylinder power
plants normally arranged in radial fashion.
Compressed-air enthusiast Tom Lay
recommends Bert Pond’s book, Expansion
Engine Powered Model Aircraft, for
anyone who is interested. It has pictures,
plans, and is well narrated. Unfortunately,
it’s out of print, but it can sometimes be
found at swap meets or on eBay.
The 1/2A Scale event was discussed in the
October 2011 column, where I mentioned
the decline in participation. I arbitrarily
assigned the reason to be the small number
of competitive designs available.
This didn’t sound right to one enthusiast
who did some research, which we then
discussed at the SAM Champs. This man
has been a top competitor in the event, but
prefers to remain anonymous. He presented
some interesting data, charts, and graphs,
showing that there have actually been more
than 50 different designs flown at the SAM
Champs in 16 years. Nearly half had, at one
time or another, placed in the top five.
The decline in event participation
follows a general trend, but has seen a more
dramatic drop than average. Between 1998
and 2004, an average of 17 fliers
participated. But in the following seven
years, the average had dropped to six.Many of us have noticed that there
seems to be a broader variety of designs
flown in regular (non-Scale) 1/2A Texaco,
than in most other SAM events. The
consensus is that the sensitive little Cox
reed-valve engines are harder to master to
get a full run without a flameout.
Getting a steady, complete engine run
is often as important as the aircraft design
chosen, but for consistent success in either
1/2A event, you need both a reliable engine
run and a clean soaring design.
A glow fuel question came as email, which
may have enough general interest to share,
along with my answer.
“Bob: I read your article in the MA
October issue and was especially
interested in spark-ignition fuels. Circa
1946, I switched my Torp 29 (which I still
have) from ignition to glow. If memory
serves me, I ran the glow engine on 3:1 gas
and oil, until converting to alcohol and
Baker’s castor oil. Is that possible? I’m not
sure whether I used my new highcompression
head or not.
“Best regards, Frank Slavin.”
Yes, you can run gas and oil as glow
fuel. The engine can be harder to start and
adjust, and in a few cases you might have to
leave a small battery connected, because you
don’t get that catalytic action between the
methanol and the exotic metal on the plug.
You have to rely on mechanical heat alone
to keep the plug lit. High compression and
high speed help keep the temperature up. An
idle bar plug also might help.
I’ve flown the Texaco event with a
four-stroke engine using a 50/50 mix of
gas and methanol, plus compatible oil.
Gasoline stretches the measured fuel
allotment and also runs at a slightly higher
temperature, making most four-strokes
happier, while there’s enough methanol to
help keep the plug lit.
It’s not as effective as installing custom
breaker points to allow a spark plug to fire
gasoline/oil mix, but breaker points add a
little drag, so you can get good results
either way.
Engine restoration services are in short
supply after the passing of a couple of our
artisans who had performed this work for
years.
Walter Craig contacted me a while
back, asking that I mention his services.
Walt is a member of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA) and also
of SAM. He advertises restoration services,
including cosmetic detailing as well as
tune-up. I’ve seen his ads for years in
publications of the two organizations.
Because I haven’t used Walt’s services,
I can’t comment on the quality of his work,
but I’ve never heard any complaints. He
sent me an email address, but when I
Google it, I get a number of related
websites of interest, but can’t find anything
there listing his services. You might try via
the Google route, just to view some
interesting engines, model race cars, etc.
See the “Sources” listing for more
information. MA
Sources:
SAM
www.antiquemodeler.org
Roland Friestad
(309) 342-7474
[email protected]
Walter Craig Jr.
(717) 229-2840
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 128,129,130,132
128 MODEL AVIATION
SAM Champs 2011
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Gabrielle Montebelli, one of four fliers from Italy, launches for a
teammate. I believe this was Walter Gianati’s Diavolo 1/2A Texaco
aircraft. Angel photo.
Right: Tom Lay, who is a promoter of compressed-air power,
built this compressed-air-powered model. Angel photo.
Rich Minnick, from Northern
California, crafted this stunning
Snow White model, which was
originally designed by Joe Raspante
in 1938. It won Best of Show in the
SAM Champs Concours. Bob
Angel photo.
Also included in this column:
• Concours
• Electric power
• Compressed-air power
• 1/2A Scale
• Glow fuel question
• Engine restoration services
THE DRY LAKE at Boulder City, Nevada,
was once again the site of the 2011 Society of
Antique Modelers (SAM) Champs. The
venue moves between Muncie, Indiana, and
Nevada on alternate years to split the travel
burden. This time Mother Nature pointed out
that even a dry lake needs some rain to retain
its status as a lake. And with rain comes wind.
Fortunately, the lakebed dried quickly,
so the RC pilots flew all five days. The FF
fliers weren’t as lucky because they
require less wind and more clear space to
operate, but they still fit their scheduled
events into the time available.
Earlier in the week there was a daily
wind pattern, which would have allowed
us to put up more flights in hindsight.
Uphill in Boulder, where some of us
stayed in an RV park, a “6-pound wind”
blew each morning. For those unfamiliar
with the term, a 6-pound wind is defined
as capable of blowing a 6-pound rock
across level ground.
Breakfast and the drive down to the
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 4:47 PM Page 128field was a casual affair. Meanwhile, down
on the flat lakebed, the morning hours were
perfectly calm, so the early risers got in
some good flying before the late morning
winds came. By the final two days, we had
the pattern figured out, but by then there
was ideal weather all day.
There were nearly 140 registered fliers,
but the number of flights was definitely
down this year because of weather.
I don’t have room for contest results
here, but complete event details—including
model designs, engines and flight scores—
should be available in SAM Speaks and on
the SAM website home page—click Contest
Cal—by the time you read this. See the
“Sources” listing.
Evening activities at the Champs
included an early informal banquet called
the “bean feed” and a swap meet, where one
can find enough old and new engines, kits,
and accessories to get a good start in the
Old-Timer (OT) movement. The annual
SAM membership meeting took place,
along with the Friday banquet and awards.
The Concours judging also took place
during the evening hours. When I entered
the hall where the Concours voting was
held, it was easy to spot the eventual Best of
Show winner. The striking rendition of the
Snow White model was the obvious choice.
Winners in several other categories were
less predictable, because there were somany finely crafted models.
To qualify for Concours judging, each
entry must make at least one qualifying
flight. Some of the models were flown in
regular competition, while others put in
only the qualifying flight. The Snow White
was flown for qualification, but later also
went for a demonstration flight by popular
demand.
When the column features a picture of a
particularly nice-looking model, I often
receive requests for a plans source from
potential builders. I’m sure the Snow White
will generate that kind of interest. Roland
Friestad, Editor of SAM Speaks, can supplythe plans, along with many other OT
designs. Check the “Sources” listings.
Electric power is gaining in popularity,
even in the OT movement. There was little
electric-powered flying in the early days,
but it did exist. Today “E” power isn’t a
concession to the green movement, but
rather to the tremendous performance
improvements of the equipment in recent
years. Possibly for the first time, the 25
electric entries in the RC Speed 400 event
surpassed that of both the popular 1/2A
Texaco and Class C Ignition events.
Compressed-air power is also seeing
resurgence among the FF fliers. In the early
years, compressed air was flown quite a bit,
along with rubber power, before gas
engines began to dominate. There are some
new and better compressed-air motors
currently being built, and modelers have
been exchanging information about
constructing lightweight tanks and
airframes. There’s still a low power-toweight
ratio, but that’s being slowly
overcome.
At a couple of recent SAM Champs,
Ron Boots put up a $100 cash prize for the
winner in the compressed-air category.
That, combined with the fascination of
something different, brought a nice turnout
of at least 13 fliers. The rules consist of
four short sentences in the SAM rule book.
One can build to a published model design,
or design your own. For safety, the air-tank
pressure is limited to 150 psi.
Compressed-air motors are simple but
interesting. They are available from one to
five cylinders, with the multicylinder power
plants normally arranged in radial fashion.
Compressed-air enthusiast Tom Lay
recommends Bert Pond’s book, Expansion
Engine Powered Model Aircraft, for
anyone who is interested. It has pictures,
plans, and is well narrated. Unfortunately,
it’s out of print, but it can sometimes be
found at swap meets or on eBay.
The 1/2A Scale event was discussed in the
October 2011 column, where I mentioned
the decline in participation. I arbitrarily
assigned the reason to be the small number
of competitive designs available.
This didn’t sound right to one enthusiast
who did some research, which we then
discussed at the SAM Champs. This man
has been a top competitor in the event, but
prefers to remain anonymous. He presented
some interesting data, charts, and graphs,
showing that there have actually been more
than 50 different designs flown at the SAM
Champs in 16 years. Nearly half had, at one
time or another, placed in the top five.
The decline in event participation
follows a general trend, but has seen a more
dramatic drop than average. Between 1998
and 2004, an average of 17 fliers
participated. But in the following seven
years, the average had dropped to six.Many of us have noticed that there
seems to be a broader variety of designs
flown in regular (non-Scale) 1/2A Texaco,
than in most other SAM events. The
consensus is that the sensitive little Cox
reed-valve engines are harder to master to
get a full run without a flameout.
Getting a steady, complete engine run
is often as important as the aircraft design
chosen, but for consistent success in either
1/2A event, you need both a reliable engine
run and a clean soaring design.
A glow fuel question came as email, which
may have enough general interest to share,
along with my answer.
“Bob: I read your article in the MA
October issue and was especially
interested in spark-ignition fuels. Circa
1946, I switched my Torp 29 (which I still
have) from ignition to glow. If memory
serves me, I ran the glow engine on 3:1 gas
and oil, until converting to alcohol and
Baker’s castor oil. Is that possible? I’m not
sure whether I used my new highcompression
head or not.
“Best regards, Frank Slavin.”
Yes, you can run gas and oil as glow
fuel. The engine can be harder to start and
adjust, and in a few cases you might have to
leave a small battery connected, because you
don’t get that catalytic action between the
methanol and the exotic metal on the plug.
You have to rely on mechanical heat alone
to keep the plug lit. High compression and
high speed help keep the temperature up. An
idle bar plug also might help.
I’ve flown the Texaco event with a
four-stroke engine using a 50/50 mix of
gas and methanol, plus compatible oil.
Gasoline stretches the measured fuel
allotment and also runs at a slightly higher
temperature, making most four-strokes
happier, while there’s enough methanol to
help keep the plug lit.
It’s not as effective as installing custom
breaker points to allow a spark plug to fire
gasoline/oil mix, but breaker points add a
little drag, so you can get good results
either way.
Engine restoration services are in short
supply after the passing of a couple of our
artisans who had performed this work for
years.
Walter Craig contacted me a while
back, asking that I mention his services.
Walt is a member of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA) and also
of SAM. He advertises restoration services,
including cosmetic detailing as well as
tune-up. I’ve seen his ads for years in
publications of the two organizations.
Because I haven’t used Walt’s services,
I can’t comment on the quality of his work,
but I’ve never heard any complaints. He
sent me an email address, but when I
Google it, I get a number of related
websites of interest, but can’t find anything
there listing his services. You might try via
the Google route, just to view some
interesting engines, model race cars, etc.
See the “Sources” listing for more
information. MA
Sources:
SAM
www.antiquemodeler.org
Roland Friestad
(309) 342-7474
[email protected]
Walter Craig Jr.
(717) 229-2840
[email protected]
