December 2003 91
P r e c i s i o n A e r o b a t i c s
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
EACH YEAR THE National Championships
takes on its own unique personality. It begins
with the rumors of who is coming and what
they will bring to fly, along with the
anticipation of the unexpected. This year
weather was the biggest contributing factor to
the mood and pace of the contest, directly and
indirectly. While the wind and rain in Muncie
kept practice time to a minimum, the flooding
in Ohio kept Bill Werwage from attending the
contest, held July 6-12.
Wind all day with storms every evening
was the pattern for days. The pond at the front
of the AMA Headquarters building was so full
that one morning its edge met the road. The
large grass area used each year for practice
was soggy and unsuitable for flying. The
ground was so wet that the Beginner and
Intermediate events were flown on two circles
of the paved L-Pad.
Big improvements this year at the National
Flying Site were the resurfacing and leveling
of the L-Pad and the addition of two new
Racing circles a couple hundred yards away.
We were told that there would be limited
practice time available for Stunt on the
Racing circles, but it seemed as if every time
we looked over there a pattern was being flown.
The grass along the L-Pad was muddy, which really cut down on
the number of people sitting under tents along the fence line. It was
not until the morning of the Walker Cup flyoff that I witnessed
someone sitting under one. Although the mud forced more people
closer to the circles, the week seemed to lack for not having tents
along the fence for socializing.
Rich Peabody ran the Beginner and Intermediate events again,
and the pilots seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Beginners
did express a concern about flying over the pavement, but everyone
Bob Gieseke fuels his Bear for an official flight.
In his 10th year as pit boss, Woody Midgley (right) is observed
trying to keep Gene Martine in line. Gordan Delaney with the semiscale Tony that he designed.
seemed to deal well with it. The wind was not too bad, but it was not
“Stunt Heaven” air.
Monday morning was cool and overcast, with 10-15 mph wind.
Classic and Old Time Event Director Gene Martine asked for fliers
to fuel in the pits to keep things moving because the conditions were
expected to worsen as the day went on.
With puddles on the L-Pad and cool, driving air, Bob Hunt made
the first flight in Classic. He knew he would have the best air of the
day and that he would have to make his first one count. He put up a
CONTROL LINE
92 MODEL AVIATION
superb wind flight, and the judges scored it accordingly. It was a
solid flight, and it would be chased for the rest of the rounds. I never
saw this side of Bob—the competitor—before. He watched in great
anticipation as each flight was flown.
Gerry Phelps and John Simpson had great efforts, but the wind
was pushing them around quite a bit. Near the end of the first round,
Gordan Delaney, flying his familiar Colossus, put up a great flight
that placed him within five points of Bob.
The storms were coming in fast, so a long break was called
between rounds. The weather was much worse in the afternoon
session. Of the 15 fliers in Classic, 11 decided to pass on the second
round. The scores from the morning session stood and Bob Hunt took
first place, followed by Gordan Delaney, and Gerry Phelps finished
third flying a pretty Patriot.
In Old Time it was a different story. Of the 14 fliers, only three
passed the entire day. Even with all of the wind after the break,
pilots were completing their patterns and getting better scores than
those in the morning.
Gerry and Merry Phelps with their model in the foreground.
Left: Open winners (standing, L-R) Randy
Smith (fourth), Konstantin Bajaikine (fifth),
Richard Oliver (third), and Ted Fancher
(second). National Champion David
Fitzgerald is kneeling in front.
Above: 2003 National Champion and
Walker Cup winner David Fitzgerald.
Classic Stunt winner Bob Hunt holds his Caprice.
CONTROL LINE
December 2003 93
Bart Klapinski led the first round, but he was only a few points in
front of Jim Lee. In third place was Charles Reeves flying a way-toopretty
Victory. With all of the scores improving in the second round,
it was a battle to the end, but the placing did not change. Bart
Klapinski finished first, with Jim Lee and Charles Reeves in second
and third places.
Appearance judging for Advanced and Open was held in a
crowded, dark room at a local country club. Fine details that were
well executed on darker models seemed to get lost, and many
mistakes on models that would have been obvious in normal light
went unnoticed. In spite of the light, two models were deservingly
placed in the front row.
Windy Urtnowski’s B-25 and Bob Gieseke’s Bear were a huge
contrast in styles, yet they sat side by side. Both models were
exceptional and worthy of sharing the 19-point front row. The detail
on Windy’s bomber was neatly done, with all of the shine you would
expect from him.
Bob’s Bear was a “modeler’s model.” It was an exceptionally
well-built Precision Aerobatics airplane that made you want to stare.
This Bear had an appeal that was different from the last few versions
and more reminiscent of his early Noblers, only way more cool.
The weather held out for the two days of Advanced and Open
qualifying, although both days had gray skies with a few storms that
seemed to just miss. There was a steady breeze, and it worsened the
second day as a huge storm front approached.
This year Advanced had 26 entries, with quite a few of last year’s
Advanced fliers making the move to Open. That resulted in fewer
Advanced entries and opportunities for those fliers who decided to
stay.
Rob Gruber showed up well practiced and seemed to own the
event for both of the qualifying days. He was locked in, flying clean
patterns again and again. Trailing Rob on that circle were Orestes
Hernandez and Allen Goff. On the other circle Josias Delgado, Kent
Tysor, and Rich Giacobone were all close and leading their group.
Open had 39 entries, which is fairly consistent with recent
years’ attendance. Providing excitement, the team was back from
the World Championships and some real battles for positions in the
top 10 were expected.
Advanced National Champion Kent Tysor with his Strega.
Dan Banjock smiles as he gets his P-51 pull-tested. Randy Smith signals judges on Top 5 Day; Curt Contrata assists.
Konstantin Bajaikine prepares for a flight on Top 20 Day.
CONTROL LINE
94 MODEL AVIATION
On Circle One, Ted Fancher had the
high score both days and led that group
throughout qualifying. Chasing Ted were
Todd Lee, Doug Moon, and Windy
Urtnowski, all in a cluster. Frank Williams
was not far behind them, flying an Impact
and looking strong.
On Circle Two, David Fitzgerald led
every round and was flying well. Behind
David and looking good but in a tie were
Bill Rich and Brett Buck. Gordan Delaney
flew a semiscale Tony of his own design
that was as impressive up close as it was in
the air. It was the only four-stroke-powered
model in the top 20, and it flew incredibly
well.
Gordan found himself chasing the
leaders with Frank McMillan and Randy
Smith. The day ended with a storm moving
in and not a very promising forecast for
Friday.
Top 20 Day was by far the windiest day of
any recent Nationals and the worst I have
seen in Muncie. The gazebo and the food
tent were not helping the conditions that
day. They caused the strong winds to swirl,
especially on Circle Four.
The conditions were brutal all day, and
there were several crashes and one flyaway.
Pilots in Advanced and Open chose
to pass at the same rate because of
conditions; approximately 25% passed in
the first round and 60% passed in the
second.
However, some of the most spectacular
flying many had ever witnessed took place
that day. Quite a few fliers had a difficult
time in the first round. In the severe wind
the models with less side area seemed to
have an advantage and models with more
side area seemed more susceptible to
getting caught in the wind. Another factor
that gave certain models an edge was being
set up to penetrate the strong head wind.
The contestants had a difficult time in
Advanced. There were several crashes, and
many fliers could not complete the pattern. Tabulators (L-R) Shareen Fancher, Sandy Contrata, and Elaine Brookins.
The winners in Old Time Stunt were (left to right) Allen Brickhaus (fourth), Jim Lee
(second), Bart Klapinski (first), and Charles Reeves (third).
Rob Gruber passed on the second round,
deciding that it was not worth the risk. Kent
Tysor flew to a first-place finish with his
new RO-Jett .61-powered Strega, with
Orestes Hernandez in second place and
Alberto Haber in third.
In Open the day began with Windy
Urtnowski and his B-25. It seemed as
though all eyes were watching as Windy
muscled the bomber through the pattern. It
was not the prettiest flight of his career, but
he proved that it could be done. Following
Windy were David Fitzgerald and Frank
McMillan, both of whom proved not only
that it could be done, but that it could be
done with reasonable precision.
Randy Smith was getting ready to start
when Todd Lee got blown out of his Clover
on the adjacent circle and crashed. This
caused a few fliers to pass and drop out.
Randy then performed a solid flight, which
posted a score that stood as the day’s high
score until Ted Fancher flew at the end of
the round.
There was more bad luck, and this time
it was Bill Rich’s turn. Bill fueled in the
pits, and while he was walking his airplane
to the circle, the wind picked up the tail and
flooded the engine. He took his first
attempt. The wind got under the tail again
on his second attempt; that time it was on
the takeoff, catching the propeller and
removing Bill from the competition.
Most scores went down in the second
round, but Richard Oliver’s and Konstantin
Bajaikine’s improved. Richard flew
consistently all week and seemed to enjoy
flying in the wind. With an SV-22 and an
RO-Jett .61 engine, he put up two good
wind flights. Konstantin worked hard to stay
with his light airplane, amazing everyone
that it could go through the wind.
Bob Gieseke and Randy Smith had the
most-talked-about flights. Bob fell down at
one point while running backward, yet he
continued to fly the airplane while he was
on his back. His Bear had a tough time in
the wind with all of its side area, in spite of
the growling PA .65 engine and a four-blade
Bolly propeller.
In the second round, Randy was hit with
“Tent Turbulence” when flying his
Hourglass; it was so bad that it blew his
Katana into the wind and toward the judges!
He turned the top right corner of the
maneuver—the one that was supposed to be
over his right shoulder—3 feet off of the
ground at the judges’ feet.
Then he turned the third corner, hit his
intersection, and had a 5-foot bottom on
the other side of the circle to complete the
maneuver. His flight was a lesson in
staying with the airplane and finishing
every maneuver.
CONTROL LINE
Saturday was Stunt Heaven for the flyoffs.
The sun finally came out and winds were 5-7
mph all day. Ted Fancher, Richard Oliver,
David Fitzgerald, Konstantin Bajaikine, and
Randy Smith advanced to the finals.
Ted flew well and led until the final
round. Everyone’s scores improved as the
rounds went on, but his score dropped on his
last flight and he slipped behind David by
4.8 points. With almost the same spread,
Richard finished in third place, Randy
garnered fourth, and Konstantin finished in
fifth place.
There were no entries in Junior and four
in Senior. It was no surprise when Rob
Gruber burned in two more solid flights,
taking first place in Senior. He was followed
by Christopher Rud in second place, Josh
Condon in third, and Wade Schoonover
taking fourth.
The flyoff for the Walker Cup was a
battle this year; Rob Gruber really gave
David Fitzgerald a run for it. Rob never gave
up and was in it to win, outscoring David on
one round and finishing just 8.6 points
behind him in the final tally.
Congratulations to 2003 United States
National Champion David Fitzgerald.
Congratulations also to Windy Urtnowski for
winning the Concours award and to Steve
Millet for being named Rookie of the Year,
finishing in 12th place. In spite of the
weather, it was a great contest. M
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/12
Page Numbers: 91,92,93,94,95
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/12
Page Numbers: 91,92,93,94,95
December 2003 91
P r e c i s i o n A e r o b a t i c s
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
EACH YEAR THE National Championships
takes on its own unique personality. It begins
with the rumors of who is coming and what
they will bring to fly, along with the
anticipation of the unexpected. This year
weather was the biggest contributing factor to
the mood and pace of the contest, directly and
indirectly. While the wind and rain in Muncie
kept practice time to a minimum, the flooding
in Ohio kept Bill Werwage from attending the
contest, held July 6-12.
Wind all day with storms every evening
was the pattern for days. The pond at the front
of the AMA Headquarters building was so full
that one morning its edge met the road. The
large grass area used each year for practice
was soggy and unsuitable for flying. The
ground was so wet that the Beginner and
Intermediate events were flown on two circles
of the paved L-Pad.
Big improvements this year at the National
Flying Site were the resurfacing and leveling
of the L-Pad and the addition of two new
Racing circles a couple hundred yards away.
We were told that there would be limited
practice time available for Stunt on the
Racing circles, but it seemed as if every time
we looked over there a pattern was being flown.
The grass along the L-Pad was muddy, which really cut down on
the number of people sitting under tents along the fence line. It was
not until the morning of the Walker Cup flyoff that I witnessed
someone sitting under one. Although the mud forced more people
closer to the circles, the week seemed to lack for not having tents
along the fence for socializing.
Rich Peabody ran the Beginner and Intermediate events again,
and the pilots seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Beginners
did express a concern about flying over the pavement, but everyone
Bob Gieseke fuels his Bear for an official flight.
In his 10th year as pit boss, Woody Midgley (right) is observed
trying to keep Gene Martine in line. Gordan Delaney with the semiscale Tony that he designed.
seemed to deal well with it. The wind was not too bad, but it was not
“Stunt Heaven” air.
Monday morning was cool and overcast, with 10-15 mph wind.
Classic and Old Time Event Director Gene Martine asked for fliers
to fuel in the pits to keep things moving because the conditions were
expected to worsen as the day went on.
With puddles on the L-Pad and cool, driving air, Bob Hunt made
the first flight in Classic. He knew he would have the best air of the
day and that he would have to make his first one count. He put up a
CONTROL LINE
92 MODEL AVIATION
superb wind flight, and the judges scored it accordingly. It was a
solid flight, and it would be chased for the rest of the rounds. I never
saw this side of Bob—the competitor—before. He watched in great
anticipation as each flight was flown.
Gerry Phelps and John Simpson had great efforts, but the wind
was pushing them around quite a bit. Near the end of the first round,
Gordan Delaney, flying his familiar Colossus, put up a great flight
that placed him within five points of Bob.
The storms were coming in fast, so a long break was called
between rounds. The weather was much worse in the afternoon
session. Of the 15 fliers in Classic, 11 decided to pass on the second
round. The scores from the morning session stood and Bob Hunt took
first place, followed by Gordan Delaney, and Gerry Phelps finished
third flying a pretty Patriot.
In Old Time it was a different story. Of the 14 fliers, only three
passed the entire day. Even with all of the wind after the break,
pilots were completing their patterns and getting better scores than
those in the morning.
Gerry and Merry Phelps with their model in the foreground.
Left: Open winners (standing, L-R) Randy
Smith (fourth), Konstantin Bajaikine (fifth),
Richard Oliver (third), and Ted Fancher
(second). National Champion David
Fitzgerald is kneeling in front.
Above: 2003 National Champion and
Walker Cup winner David Fitzgerald.
Classic Stunt winner Bob Hunt holds his Caprice.
CONTROL LINE
December 2003 93
Bart Klapinski led the first round, but he was only a few points in
front of Jim Lee. In third place was Charles Reeves flying a way-toopretty
Victory. With all of the scores improving in the second round,
it was a battle to the end, but the placing did not change. Bart
Klapinski finished first, with Jim Lee and Charles Reeves in second
and third places.
Appearance judging for Advanced and Open was held in a
crowded, dark room at a local country club. Fine details that were
well executed on darker models seemed to get lost, and many
mistakes on models that would have been obvious in normal light
went unnoticed. In spite of the light, two models were deservingly
placed in the front row.
Windy Urtnowski’s B-25 and Bob Gieseke’s Bear were a huge
contrast in styles, yet they sat side by side. Both models were
exceptional and worthy of sharing the 19-point front row. The detail
on Windy’s bomber was neatly done, with all of the shine you would
expect from him.
Bob’s Bear was a “modeler’s model.” It was an exceptionally
well-built Precision Aerobatics airplane that made you want to stare.
This Bear had an appeal that was different from the last few versions
and more reminiscent of his early Noblers, only way more cool.
The weather held out for the two days of Advanced and Open
qualifying, although both days had gray skies with a few storms that
seemed to just miss. There was a steady breeze, and it worsened the
second day as a huge storm front approached.
This year Advanced had 26 entries, with quite a few of last year’s
Advanced fliers making the move to Open. That resulted in fewer
Advanced entries and opportunities for those fliers who decided to
stay.
Rob Gruber showed up well practiced and seemed to own the
event for both of the qualifying days. He was locked in, flying clean
patterns again and again. Trailing Rob on that circle were Orestes
Hernandez and Allen Goff. On the other circle Josias Delgado, Kent
Tysor, and Rich Giacobone were all close and leading their group.
Open had 39 entries, which is fairly consistent with recent
years’ attendance. Providing excitement, the team was back from
the World Championships and some real battles for positions in the
top 10 were expected.
Advanced National Champion Kent Tysor with his Strega.
Dan Banjock smiles as he gets his P-51 pull-tested. Randy Smith signals judges on Top 5 Day; Curt Contrata assists.
Konstantin Bajaikine prepares for a flight on Top 20 Day.
CONTROL LINE
94 MODEL AVIATION
On Circle One, Ted Fancher had the
high score both days and led that group
throughout qualifying. Chasing Ted were
Todd Lee, Doug Moon, and Windy
Urtnowski, all in a cluster. Frank Williams
was not far behind them, flying an Impact
and looking strong.
On Circle Two, David Fitzgerald led
every round and was flying well. Behind
David and looking good but in a tie were
Bill Rich and Brett Buck. Gordan Delaney
flew a semiscale Tony of his own design
that was as impressive up close as it was in
the air. It was the only four-stroke-powered
model in the top 20, and it flew incredibly
well.
Gordan found himself chasing the
leaders with Frank McMillan and Randy
Smith. The day ended with a storm moving
in and not a very promising forecast for
Friday.
Top 20 Day was by far the windiest day of
any recent Nationals and the worst I have
seen in Muncie. The gazebo and the food
tent were not helping the conditions that
day. They caused the strong winds to swirl,
especially on Circle Four.
The conditions were brutal all day, and
there were several crashes and one flyaway.
Pilots in Advanced and Open chose
to pass at the same rate because of
conditions; approximately 25% passed in
the first round and 60% passed in the
second.
However, some of the most spectacular
flying many had ever witnessed took place
that day. Quite a few fliers had a difficult
time in the first round. In the severe wind
the models with less side area seemed to
have an advantage and models with more
side area seemed more susceptible to
getting caught in the wind. Another factor
that gave certain models an edge was being
set up to penetrate the strong head wind.
The contestants had a difficult time in
Advanced. There were several crashes, and
many fliers could not complete the pattern. Tabulators (L-R) Shareen Fancher, Sandy Contrata, and Elaine Brookins.
The winners in Old Time Stunt were (left to right) Allen Brickhaus (fourth), Jim Lee
(second), Bart Klapinski (first), and Charles Reeves (third).
Rob Gruber passed on the second round,
deciding that it was not worth the risk. Kent
Tysor flew to a first-place finish with his
new RO-Jett .61-powered Strega, with
Orestes Hernandez in second place and
Alberto Haber in third.
In Open the day began with Windy
Urtnowski and his B-25. It seemed as
though all eyes were watching as Windy
muscled the bomber through the pattern. It
was not the prettiest flight of his career, but
he proved that it could be done. Following
Windy were David Fitzgerald and Frank
McMillan, both of whom proved not only
that it could be done, but that it could be
done with reasonable precision.
Randy Smith was getting ready to start
when Todd Lee got blown out of his Clover
on the adjacent circle and crashed. This
caused a few fliers to pass and drop out.
Randy then performed a solid flight, which
posted a score that stood as the day’s high
score until Ted Fancher flew at the end of
the round.
There was more bad luck, and this time
it was Bill Rich’s turn. Bill fueled in the
pits, and while he was walking his airplane
to the circle, the wind picked up the tail and
flooded the engine. He took his first
attempt. The wind got under the tail again
on his second attempt; that time it was on
the takeoff, catching the propeller and
removing Bill from the competition.
Most scores went down in the second
round, but Richard Oliver’s and Konstantin
Bajaikine’s improved. Richard flew
consistently all week and seemed to enjoy
flying in the wind. With an SV-22 and an
RO-Jett .61 engine, he put up two good
wind flights. Konstantin worked hard to stay
with his light airplane, amazing everyone
that it could go through the wind.
Bob Gieseke and Randy Smith had the
most-talked-about flights. Bob fell down at
one point while running backward, yet he
continued to fly the airplane while he was
on his back. His Bear had a tough time in
the wind with all of its side area, in spite of
the growling PA .65 engine and a four-blade
Bolly propeller.
In the second round, Randy was hit with
“Tent Turbulence” when flying his
Hourglass; it was so bad that it blew his
Katana into the wind and toward the judges!
He turned the top right corner of the
maneuver—the one that was supposed to be
over his right shoulder—3 feet off of the
ground at the judges’ feet.
Then he turned the third corner, hit his
intersection, and had a 5-foot bottom on
the other side of the circle to complete the
maneuver. His flight was a lesson in
staying with the airplane and finishing
every maneuver.
CONTROL LINE
Saturday was Stunt Heaven for the flyoffs.
The sun finally came out and winds were 5-7
mph all day. Ted Fancher, Richard Oliver,
David Fitzgerald, Konstantin Bajaikine, and
Randy Smith advanced to the finals.
Ted flew well and led until the final
round. Everyone’s scores improved as the
rounds went on, but his score dropped on his
last flight and he slipped behind David by
4.8 points. With almost the same spread,
Richard finished in third place, Randy
garnered fourth, and Konstantin finished in
fifth place.
There were no entries in Junior and four
in Senior. It was no surprise when Rob
Gruber burned in two more solid flights,
taking first place in Senior. He was followed
by Christopher Rud in second place, Josh
Condon in third, and Wade Schoonover
taking fourth.
The flyoff for the Walker Cup was a
battle this year; Rob Gruber really gave
David Fitzgerald a run for it. Rob never gave
up and was in it to win, outscoring David on
one round and finishing just 8.6 points
behind him in the final tally.
Congratulations to 2003 United States
National Champion David Fitzgerald.
Congratulations also to Windy Urtnowski for
winning the Concours award and to Steve
Millet for being named Rookie of the Year,
finishing in 12th place. In spite of the
weather, it was a great contest. M
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/12
Page Numbers: 91,92,93,94,95
December 2003 91
P r e c i s i o n A e r o b a t i c s
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
EACH YEAR THE National Championships
takes on its own unique personality. It begins
with the rumors of who is coming and what
they will bring to fly, along with the
anticipation of the unexpected. This year
weather was the biggest contributing factor to
the mood and pace of the contest, directly and
indirectly. While the wind and rain in Muncie
kept practice time to a minimum, the flooding
in Ohio kept Bill Werwage from attending the
contest, held July 6-12.
Wind all day with storms every evening
was the pattern for days. The pond at the front
of the AMA Headquarters building was so full
that one morning its edge met the road. The
large grass area used each year for practice
was soggy and unsuitable for flying. The
ground was so wet that the Beginner and
Intermediate events were flown on two circles
of the paved L-Pad.
Big improvements this year at the National
Flying Site were the resurfacing and leveling
of the L-Pad and the addition of two new
Racing circles a couple hundred yards away.
We were told that there would be limited
practice time available for Stunt on the
Racing circles, but it seemed as if every time
we looked over there a pattern was being flown.
The grass along the L-Pad was muddy, which really cut down on
the number of people sitting under tents along the fence line. It was
not until the morning of the Walker Cup flyoff that I witnessed
someone sitting under one. Although the mud forced more people
closer to the circles, the week seemed to lack for not having tents
along the fence for socializing.
Rich Peabody ran the Beginner and Intermediate events again,
and the pilots seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Beginners
did express a concern about flying over the pavement, but everyone
Bob Gieseke fuels his Bear for an official flight.
In his 10th year as pit boss, Woody Midgley (right) is observed
trying to keep Gene Martine in line. Gordan Delaney with the semiscale Tony that he designed.
seemed to deal well with it. The wind was not too bad, but it was not
“Stunt Heaven” air.
Monday morning was cool and overcast, with 10-15 mph wind.
Classic and Old Time Event Director Gene Martine asked for fliers
to fuel in the pits to keep things moving because the conditions were
expected to worsen as the day went on.
With puddles on the L-Pad and cool, driving air, Bob Hunt made
the first flight in Classic. He knew he would have the best air of the
day and that he would have to make his first one count. He put up a
CONTROL LINE
92 MODEL AVIATION
superb wind flight, and the judges scored it accordingly. It was a
solid flight, and it would be chased for the rest of the rounds. I never
saw this side of Bob—the competitor—before. He watched in great
anticipation as each flight was flown.
Gerry Phelps and John Simpson had great efforts, but the wind
was pushing them around quite a bit. Near the end of the first round,
Gordan Delaney, flying his familiar Colossus, put up a great flight
that placed him within five points of Bob.
The storms were coming in fast, so a long break was called
between rounds. The weather was much worse in the afternoon
session. Of the 15 fliers in Classic, 11 decided to pass on the second
round. The scores from the morning session stood and Bob Hunt took
first place, followed by Gordan Delaney, and Gerry Phelps finished
third flying a pretty Patriot.
In Old Time it was a different story. Of the 14 fliers, only three
passed the entire day. Even with all of the wind after the break,
pilots were completing their patterns and getting better scores than
those in the morning.
Gerry and Merry Phelps with their model in the foreground.
Left: Open winners (standing, L-R) Randy
Smith (fourth), Konstantin Bajaikine (fifth),
Richard Oliver (third), and Ted Fancher
(second). National Champion David
Fitzgerald is kneeling in front.
Above: 2003 National Champion and
Walker Cup winner David Fitzgerald.
Classic Stunt winner Bob Hunt holds his Caprice.
CONTROL LINE
December 2003 93
Bart Klapinski led the first round, but he was only a few points in
front of Jim Lee. In third place was Charles Reeves flying a way-toopretty
Victory. With all of the scores improving in the second round,
it was a battle to the end, but the placing did not change. Bart
Klapinski finished first, with Jim Lee and Charles Reeves in second
and third places.
Appearance judging for Advanced and Open was held in a
crowded, dark room at a local country club. Fine details that were
well executed on darker models seemed to get lost, and many
mistakes on models that would have been obvious in normal light
went unnoticed. In spite of the light, two models were deservingly
placed in the front row.
Windy Urtnowski’s B-25 and Bob Gieseke’s Bear were a huge
contrast in styles, yet they sat side by side. Both models were
exceptional and worthy of sharing the 19-point front row. The detail
on Windy’s bomber was neatly done, with all of the shine you would
expect from him.
Bob’s Bear was a “modeler’s model.” It was an exceptionally
well-built Precision Aerobatics airplane that made you want to stare.
This Bear had an appeal that was different from the last few versions
and more reminiscent of his early Noblers, only way more cool.
The weather held out for the two days of Advanced and Open
qualifying, although both days had gray skies with a few storms that
seemed to just miss. There was a steady breeze, and it worsened the
second day as a huge storm front approached.
This year Advanced had 26 entries, with quite a few of last year’s
Advanced fliers making the move to Open. That resulted in fewer
Advanced entries and opportunities for those fliers who decided to
stay.
Rob Gruber showed up well practiced and seemed to own the
event for both of the qualifying days. He was locked in, flying clean
patterns again and again. Trailing Rob on that circle were Orestes
Hernandez and Allen Goff. On the other circle Josias Delgado, Kent
Tysor, and Rich Giacobone were all close and leading their group.
Open had 39 entries, which is fairly consistent with recent
years’ attendance. Providing excitement, the team was back from
the World Championships and some real battles for positions in the
top 10 were expected.
Advanced National Champion Kent Tysor with his Strega.
Dan Banjock smiles as he gets his P-51 pull-tested. Randy Smith signals judges on Top 5 Day; Curt Contrata assists.
Konstantin Bajaikine prepares for a flight on Top 20 Day.
CONTROL LINE
94 MODEL AVIATION
On Circle One, Ted Fancher had the
high score both days and led that group
throughout qualifying. Chasing Ted were
Todd Lee, Doug Moon, and Windy
Urtnowski, all in a cluster. Frank Williams
was not far behind them, flying an Impact
and looking strong.
On Circle Two, David Fitzgerald led
every round and was flying well. Behind
David and looking good but in a tie were
Bill Rich and Brett Buck. Gordan Delaney
flew a semiscale Tony of his own design
that was as impressive up close as it was in
the air. It was the only four-stroke-powered
model in the top 20, and it flew incredibly
well.
Gordan found himself chasing the
leaders with Frank McMillan and Randy
Smith. The day ended with a storm moving
in and not a very promising forecast for
Friday.
Top 20 Day was by far the windiest day of
any recent Nationals and the worst I have
seen in Muncie. The gazebo and the food
tent were not helping the conditions that
day. They caused the strong winds to swirl,
especially on Circle Four.
The conditions were brutal all day, and
there were several crashes and one flyaway.
Pilots in Advanced and Open chose
to pass at the same rate because of
conditions; approximately 25% passed in
the first round and 60% passed in the
second.
However, some of the most spectacular
flying many had ever witnessed took place
that day. Quite a few fliers had a difficult
time in the first round. In the severe wind
the models with less side area seemed to
have an advantage and models with more
side area seemed more susceptible to
getting caught in the wind. Another factor
that gave certain models an edge was being
set up to penetrate the strong head wind.
The contestants had a difficult time in
Advanced. There were several crashes, and
many fliers could not complete the pattern. Tabulators (L-R) Shareen Fancher, Sandy Contrata, and Elaine Brookins.
The winners in Old Time Stunt were (left to right) Allen Brickhaus (fourth), Jim Lee
(second), Bart Klapinski (first), and Charles Reeves (third).
Rob Gruber passed on the second round,
deciding that it was not worth the risk. Kent
Tysor flew to a first-place finish with his
new RO-Jett .61-powered Strega, with
Orestes Hernandez in second place and
Alberto Haber in third.
In Open the day began with Windy
Urtnowski and his B-25. It seemed as
though all eyes were watching as Windy
muscled the bomber through the pattern. It
was not the prettiest flight of his career, but
he proved that it could be done. Following
Windy were David Fitzgerald and Frank
McMillan, both of whom proved not only
that it could be done, but that it could be
done with reasonable precision.
Randy Smith was getting ready to start
when Todd Lee got blown out of his Clover
on the adjacent circle and crashed. This
caused a few fliers to pass and drop out.
Randy then performed a solid flight, which
posted a score that stood as the day’s high
score until Ted Fancher flew at the end of
the round.
There was more bad luck, and this time
it was Bill Rich’s turn. Bill fueled in the
pits, and while he was walking his airplane
to the circle, the wind picked up the tail and
flooded the engine. He took his first
attempt. The wind got under the tail again
on his second attempt; that time it was on
the takeoff, catching the propeller and
removing Bill from the competition.
Most scores went down in the second
round, but Richard Oliver’s and Konstantin
Bajaikine’s improved. Richard flew
consistently all week and seemed to enjoy
flying in the wind. With an SV-22 and an
RO-Jett .61 engine, he put up two good
wind flights. Konstantin worked hard to stay
with his light airplane, amazing everyone
that it could go through the wind.
Bob Gieseke and Randy Smith had the
most-talked-about flights. Bob fell down at
one point while running backward, yet he
continued to fly the airplane while he was
on his back. His Bear had a tough time in
the wind with all of its side area, in spite of
the growling PA .65 engine and a four-blade
Bolly propeller.
In the second round, Randy was hit with
“Tent Turbulence” when flying his
Hourglass; it was so bad that it blew his
Katana into the wind and toward the judges!
He turned the top right corner of the
maneuver—the one that was supposed to be
over his right shoulder—3 feet off of the
ground at the judges’ feet.
Then he turned the third corner, hit his
intersection, and had a 5-foot bottom on
the other side of the circle to complete the
maneuver. His flight was a lesson in
staying with the airplane and finishing
every maneuver.
CONTROL LINE
Saturday was Stunt Heaven for the flyoffs.
The sun finally came out and winds were 5-7
mph all day. Ted Fancher, Richard Oliver,
David Fitzgerald, Konstantin Bajaikine, and
Randy Smith advanced to the finals.
Ted flew well and led until the final
round. Everyone’s scores improved as the
rounds went on, but his score dropped on his
last flight and he slipped behind David by
4.8 points. With almost the same spread,
Richard finished in third place, Randy
garnered fourth, and Konstantin finished in
fifth place.
There were no entries in Junior and four
in Senior. It was no surprise when Rob
Gruber burned in two more solid flights,
taking first place in Senior. He was followed
by Christopher Rud in second place, Josh
Condon in third, and Wade Schoonover
taking fourth.
The flyoff for the Walker Cup was a
battle this year; Rob Gruber really gave
David Fitzgerald a run for it. Rob never gave
up and was in it to win, outscoring David on
one round and finishing just 8.6 points
behind him in the final tally.
Congratulations to 2003 United States
National Champion David Fitzgerald.
Congratulations also to Windy Urtnowski for
winning the Concours award and to Steve
Millet for being named Rookie of the Year,
finishing in 12th place. In spite of the
weather, it was a great contest. M
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/12
Page Numbers: 91,92,93,94,95
December 2003 91
P r e c i s i o n A e r o b a t i c s
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
EACH YEAR THE National Championships
takes on its own unique personality. It begins
with the rumors of who is coming and what
they will bring to fly, along with the
anticipation of the unexpected. This year
weather was the biggest contributing factor to
the mood and pace of the contest, directly and
indirectly. While the wind and rain in Muncie
kept practice time to a minimum, the flooding
in Ohio kept Bill Werwage from attending the
contest, held July 6-12.
Wind all day with storms every evening
was the pattern for days. The pond at the front
of the AMA Headquarters building was so full
that one morning its edge met the road. The
large grass area used each year for practice
was soggy and unsuitable for flying. The
ground was so wet that the Beginner and
Intermediate events were flown on two circles
of the paved L-Pad.
Big improvements this year at the National
Flying Site were the resurfacing and leveling
of the L-Pad and the addition of two new
Racing circles a couple hundred yards away.
We were told that there would be limited
practice time available for Stunt on the
Racing circles, but it seemed as if every time
we looked over there a pattern was being flown.
The grass along the L-Pad was muddy, which really cut down on
the number of people sitting under tents along the fence line. It was
not until the morning of the Walker Cup flyoff that I witnessed
someone sitting under one. Although the mud forced more people
closer to the circles, the week seemed to lack for not having tents
along the fence for socializing.
Rich Peabody ran the Beginner and Intermediate events again,
and the pilots seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Beginners
did express a concern about flying over the pavement, but everyone
Bob Gieseke fuels his Bear for an official flight.
In his 10th year as pit boss, Woody Midgley (right) is observed
trying to keep Gene Martine in line. Gordan Delaney with the semiscale Tony that he designed.
seemed to deal well with it. The wind was not too bad, but it was not
“Stunt Heaven” air.
Monday morning was cool and overcast, with 10-15 mph wind.
Classic and Old Time Event Director Gene Martine asked for fliers
to fuel in the pits to keep things moving because the conditions were
expected to worsen as the day went on.
With puddles on the L-Pad and cool, driving air, Bob Hunt made
the first flight in Classic. He knew he would have the best air of the
day and that he would have to make his first one count. He put up a
CONTROL LINE
92 MODEL AVIATION
superb wind flight, and the judges scored it accordingly. It was a
solid flight, and it would be chased for the rest of the rounds. I never
saw this side of Bob—the competitor—before. He watched in great
anticipation as each flight was flown.
Gerry Phelps and John Simpson had great efforts, but the wind
was pushing them around quite a bit. Near the end of the first round,
Gordan Delaney, flying his familiar Colossus, put up a great flight
that placed him within five points of Bob.
The storms were coming in fast, so a long break was called
between rounds. The weather was much worse in the afternoon
session. Of the 15 fliers in Classic, 11 decided to pass on the second
round. The scores from the morning session stood and Bob Hunt took
first place, followed by Gordan Delaney, and Gerry Phelps finished
third flying a pretty Patriot.
In Old Time it was a different story. Of the 14 fliers, only three
passed the entire day. Even with all of the wind after the break,
pilots were completing their patterns and getting better scores than
those in the morning.
Gerry and Merry Phelps with their model in the foreground.
Left: Open winners (standing, L-R) Randy
Smith (fourth), Konstantin Bajaikine (fifth),
Richard Oliver (third), and Ted Fancher
(second). National Champion David
Fitzgerald is kneeling in front.
Above: 2003 National Champion and
Walker Cup winner David Fitzgerald.
Classic Stunt winner Bob Hunt holds his Caprice.
CONTROL LINE
December 2003 93
Bart Klapinski led the first round, but he was only a few points in
front of Jim Lee. In third place was Charles Reeves flying a way-toopretty
Victory. With all of the scores improving in the second round,
it was a battle to the end, but the placing did not change. Bart
Klapinski finished first, with Jim Lee and Charles Reeves in second
and third places.
Appearance judging for Advanced and Open was held in a
crowded, dark room at a local country club. Fine details that were
well executed on darker models seemed to get lost, and many
mistakes on models that would have been obvious in normal light
went unnoticed. In spite of the light, two models were deservingly
placed in the front row.
Windy Urtnowski’s B-25 and Bob Gieseke’s Bear were a huge
contrast in styles, yet they sat side by side. Both models were
exceptional and worthy of sharing the 19-point front row. The detail
on Windy’s bomber was neatly done, with all of the shine you would
expect from him.
Bob’s Bear was a “modeler’s model.” It was an exceptionally
well-built Precision Aerobatics airplane that made you want to stare.
This Bear had an appeal that was different from the last few versions
and more reminiscent of his early Noblers, only way more cool.
The weather held out for the two days of Advanced and Open
qualifying, although both days had gray skies with a few storms that
seemed to just miss. There was a steady breeze, and it worsened the
second day as a huge storm front approached.
This year Advanced had 26 entries, with quite a few of last year’s
Advanced fliers making the move to Open. That resulted in fewer
Advanced entries and opportunities for those fliers who decided to
stay.
Rob Gruber showed up well practiced and seemed to own the
event for both of the qualifying days. He was locked in, flying clean
patterns again and again. Trailing Rob on that circle were Orestes
Hernandez and Allen Goff. On the other circle Josias Delgado, Kent
Tysor, and Rich Giacobone were all close and leading their group.
Open had 39 entries, which is fairly consistent with recent
years’ attendance. Providing excitement, the team was back from
the World Championships and some real battles for positions in the
top 10 were expected.
Advanced National Champion Kent Tysor with his Strega.
Dan Banjock smiles as he gets his P-51 pull-tested. Randy Smith signals judges on Top 5 Day; Curt Contrata assists.
Konstantin Bajaikine prepares for a flight on Top 20 Day.
CONTROL LINE
94 MODEL AVIATION
On Circle One, Ted Fancher had the
high score both days and led that group
throughout qualifying. Chasing Ted were
Todd Lee, Doug Moon, and Windy
Urtnowski, all in a cluster. Frank Williams
was not far behind them, flying an Impact
and looking strong.
On Circle Two, David Fitzgerald led
every round and was flying well. Behind
David and looking good but in a tie were
Bill Rich and Brett Buck. Gordan Delaney
flew a semiscale Tony of his own design
that was as impressive up close as it was in
the air. It was the only four-stroke-powered
model in the top 20, and it flew incredibly
well.
Gordan found himself chasing the
leaders with Frank McMillan and Randy
Smith. The day ended with a storm moving
in and not a very promising forecast for
Friday.
Top 20 Day was by far the windiest day of
any recent Nationals and the worst I have
seen in Muncie. The gazebo and the food
tent were not helping the conditions that
day. They caused the strong winds to swirl,
especially on Circle Four.
The conditions were brutal all day, and
there were several crashes and one flyaway.
Pilots in Advanced and Open chose
to pass at the same rate because of
conditions; approximately 25% passed in
the first round and 60% passed in the
second.
However, some of the most spectacular
flying many had ever witnessed took place
that day. Quite a few fliers had a difficult
time in the first round. In the severe wind
the models with less side area seemed to
have an advantage and models with more
side area seemed more susceptible to
getting caught in the wind. Another factor
that gave certain models an edge was being
set up to penetrate the strong head wind.
The contestants had a difficult time in
Advanced. There were several crashes, and
many fliers could not complete the pattern. Tabulators (L-R) Shareen Fancher, Sandy Contrata, and Elaine Brookins.
The winners in Old Time Stunt were (left to right) Allen Brickhaus (fourth), Jim Lee
(second), Bart Klapinski (first), and Charles Reeves (third).
Rob Gruber passed on the second round,
deciding that it was not worth the risk. Kent
Tysor flew to a first-place finish with his
new RO-Jett .61-powered Strega, with
Orestes Hernandez in second place and
Alberto Haber in third.
In Open the day began with Windy
Urtnowski and his B-25. It seemed as
though all eyes were watching as Windy
muscled the bomber through the pattern. It
was not the prettiest flight of his career, but
he proved that it could be done. Following
Windy were David Fitzgerald and Frank
McMillan, both of whom proved not only
that it could be done, but that it could be
done with reasonable precision.
Randy Smith was getting ready to start
when Todd Lee got blown out of his Clover
on the adjacent circle and crashed. This
caused a few fliers to pass and drop out.
Randy then performed a solid flight, which
posted a score that stood as the day’s high
score until Ted Fancher flew at the end of
the round.
There was more bad luck, and this time
it was Bill Rich’s turn. Bill fueled in the
pits, and while he was walking his airplane
to the circle, the wind picked up the tail and
flooded the engine. He took his first
attempt. The wind got under the tail again
on his second attempt; that time it was on
the takeoff, catching the propeller and
removing Bill from the competition.
Most scores went down in the second
round, but Richard Oliver’s and Konstantin
Bajaikine’s improved. Richard flew
consistently all week and seemed to enjoy
flying in the wind. With an SV-22 and an
RO-Jett .61 engine, he put up two good
wind flights. Konstantin worked hard to stay
with his light airplane, amazing everyone
that it could go through the wind.
Bob Gieseke and Randy Smith had the
most-talked-about flights. Bob fell down at
one point while running backward, yet he
continued to fly the airplane while he was
on his back. His Bear had a tough time in
the wind with all of its side area, in spite of
the growling PA .65 engine and a four-blade
Bolly propeller.
In the second round, Randy was hit with
“Tent Turbulence” when flying his
Hourglass; it was so bad that it blew his
Katana into the wind and toward the judges!
He turned the top right corner of the
maneuver—the one that was supposed to be
over his right shoulder—3 feet off of the
ground at the judges’ feet.
Then he turned the third corner, hit his
intersection, and had a 5-foot bottom on
the other side of the circle to complete the
maneuver. His flight was a lesson in
staying with the airplane and finishing
every maneuver.
CONTROL LINE
Saturday was Stunt Heaven for the flyoffs.
The sun finally came out and winds were 5-7
mph all day. Ted Fancher, Richard Oliver,
David Fitzgerald, Konstantin Bajaikine, and
Randy Smith advanced to the finals.
Ted flew well and led until the final
round. Everyone’s scores improved as the
rounds went on, but his score dropped on his
last flight and he slipped behind David by
4.8 points. With almost the same spread,
Richard finished in third place, Randy
garnered fourth, and Konstantin finished in
fifth place.
There were no entries in Junior and four
in Senior. It was no surprise when Rob
Gruber burned in two more solid flights,
taking first place in Senior. He was followed
by Christopher Rud in second place, Josh
Condon in third, and Wade Schoonover
taking fourth.
The flyoff for the Walker Cup was a
battle this year; Rob Gruber really gave
David Fitzgerald a run for it. Rob never gave
up and was in it to win, outscoring David on
one round and finishing just 8.6 points
behind him in the final tally.
Congratulations to 2003 United States
National Champion David Fitzgerald.
Congratulations also to Windy Urtnowski for
winning the Concours award and to Steve
Millet for being named Rookie of the Year,
finishing in 12th place. In spite of the
weather, it was a great contest. M
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/12
Page Numbers: 91,92,93,94,95
December 2003 91
P r e c i s i o n A e r o b a t i c s
Curt Contrata, 6783 Nightwind Cir., Orlando FL 32818; E-mail: [email protected]
EACH YEAR THE National Championships
takes on its own unique personality. It begins
with the rumors of who is coming and what
they will bring to fly, along with the
anticipation of the unexpected. This year
weather was the biggest contributing factor to
the mood and pace of the contest, directly and
indirectly. While the wind and rain in Muncie
kept practice time to a minimum, the flooding
in Ohio kept Bill Werwage from attending the
contest, held July 6-12.
Wind all day with storms every evening
was the pattern for days. The pond at the front
of the AMA Headquarters building was so full
that one morning its edge met the road. The
large grass area used each year for practice
was soggy and unsuitable for flying. The
ground was so wet that the Beginner and
Intermediate events were flown on two circles
of the paved L-Pad.
Big improvements this year at the National
Flying Site were the resurfacing and leveling
of the L-Pad and the addition of two new
Racing circles a couple hundred yards away.
We were told that there would be limited
practice time available for Stunt on the
Racing circles, but it seemed as if every time
we looked over there a pattern was being flown.
The grass along the L-Pad was muddy, which really cut down on
the number of people sitting under tents along the fence line. It was
not until the morning of the Walker Cup flyoff that I witnessed
someone sitting under one. Although the mud forced more people
closer to the circles, the week seemed to lack for not having tents
along the fence for socializing.
Rich Peabody ran the Beginner and Intermediate events again,
and the pilots seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Beginners
did express a concern about flying over the pavement, but everyone
Bob Gieseke fuels his Bear for an official flight.
In his 10th year as pit boss, Woody Midgley (right) is observed
trying to keep Gene Martine in line. Gordan Delaney with the semiscale Tony that he designed.
seemed to deal well with it. The wind was not too bad, but it was not
“Stunt Heaven” air.
Monday morning was cool and overcast, with 10-15 mph wind.
Classic and Old Time Event Director Gene Martine asked for fliers
to fuel in the pits to keep things moving because the conditions were
expected to worsen as the day went on.
With puddles on the L-Pad and cool, driving air, Bob Hunt made
the first flight in Classic. He knew he would have the best air of the
day and that he would have to make his first one count. He put up a
CONTROL LINE
92 MODEL AVIATION
superb wind flight, and the judges scored it accordingly. It was a
solid flight, and it would be chased for the rest of the rounds. I never
saw this side of Bob—the competitor—before. He watched in great
anticipation as each flight was flown.
Gerry Phelps and John Simpson had great efforts, but the wind
was pushing them around quite a bit. Near the end of the first round,
Gordan Delaney, flying his familiar Colossus, put up a great flight
that placed him within five points of Bob.
The storms were coming in fast, so a long break was called
between rounds. The weather was much worse in the afternoon
session. Of the 15 fliers in Classic, 11 decided to pass on the second
round. The scores from the morning session stood and Bob Hunt took
first place, followed by Gordan Delaney, and Gerry Phelps finished
third flying a pretty Patriot.
In Old Time it was a different story. Of the 14 fliers, only three
passed the entire day. Even with all of the wind after the break,
pilots were completing their patterns and getting better scores than
those in the morning.
Gerry and Merry Phelps with their model in the foreground.
Left: Open winners (standing, L-R) Randy
Smith (fourth), Konstantin Bajaikine (fifth),
Richard Oliver (third), and Ted Fancher
(second). National Champion David
Fitzgerald is kneeling in front.
Above: 2003 National Champion and
Walker Cup winner David Fitzgerald.
Classic Stunt winner Bob Hunt holds his Caprice.
CONTROL LINE
December 2003 93
Bart Klapinski led the first round, but he was only a few points in
front of Jim Lee. In third place was Charles Reeves flying a way-toopretty
Victory. With all of the scores improving in the second round,
it was a battle to the end, but the placing did not change. Bart
Klapinski finished first, with Jim Lee and Charles Reeves in second
and third places.
Appearance judging for Advanced and Open was held in a
crowded, dark room at a local country club. Fine details that were
well executed on darker models seemed to get lost, and many
mistakes on models that would have been obvious in normal light
went unnoticed. In spite of the light, two models were deservingly
placed in the front row.
Windy Urtnowski’s B-25 and Bob Gieseke’s Bear were a huge
contrast in styles, yet they sat side by side. Both models were
exceptional and worthy of sharing the 19-point front row. The detail
on Windy’s bomber was neatly done, with all of the shine you would
expect from him.
Bob’s Bear was a “modeler’s model.” It was an exceptionally
well-built Precision Aerobatics airplane that made you want to stare.
This Bear had an appeal that was different from the last few versions
and more reminiscent of his early Noblers, only way more cool.
The weather held out for the two days of Advanced and Open
qualifying, although both days had gray skies with a few storms that
seemed to just miss. There was a steady breeze, and it worsened the
second day as a huge storm front approached.
This year Advanced had 26 entries, with quite a few of last year’s
Advanced fliers making the move to Open. That resulted in fewer
Advanced entries and opportunities for those fliers who decided to
stay.
Rob Gruber showed up well practiced and seemed to own the
event for both of the qualifying days. He was locked in, flying clean
patterns again and again. Trailing Rob on that circle were Orestes
Hernandez and Allen Goff. On the other circle Josias Delgado, Kent
Tysor, and Rich Giacobone were all close and leading their group.
Open had 39 entries, which is fairly consistent with recent
years’ attendance. Providing excitement, the team was back from
the World Championships and some real battles for positions in the
top 10 were expected.
Advanced National Champion Kent Tysor with his Strega.
Dan Banjock smiles as he gets his P-51 pull-tested. Randy Smith signals judges on Top 5 Day; Curt Contrata assists.
Konstantin Bajaikine prepares for a flight on Top 20 Day.
CONTROL LINE
94 MODEL AVIATION
On Circle One, Ted Fancher had the
high score both days and led that group
throughout qualifying. Chasing Ted were
Todd Lee, Doug Moon, and Windy
Urtnowski, all in a cluster. Frank Williams
was not far behind them, flying an Impact
and looking strong.
On Circle Two, David Fitzgerald led
every round and was flying well. Behind
David and looking good but in a tie were
Bill Rich and Brett Buck. Gordan Delaney
flew a semiscale Tony of his own design
that was as impressive up close as it was in
the air. It was the only four-stroke-powered
model in the top 20, and it flew incredibly
well.
Gordan found himself chasing the
leaders with Frank McMillan and Randy
Smith. The day ended with a storm moving
in and not a very promising forecast for
Friday.
Top 20 Day was by far the windiest day of
any recent Nationals and the worst I have
seen in Muncie. The gazebo and the food
tent were not helping the conditions that
day. They caused the strong winds to swirl,
especially on Circle Four.
The conditions were brutal all day, and
there were several crashes and one flyaway.
Pilots in Advanced and Open chose
to pass at the same rate because of
conditions; approximately 25% passed in
the first round and 60% passed in the
second.
However, some of the most spectacular
flying many had ever witnessed took place
that day. Quite a few fliers had a difficult
time in the first round. In the severe wind
the models with less side area seemed to
have an advantage and models with more
side area seemed more susceptible to
getting caught in the wind. Another factor
that gave certain models an edge was being
set up to penetrate the strong head wind.
The contestants had a difficult time in
Advanced. There were several crashes, and
many fliers could not complete the pattern. Tabulators (L-R) Shareen Fancher, Sandy Contrata, and Elaine Brookins.
The winners in Old Time Stunt were (left to right) Allen Brickhaus (fourth), Jim Lee
(second), Bart Klapinski (first), and Charles Reeves (third).
Rob Gruber passed on the second round,
deciding that it was not worth the risk. Kent
Tysor flew to a first-place finish with his
new RO-Jett .61-powered Strega, with
Orestes Hernandez in second place and
Alberto Haber in third.
In Open the day began with Windy
Urtnowski and his B-25. It seemed as
though all eyes were watching as Windy
muscled the bomber through the pattern. It
was not the prettiest flight of his career, but
he proved that it could be done. Following
Windy were David Fitzgerald and Frank
McMillan, both of whom proved not only
that it could be done, but that it could be
done with reasonable precision.
Randy Smith was getting ready to start
when Todd Lee got blown out of his Clover
on the adjacent circle and crashed. This
caused a few fliers to pass and drop out.
Randy then performed a solid flight, which
posted a score that stood as the day’s high
score until Ted Fancher flew at the end of
the round.
There was more bad luck, and this time
it was Bill Rich’s turn. Bill fueled in the
pits, and while he was walking his airplane
to the circle, the wind picked up the tail and
flooded the engine. He took his first
attempt. The wind got under the tail again
on his second attempt; that time it was on
the takeoff, catching the propeller and
removing Bill from the competition.
Most scores went down in the second
round, but Richard Oliver’s and Konstantin
Bajaikine’s improved. Richard flew
consistently all week and seemed to enjoy
flying in the wind. With an SV-22 and an
RO-Jett .61 engine, he put up two good
wind flights. Konstantin worked hard to stay
with his light airplane, amazing everyone
that it could go through the wind.
Bob Gieseke and Randy Smith had the
most-talked-about flights. Bob fell down at
one point while running backward, yet he
continued to fly the airplane while he was
on his back. His Bear had a tough time in
the wind with all of its side area, in spite of
the growling PA .65 engine and a four-blade
Bolly propeller.
In the second round, Randy was hit with
“Tent Turbulence” when flying his
Hourglass; it was so bad that it blew his
Katana into the wind and toward the judges!
He turned the top right corner of the
maneuver—the one that was supposed to be
over his right shoulder—3 feet off of the
ground at the judges’ feet.
Then he turned the third corner, hit his
intersection, and had a 5-foot bottom on
the other side of the circle to complete the
maneuver. His flight was a lesson in
staying with the airplane and finishing
every maneuver.
CONTROL LINE
Saturday was Stunt Heaven for the flyoffs.
The sun finally came out and winds were 5-7
mph all day. Ted Fancher, Richard Oliver,
David Fitzgerald, Konstantin Bajaikine, and
Randy Smith advanced to the finals.
Ted flew well and led until the final
round. Everyone’s scores improved as the
rounds went on, but his score dropped on his
last flight and he slipped behind David by
4.8 points. With almost the same spread,
Richard finished in third place, Randy
garnered fourth, and Konstantin finished in
fifth place.
There were no entries in Junior and four
in Senior. It was no surprise when Rob
Gruber burned in two more solid flights,
taking first place in Senior. He was followed
by Christopher Rud in second place, Josh
Condon in third, and Wade Schoonover
taking fourth.
The flyoff for the Walker Cup was a
battle this year; Rob Gruber really gave
David Fitzgerald a run for it. Rob never gave
up and was in it to win, outscoring David on
one round and finishing just 8.6 points
behind him in the final tally.
Congratulations to 2003 United States
National Champion David Fitzgerald.
Congratulations also to Windy Urtnowski for
winning the Concours award and to Steve
Millet for being named Rookie of the Year,
finishing in 12th place. In spite of the
weather, it was a great contest. M
