52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/11
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,61
52 MODEL AVIATION
FStatrer ofe thee Sp ortF: l i g h t by Don DeLoach
Part 2
LAST MONTH I explored the storied
early history of FF, from the 1870s
through the 1960s. This month FF enters
the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
The decade of the 1970s was one of
change in the FF world. Flying fields were
disappearing, old-time FFers were dying
off, and more aeromodelers were taking up
RC flying instead of FF. Yet the FF contest
scene remained strong, led by the
establishment in 1971 of the United States
FF Championships (USFFC).
The USFFC was a success from the
beginning, held at the great Taft,
California, flying site. Three-hundred or
more competitors would converge on the
venue every Memorial Day weekend,
making the event equal to—or even more
competitive than—the AMA FF Nats.
The USFFC had everything from night
flying to Jumbo Rubber Scale, and the
“Sweepstakes” winner was awarded a
trophy that was more than 6 feet tall. The
USFFC continues to this day, and although
it’s not quite as big as it was in the glory
days of the 1970s, it is still among the
largest half dozen FF meets in the US.
Also of note in the 1970s, chase bikes
came into normal use at FF fields. This
trend began slowly at several Nats in the
1960s when it became clear that chasing
FF models on foot across 130° runways
was unhealthy.
Today chase bikes are the standard for
serious FF participants who often have to
pursue their models many miles during the
course of a contest day. The typical FF
chase bike is a dirt bike in the 70cc-200cc
size range, costing $500-$1,500. It is rare
to find a serious FF competitor without
one. Only FF Scale fliers, with their
smaller fields and typically shorter flights,
seldom use these vehicles.
Several new events entered the FF
lineup in the 1970s. Pennyplane,
Manhattan Cabin, and Easy B came into
being indoors, and the hugely popular P-30
event was introduced outdoors in the mid-
1970s.
P-30 was the brainchild of Southern
California fliers who envisioned a simple,
small, rubber-powered model that would
be suitable for beginners and use an
inexpensive, easily obtainable 9.5-inch
plastic propeller. The rules have remained
unchanged since the beginning, and now
P-30 is arguably FF’s most popular event.
1970-2006
Jerry Murphy launches a Winterhawk F1G on a competition flight. F1G is one of FF’s
most popular events. Models fly for two minutes on only 10 grams of rubber.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:15 PM Page 52November 2006 53
Chuck Etherington (Elizabeth CO) fine-tunes his F1C piston-engine FF model. F1C is
the FAI class in piston-engine FF.
Jim O’Reilly of Wichita, Kansas, and his
Mulvihill model at the 2005 Nats.
Chuck’s model is state-of-the-art, featuring a
3:1 geared .15 racing engine, folding
propeller, and multiple timer-operated inflight
trim functions.
Chuck Etherington launches his F1C model,
illustrating the beauty and artistry of FF.
F1C flier Ed Carroll prepares for an early-morning flyoff with his Russian-built folding-wing
model. Folders are finally gaining a foothold in F1C competition after years of
experimentation. The advantage of a folding wing is less drag during the rapid climb phase.
Most P-30s—even those built by
beginners—will easily fly for 60-90
seconds, making them perfect for most
small fields.
Technological improvements in engine
design revolutionized FF Power events in
the 1970s. Schnuerle-ported, ball-bearing
racing engines by Rossi, K&B, Webra,
and others hit the scene, relegating the
older loop-scavenged, plain-bearing
engines to obsolescence. The legendary
Rossi .15 dominated FAI FF Power during
the entire decade.
AMA Power events also became
horsepower races while designs improved
in handling greater launch speeds. The
Stardusters and Ramrods of the 1960s
were replaced by the Pearl and Satellite
design families of the 1970s. Pearls and
Satellites are still popular and competitive
Photos by the author except as noted
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 5354 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins fires up the engine in his F1C model.
Daryl Perkins launches his FIC aircraft with a near-perfect
vertical throw. Maximum engine run time in F1C is five seconds,
and more than 500 feet of altitude is attained!
Bob Hatschek (L) holds for Joe Bilgri as he prepares to wind his
Wakefield model at the 1959 World Championships. Both are
FF Hall of Fame members. Photo supplied by Herb Kothe.
FF Hall-of-Famer Ed Konefes launches his Mulvihill model at the
2005 AMA Nats. Mulvihills are highest-performing of the rubberpower
classes. They can fly for more than 10 minutes and often for
more than a mile downwind.
Model Aviation and FF Hall of Fame member Herb Kothe launches
at the Wakefield World Champs in Chateau Le Brienne, France, on
July 19, 1959. Kothe, Bilgri, and Hatschek were crowned team World
Champions. Photo supplied by Kothe.
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:16 PM Page 54November 2006 55
Gary Baughman holds his F1A Nordic
Towline Glider. It is typical 1970s-1980s
technology, with mostly wooden
construction, lower aspect ratio, and
standard circle-tow towhook.
Ed Vanlandingham holds a highperformance
Mulvihill Rubber model. It is
typical of the class, weighing roughly 3
ounces and carrying 3-4 ounces in additional
rubber weight.
George Sarinopoulos with his huge,
gorgeous Comet Sailplane Old-Timer
Gas model. This is the epitome of classic
FF beauty.
Miscellaneous FF Web sites
“Detecting Thermals”
This is an excellent treatise on understanding and finding rising air.
www.apogeerockets.com/education/detecting_thermals.asp
FAC squadrons in the US
Flying Aces Club squadrons are groups that fly primarily small Scale models
according to FAC rules.
www.acsol.net/~regiaero/facsq.html
Free Flight clubs in the US
Most large cities have at least one AMA chartered FF club. Most focus on
competition and host at least one contest per year.
www.freeflight.org/community/ff_clubs/ff_clubs.htm
Free Flight Fantasies
This is a link to an FF mailing list—and has miscellaneous tips, photos, and
information.
www.gryffinaero.com/models
Hand Launched Gliders
British site has miscellaneous tips and advice on HLG flying. Also features good
photos and downloadable plans. Section on HLG DTs is particularly helpful.
http://f4bscale.worldonline.co.uk/hand.htm
Indoor Duration
Features excellent how-to articles and links to many Indoor resources.
www.indoorduration.com
Indoor News
This is an online resource for Indoor FF, containing links, discussion, contest
information, etc.
www.indoornews.com
Martin Gregorie’s Page
Has great technical info, mostly on modern composite construction and
high-performance engines.
www.gregorie.org
National Free Flight Society
The voice of FF in North America since 1967. This non-profit, all-volunteer
organization sponsors the annual FF Symposium publication, the 10-timesper-
year Free Flight magazine, a discount plans and book service, the FF
National Championships, and many other worthwhile programs. The cost is
$25 per year to join.
www.freeflight.org
SCAT Online
The site of the Southern California Aero Team has mostly FAI FF resources.
SCAT Electronic News is the excellent, free, weekly electronic newsletter about
FF competition—mostly FAI.
www.aeromodel.com
Small Flying Arts
This excellent resource features articles, plans, and tips on building traditional
stick-and-tissue models.
www.smallflyingarts.com
Society of Antique Modelers
This is the international governing body for Old-Timer flying (pre-1945). This
good Web site has links to SAM rules, SAM Champs, local chapters, and other
Old-Timer resources.
www.antiquemodeler.org
The Plan Page
Garry Hunter’s excellent site contains three plans reprints per month—
mostly Scale and Old-Timers.
www.theplanpage.com
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 5556 MODEL AVIATION
times he scored a top-five finish, finally
winning the Wakefield Cup in 1987.
Bob was inducted into the National
Free Flight Society Hall of Fame in 1988
and continued to fly FF enthusiastically
until his death in November 2005. Bob’s
impeccably crafted World Champion F1B
“#22” is hanging in AMA’s National
Model Aviation Museum in Muncie,
Indiana, for all to appreciate.
US FF World Champions
Individual
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1959: Gerry Ritz
1983: Matt Gewain
2005: Mike McKeever
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1930: Joseph Ehrhardt
1931: Joseph Ehrhardt
1932: Gordon Light
1935: Gordon Light
1938: Jim Cahill
1939: Dick Korda
1953: Joe Foster
1961: George Reich
1995: Jerry Fitch
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Dave Kneeland
1954: Carl Wheeley
1960: Larry Conover
1991: Randy Archer
1993: Randy Archer
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1968: Jim Richmond
1972: Pete Andrews
1976: Bud Romak
1978: Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky
1984: Jim Richmond
1986: Jim Richmond
1988: Jim Richmond
1990: Jim Richmond
1994: Steve Brown
1996: Steve Brown
1998: Steve Brown
2000: John Kagan
2002: Jim Richmond
2002: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
2004: Jim Richmond
2004: Doug Schaefer (Junior)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2000: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2002: Austin Gunder (Junior)
2004: John Lorbiecki (Junior)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2003: Bob Sifleet
Team
F1A (Nordic Towline Glider)
1979: Lee Hines, Jim Wilson, Jim Walters
F1B (Wakefield Rubber)
1953: Joe Foster, George Reich, Carl Hermes, C. Montplaisir
1954: Bob Dunham, Dick Baxter, Warren Gillespie
1959: Bob Hatschek, Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe
2005: Alex Andriukov, Bob Tymchek, Roger Morrell
F1C (2.5cc Engine Power)
1953: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Stan Hill, Joe Elgin
1954: Carl Wheeley, Dave Kneeland, Ray Lagermeier, John Tatone
1981: Roger Simpson, Charlie Martin, Doug Galbreath
1990: Jim Troutman, Mike Keller, Craig Lippman (Juniors)
1995: Gil Morris, Mike Achterberg, Roger Simpson
2003: Ed Keck, Randy Archer, Gil Morris
F1D (Indoor Rubber)
1976: Bud Romak, Bucky Servaites, Jim Richmond
1980: Erv Rodemsky, Ray Harlan, Pete Andrews
1984: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1986: Larry Cailliau, Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph
1988: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bud Romak
1990: Cezar Banks, Bob Randolph, Jim Richmond
1994: Cezar Banks, Steve Brown, Bob Randolph
1996: Cezar Banks, Gary Underwood, Richard Doig
1998: Jim Richmond, Larry Coslick, Bob Randolph
2000: John Kagan, Larry Coslick, Jim Richmond
2002: Jim Richmond, Larry Cailliau, Steve Brown
2002: Doug Schaefer, Ben Saks, Matt Chalker (Juniors)
2004: Doug Schaefer, Brett Sanborn, Dave Rigotti (Juniors)
F1J (1cc Engine Power)
2004: Cody Secor, John Lorbiecki, Jon Schelp (Juniors)
F1E (Slope Soaring Glider)
2005: Randy Archer, Ken Happersett, John Warren
in AMA Gas, some 30 years after their
original popularity.
Bob White: No retrospective on
international FF would be complete
without mention of Robert P. White of
Monrovia, California. He came to
international prominence in the 1970s.
Bob had returned to FF in the mid-
1960s after a long layoff and quickly
became one of the world’s premier Outdoor
Rubber fliers. For many years he concentrated
on one event: international-class F1B
Wakefield.
Bob’s signature twin-fin F1B design went
through annual design refinements,
continually improving its performance. From
1971 through 1989 Bob was on seven of the
10 US F1B teams that competed at the FF
World Championships. Five of the seven
11sig2.QXD 9/25/06 1:17 PM Page 56Indoor Dominance: While Bob White
was dominating Wakefield competitions
outdoors, the US became the leader in
international Indoor FF beginning in the
early 1970s. From 1968 to 2004 Jim
Richmond won eight F1D World
Championships. This incredible record
makes him by far the most decorated
individual in FF World Champs history
and probably in all of aeromodeling
history.
During the same period, five other US
Indoor fliers won individual titles and the
US won 11 of 18 team titles. From 1976 to
the 2004 only two F1D World
Championships—in 1982 and 1992—were
not won by a US individual or US team!
No country can claim as many World
Champion FF fliers as the US. Thirty-eight
individual World Championships have
been won by 24 US competitors. Of those
24, seven earned more than one individual
world title. See the sidebar for a complete
list of America’s FF elite.
The 1980s: The early 1980s saw the first
applications of what we now consider
high-tech construction methods in the FAI
events. Carbon, Kevlar, and foam
composites began to revolutionize
construction and design of FF models.
Wings became longer and skinnier, airfoils
thinner and more efficient, and gadgets
more numerous.
The typical 1980s Wakefield (F1B)
model had variable incidence tailplane
(VIT) and auto-rudder (AR) to maximize
the climb.
As early as 1981, Soviet Wakefield
fliers were testing delayed propeller
release (DPR) front ends. DPR—which
would become standard on Wakefields
from the early 1990s on—released the
propeller a half second after a vertical
javelin launch, gaining the model roughly
20 extra feet of altitude.
F1A “Nordic” Towline Gliders also
used quite a bit of composites, enabling a
more aggressive “zoom” launch off of a
circle tow hook. Circle-towing came to the
US from Eastern Europe in the 1970s and
was ubiquitous by the 1980s. It enabled the
flier to circle the model overhead on the
towline for many minutes until the right air
was found.
FAI Power (F1C) took the greatest leap
in the 1980s with the introduction of the
Nelson .15 racing engine and the “bunt”
transition. Bunt was first tried in the 1960s
but wasn’t perfected and put into
widespread use until the 1980s. It is a
timer-actuated one-quarter outside loop
just after engine shutoff at the top of a
screaming, vertical power pattern.
The advent of bunt—when used in
conjunction with VIT and AR—meant that
FAI Power models could get far higher
than Wakefields or Nordics, and their still
airtimes reflected this difference. Because
of this it wasn’t long before the FAI
shortened the seven-second engine run to
five seconds.
1990s to Present: The modern era of FF is
in many ways the most exciting time in our
history. Although most of the early FF
heroes are gone, quite a few legends are still
flying with us.
Men such as Jim Richmond, Gil Morris,
Bob Hatschek, Herb Kothe, Bud Romak,
Sal Taibi, Bob Bienenstein, Joe and Ed
Konefes, Phil Klintworth, and Earl Stahl are
still extremely active. Pair that with the
current resurgence in youth participation,
and we have an interesting mix of old and
new. The young people involved in FF
today are largely the outgrowth of
organized mentoring programs.
In FAI circles the Builder-of-the-Model
Rule (BOM) was abolished in the late
1980s for the Outdoor FF classes. This fact
paired with the fall of the Soviet Union and
other Eastern Bloc nations opened the door
for former state-sponsored modelers to
market RTF FF models in the US. As a
result, kids and novices are now able to buy
full-function FAI FF models and learn to fly
them in competition.
Many of these people aren’t interested in
FF as a hobby; they view it more as a sport
and the models as their sporting equipment.
What can be said of this change?
There are those who decry the loss of
building skills and patience they instill as
the downfall of FF. They have valid points.FF used to be a craftsman’s game, and in
some events it still is.
An alternate opinion is that anything that
brings more people out to the FF field is
good—and I happen to agree. Nothing in the
FAI rules stipulates that you can’t still build
your own models, and many of the experts
still do.
FF Duration contests are less about
building skills and more about flying
strategy and tactics than ever before. As the
saying goes, “the thermal doesn’t care who
built the model.”
The Elusive Thermal: Since the first FF
contest was held, fliers have been keenly
aware of the presence of thermals. For many
years thermal detection was more art than
science. Back then fliers watched the grass
blow in front of them or felt for airtemperature
changes on exposed skin.
By the 1980s and 1990s the majority of
serious FFers used thermal-detection
equipment. Today most fliers rely on
multiple devices to aid in picking air, the
most common of which is the thin Mylar
streamer mounted atop a 15- to 30-foot pole.
Such streamers will show every subtle up
and down air movement.
The next most popular device is the
thermistor, or electronic thermometer. These
are very sensitive, with 1/10 degree
resolution. Modelers will often use a
streamer and thermistor in concert when
making the decision to launch. Common
practice is not to launch until both
indicators rise simultaneously.
Other common thermal-detection aids
are soap bubbles and cattail fluffies, both
of which are most useful in light wind
conditions. They are best for smaller,
lighter models such as P-30s and Hand-
Launched Gliders.
At FF World Championships, various
upwind sensing equipment has been used
successfully to pinpoint thermal activity.
Better Technology and Techniques: In the
last 15 years there have been massive
developments in products and technology
for FF. Carbon, Kevlar, and boron are now
widely employed, thanks to several lowcost
suppliers. The use of composites even
in mostly balsa models makes them
stronger and last longer than ever before.
Rubber strip used for FF has been
steadily improving since World War II.
Through the years there have been many
brands of rubber: Dunlop, Filati, T-56, FAI
Black, Champion, Pirelli, and Chinese.
Today Tan II and Tan Super Sport reign
supreme.
Tan II came onto the scene in 1993.
Produced until 2002, it was the finest
model-airplane rubber ever made, with an
energy return that was 20% better than any
rubber before and approximately 50%
better than the rubber of the 1950s. The
result for FF modelers has been that most
national records have been broken since
1993.
Tan II is no longer available, but Tan
Super Sport is within 5% as good, with
energy figures still well exceeding any
rubber that was produced before 1993.
There are two brands of sport rubber: Tan
Sport and Tru-Torque.
Glow engines for FF have steadily
improved since the early days of spark
ignition in the 1930s and 1940s. FF
engines differ from sport-flying RC
engines in many ways.
Since the engine is only allowed to run
for as few as four seconds, FFers desire the
highest rpm and power-to-weight ratios.
Racing specialty engines such as Nelson,
Rossi, Cyclon, and Jett are the most sought
after for FF use. But there are also FF
classes for the slower engines of the Old-
Timer (pre-1943) and Nostalgia (pre-1957)
classes.
Laser cutting has also significantly
enhanced FF. There are many more highquality
kits available today than ever
before. Even though the FF kits aren’t
produced by the thousands, as they were in
the 1940s-1960s, today’s kits are more apt
to produce good-flying models. (Ask any
veteran FF modeler about the brick-heavy
balsa in 1960s Berkeley, Guillow’s, and
Sterling kits.)
Some modern suppliers of top-quality
FF kits are Campbell’s Custom Kits, Dare
Engineering, Dumas, Diels, Peck-
Polymers, Micro-X, Indoor Model Supply,
StarLink-FliteTech, Golden AgeReproductions, BMJR Models, Nowlen
Aero, Indoor Model Supply, FAI Supply,
and Easy Built. (See the FF suppliers
sidebar.)
Perhaps the greatest technological leap
in recent years has been the advent of
radio telemetry gear to locate and recover
FF models. Prior to roughly 20 years ago,
the options were few when one’s FF
model flew out of sight or into a tall
cornfield. It was common in those days to
lose several airplanes each season
because of DT failures, timers losing
sight of the model, or other
circumstances.
That all changed in the mid-1980s,
when FFer Jim Walston started marketing
radio receivers and transmitters to the FF
community. The system costs several
hundred dollars, but it was quick to catch
on. The tiny 3- to 4-gram transmitters fit
onto all but the smallest FF models and
make retrieval much more reliable.
Modelers can track their models in the air
or on the ground, from several miles
away.
This advance has really changed the
way we fly FF. There is no longer a fear
of losing models to the thermal gods.
Even if a model goes out of sight or into a
forest, a steady beep is still heard on the
receiver and will lead the flier directly to
the model’s location.
Today, 20 years after the advent of
radio tracking, hundreds of incredible
retrieval stories abound. One modeler had
a DT failure on his F1A Glider and
quickly hopped into his full-scale aircraft
with receiver in tow. He was able to fly
several miles downwind with his model
and even watched it land.
Another flier tracked an out-of-sight
airplane several miles downwind until the
signal dropped suddenly. The sun set and
the guy gave up for the day.
The next morning he flipped on his
receiver and heard a steady beep that led
him right to the model, sitting on a
lakeshore. He hypothesized that the
airplane had been found floating and was
returned to the shore by a boater. Despite
being waterlogged, the transmitter still
delivered a signal once it was dry and
above the waterline.
Next Month: Part 3 of this series will
cover getting started in the various AMA
and FAI FF classes: Gas, Rubber, and
Glider. MA
Don DeLoach