Vintage Radio Control Society Fly-In
Bob Noll
VESTAL, New York — Monday, June 2, 2003: It’s time to leave home for one of the Vintage Radio Control Society’s (VR/CS) annual reunions, to be held June 4–5. The models are loaded in my van and my travel trailer is hooked up, so it’s off to meet old friends, make new ones, and see what vintage radio-control (RC) airplanes and control systems they brought to AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana.
Arrival and weather
Upon arriving at the site Tuesday, June 3, I parked the trailer and headed for a local restaurant where an informal gathering had been planned for those who arrived a day early. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many members there, and equally pleased with the number of spouses attending the event.
The weather immediately became a prime topic of discussion since rain was predicted for Wednesday—the first day of the event—but clear skies were forecast for Thursday. This was my first Muncie reunion, hosted by VR/CS Chapter I, but I quickly learned that the weatherman had not been friendly to this group in the past. Each previous Muncie reunion had experienced at least one day of almost unflyable weather, and it looked like 2003 was not going to be any better. Fortunately, neither drizzling rain on Wednesday morning nor high winds on Thursday dampened the event’s social element.
Purpose of the VR/CS
The purpose of the VR/CS is to preserve our RC history and the achievements of those electronic- and airframe-design pioneers who made RC the hobby/sport that it is today. As such, the VR/CS has established the end of 1969 as its cutoff for airplane designs. Therefore, all models must be original or replicas of airplanes designed for RC or those that incorporated RC prior to 1970.
Participants and models
There were 25 pilots from 10 states and Canada who flew more than 50 models despite the less-than-desirable weather conditions. Many participants selected vintage designs based on their past experience in RC.
- Tom Ailes (Valparaiso, Indiana) — One of the largest fleets: four various-sized Don Hardy-designed Esquires, a Doug Mauer Super Esquire, a Phil Kraft-designed Bi-Fli, a Frank Zaic Aero 7, a Shu Box by Bill McDermott, and a Hal deBolt Live Wire trainer. Tom likes Esquires because that was the first RC airplane he owned and flew for more than one year in the late 1950s.
- Charlie Bauer (Norridge, Illinois) — Leon Shulman-designed Zomby, Joe Elgin Playboy Senior, Walt Good Rudderbug. He is fond of the Zomby and the Playboy Senior because he won several free-flight contests many years ago with those designs.
- Ken Carter (Speedway, Indiana) — Chet Lanzo Bomber and a Playboy Senior. Those were a couple of the many designs that Ken flew in 1938 and 1939.
- Dan Cooper (Indianapolis, Indiana) — VK Cherokee Babe (Vern Krieble) and a Goldberg Junior Falcon. The Falcon design was Dan's first RC model.
- Ricardo Cruz (Abington Heights, Illinois) — Astro Hog and a Buzzard Bombshell.
- Dave Edin (Des Plaines, Illinois) — Lou Andrews Aeromaster; he likes aerobatic biplanes.
- Bob Garbarini (Buffalo Grove, Illinois) — Vern Krieble Cherokee and a Plowboy (designer unknown).
- Bob Gardner (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) — Eight models: Hal deBolt Live Wire Kitten, Jerry Nelson Pegasus, Brad Sheppard Doubler, Howard McEntee Mac's Mini, Ken Willard Schoolboy, Lee Renaud Q-Tee, Dan Parsons Esquire, and Walt Musciano Shoestring. Bob controlled them with a variety of vintage actuators and radios that he restored.
- Dan Grotzinger (Indianapolis, Indiana) — Vern Krieble VK Navajo; he flew it many times and won the award for most flights.
- Delmar Johnson (Barrington, Illinois) — Playboy and Walt Good WAG. Delmar was the event’s contest director (CD). His WAG is significant because it was his third RC model and is powered with a Forster .29 ignition; the WAG is 50 years old.
- L.A. Johnson (Barrington, Illinois) — Sal Taibi Powerhouse and a Model 70 Monocoupe scale design.
- Colin McKinley (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) — Two Hal deBolt Champions: an original 56-inch-wingspan design and a 37-inch-wingspan version.
- Ron Morgan (Scotland, Pennsylvania) — Fleet of RC aerobatic models: Flat Top Stormer (Doug Spreng), Candy (Cliff Weirick), and Jerry Nelson Sultan. Ron flew a Flat Top Stormer in Pattern in 1964 and built the Candy in memory of Cliff Weirick.
- Ron Ogren (Orchard Park, New York) — Hal deBolt-designed Custom Live Wire biplane and a Joe Konfes Buzzard Bombshell. Ron built the Custom Live Wire because he began in Control Line and Free Flight competition in 1945 on deBolt designs.
- Don Patterson (Troy, Michigan) — Carl Goldberg Falcon 56, Ken Willard Breezy, Rascal R/C, 7 Cents, and Howard Bonner Smog Hog. His Rascal R/C was built in 1971 and still uses the original ACE pulse radio and Adams actuator. The Falcon 56 is controlled by a modern Futaba radio with the transmitter modified and repackaged into a Citizens 10-channel reed case to simulate reed flight characteristics of the 1960s. The 1957 Breezy is controlled by a Futaba/Kopski Galloping Ghost conversion.
- Art Schroeder (Spring Hill, Florida) — Hal deBolt Chief and a Jack Port Hi-Q. Art is one of the VR/CS founders; he chose the Hi-Q because it won the Nationals in rudder-only competition. Spring Hill is the site of a VR/CS reunion held every February.
- Weldon Smith (Cary, Illinois) — J-3 Cub. Weldon was the CD for the first Muncie reunion and several others.
- Tom Thiele (Lake Zurich, Illinois) — Hal deBolt Custom Bipe.
- Dan Thompson (Paris, Kentucky) — Midwest Tri-Squire. He selected that model because it was designed around the time he started participating in RC in the early 1960s.
- Ed Welsh (Manchester, New Jersey) — Henchman Pattern model (designed by Maurice Franklin, UK) and a Lou Andrews Explorer. He chose the Henchman because it was a great Pattern aircraft of the 1960s, and the Explorer because he had never seen one fly well in the early 1960s and felt it needed today's equipment — he was right.
- Bob Noll (Vestal, New York) — Four airplanes: Lou Andrews Aeromaster (aerobatic biplane), Walt Good Royal Rudderbug (replica of my first RC model), Beachcomber (Jim Kirkland design; Kirkland won the 1963 Nationals in Multi with it), and a Hal deBolt Live Wire Champion (originally built for one of my daughters; resurrected with new covering and a modern radio).
- Bob Hoover (Indianapolis, Indiana) — Attended but did not supply information about his airplanes.
Awards
- Ed Welsh — Best Vintage Plane (Explorer).
- Bob Gardner — Best Vintage Control System (Min-X Galloping Ghost radio in his Esquire).
- Ron Ogren — Best RC Controlled Free Flight (Buzzard Bombshell).
- Bob Noll — Concours plaque for Royal Rudderbug (best representation of a vintage model in authenticity and craftsmanship).
Closing and next reunion
Another VR/CS fly-in at Muncie concluded with sincere thanks to VR/CS Chapter I for providing the opportunity to gather at the beautiful AMA site, share the past with great friends, and exchange many stories and memories of the early days of RC.
The next VR/CS gathering is the Spirit of Selinsgrove reunion, held annually during Labor Day weekend. This is the longest-running VR/CS reunion; the 14th edition will be held at the Zaverton Airport in Montrose, Pennsylvania. Come and join us!
You can obtain more information about the Vintage Radio Control Society on its website: www.vintagercsociety.org.
Bob Noll 2317 Acorn Dr. Vestal, NY 13850
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
