AS THE DATE of the Screaming Eagles
R/C Club’s inaugural “Triathlon of Model
Aviation”—June 18, 2005—drew near, I
was worried. Given that our goal was to
fly rubber-powered FF, CL, and RC Fun
Fly in one event, a windy day would have
been a bad thing. An extremely hot day
would have meant much less fun, and rain
would have spoiled the event completely!
Fortunately we couldn’t have had a
finer day in Central Indiana; the forecast
was for 73°, with low humidity and winds
from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Perfect!
Actually, though, the forecasters were
off a bit on the wind speed; we did have
some gusts up to 15 mph at times. It
almost threw a monkey wrench into the FF
event, but we were able to complete it
with some decent flights and times.
The purpose of our Triathlon of Model
Aviation was to get fliers back to their
roots and have them try their skills in three
modeling disciplines. Many of us built our
first rubber-band-powered, tissue-anddope-
covered airplanes in our youth and
eventually worked into CL and finally into
RC as time, money, and reliability of
equipment allowed.
Other fliers have gotten into the hobby
only recently and have never had the
opportunity to fly a delicate FF model or a
CL aircraft that is not only incredibly
aerobatic, but that pulls like a mule lap
after lap. These parts of our hobby are
entirely foreign to them.
The best new RC pilot can learn a
great deal from trimming FF models,
learning about thermals, and working with
the winds to promote flight instead of
cursing them when they arrive.
CL pilots have the unique opportunity
to learn how to build airframes, start and
maintain engines, and develop their skills
while relying on a simple yet effective
means of control that is virtually
foolproof, once understood.
The nice part of our Triathlon was that
participants didn’t have to fly in each
discipline, in case there was one or more
they didn’t want to do or didn’t know how
to do. However, to be the Grand
Champion of the day they had to be good
at all three events.
In my experience, and the experience
of others, the Triathlon offers a new
perspective on the hobby. Additionally, it
fosters a new respect for and
understanding of other areas of MA that
members might have passed over each
month when their magazines arrived.
Our club field is adjacent to the Indiana
Boys’ School reformatory in Plainfield.
We have a wonderful site, but its
proximity to the school means we
absolutely cannot fly over or near the
facility.
We were concerned that largewingspan
rubber-powered FF models
might carry themselves into the prison
area. Therefore, we limited those
airplanes’ wingspans to 24 inches for the
first year. As it turned out, overflight was
not a problem with the durations we
experienced, so we will increase the
wingspan limit to 30 inches for the 2006
event.
The FF event was judged purely on
duration. Given the unpredictable nature
of these aircraft, we felt that averaging
three flights would give a fair score, and it
did. Our best flights were approximately
25 seconds.
The CL event was judged by counting
the number of maneuvers performed in a
60-second period started by the pilot.
When ready, the pilot called “Start!” and
we clicked our stopwatches and began
counting stunts. Consecutive loops on a
Voodoo-type airplane won the event,
which probably means that those who
want to win next year will build that type
of model. Jim Lutes
My trusty Goldberg Buster was able to
accomplish 11 stunts in a minute. I was
happy with that and plan on using the
same model next year. After all, winning
is nice, but the goal of this event was to
have fun.
RC Fun Fly took place after lunch, and
we had time for two rounds. The events
were limbo (double points for inverted),34 MODEL AVIATION
Matt Brown launches his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF design in the Duration event.
Bob Groves is well prepared to fly in all
three modeling disciplines with a colorful
fleet of aircraft.
Scott Black holds his Goldberg Buster CL model and a FF Sidewinder rubber-powered
design he built from MA plans.
Event sponsors were extremely generous with prizes, and many
major modeling companies participated.
Al Myers and his original-design RC model on the ready line and
prepared for action in one of the Fun Fly events.
Photos by Bob Groves and Doug Fish
March 2006 35
Jim Lutes holds for Scott Black as he starts the O.S. .35S engine in his Buster for the
Timed Stunts CL event.
Jim Lutes looks proud of his lineup of airplanes for the various
modeling disciplines.
Jim Lutes won the “Coolest Plane” award for his scratch-built
FF Javelin that was finished with tissue and modeling dope.
Mika Woodward’s scratch-built CL model is finished with modeling dope and features
classic cloth hinges!
How low can you go? Al Myers’ model
performs a successful pass in the Limbo
competition.
Matt Brown brought an interesting
variety of models, including a
competition CL Combat aircraft.
Steve Ragsdale launches his store-bought FF aircraft. Many
contestants bought these models at the last minute at the local
Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!
Al Myers receives the plaque for his win in the RC Fun Fly event.
Give this unique contest idea a try with your club!
Mika Woodward with his fleet. He is acknowledged as the most
accomplished pilot in the Screaming Eagles club.
Bob Groves trims his Guillow’s Jetfire FF
model for the Duration event.
Matt Brown’s Russian CL Combat design is a real screamer. It has a pressurized fuel
system and features carbon-and-balsa construction.
36 MODEL AVIATION
March 2006 37
Scott Black flies his Buster on 60-foot lines. It was a perfect day for this meet!
Matt Brown was the CL and FF
champion. According to the author, “He
was a pretty happy camper!”
Mika Woodward launches his original-design FF Duration model
in a classic pose.
Mika Woodward is awarded the Grand Champion plaque. He
had the highest point total for the combined events.
Steve Ragsdale’s Al Myers-designed model has outstanding lowspeed
characteristics. It’s a popular choice in the Indianapolis area.
spot landing, timed touch-and-go landings
in a two-minute period, and a Kamikaze
Balloon Bust.
The wind speeds were so high that they
prevented us from using helium-filled
balloons. I had intended to weight them
just enough so they would rise slowly.
Instead we did a “Groundhog”-style
balloon bust and stapled the balloon to a
flat sheet of plywood on the runway.
Intentional taxiing was prohibited; the
balloon had to be burst by intentional low
passes or touch-and-gos. Three attempts
were allowed. Ample fun and skill were
necessary for each flier to be successful.
Roughly 50% of the pilots were
triumphant on their strafing runs, although
the task was difficult!
Since this was the Triathlon’s first year I
had no idea how many people would show
up. Only seven pilots went at it: Bob
Groves, Mika Woodward, Matt Brown,
Steve Ragsdale, Al Myers, Jim Lutes, and
I.
However, we intentionally did not
advertise the event outside of the club
because we wanted to work out the bugs.
Next year we can promote the contest at
least regionally and in MA.
With the seven fliers it took from 9
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. to complete the
events, taking a half and hour or so for
lunch. We may not want more than 15
pilots next year; that number would make for
a full day. Advance registration might help
with that so we can plan ahead.
A huge “thank you” goes out to Mark
Crittendon and Dennis Anderson for working
the concessions. We had plenty of great food
to eat and service with a smile for all the
pilots, their support crews, and spectators.
Several other people helped out with
timing, judging, and other chores. Each
person received a raffle ticket for his or her
participation.
We had some fun awards to give out for the
Triathlon. The “Champion—Rubber Power”
award went to Matt Brown, as did the
“Champion—Control Line” honor. Al Myers
took home the “Champion—RC Fun Fly”
title.
The “Grand Champion” award went to
the pilot who placed highest in all events,
for the highest combined total. Mika
Woodward took that honor. Jim Lutes won
the “Coolest Plane of the Day” award for
his balsa-and-tissue Javelin rubberpowered
model. It was a beauty.
We had great support from sponsors; they
were extraordinarily generous. We ended up
having six unique airplane kits to give away
from Brodak, Sig Manufacturing, and
Peck-Polymers; several gift certificates;
and many other items.
We were also given two complete radiocontrol
systems to award as prizes! A huge
thank you to Tower Hobbies which sent a
Futaba system and Horizon Hobby which sent
a JR system to us the week before the event.
Our participants were spoiled!
In addition, AMA personnel sent us
quite of bit of literature to pass out to
prospective modelers and positive
feedback about the concept of the event. I
hope we have the same prizes and more for
next year’s contest!
The tentative date for the second annual
Triathlon of Model Aviation is June 17,
2006—Father’s Day weekend again. The
weather seemed just right in Indiana in
2005, and we’ve had ample winter
building time so far! For more information
go to www.screamingeagles.org or contact
me; I’m the CD.
If your club is looking for a great event
to hold that is out of the ordinary, put
together your own Triathlon of Model
Aviation. The pride and giggles that
emerged from the group of fliers at our
event convinced me that the concept was a
new kind of fun and something we will
look forward to this year. MA
Scott Black
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 33,34,35,36,37,38
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 33,34,35,36,37,38
AS THE DATE of the Screaming Eagles
R/C Club’s inaugural “Triathlon of Model
Aviation”—June 18, 2005—drew near, I
was worried. Given that our goal was to
fly rubber-powered FF, CL, and RC Fun
Fly in one event, a windy day would have
been a bad thing. An extremely hot day
would have meant much less fun, and rain
would have spoiled the event completely!
Fortunately we couldn’t have had a
finer day in Central Indiana; the forecast
was for 73°, with low humidity and winds
from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Perfect!
Actually, though, the forecasters were
off a bit on the wind speed; we did have
some gusts up to 15 mph at times. It
almost threw a monkey wrench into the FF
event, but we were able to complete it
with some decent flights and times.
The purpose of our Triathlon of Model
Aviation was to get fliers back to their
roots and have them try their skills in three
modeling disciplines. Many of us built our
first rubber-band-powered, tissue-anddope-
covered airplanes in our youth and
eventually worked into CL and finally into
RC as time, money, and reliability of
equipment allowed.
Other fliers have gotten into the hobby
only recently and have never had the
opportunity to fly a delicate FF model or a
CL aircraft that is not only incredibly
aerobatic, but that pulls like a mule lap
after lap. These parts of our hobby are
entirely foreign to them.
The best new RC pilot can learn a
great deal from trimming FF models,
learning about thermals, and working with
the winds to promote flight instead of
cursing them when they arrive.
CL pilots have the unique opportunity
to learn how to build airframes, start and
maintain engines, and develop their skills
while relying on a simple yet effective
means of control that is virtually
foolproof, once understood.
The nice part of our Triathlon was that
participants didn’t have to fly in each
discipline, in case there was one or more
they didn’t want to do or didn’t know how
to do. However, to be the Grand
Champion of the day they had to be good
at all three events.
In my experience, and the experience
of others, the Triathlon offers a new
perspective on the hobby. Additionally, it
fosters a new respect for and
understanding of other areas of MA that
members might have passed over each
month when their magazines arrived.
Our club field is adjacent to the Indiana
Boys’ School reformatory in Plainfield.
We have a wonderful site, but its
proximity to the school means we
absolutely cannot fly over or near the
facility.
We were concerned that largewingspan
rubber-powered FF models
might carry themselves into the prison
area. Therefore, we limited those
airplanes’ wingspans to 24 inches for the
first year. As it turned out, overflight was
not a problem with the durations we
experienced, so we will increase the
wingspan limit to 30 inches for the 2006
event.
The FF event was judged purely on
duration. Given the unpredictable nature
of these aircraft, we felt that averaging
three flights would give a fair score, and it
did. Our best flights were approximately
25 seconds.
The CL event was judged by counting
the number of maneuvers performed in a
60-second period started by the pilot.
When ready, the pilot called “Start!” and
we clicked our stopwatches and began
counting stunts. Consecutive loops on a
Voodoo-type airplane won the event,
which probably means that those who
want to win next year will build that type
of model. Jim Lutes
My trusty Goldberg Buster was able to
accomplish 11 stunts in a minute. I was
happy with that and plan on using the
same model next year. After all, winning
is nice, but the goal of this event was to
have fun.
RC Fun Fly took place after lunch, and
we had time for two rounds. The events
were limbo (double points for inverted),34 MODEL AVIATION
Matt Brown launches his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF design in the Duration event.
Bob Groves is well prepared to fly in all
three modeling disciplines with a colorful
fleet of aircraft.
Scott Black holds his Goldberg Buster CL model and a FF Sidewinder rubber-powered
design he built from MA plans.
Event sponsors were extremely generous with prizes, and many
major modeling companies participated.
Al Myers and his original-design RC model on the ready line and
prepared for action in one of the Fun Fly events.
Photos by Bob Groves and Doug Fish
March 2006 35
Jim Lutes holds for Scott Black as he starts the O.S. .35S engine in his Buster for the
Timed Stunts CL event.
Jim Lutes looks proud of his lineup of airplanes for the various
modeling disciplines.
Jim Lutes won the “Coolest Plane” award for his scratch-built
FF Javelin that was finished with tissue and modeling dope.
Mika Woodward’s scratch-built CL model is finished with modeling dope and features
classic cloth hinges!
How low can you go? Al Myers’ model
performs a successful pass in the Limbo
competition.
Matt Brown brought an interesting
variety of models, including a
competition CL Combat aircraft.
Steve Ragsdale launches his store-bought FF aircraft. Many
contestants bought these models at the last minute at the local
Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!
Al Myers receives the plaque for his win in the RC Fun Fly event.
Give this unique contest idea a try with your club!
Mika Woodward with his fleet. He is acknowledged as the most
accomplished pilot in the Screaming Eagles club.
Bob Groves trims his Guillow’s Jetfire FF
model for the Duration event.
Matt Brown’s Russian CL Combat design is a real screamer. It has a pressurized fuel
system and features carbon-and-balsa construction.
36 MODEL AVIATION
March 2006 37
Scott Black flies his Buster on 60-foot lines. It was a perfect day for this meet!
Matt Brown was the CL and FF
champion. According to the author, “He
was a pretty happy camper!”
Mika Woodward launches his original-design FF Duration model
in a classic pose.
Mika Woodward is awarded the Grand Champion plaque. He
had the highest point total for the combined events.
Steve Ragsdale’s Al Myers-designed model has outstanding lowspeed
characteristics. It’s a popular choice in the Indianapolis area.
spot landing, timed touch-and-go landings
in a two-minute period, and a Kamikaze
Balloon Bust.
The wind speeds were so high that they
prevented us from using helium-filled
balloons. I had intended to weight them
just enough so they would rise slowly.
Instead we did a “Groundhog”-style
balloon bust and stapled the balloon to a
flat sheet of plywood on the runway.
Intentional taxiing was prohibited; the
balloon had to be burst by intentional low
passes or touch-and-gos. Three attempts
were allowed. Ample fun and skill were
necessary for each flier to be successful.
Roughly 50% of the pilots were
triumphant on their strafing runs, although
the task was difficult!
Since this was the Triathlon’s first year I
had no idea how many people would show
up. Only seven pilots went at it: Bob
Groves, Mika Woodward, Matt Brown,
Steve Ragsdale, Al Myers, Jim Lutes, and
I.
However, we intentionally did not
advertise the event outside of the club
because we wanted to work out the bugs.
Next year we can promote the contest at
least regionally and in MA.
With the seven fliers it took from 9
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. to complete the
events, taking a half and hour or so for
lunch. We may not want more than 15
pilots next year; that number would make for
a full day. Advance registration might help
with that so we can plan ahead.
A huge “thank you” goes out to Mark
Crittendon and Dennis Anderson for working
the concessions. We had plenty of great food
to eat and service with a smile for all the
pilots, their support crews, and spectators.
Several other people helped out with
timing, judging, and other chores. Each
person received a raffle ticket for his or her
participation.
We had some fun awards to give out for the
Triathlon. The “Champion—Rubber Power”
award went to Matt Brown, as did the
“Champion—Control Line” honor. Al Myers
took home the “Champion—RC Fun Fly”
title.
The “Grand Champion” award went to
the pilot who placed highest in all events,
for the highest combined total. Mika
Woodward took that honor. Jim Lutes won
the “Coolest Plane of the Day” award for
his balsa-and-tissue Javelin rubberpowered
model. It was a beauty.
We had great support from sponsors; they
were extraordinarily generous. We ended up
having six unique airplane kits to give away
from Brodak, Sig Manufacturing, and
Peck-Polymers; several gift certificates;
and many other items.
We were also given two complete radiocontrol
systems to award as prizes! A huge
thank you to Tower Hobbies which sent a
Futaba system and Horizon Hobby which sent
a JR system to us the week before the event.
Our participants were spoiled!
In addition, AMA personnel sent us
quite of bit of literature to pass out to
prospective modelers and positive
feedback about the concept of the event. I
hope we have the same prizes and more for
next year’s contest!
The tentative date for the second annual
Triathlon of Model Aviation is June 17,
2006—Father’s Day weekend again. The
weather seemed just right in Indiana in
2005, and we’ve had ample winter
building time so far! For more information
go to www.screamingeagles.org or contact
me; I’m the CD.
If your club is looking for a great event
to hold that is out of the ordinary, put
together your own Triathlon of Model
Aviation. The pride and giggles that
emerged from the group of fliers at our
event convinced me that the concept was a
new kind of fun and something we will
look forward to this year. MA
Scott Black
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 33,34,35,36,37,38
AS THE DATE of the Screaming Eagles
R/C Club’s inaugural “Triathlon of Model
Aviation”—June 18, 2005—drew near, I
was worried. Given that our goal was to
fly rubber-powered FF, CL, and RC Fun
Fly in one event, a windy day would have
been a bad thing. An extremely hot day
would have meant much less fun, and rain
would have spoiled the event completely!
Fortunately we couldn’t have had a
finer day in Central Indiana; the forecast
was for 73°, with low humidity and winds
from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Perfect!
Actually, though, the forecasters were
off a bit on the wind speed; we did have
some gusts up to 15 mph at times. It
almost threw a monkey wrench into the FF
event, but we were able to complete it
with some decent flights and times.
The purpose of our Triathlon of Model
Aviation was to get fliers back to their
roots and have them try their skills in three
modeling disciplines. Many of us built our
first rubber-band-powered, tissue-anddope-
covered airplanes in our youth and
eventually worked into CL and finally into
RC as time, money, and reliability of
equipment allowed.
Other fliers have gotten into the hobby
only recently and have never had the
opportunity to fly a delicate FF model or a
CL aircraft that is not only incredibly
aerobatic, but that pulls like a mule lap
after lap. These parts of our hobby are
entirely foreign to them.
The best new RC pilot can learn a
great deal from trimming FF models,
learning about thermals, and working with
the winds to promote flight instead of
cursing them when they arrive.
CL pilots have the unique opportunity
to learn how to build airframes, start and
maintain engines, and develop their skills
while relying on a simple yet effective
means of control that is virtually
foolproof, once understood.
The nice part of our Triathlon was that
participants didn’t have to fly in each
discipline, in case there was one or more
they didn’t want to do or didn’t know how
to do. However, to be the Grand
Champion of the day they had to be good
at all three events.
In my experience, and the experience
of others, the Triathlon offers a new
perspective on the hobby. Additionally, it
fosters a new respect for and
understanding of other areas of MA that
members might have passed over each
month when their magazines arrived.
Our club field is adjacent to the Indiana
Boys’ School reformatory in Plainfield.
We have a wonderful site, but its
proximity to the school means we
absolutely cannot fly over or near the
facility.
We were concerned that largewingspan
rubber-powered FF models
might carry themselves into the prison
area. Therefore, we limited those
airplanes’ wingspans to 24 inches for the
first year. As it turned out, overflight was
not a problem with the durations we
experienced, so we will increase the
wingspan limit to 30 inches for the 2006
event.
The FF event was judged purely on
duration. Given the unpredictable nature
of these aircraft, we felt that averaging
three flights would give a fair score, and it
did. Our best flights were approximately
25 seconds.
The CL event was judged by counting
the number of maneuvers performed in a
60-second period started by the pilot.
When ready, the pilot called “Start!” and
we clicked our stopwatches and began
counting stunts. Consecutive loops on a
Voodoo-type airplane won the event,
which probably means that those who
want to win next year will build that type
of model. Jim Lutes
My trusty Goldberg Buster was able to
accomplish 11 stunts in a minute. I was
happy with that and plan on using the
same model next year. After all, winning
is nice, but the goal of this event was to
have fun.
RC Fun Fly took place after lunch, and
we had time for two rounds. The events
were limbo (double points for inverted),34 MODEL AVIATION
Matt Brown launches his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF design in the Duration event.
Bob Groves is well prepared to fly in all
three modeling disciplines with a colorful
fleet of aircraft.
Scott Black holds his Goldberg Buster CL model and a FF Sidewinder rubber-powered
design he built from MA plans.
Event sponsors were extremely generous with prizes, and many
major modeling companies participated.
Al Myers and his original-design RC model on the ready line and
prepared for action in one of the Fun Fly events.
Photos by Bob Groves and Doug Fish
March 2006 35
Jim Lutes holds for Scott Black as he starts the O.S. .35S engine in his Buster for the
Timed Stunts CL event.
Jim Lutes looks proud of his lineup of airplanes for the various
modeling disciplines.
Jim Lutes won the “Coolest Plane” award for his scratch-built
FF Javelin that was finished with tissue and modeling dope.
Mika Woodward’s scratch-built CL model is finished with modeling dope and features
classic cloth hinges!
How low can you go? Al Myers’ model
performs a successful pass in the Limbo
competition.
Matt Brown brought an interesting
variety of models, including a
competition CL Combat aircraft.
Steve Ragsdale launches his store-bought FF aircraft. Many
contestants bought these models at the last minute at the local
Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!
Al Myers receives the plaque for his win in the RC Fun Fly event.
Give this unique contest idea a try with your club!
Mika Woodward with his fleet. He is acknowledged as the most
accomplished pilot in the Screaming Eagles club.
Bob Groves trims his Guillow’s Jetfire FF
model for the Duration event.
Matt Brown’s Russian CL Combat design is a real screamer. It has a pressurized fuel
system and features carbon-and-balsa construction.
36 MODEL AVIATION
March 2006 37
Scott Black flies his Buster on 60-foot lines. It was a perfect day for this meet!
Matt Brown was the CL and FF
champion. According to the author, “He
was a pretty happy camper!”
Mika Woodward launches his original-design FF Duration model
in a classic pose.
Mika Woodward is awarded the Grand Champion plaque. He
had the highest point total for the combined events.
Steve Ragsdale’s Al Myers-designed model has outstanding lowspeed
characteristics. It’s a popular choice in the Indianapolis area.
spot landing, timed touch-and-go landings
in a two-minute period, and a Kamikaze
Balloon Bust.
The wind speeds were so high that they
prevented us from using helium-filled
balloons. I had intended to weight them
just enough so they would rise slowly.
Instead we did a “Groundhog”-style
balloon bust and stapled the balloon to a
flat sheet of plywood on the runway.
Intentional taxiing was prohibited; the
balloon had to be burst by intentional low
passes or touch-and-gos. Three attempts
were allowed. Ample fun and skill were
necessary for each flier to be successful.
Roughly 50% of the pilots were
triumphant on their strafing runs, although
the task was difficult!
Since this was the Triathlon’s first year I
had no idea how many people would show
up. Only seven pilots went at it: Bob
Groves, Mika Woodward, Matt Brown,
Steve Ragsdale, Al Myers, Jim Lutes, and
I.
However, we intentionally did not
advertise the event outside of the club
because we wanted to work out the bugs.
Next year we can promote the contest at
least regionally and in MA.
With the seven fliers it took from 9
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. to complete the
events, taking a half and hour or so for
lunch. We may not want more than 15
pilots next year; that number would make for
a full day. Advance registration might help
with that so we can plan ahead.
A huge “thank you” goes out to Mark
Crittendon and Dennis Anderson for working
the concessions. We had plenty of great food
to eat and service with a smile for all the
pilots, their support crews, and spectators.
Several other people helped out with
timing, judging, and other chores. Each
person received a raffle ticket for his or her
participation.
We had some fun awards to give out for the
Triathlon. The “Champion—Rubber Power”
award went to Matt Brown, as did the
“Champion—Control Line” honor. Al Myers
took home the “Champion—RC Fun Fly”
title.
The “Grand Champion” award went to
the pilot who placed highest in all events,
for the highest combined total. Mika
Woodward took that honor. Jim Lutes won
the “Coolest Plane of the Day” award for
his balsa-and-tissue Javelin rubberpowered
model. It was a beauty.
We had great support from sponsors; they
were extraordinarily generous. We ended up
having six unique airplane kits to give away
from Brodak, Sig Manufacturing, and
Peck-Polymers; several gift certificates;
and many other items.
We were also given two complete radiocontrol
systems to award as prizes! A huge
thank you to Tower Hobbies which sent a
Futaba system and Horizon Hobby which sent
a JR system to us the week before the event.
Our participants were spoiled!
In addition, AMA personnel sent us
quite of bit of literature to pass out to
prospective modelers and positive
feedback about the concept of the event. I
hope we have the same prizes and more for
next year’s contest!
The tentative date for the second annual
Triathlon of Model Aviation is June 17,
2006—Father’s Day weekend again. The
weather seemed just right in Indiana in
2005, and we’ve had ample winter
building time so far! For more information
go to www.screamingeagles.org or contact
me; I’m the CD.
If your club is looking for a great event
to hold that is out of the ordinary, put
together your own Triathlon of Model
Aviation. The pride and giggles that
emerged from the group of fliers at our
event convinced me that the concept was a
new kind of fun and something we will
look forward to this year. MA
Scott Black
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 33,34,35,36,37,38
AS THE DATE of the Screaming Eagles
R/C Club’s inaugural “Triathlon of Model
Aviation”—June 18, 2005—drew near, I
was worried. Given that our goal was to
fly rubber-powered FF, CL, and RC Fun
Fly in one event, a windy day would have
been a bad thing. An extremely hot day
would have meant much less fun, and rain
would have spoiled the event completely!
Fortunately we couldn’t have had a
finer day in Central Indiana; the forecast
was for 73°, with low humidity and winds
from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Perfect!
Actually, though, the forecasters were
off a bit on the wind speed; we did have
some gusts up to 15 mph at times. It
almost threw a monkey wrench into the FF
event, but we were able to complete it
with some decent flights and times.
The purpose of our Triathlon of Model
Aviation was to get fliers back to their
roots and have them try their skills in three
modeling disciplines. Many of us built our
first rubber-band-powered, tissue-anddope-
covered airplanes in our youth and
eventually worked into CL and finally into
RC as time, money, and reliability of
equipment allowed.
Other fliers have gotten into the hobby
only recently and have never had the
opportunity to fly a delicate FF model or a
CL aircraft that is not only incredibly
aerobatic, but that pulls like a mule lap
after lap. These parts of our hobby are
entirely foreign to them.
The best new RC pilot can learn a
great deal from trimming FF models,
learning about thermals, and working with
the winds to promote flight instead of
cursing them when they arrive.
CL pilots have the unique opportunity
to learn how to build airframes, start and
maintain engines, and develop their skills
while relying on a simple yet effective
means of control that is virtually
foolproof, once understood.
The nice part of our Triathlon was that
participants didn’t have to fly in each
discipline, in case there was one or more
they didn’t want to do or didn’t know how
to do. However, to be the Grand
Champion of the day they had to be good
at all three events.
In my experience, and the experience
of others, the Triathlon offers a new
perspective on the hobby. Additionally, it
fosters a new respect for and
understanding of other areas of MA that
members might have passed over each
month when their magazines arrived.
Our club field is adjacent to the Indiana
Boys’ School reformatory in Plainfield.
We have a wonderful site, but its
proximity to the school means we
absolutely cannot fly over or near the
facility.
We were concerned that largewingspan
rubber-powered FF models
might carry themselves into the prison
area. Therefore, we limited those
airplanes’ wingspans to 24 inches for the
first year. As it turned out, overflight was
not a problem with the durations we
experienced, so we will increase the
wingspan limit to 30 inches for the 2006
event.
The FF event was judged purely on
duration. Given the unpredictable nature
of these aircraft, we felt that averaging
three flights would give a fair score, and it
did. Our best flights were approximately
25 seconds.
The CL event was judged by counting
the number of maneuvers performed in a
60-second period started by the pilot.
When ready, the pilot called “Start!” and
we clicked our stopwatches and began
counting stunts. Consecutive loops on a
Voodoo-type airplane won the event,
which probably means that those who
want to win next year will build that type
of model. Jim Lutes
My trusty Goldberg Buster was able to
accomplish 11 stunts in a minute. I was
happy with that and plan on using the
same model next year. After all, winning
is nice, but the goal of this event was to
have fun.
RC Fun Fly took place after lunch, and
we had time for two rounds. The events
were limbo (double points for inverted),34 MODEL AVIATION
Matt Brown launches his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF design in the Duration event.
Bob Groves is well prepared to fly in all
three modeling disciplines with a colorful
fleet of aircraft.
Scott Black holds his Goldberg Buster CL model and a FF Sidewinder rubber-powered
design he built from MA plans.
Event sponsors were extremely generous with prizes, and many
major modeling companies participated.
Al Myers and his original-design RC model on the ready line and
prepared for action in one of the Fun Fly events.
Photos by Bob Groves and Doug Fish
March 2006 35
Jim Lutes holds for Scott Black as he starts the O.S. .35S engine in his Buster for the
Timed Stunts CL event.
Jim Lutes looks proud of his lineup of airplanes for the various
modeling disciplines.
Jim Lutes won the “Coolest Plane” award for his scratch-built
FF Javelin that was finished with tissue and modeling dope.
Mika Woodward’s scratch-built CL model is finished with modeling dope and features
classic cloth hinges!
How low can you go? Al Myers’ model
performs a successful pass in the Limbo
competition.
Matt Brown brought an interesting
variety of models, including a
competition CL Combat aircraft.
Steve Ragsdale launches his store-bought FF aircraft. Many
contestants bought these models at the last minute at the local
Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!
Al Myers receives the plaque for his win in the RC Fun Fly event.
Give this unique contest idea a try with your club!
Mika Woodward with his fleet. He is acknowledged as the most
accomplished pilot in the Screaming Eagles club.
Bob Groves trims his Guillow’s Jetfire FF
model for the Duration event.
Matt Brown’s Russian CL Combat design is a real screamer. It has a pressurized fuel
system and features carbon-and-balsa construction.
36 MODEL AVIATION
March 2006 37
Scott Black flies his Buster on 60-foot lines. It was a perfect day for this meet!
Matt Brown was the CL and FF
champion. According to the author, “He
was a pretty happy camper!”
Mika Woodward launches his original-design FF Duration model
in a classic pose.
Mika Woodward is awarded the Grand Champion plaque. He
had the highest point total for the combined events.
Steve Ragsdale’s Al Myers-designed model has outstanding lowspeed
characteristics. It’s a popular choice in the Indianapolis area.
spot landing, timed touch-and-go landings
in a two-minute period, and a Kamikaze
Balloon Bust.
The wind speeds were so high that they
prevented us from using helium-filled
balloons. I had intended to weight them
just enough so they would rise slowly.
Instead we did a “Groundhog”-style
balloon bust and stapled the balloon to a
flat sheet of plywood on the runway.
Intentional taxiing was prohibited; the
balloon had to be burst by intentional low
passes or touch-and-gos. Three attempts
were allowed. Ample fun and skill were
necessary for each flier to be successful.
Roughly 50% of the pilots were
triumphant on their strafing runs, although
the task was difficult!
Since this was the Triathlon’s first year I
had no idea how many people would show
up. Only seven pilots went at it: Bob
Groves, Mika Woodward, Matt Brown,
Steve Ragsdale, Al Myers, Jim Lutes, and
I.
However, we intentionally did not
advertise the event outside of the club
because we wanted to work out the bugs.
Next year we can promote the contest at
least regionally and in MA.
With the seven fliers it took from 9
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. to complete the
events, taking a half and hour or so for
lunch. We may not want more than 15
pilots next year; that number would make for
a full day. Advance registration might help
with that so we can plan ahead.
A huge “thank you” goes out to Mark
Crittendon and Dennis Anderson for working
the concessions. We had plenty of great food
to eat and service with a smile for all the
pilots, their support crews, and spectators.
Several other people helped out with
timing, judging, and other chores. Each
person received a raffle ticket for his or her
participation.
We had some fun awards to give out for the
Triathlon. The “Champion—Rubber Power”
award went to Matt Brown, as did the
“Champion—Control Line” honor. Al Myers
took home the “Champion—RC Fun Fly”
title.
The “Grand Champion” award went to
the pilot who placed highest in all events,
for the highest combined total. Mika
Woodward took that honor. Jim Lutes won
the “Coolest Plane of the Day” award for
his balsa-and-tissue Javelin rubberpowered
model. It was a beauty.
We had great support from sponsors; they
were extraordinarily generous. We ended up
having six unique airplane kits to give away
from Brodak, Sig Manufacturing, and
Peck-Polymers; several gift certificates;
and many other items.
We were also given two complete radiocontrol
systems to award as prizes! A huge
thank you to Tower Hobbies which sent a
Futaba system and Horizon Hobby which sent
a JR system to us the week before the event.
Our participants were spoiled!
In addition, AMA personnel sent us
quite of bit of literature to pass out to
prospective modelers and positive
feedback about the concept of the event. I
hope we have the same prizes and more for
next year’s contest!
The tentative date for the second annual
Triathlon of Model Aviation is June 17,
2006—Father’s Day weekend again. The
weather seemed just right in Indiana in
2005, and we’ve had ample winter
building time so far! For more information
go to www.screamingeagles.org or contact
me; I’m the CD.
If your club is looking for a great event
to hold that is out of the ordinary, put
together your own Triathlon of Model
Aviation. The pride and giggles that
emerged from the group of fliers at our
event convinced me that the concept was a
new kind of fun and something we will
look forward to this year. MA
Scott Black
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 33,34,35,36,37,38
AS THE DATE of the Screaming Eagles
R/C Club’s inaugural “Triathlon of Model
Aviation”—June 18, 2005—drew near, I
was worried. Given that our goal was to
fly rubber-powered FF, CL, and RC Fun
Fly in one event, a windy day would have
been a bad thing. An extremely hot day
would have meant much less fun, and rain
would have spoiled the event completely!
Fortunately we couldn’t have had a
finer day in Central Indiana; the forecast
was for 73°, with low humidity and winds
from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Perfect!
Actually, though, the forecasters were
off a bit on the wind speed; we did have
some gusts up to 15 mph at times. It
almost threw a monkey wrench into the FF
event, but we were able to complete it
with some decent flights and times.
The purpose of our Triathlon of Model
Aviation was to get fliers back to their
roots and have them try their skills in three
modeling disciplines. Many of us built our
first rubber-band-powered, tissue-anddope-
covered airplanes in our youth and
eventually worked into CL and finally into
RC as time, money, and reliability of
equipment allowed.
Other fliers have gotten into the hobby
only recently and have never had the
opportunity to fly a delicate FF model or a
CL aircraft that is not only incredibly
aerobatic, but that pulls like a mule lap
after lap. These parts of our hobby are
entirely foreign to them.
The best new RC pilot can learn a
great deal from trimming FF models,
learning about thermals, and working with
the winds to promote flight instead of
cursing them when they arrive.
CL pilots have the unique opportunity
to learn how to build airframes, start and
maintain engines, and develop their skills
while relying on a simple yet effective
means of control that is virtually
foolproof, once understood.
The nice part of our Triathlon was that
participants didn’t have to fly in each
discipline, in case there was one or more
they didn’t want to do or didn’t know how
to do. However, to be the Grand
Champion of the day they had to be good
at all three events.
In my experience, and the experience
of others, the Triathlon offers a new
perspective on the hobby. Additionally, it
fosters a new respect for and
understanding of other areas of MA that
members might have passed over each
month when their magazines arrived.
Our club field is adjacent to the Indiana
Boys’ School reformatory in Plainfield.
We have a wonderful site, but its
proximity to the school means we
absolutely cannot fly over or near the
facility.
We were concerned that largewingspan
rubber-powered FF models
might carry themselves into the prison
area. Therefore, we limited those
airplanes’ wingspans to 24 inches for the
first year. As it turned out, overflight was
not a problem with the durations we
experienced, so we will increase the
wingspan limit to 30 inches for the 2006
event.
The FF event was judged purely on
duration. Given the unpredictable nature
of these aircraft, we felt that averaging
three flights would give a fair score, and it
did. Our best flights were approximately
25 seconds.
The CL event was judged by counting
the number of maneuvers performed in a
60-second period started by the pilot.
When ready, the pilot called “Start!” and
we clicked our stopwatches and began
counting stunts. Consecutive loops on a
Voodoo-type airplane won the event,
which probably means that those who
want to win next year will build that type
of model. Jim Lutes
My trusty Goldberg Buster was able to
accomplish 11 stunts in a minute. I was
happy with that and plan on using the
same model next year. After all, winning
is nice, but the goal of this event was to
have fun.
RC Fun Fly took place after lunch, and
we had time for two rounds. The events
were limbo (double points for inverted),34 MODEL AVIATION
Matt Brown launches his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF design in the Duration event.
Bob Groves is well prepared to fly in all
three modeling disciplines with a colorful
fleet of aircraft.
Scott Black holds his Goldberg Buster CL model and a FF Sidewinder rubber-powered
design he built from MA plans.
Event sponsors were extremely generous with prizes, and many
major modeling companies participated.
Al Myers and his original-design RC model on the ready line and
prepared for action in one of the Fun Fly events.
Photos by Bob Groves and Doug Fish
March 2006 35
Jim Lutes holds for Scott Black as he starts the O.S. .35S engine in his Buster for the
Timed Stunts CL event.
Jim Lutes looks proud of his lineup of airplanes for the various
modeling disciplines.
Jim Lutes won the “Coolest Plane” award for his scratch-built
FF Javelin that was finished with tissue and modeling dope.
Mika Woodward’s scratch-built CL model is finished with modeling dope and features
classic cloth hinges!
How low can you go? Al Myers’ model
performs a successful pass in the Limbo
competition.
Matt Brown brought an interesting
variety of models, including a
competition CL Combat aircraft.
Steve Ragsdale launches his store-bought FF aircraft. Many
contestants bought these models at the last minute at the local
Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!
Al Myers receives the plaque for his win in the RC Fun Fly event.
Give this unique contest idea a try with your club!
Mika Woodward with his fleet. He is acknowledged as the most
accomplished pilot in the Screaming Eagles club.
Bob Groves trims his Guillow’s Jetfire FF
model for the Duration event.
Matt Brown’s Russian CL Combat design is a real screamer. It has a pressurized fuel
system and features carbon-and-balsa construction.
36 MODEL AVIATION
March 2006 37
Scott Black flies his Buster on 60-foot lines. It was a perfect day for this meet!
Matt Brown was the CL and FF
champion. According to the author, “He
was a pretty happy camper!”
Mika Woodward launches his original-design FF Duration model
in a classic pose.
Mika Woodward is awarded the Grand Champion plaque. He
had the highest point total for the combined events.
Steve Ragsdale’s Al Myers-designed model has outstanding lowspeed
characteristics. It’s a popular choice in the Indianapolis area.
spot landing, timed touch-and-go landings
in a two-minute period, and a Kamikaze
Balloon Bust.
The wind speeds were so high that they
prevented us from using helium-filled
balloons. I had intended to weight them
just enough so they would rise slowly.
Instead we did a “Groundhog”-style
balloon bust and stapled the balloon to a
flat sheet of plywood on the runway.
Intentional taxiing was prohibited; the
balloon had to be burst by intentional low
passes or touch-and-gos. Three attempts
were allowed. Ample fun and skill were
necessary for each flier to be successful.
Roughly 50% of the pilots were
triumphant on their strafing runs, although
the task was difficult!
Since this was the Triathlon’s first year I
had no idea how many people would show
up. Only seven pilots went at it: Bob
Groves, Mika Woodward, Matt Brown,
Steve Ragsdale, Al Myers, Jim Lutes, and
I.
However, we intentionally did not
advertise the event outside of the club
because we wanted to work out the bugs.
Next year we can promote the contest at
least regionally and in MA.
With the seven fliers it took from 9
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. to complete the
events, taking a half and hour or so for
lunch. We may not want more than 15
pilots next year; that number would make for
a full day. Advance registration might help
with that so we can plan ahead.
A huge “thank you” goes out to Mark
Crittendon and Dennis Anderson for working
the concessions. We had plenty of great food
to eat and service with a smile for all the
pilots, their support crews, and spectators.
Several other people helped out with
timing, judging, and other chores. Each
person received a raffle ticket for his or her
participation.
We had some fun awards to give out for the
Triathlon. The “Champion—Rubber Power”
award went to Matt Brown, as did the
“Champion—Control Line” honor. Al Myers
took home the “Champion—RC Fun Fly”
title.
The “Grand Champion” award went to
the pilot who placed highest in all events,
for the highest combined total. Mika
Woodward took that honor. Jim Lutes won
the “Coolest Plane of the Day” award for
his balsa-and-tissue Javelin rubberpowered
model. It was a beauty.
We had great support from sponsors; they
were extraordinarily generous. We ended up
having six unique airplane kits to give away
from Brodak, Sig Manufacturing, and
Peck-Polymers; several gift certificates;
and many other items.
We were also given two complete radiocontrol
systems to award as prizes! A huge
thank you to Tower Hobbies which sent a
Futaba system and Horizon Hobby which sent
a JR system to us the week before the event.
Our participants were spoiled!
In addition, AMA personnel sent us
quite of bit of literature to pass out to
prospective modelers and positive
feedback about the concept of the event. I
hope we have the same prizes and more for
next year’s contest!
The tentative date for the second annual
Triathlon of Model Aviation is June 17,
2006—Father’s Day weekend again. The
weather seemed just right in Indiana in
2005, and we’ve had ample winter
building time so far! For more information
go to www.screamingeagles.org or contact
me; I’m the CD.
If your club is looking for a great event
to hold that is out of the ordinary, put
together your own Triathlon of Model
Aviation. The pride and giggles that
emerged from the group of fliers at our
event convinced me that the concept was a
new kind of fun and something we will
look forward to this year. MA
Scott Black
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/03
Page Numbers: 33,34,35,36,37,38
AS THE DATE of the Screaming Eagles
R/C Club’s inaugural “Triathlon of Model
Aviation”—June 18, 2005—drew near, I
was worried. Given that our goal was to
fly rubber-powered FF, CL, and RC Fun
Fly in one event, a windy day would have
been a bad thing. An extremely hot day
would have meant much less fun, and rain
would have spoiled the event completely!
Fortunately we couldn’t have had a
finer day in Central Indiana; the forecast
was for 73°, with low humidity and winds
from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Perfect!
Actually, though, the forecasters were
off a bit on the wind speed; we did have
some gusts up to 15 mph at times. It
almost threw a monkey wrench into the FF
event, but we were able to complete it
with some decent flights and times.
The purpose of our Triathlon of Model
Aviation was to get fliers back to their
roots and have them try their skills in three
modeling disciplines. Many of us built our
first rubber-band-powered, tissue-anddope-
covered airplanes in our youth and
eventually worked into CL and finally into
RC as time, money, and reliability of
equipment allowed.
Other fliers have gotten into the hobby
only recently and have never had the
opportunity to fly a delicate FF model or a
CL aircraft that is not only incredibly
aerobatic, but that pulls like a mule lap
after lap. These parts of our hobby are
entirely foreign to them.
The best new RC pilot can learn a
great deal from trimming FF models,
learning about thermals, and working with
the winds to promote flight instead of
cursing them when they arrive.
CL pilots have the unique opportunity
to learn how to build airframes, start and
maintain engines, and develop their skills
while relying on a simple yet effective
means of control that is virtually
foolproof, once understood.
The nice part of our Triathlon was that
participants didn’t have to fly in each
discipline, in case there was one or more
they didn’t want to do or didn’t know how
to do. However, to be the Grand
Champion of the day they had to be good
at all three events.
In my experience, and the experience
of others, the Triathlon offers a new
perspective on the hobby. Additionally, it
fosters a new respect for and
understanding of other areas of MA that
members might have passed over each
month when their magazines arrived.
Our club field is adjacent to the Indiana
Boys’ School reformatory in Plainfield.
We have a wonderful site, but its
proximity to the school means we
absolutely cannot fly over or near the
facility.
We were concerned that largewingspan
rubber-powered FF models
might carry themselves into the prison
area. Therefore, we limited those
airplanes’ wingspans to 24 inches for the
first year. As it turned out, overflight was
not a problem with the durations we
experienced, so we will increase the
wingspan limit to 30 inches for the 2006
event.
The FF event was judged purely on
duration. Given the unpredictable nature
of these aircraft, we felt that averaging
three flights would give a fair score, and it
did. Our best flights were approximately
25 seconds.
The CL event was judged by counting
the number of maneuvers performed in a
60-second period started by the pilot.
When ready, the pilot called “Start!” and
we clicked our stopwatches and began
counting stunts. Consecutive loops on a
Voodoo-type airplane won the event,
which probably means that those who
want to win next year will build that type
of model. Jim Lutes
My trusty Goldberg Buster was able to
accomplish 11 stunts in a minute. I was
happy with that and plan on using the
same model next year. After all, winning
is nice, but the goal of this event was to
have fun.
RC Fun Fly took place after lunch, and
we had time for two rounds. The events
were limbo (double points for inverted),34 MODEL AVIATION
Matt Brown launches his scratch-built, rubber-powered FF design in the Duration event.
Bob Groves is well prepared to fly in all
three modeling disciplines with a colorful
fleet of aircraft.
Scott Black holds his Goldberg Buster CL model and a FF Sidewinder rubber-powered
design he built from MA plans.
Event sponsors were extremely generous with prizes, and many
major modeling companies participated.
Al Myers and his original-design RC model on the ready line and
prepared for action in one of the Fun Fly events.
Photos by Bob Groves and Doug Fish
March 2006 35
Jim Lutes holds for Scott Black as he starts the O.S. .35S engine in his Buster for the
Timed Stunts CL event.
Jim Lutes looks proud of his lineup of airplanes for the various
modeling disciplines.
Jim Lutes won the “Coolest Plane” award for his scratch-built
FF Javelin that was finished with tissue and modeling dope.
Mika Woodward’s scratch-built CL model is finished with modeling dope and features
classic cloth hinges!
How low can you go? Al Myers’ model
performs a successful pass in the Limbo
competition.
Matt Brown brought an interesting
variety of models, including a
competition CL Combat aircraft.
Steve Ragsdale launches his store-bought FF aircraft. Many
contestants bought these models at the last minute at the local
Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!
Al Myers receives the plaque for his win in the RC Fun Fly event.
Give this unique contest idea a try with your club!
Mika Woodward with his fleet. He is acknowledged as the most
accomplished pilot in the Screaming Eagles club.
Bob Groves trims his Guillow’s Jetfire FF
model for the Duration event.
Matt Brown’s Russian CL Combat design is a real screamer. It has a pressurized fuel
system and features carbon-and-balsa construction.
36 MODEL AVIATION
March 2006 37
Scott Black flies his Buster on 60-foot lines. It was a perfect day for this meet!
Matt Brown was the CL and FF
champion. According to the author, “He
was a pretty happy camper!”
Mika Woodward launches his original-design FF Duration model
in a classic pose.
Mika Woodward is awarded the Grand Champion plaque. He
had the highest point total for the combined events.
Steve Ragsdale’s Al Myers-designed model has outstanding lowspeed
characteristics. It’s a popular choice in the Indianapolis area.
spot landing, timed touch-and-go landings
in a two-minute period, and a Kamikaze
Balloon Bust.
The wind speeds were so high that they
prevented us from using helium-filled
balloons. I had intended to weight them
just enough so they would rise slowly.
Instead we did a “Groundhog”-style
balloon bust and stapled the balloon to a
flat sheet of plywood on the runway.
Intentional taxiing was prohibited; the
balloon had to be burst by intentional low
passes or touch-and-gos. Three attempts
were allowed. Ample fun and skill were
necessary for each flier to be successful.
Roughly 50% of the pilots were
triumphant on their strafing runs, although
the task was difficult!
Since this was the Triathlon’s first year I
had no idea how many people would show
up. Only seven pilots went at it: Bob
Groves, Mika Woodward, Matt Brown,
Steve Ragsdale, Al Myers, Jim Lutes, and
I.
However, we intentionally did not
advertise the event outside of the club
because we wanted to work out the bugs.
Next year we can promote the contest at
least regionally and in MA.
With the seven fliers it took from 9
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. to complete the
events, taking a half and hour or so for
lunch. We may not want more than 15
pilots next year; that number would make for
a full day. Advance registration might help
with that so we can plan ahead.
A huge “thank you” goes out to Mark
Crittendon and Dennis Anderson for working
the concessions. We had plenty of great food
to eat and service with a smile for all the
pilots, their support crews, and spectators.
Several other people helped out with
timing, judging, and other chores. Each
person received a raffle ticket for his or her
participation.
We had some fun awards to give out for the
Triathlon. The “Champion—Rubber Power”
award went to Matt Brown, as did the
“Champion—Control Line” honor. Al Myers
took home the “Champion—RC Fun Fly”
title.
The “Grand Champion” award went to
the pilot who placed highest in all events,
for the highest combined total. Mika
Woodward took that honor. Jim Lutes won
the “Coolest Plane of the Day” award for
his balsa-and-tissue Javelin rubberpowered
model. It was a beauty.
We had great support from sponsors; they
were extraordinarily generous. We ended up
having six unique airplane kits to give away
from Brodak, Sig Manufacturing, and
Peck-Polymers; several gift certificates;
and many other items.
We were also given two complete radiocontrol
systems to award as prizes! A huge
thank you to Tower Hobbies which sent a
Futaba system and Horizon Hobby which sent
a JR system to us the week before the event.
Our participants were spoiled!
In addition, AMA personnel sent us
quite of bit of literature to pass out to
prospective modelers and positive
feedback about the concept of the event. I
hope we have the same prizes and more for
next year’s contest!
The tentative date for the second annual
Triathlon of Model Aviation is June 17,
2006—Father’s Day weekend again. The
weather seemed just right in Indiana in
2005, and we’ve had ample winter
building time so far! For more information
go to www.screamingeagles.org or contact
me; I’m the CD.
If your club is looking for a great event
to hold that is out of the ordinary, put
together your own Triathlon of Model
Aviation. The pride and giggles that
emerged from the group of fliers at our
event convinced me that the concept was a
new kind of fun and something we will
look forward to this year. MA
Scott Black
[email protected]