There are some things you just shouldn’t talk about
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Pylon Racing Scott Causey
Also included in this column:
• Consider the “big picture”
• Flightline box essentials
• Giant Scale racing experience
• Maxy fuel
• Futaba is my friend
• 2009 RC Pylon Nats
Above: During the Q-500 Pylon Nats, Marcus
Blanchard recovers his Vortex at the edge of
destruction after flying through bad air around Pylon
Three.
Left: Formula-1 GT aircraft on the flightline in
Ashtabula OH. Everyone performs a preflight control
check, to assure that his or her model is good to go.
Joyce Treat photo.
T h e
SuperT
RC flightline
box (shown
painted) is laser-cut
aircraft-grade plywood
and can be built in one
evening. It will hold all necessary
equipment at the start line.
IN THE PREVIOUS column (in the June MA), I outlined
techniques to use to avoid Gremlins and the importance of teamwork
in Pylon Racing. Apparently I should have knocked on wood or
something; the Gremlins found me this season.
At the Gold Cup race in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in April, I had
a fuel-tank issue that wouldn’t allow me to get a full tank. My
teammate and I struggled with calling around Pylon One and getting
around Pylon Two. The 2009 AMA Nats was more of the same; bad
air and midairs were “par for the course.”
My teammate tells me that there are some things you just don’t talk
about. You never tell a pitcher he’s throwing a no-hitter, you never talk
about “wind” during a fly-fishing trip, you don’t talk about crashing
A.J. Seaholm (L) with
caller and author,
Scott Causey. They
won Q-40, set the
Q-40 Fast Time,
and were named
the overall National
Champions.
132 MODEL AVIATION
10sig5.QXD 8/21/09 12:33 PM Page 132
Pylon racers, and I guess I should add
Gremlins to that list.
Then again, I had positive responses
from that column, so maybe other racers
benefited. I sure didn’t.
“Big Picture” Strategy: In the last column,
I wrote about the relationship between pilot
and caller. I failed to mention the
importance of being aware of your position
on the leader board. And your team should
have a game plan in case you get into a
position to win the contest.
Last year, my teammate and I were going
out to the line in Fort Lauderdale for his
final heat of the contest. We failed to clearly
communicate what was needed to maintain
our first-place position and finish on top. All
we knew was that he was tied for first and
needed to win the heat to win the contest
without a flyoff.
Pushing hard to win the heat, a cut was
posted. He dropped 2 points and finished
fourth in the contest. We decided that from
then on we would talk about our strategy to
win the contest—not just the final heat—if
we were faced with that situation again.
We did get another shot, and it paid off
this past spring in Fort Lauderdale. Headed
to the line, we were tied for the lead and
faced the other first-place pilot. He had
posted a cut by the second lap, so we backed
off around the pylons to ensure that we
didn’t also post a cut.
134 MODEL AVIATION
What we failed to recognize this goaround
was that another competitor in the
contest was lurking only 1 point down the
leader board. The third-place model in our
heat passed us and dropped us a point and
into another tie for first place. Again, we
hadn’t thought about the big picture.
In the end, it all worked out for us. The
other pilot dropped 2 points in his final
heat, which broke the tie and provided my
teammate, A.J. Seaholm, with his first
national race win at the Fort Lauderdale
Gold Cup contest. It was a great team
win; way to go, A.J.!
So keep an eye on those leader board
points, aka, the “big picture.” Work as a
team to get the most out of your final
heats and to avoid accumulating those
“shoulda, coulda, wouldas.”
Flight-Box Essentials: What you take out
to the flightline in your equipment box is
extremely important. If you don’t have all
of the necessary equipment, you might
fail to get your airplane up in the race.
I use a flightline box from SuperT
Radio Control Products that works well
for me. It’s easy to build, with all lasercut,
five-ply, aircraft-grade plywood parts
and the required hardware.
Following are the items I carry every
time I go to fly.
• Transmitter
• Starter
• Glow driver (two)
• Glow-plug wrench
• Extra glow plugs
• 1/4-inch wrench (to tighten Nelson
needle valve)
• Tachometer
• Steel rod (to take spinner off)
• Propeller reamer
Recently, SuperT RC co-founder Dan
Kane and I were talking about preferred
flightline box items. Although I’ve never
taken what he suggested, I thought it was
insightful and good information to share
with the racing community.
Dan carries a small amount of fuel
tubing with a 1-inch-long piece of
aluminum tubing. Those items allow him
to repair a fuel-line leak he discovers on
the line. The aluminum tubing can be used
to splice the spilt line out of the system
and provide a quick fix before the 60-
second clock strikes zero.
I plan to add the fuel line and
aluminum tubing to my box. Great idea,
Dan!
Giant Scale Racing Experience: I had the
opportunity to attend the Unlimited Scale
Racing Association (USRA) Giant Scale
Pylon race in Ashtabula, Ohio, this past
June. What a great new experience!
The USRA has an entry-level class in
which anyone with minimal racing
experience can fly. The 80-inch
Sundowner by Hangar 9 is the airframe
for Giant Scale Pylon Racing. It is an
excellent flier.
For the Sundowner class, the airframe
has to be assembled per manufacturer’s
instructions and the engine has to be
stock. The only issue I observed with the
design is the single color scheme. If you
want to participate in this class, consider
adding unique graphics and colors to
differentiate your model from those of
your competitors.
If you’ve ever thought about trying
Giant Scale racing, I can attest that the
Sundowner is a great way to get started. If
this event turns out not to be for you, you
still have a superb sport airplane that you
can fly the heck out of back home.
Tony Husak, the CD of the Ashtabula
event, put on a well-organized and -run
race. Being new to Giant Scale racing, I
was made to feel welcome.
I flew into Ohio Thursday for tech
inspection and started racing Friday
morning. The racecourse has two pylons
separated by 1,600 feet. The heats start
from the air with a flying start. I had
never done a flying start, but with
guidance from my caller, Craig “Grunk”
Grunkemeyer, I picked it up quickly.
What I recall most vividly from the
flying starts was the final six or seven
seconds on the start clock. Grunk would
yell at me to “Dive, dive, dive!” I felt like
a submarine driver all weekend.
The race was more laid-back than the
4.5-minute, flag-to-flag Phoenix pace to
which I’ve grown accustomed. This
allowed me the chance to talk with the
other pilots about the next step in class
progression. Everyone I approached was
very helpful, and I will be back racing
some Giant Scale soon.
The next step is the Formula-1 GT-80
class. These Reno racer replicas are quite
large, at 42% scale, and turn well around
the pylons.
The power plant for the category is a
bone-stock Zenoah GT-80 that runs on
unleaded gasoline. The only allowable
engine modification is removing the
starter spring. Those simple rules provide
a straightforward step in the progression
from the Sundowner class.
Following are the winners of the
Ashtabula contest.
Unlimited: Kenny Mac (flying a Miss
Ashley with DA-150 Mouse)
Formula-1: Eric Hunter (flying a GR-7)
Formula-1 GT-80: Mark Zeal
Sundowner: Scott Causey
Product Spotlight: During a race earlier
in the year, I was exposed to a new
company. After the race, Maxy’s Pro
Racing Fuel contacted me about using it
and performed testing with the Moki 2.10
engine I used at the Ashtabula event.
My results showed a 300-400 static
rpm increase on the ground, and the head
temperature decreased by more than 30°.
Thank you, Maxy’s, for letting me try
your fuel and helping me win the
Sundowner racing class.
Special Thanks: I would like to send a
huge thank you to Futaba for its support
when I needed it the most. Days before
the Nats, I was in desperate need of a
replacement transmitter. Steve Kaluf of
Futaba jumped in to save the day.
I received a new radio the same day I
left for Muncie, Indiana, with my model
programs transferred, which saved me
countless test flights on four airplanes.
The service I received was exceptional.
Again, thank you, Futaba, for being
there and supporting your product to the
highest degree.
AMA Nats Recap: It was an exciting
time this year at the 2009 RC Pylon Nats
in Muncie. I was fortunate that my wife
and twin boys wanted to make the nineday
adventure with me. My teammate,
A.J. Seaholm, and his family, which
includes two wonderful kids, also made
the trek.
After setting up the containment field
for all of the youngsters, we began
practice on Friday July 3 and flew in
some of the greatest Muncie weather
ever. If you did not attend this year, you
missed out on some incredible weather,
flying, and camaraderie.
The most memorable part of the
contest was calling for the new Quarter
40 (Q-40) and overall Pylon Racing
National Champion. It was incredibly
special for me to see the look on A.J.’s
face during the flyoff, with Canadian Roy
Andrassy, after he realized that we had
just won. It was a lifelong dream that
came true, and no words can explain the
feelings we had.
For a day-by-day recap, check out the
NatsNews editions posted on the AMA
Web site. Following are the results.
Q-40
1. A.J. Seaholm (Fast Time: 1:01.92)
2. Roy Andrassy
3. Dan Kane
4. Gary Freeman Jr.
5. Gabrial Tahhan
6. Jim Allen
7. Craig Grunkemeyer
8. Rich Beers
9. Joe Tropea
Q-500 (Quickie 500)
1. Dave Norman
2. Fred Burgdorf
3. Jim Allen
4. A.J. Seaholm
5. Matias Salar
6. Scott Causey
7. Gabrial Tahhan
8. Jerry Bednark
9. Marcus Blanchard
Fast Time: 1:07.42 by John McDermott MA
Sources:
SuperT Radio Control Products
(740) 225-8671
www.supertrc.com
USRA
www.usrainfo.org
Hangar 9
(800) 338-4639
www.hangar-9.com/
Maxy’s Pro Racing Fuel
(888) 786-6299
www.maxysfuel.com
Futaba
(800) 637-7660
www.futaba-rc.com
National Miniature Pylon Racing Association
http://nmpra.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 132,134,135
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 132,134,135
There are some things you just shouldn’t talk about
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Pylon Racing Scott Causey
Also included in this column:
• Consider the “big picture”
• Flightline box essentials
• Giant Scale racing experience
• Maxy fuel
• Futaba is my friend
• 2009 RC Pylon Nats
Above: During the Q-500 Pylon Nats, Marcus
Blanchard recovers his Vortex at the edge of
destruction after flying through bad air around Pylon
Three.
Left: Formula-1 GT aircraft on the flightline in
Ashtabula OH. Everyone performs a preflight control
check, to assure that his or her model is good to go.
Joyce Treat photo.
T h e
SuperT
RC flightline
box (shown
painted) is laser-cut
aircraft-grade plywood
and can be built in one
evening. It will hold all necessary
equipment at the start line.
IN THE PREVIOUS column (in the June MA), I outlined
techniques to use to avoid Gremlins and the importance of teamwork
in Pylon Racing. Apparently I should have knocked on wood or
something; the Gremlins found me this season.
At the Gold Cup race in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in April, I had
a fuel-tank issue that wouldn’t allow me to get a full tank. My
teammate and I struggled with calling around Pylon One and getting
around Pylon Two. The 2009 AMA Nats was more of the same; bad
air and midairs were “par for the course.”
My teammate tells me that there are some things you just don’t talk
about. You never tell a pitcher he’s throwing a no-hitter, you never talk
about “wind” during a fly-fishing trip, you don’t talk about crashing
A.J. Seaholm (L) with
caller and author,
Scott Causey. They
won Q-40, set the
Q-40 Fast Time,
and were named
the overall National
Champions.
132 MODEL AVIATION
10sig5.QXD 8/21/09 12:33 PM Page 132
Pylon racers, and I guess I should add
Gremlins to that list.
Then again, I had positive responses
from that column, so maybe other racers
benefited. I sure didn’t.
“Big Picture” Strategy: In the last column,
I wrote about the relationship between pilot
and caller. I failed to mention the
importance of being aware of your position
on the leader board. And your team should
have a game plan in case you get into a
position to win the contest.
Last year, my teammate and I were going
out to the line in Fort Lauderdale for his
final heat of the contest. We failed to clearly
communicate what was needed to maintain
our first-place position and finish on top. All
we knew was that he was tied for first and
needed to win the heat to win the contest
without a flyoff.
Pushing hard to win the heat, a cut was
posted. He dropped 2 points and finished
fourth in the contest. We decided that from
then on we would talk about our strategy to
win the contest—not just the final heat—if
we were faced with that situation again.
We did get another shot, and it paid off
this past spring in Fort Lauderdale. Headed
to the line, we were tied for the lead and
faced the other first-place pilot. He had
posted a cut by the second lap, so we backed
off around the pylons to ensure that we
didn’t also post a cut.
134 MODEL AVIATION
What we failed to recognize this goaround
was that another competitor in the
contest was lurking only 1 point down the
leader board. The third-place model in our
heat passed us and dropped us a point and
into another tie for first place. Again, we
hadn’t thought about the big picture.
In the end, it all worked out for us. The
other pilot dropped 2 points in his final
heat, which broke the tie and provided my
teammate, A.J. Seaholm, with his first
national race win at the Fort Lauderdale
Gold Cup contest. It was a great team
win; way to go, A.J.!
So keep an eye on those leader board
points, aka, the “big picture.” Work as a
team to get the most out of your final
heats and to avoid accumulating those
“shoulda, coulda, wouldas.”
Flight-Box Essentials: What you take out
to the flightline in your equipment box is
extremely important. If you don’t have all
of the necessary equipment, you might
fail to get your airplane up in the race.
I use a flightline box from SuperT
Radio Control Products that works well
for me. It’s easy to build, with all lasercut,
five-ply, aircraft-grade plywood parts
and the required hardware.
Following are the items I carry every
time I go to fly.
• Transmitter
• Starter
• Glow driver (two)
• Glow-plug wrench
• Extra glow plugs
• 1/4-inch wrench (to tighten Nelson
needle valve)
• Tachometer
• Steel rod (to take spinner off)
• Propeller reamer
Recently, SuperT RC co-founder Dan
Kane and I were talking about preferred
flightline box items. Although I’ve never
taken what he suggested, I thought it was
insightful and good information to share
with the racing community.
Dan carries a small amount of fuel
tubing with a 1-inch-long piece of
aluminum tubing. Those items allow him
to repair a fuel-line leak he discovers on
the line. The aluminum tubing can be used
to splice the spilt line out of the system
and provide a quick fix before the 60-
second clock strikes zero.
I plan to add the fuel line and
aluminum tubing to my box. Great idea,
Dan!
Giant Scale Racing Experience: I had the
opportunity to attend the Unlimited Scale
Racing Association (USRA) Giant Scale
Pylon race in Ashtabula, Ohio, this past
June. What a great new experience!
The USRA has an entry-level class in
which anyone with minimal racing
experience can fly. The 80-inch
Sundowner by Hangar 9 is the airframe
for Giant Scale Pylon Racing. It is an
excellent flier.
For the Sundowner class, the airframe
has to be assembled per manufacturer’s
instructions and the engine has to be
stock. The only issue I observed with the
design is the single color scheme. If you
want to participate in this class, consider
adding unique graphics and colors to
differentiate your model from those of
your competitors.
If you’ve ever thought about trying
Giant Scale racing, I can attest that the
Sundowner is a great way to get started. If
this event turns out not to be for you, you
still have a superb sport airplane that you
can fly the heck out of back home.
Tony Husak, the CD of the Ashtabula
event, put on a well-organized and -run
race. Being new to Giant Scale racing, I
was made to feel welcome.
I flew into Ohio Thursday for tech
inspection and started racing Friday
morning. The racecourse has two pylons
separated by 1,600 feet. The heats start
from the air with a flying start. I had
never done a flying start, but with
guidance from my caller, Craig “Grunk”
Grunkemeyer, I picked it up quickly.
What I recall most vividly from the
flying starts was the final six or seven
seconds on the start clock. Grunk would
yell at me to “Dive, dive, dive!” I felt like
a submarine driver all weekend.
The race was more laid-back than the
4.5-minute, flag-to-flag Phoenix pace to
which I’ve grown accustomed. This
allowed me the chance to talk with the
other pilots about the next step in class
progression. Everyone I approached was
very helpful, and I will be back racing
some Giant Scale soon.
The next step is the Formula-1 GT-80
class. These Reno racer replicas are quite
large, at 42% scale, and turn well around
the pylons.
The power plant for the category is a
bone-stock Zenoah GT-80 that runs on
unleaded gasoline. The only allowable
engine modification is removing the
starter spring. Those simple rules provide
a straightforward step in the progression
from the Sundowner class.
Following are the winners of the
Ashtabula contest.
Unlimited: Kenny Mac (flying a Miss
Ashley with DA-150 Mouse)
Formula-1: Eric Hunter (flying a GR-7)
Formula-1 GT-80: Mark Zeal
Sundowner: Scott Causey
Product Spotlight: During a race earlier
in the year, I was exposed to a new
company. After the race, Maxy’s Pro
Racing Fuel contacted me about using it
and performed testing with the Moki 2.10
engine I used at the Ashtabula event.
My results showed a 300-400 static
rpm increase on the ground, and the head
temperature decreased by more than 30°.
Thank you, Maxy’s, for letting me try
your fuel and helping me win the
Sundowner racing class.
Special Thanks: I would like to send a
huge thank you to Futaba for its support
when I needed it the most. Days before
the Nats, I was in desperate need of a
replacement transmitter. Steve Kaluf of
Futaba jumped in to save the day.
I received a new radio the same day I
left for Muncie, Indiana, with my model
programs transferred, which saved me
countless test flights on four airplanes.
The service I received was exceptional.
Again, thank you, Futaba, for being
there and supporting your product to the
highest degree.
AMA Nats Recap: It was an exciting
time this year at the 2009 RC Pylon Nats
in Muncie. I was fortunate that my wife
and twin boys wanted to make the nineday
adventure with me. My teammate,
A.J. Seaholm, and his family, which
includes two wonderful kids, also made
the trek.
After setting up the containment field
for all of the youngsters, we began
practice on Friday July 3 and flew in
some of the greatest Muncie weather
ever. If you did not attend this year, you
missed out on some incredible weather,
flying, and camaraderie.
The most memorable part of the
contest was calling for the new Quarter
40 (Q-40) and overall Pylon Racing
National Champion. It was incredibly
special for me to see the look on A.J.’s
face during the flyoff, with Canadian Roy
Andrassy, after he realized that we had
just won. It was a lifelong dream that
came true, and no words can explain the
feelings we had.
For a day-by-day recap, check out the
NatsNews editions posted on the AMA
Web site. Following are the results.
Q-40
1. A.J. Seaholm (Fast Time: 1:01.92)
2. Roy Andrassy
3. Dan Kane
4. Gary Freeman Jr.
5. Gabrial Tahhan
6. Jim Allen
7. Craig Grunkemeyer
8. Rich Beers
9. Joe Tropea
Q-500 (Quickie 500)
1. Dave Norman
2. Fred Burgdorf
3. Jim Allen
4. A.J. Seaholm
5. Matias Salar
6. Scott Causey
7. Gabrial Tahhan
8. Jerry Bednark
9. Marcus Blanchard
Fast Time: 1:07.42 by John McDermott MA
Sources:
SuperT Radio Control Products
(740) 225-8671
www.supertrc.com
USRA
www.usrainfo.org
Hangar 9
(800) 338-4639
www.hangar-9.com/
Maxy’s Pro Racing Fuel
(888) 786-6299
www.maxysfuel.com
Futaba
(800) 637-7660
www.futaba-rc.com
National Miniature Pylon Racing Association
http://nmpra.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/10
Page Numbers: 132,134,135
There are some things you just shouldn’t talk about
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Pylon Racing Scott Causey
Also included in this column:
• Consider the “big picture”
• Flightline box essentials
• Giant Scale racing experience
• Maxy fuel
• Futaba is my friend
• 2009 RC Pylon Nats
Above: During the Q-500 Pylon Nats, Marcus
Blanchard recovers his Vortex at the edge of
destruction after flying through bad air around Pylon
Three.
Left: Formula-1 GT aircraft on the flightline in
Ashtabula OH. Everyone performs a preflight control
check, to assure that his or her model is good to go.
Joyce Treat photo.
T h e
SuperT
RC flightline
box (shown
painted) is laser-cut
aircraft-grade plywood
and can be built in one
evening. It will hold all necessary
equipment at the start line.
IN THE PREVIOUS column (in the June MA), I outlined
techniques to use to avoid Gremlins and the importance of teamwork
in Pylon Racing. Apparently I should have knocked on wood or
something; the Gremlins found me this season.
At the Gold Cup race in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in April, I had
a fuel-tank issue that wouldn’t allow me to get a full tank. My
teammate and I struggled with calling around Pylon One and getting
around Pylon Two. The 2009 AMA Nats was more of the same; bad
air and midairs were “par for the course.”
My teammate tells me that there are some things you just don’t talk
about. You never tell a pitcher he’s throwing a no-hitter, you never talk
about “wind” during a fly-fishing trip, you don’t talk about crashing
A.J. Seaholm (L) with
caller and author,
Scott Causey. They
won Q-40, set the
Q-40 Fast Time,
and were named
the overall National
Champions.
132 MODEL AVIATION
10sig5.QXD 8/21/09 12:33 PM Page 132
Pylon racers, and I guess I should add
Gremlins to that list.
Then again, I had positive responses
from that column, so maybe other racers
benefited. I sure didn’t.
“Big Picture” Strategy: In the last column,
I wrote about the relationship between pilot
and caller. I failed to mention the
importance of being aware of your position
on the leader board. And your team should
have a game plan in case you get into a
position to win the contest.
Last year, my teammate and I were going
out to the line in Fort Lauderdale for his
final heat of the contest. We failed to clearly
communicate what was needed to maintain
our first-place position and finish on top. All
we knew was that he was tied for first and
needed to win the heat to win the contest
without a flyoff.
Pushing hard to win the heat, a cut was
posted. He dropped 2 points and finished
fourth in the contest. We decided that from
then on we would talk about our strategy to
win the contest—not just the final heat—if
we were faced with that situation again.
We did get another shot, and it paid off
this past spring in Fort Lauderdale. Headed
to the line, we were tied for the lead and
faced the other first-place pilot. He had
posted a cut by the second lap, so we backed
off around the pylons to ensure that we
didn’t also post a cut.
134 MODEL AVIATION
What we failed to recognize this goaround
was that another competitor in the
contest was lurking only 1 point down the
leader board. The third-place model in our
heat passed us and dropped us a point and
into another tie for first place. Again, we
hadn’t thought about the big picture.
In the end, it all worked out for us. The
other pilot dropped 2 points in his final
heat, which broke the tie and provided my
teammate, A.J. Seaholm, with his first
national race win at the Fort Lauderdale
Gold Cup contest. It was a great team
win; way to go, A.J.!
So keep an eye on those leader board
points, aka, the “big picture.” Work as a
team to get the most out of your final
heats and to avoid accumulating those
“shoulda, coulda, wouldas.”
Flight-Box Essentials: What you take out
to the flightline in your equipment box is
extremely important. If you don’t have all
of the necessary equipment, you might
fail to get your airplane up in the race.
I use a flightline box from SuperT
Radio Control Products that works well
for me. It’s easy to build, with all lasercut,
five-ply, aircraft-grade plywood parts
and the required hardware.
Following are the items I carry every
time I go to fly.
• Transmitter
• Starter
• Glow driver (two)
• Glow-plug wrench
• Extra glow plugs
• 1/4-inch wrench (to tighten Nelson
needle valve)
• Tachometer
• Steel rod (to take spinner off)
• Propeller reamer
Recently, SuperT RC co-founder Dan
Kane and I were talking about preferred
flightline box items. Although I’ve never
taken what he suggested, I thought it was
insightful and good information to share
with the racing community.
Dan carries a small amount of fuel
tubing with a 1-inch-long piece of
aluminum tubing. Those items allow him
to repair a fuel-line leak he discovers on
the line. The aluminum tubing can be used
to splice the spilt line out of the system
and provide a quick fix before the 60-
second clock strikes zero.
I plan to add the fuel line and
aluminum tubing to my box. Great idea,
Dan!
Giant Scale Racing Experience: I had the
opportunity to attend the Unlimited Scale
Racing Association (USRA) Giant Scale
Pylon race in Ashtabula, Ohio, this past
June. What a great new experience!
The USRA has an entry-level class in
which anyone with minimal racing
experience can fly. The 80-inch
Sundowner by Hangar 9 is the airframe
for Giant Scale Pylon Racing. It is an
excellent flier.
For the Sundowner class, the airframe
has to be assembled per manufacturer’s
instructions and the engine has to be
stock. The only issue I observed with the
design is the single color scheme. If you
want to participate in this class, consider
adding unique graphics and colors to
differentiate your model from those of
your competitors.
If you’ve ever thought about trying
Giant Scale racing, I can attest that the
Sundowner is a great way to get started. If
this event turns out not to be for you, you
still have a superb sport airplane that you
can fly the heck out of back home.
Tony Husak, the CD of the Ashtabula
event, put on a well-organized and -run
race. Being new to Giant Scale racing, I
was made to feel welcome.
I flew into Ohio Thursday for tech
inspection and started racing Friday
morning. The racecourse has two pylons
separated by 1,600 feet. The heats start
from the air with a flying start. I had
never done a flying start, but with
guidance from my caller, Craig “Grunk”
Grunkemeyer, I picked it up quickly.
What I recall most vividly from the
flying starts was the final six or seven
seconds on the start clock. Grunk would
yell at me to “Dive, dive, dive!” I felt like
a submarine driver all weekend.
The race was more laid-back than the
4.5-minute, flag-to-flag Phoenix pace to
which I’ve grown accustomed. This
allowed me the chance to talk with the
other pilots about the next step in class
progression. Everyone I approached was
very helpful, and I will be back racing
some Giant Scale soon.
The next step is the Formula-1 GT-80
class. These Reno racer replicas are quite
large, at 42% scale, and turn well around
the pylons.
The power plant for the category is a
bone-stock Zenoah GT-80 that runs on
unleaded gasoline. The only allowable
engine modification is removing the
starter spring. Those simple rules provide
a straightforward step in the progression
from the Sundowner class.
Following are the winners of the
Ashtabula contest.
Unlimited: Kenny Mac (flying a Miss
Ashley with DA-150 Mouse)
Formula-1: Eric Hunter (flying a GR-7)
Formula-1 GT-80: Mark Zeal
Sundowner: Scott Causey
Product Spotlight: During a race earlier
in the year, I was exposed to a new
company. After the race, Maxy’s Pro
Racing Fuel contacted me about using it
and performed testing with the Moki 2.10
engine I used at the Ashtabula event.
My results showed a 300-400 static
rpm increase on the ground, and the head
temperature decreased by more than 30°.
Thank you, Maxy’s, for letting me try
your fuel and helping me win the
Sundowner racing class.
Special Thanks: I would like to send a
huge thank you to Futaba for its support
when I needed it the most. Days before
the Nats, I was in desperate need of a
replacement transmitter. Steve Kaluf of
Futaba jumped in to save the day.
I received a new radio the same day I
left for Muncie, Indiana, with my model
programs transferred, which saved me
countless test flights on four airplanes.
The service I received was exceptional.
Again, thank you, Futaba, for being
there and supporting your product to the
highest degree.
AMA Nats Recap: It was an exciting
time this year at the 2009 RC Pylon Nats
in Muncie. I was fortunate that my wife
and twin boys wanted to make the nineday
adventure with me. My teammate,
A.J. Seaholm, and his family, which
includes two wonderful kids, also made
the trek.
After setting up the containment field
for all of the youngsters, we began
practice on Friday July 3 and flew in
some of the greatest Muncie weather
ever. If you did not attend this year, you
missed out on some incredible weather,
flying, and camaraderie.
The most memorable part of the
contest was calling for the new Quarter
40 (Q-40) and overall Pylon Racing
National Champion. It was incredibly
special for me to see the look on A.J.’s
face during the flyoff, with Canadian Roy
Andrassy, after he realized that we had
just won. It was a lifelong dream that
came true, and no words can explain the
feelings we had.
For a day-by-day recap, check out the
NatsNews editions posted on the AMA
Web site. Following are the results.
Q-40
1. A.J. Seaholm (Fast Time: 1:01.92)
2. Roy Andrassy
3. Dan Kane
4. Gary Freeman Jr.
5. Gabrial Tahhan
6. Jim Allen
7. Craig Grunkemeyer
8. Rich Beers
9. Joe Tropea
Q-500 (Quickie 500)
1. Dave Norman
2. Fred Burgdorf
3. Jim Allen
4. A.J. Seaholm
5. Matias Salar
6. Scott Causey
7. Gabrial Tahhan
8. Jerry Bednark
9. Marcus Blanchard
Fast Time: 1:07.42 by John McDermott MA
Sources:
SuperT Radio Control Products
(740) 225-8671
www.supertrc.com
USRA
www.usrainfo.org
Hangar 9
(800) 338-4639
www.hangar-9.com/
Maxy’s Pro Racing Fuel
(888) 786-6299
www.maxysfuel.com
Futaba
(800) 637-7660
www.futaba-rc.com
National Miniature Pylon Racing Association
http://nmpra.org