Awesome Pilot Too!

Awesome Pilot Too!
Thanks for the great write up in the May issue on our
Frightfully Fast Bash. Dennis and I are on page 75 with the
packed Town & Country. The next page (76) gives me
credit for the Awesome Raptor paint job on the Polecat. In
fact it was done by my best friends and fellow team mates
Mike Friesel and his dad Dennis.
Mike is starting his second year in GT racing and was
runner up last season to Craig Grunkemeyer. Pretty
impressive results since he had never raced and flew
electrics exclusively
before coming to Giant Scale racing.
Talk about raw talent!
I hope to see you soon in Ashtabula.
Tim Sparks
via e-mail
Piloto Flight-Time Update
In the March 2009 issue of Model Aviation, the “Room Flyers” article reported
data on a number of small RC planes.
Having obtained a new sample of the Revell Piloto, we found the flight duration
to be 8.5 minutes, not 2.6 as reported.
Frank Mandriota
[email protected]
Keep Going!
I just want to say what a great job [MA Editor Michael Ramsey is] doing
bringing the AMA magazine into the current flying scene. This month’s [March
2009] indoor articles underscore what I am talking about. The routing, foam cutting
tools, and indoor model stuff is not only interesting, but pertinent.
We make jokes at the house about how the AMA Mag is hip to last year’s stuff. I
figure, you must hear a lot of jeers when things aren’t going good, but probably
don’t hear much when you make positive changes. I like the direction you’re taking
the magazine. (And I’m not saying this as a biased 3D pilot, but embracing 3mm
foam, light batteries, and Spektrum is all stuff the magazine readership can benefit
from.)
Nice Job, See you at the next event!
Josh Ziering
via e-mail
Showcase Blitz
I really enjoyed the Blitz plans review in the March 2009 issue of Model
Aviation.
When I was stationed in Germany we flew off a taxiway/runway and I had
scratch built this model. The favorite beer in the area was called Bitburger, so I
painted it up in those colors, added a bomb drop to her and had the time of my life!
I worked F4G Wild Weasels and our mission was
suppression of enemy air defenses, i.e. SAM/AAA
sites. I became known as “SAM Run Suter” because
of the way I flew the Blitz and dropped the bomb. I
even received a plaque when I left Germany …
Sad to say as I was leaving Germany I then
became very interested in Gliders and this is the only
gas model I brought home. On the first flight in the USA she took off nicely then
did a slow rolling dive to her final resting place.
Upon the NTSB review it was found that I had coiled the receiver antenna up in
the fuselage during shipping and failed to unroll it to full length. Bummer. May she
rest in peace.
Thanks for letting me reminisce about the model.
Curtis Suter
via e-mail
July 2009 7
May 2009 $4.95
MODEL AVIATION MAY 2009 • VOLUME 35, NUMBER 5
SINCE 1936
Official Publication of the Academy of Model Aeronautics
®
An obsessionAn S.E.5a obsession
Explore Giant Scale
aerotowing and racing
How’s your hearing?
The Bitburger Bomber.
Continued on page 134