VR/CS Spirit of Selinsgrove Reunion
by Bob Noll
EVERY LABOR DAY weekend for the past 15 years, members of the Vintage Radio Control Society (VR/CS) have gathered somewhere in the northeast and flown their vintage airplanes to commemorate the early years of radio control, when our pioneers gathered at a small airport in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
The Selinsgrove gatherings, held in the 1960s, brought together radio and model-design talent from many states to show off their latest creations and compare experiences. Members from Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Canada, and most of the northeastern states attended this year’s reunion, which was held in Endicott, New York, and hosted by VR/CS Chapter III of the Aeroguidance Society.
Formed in 1989, the VR/CS was organized with the objective of preserving and promoting the memory of aeromodeling activity from the early days of RC. The society has established a design cutoff date of January 1970, and only models designed for RC before 1970 can be flown at its reunions and fly-ins.
Although the airplanes do not have to be built before 1970, many old, original models are brought to VR/CS events. The society does not require the use of original radios and engines, but some members enjoy restoring old radios to improved levels of reliability and using old engines. Several members have electrified their vintage aircraft, which is acceptable to the society and is in keeping with the move to electric power across our hobby.
2004 VR/CS Events
There were four AMA-sanctioned VR/CS events in 2004:
- deBolt Reunion, Spring Hill, Florida — February
- Muncie fun-fly, AMA National Flying Site, Muncie, Indiana — June
- Mid-South fly-in, Holly Springs, North Carolina — June
- Spirit of Selinsgrove Reunion, Endicott, New York — September
Competition and Judging
In addition to open flying, members can take part in Pattern, Scale, and Concours judging.
- Class I — Jack Port: rudder-only models.
- Class II — Howard McEntee: rudder and elevator control only.
- Class III — Ralph Brooke: rudder, elevator, and aileron control.
Throttle or speed control is used in each class.
- Scale: Models are replicas of full-scale airplanes and are judged for conformance to the original designs.
- Concours: Recognizes the best reproduction of an original RC design.
Hall of Fame and Special Recognitions
Since its formation, the VR/CS has maintained a Hall of Fame. Three new members were inducted at this year’s Spirit of Selinsgrove Reunion:
- Ted Strader (Scotia, New York) — Recognized for his many RC designs of the 1960s, several of which were flown at the gathering.
- Joe Beshar (Oradell, New Jersey) — Recognized as one of the VR/CS founders.
- Ken Willard (deceased) — Recognized for an extensive list of RC designs spanning more than two decades.
Ted and Joe received their plaques at the Saturday evening banquet. This was the year of the Ken Willard Top Dawg model, and special events for that design were held throughout the year.
Other awards presented:
- Spirit of Selinsgrove Award: Bob Harris (Holly Springs, North Carolina) — For hosting the first Mid-South VR/CS fly-in.
- Dr. Walter Good Technical Achievement Award: Bob Gardner (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) — For his reproduction of the Rudevator control system originally designed in the 1940s.
Bob Gardner’s Rudevator reproduction improved upon the then-popular escapement (which provided only yaw control). His system used a spinning rotary vane at the rear of the model that could be stopped in one of four positions, providing both yaw and pitch control.
Personal Notes
Some of the airplanes flown at the Spirit of Selinsgrove Reunion were originals from before 1970, including two of mine: a Nieuport 27 and a Continental 600 Formula II Pylon model. I rarely part with my aircraft and have fond memories of flying both.
I built the Nieuport 27 in 1967 for the first Rhinebeck World War I Jamboree, where it took first place in Scale. I took it to several more Jamborees and collected six of Rhinebeck’s early trophies.
The Continental 600 is a Hal deBolt design for which I drew the plans, and I had an article published about it in 1968. That year I won the National Miniature Pylon Racing Association Formula II National Championship with the design, and I took second place in 1969. I campaigned the Continental in the Northeast for many years before retiring it to my furnace room. I made a promise to Hal deBolt that I would get “Old Red” into the air for the reunion (its nickname came from its primary color of red).
I fly modern airplanes and compete in F3A RC Aerobatics, but there is something special about flying older models. These vintage aircraft are smaller and less complex than today’s designs, which is convenient, and they fly great with modern equipment.
Membership and Contact
The VR/CS is an AMA Special Interest Group (SIG). For more information, visit www.vintagersociety.org.
Bob Noll 2317 Acorn Dr. Vestal, NY 13850 [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
