Free Flight: Sport & Scale
PERSONALLY, I still have a model in a tree in Cleveland, OH. I shot it up there in 1940, my first encounter with high performance. That nifty A-J Interceptor was quite a step up from the penny gliders we used to get from the ice-cream man, I'll tell you! Even a kid of seven could get that A-J up a hundred feet with a good catapult shot, once you folded the wings back. When it got to the top of the shot, the air pressure would lessen on the folded wings, allowing them to pop out, then rotate 90º into flying position with a resolute "snap." If you have never had the fun of playing with one of these little "sort-of" scale gliders, you've missed something.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
ONE MILLION BUCKS! That's what the school board wanted to let us set up our little aeroplanes and look at them in their building! A cool million in insurance just in case one of us stumbled over a folding chair or something. I've always thought of Free Flight Scale as a rather harmless activity, and scale judging them has never killed, injured, or maimed anyone. Still, people worry a lot about being sued and will often, rather than risk lawsuit, just tell you that their property is unavailable for your use. Fortunately for the Flightmasters, the AMA had insurance in excess of the required amount and came to the rescue of our annual contest static judging at Loara High School in Anaheim, CA.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
YOU GUESSED IT! The lady who flew the Sikorsky S-39 painted up like a giraffe was none other than the better half of the team who brought those great African documentaries to the theatres of America back in the Golden Age, Martin and Osa Johnson. Mrs. Johnson's panoramic views from the air were invariably interrupted by a number of the 40-odd struts which held the Sikorsky together, giving them a special character not found in today's aerial photography. The engine in the ship once hauled that great Gee Bee Z racer, too! Winners of our contest (see the January '86 column) were Bill Dahlgren of Glenview, IL; George Hume, Torrance, CA; Jack Little, Redwood City, CA; and Roy Moore of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Anyone interested in the Sikorskies might wish to get a list of Paul Matt's outstanding Historical Aviation Albums which feature sensational drawings and great info and documentation on these and many more interesting planes. Send Paul a large SASE at P.O. Box 33, Temple City, CA 91780.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
TOO MUCH. The Los Angeles area is blessed by having monthly Indoor meets where anyone can fly Indoor Scale models at four different locations! My friends in Europe and Florida shed crocodile tears whenever I complain about not being able to decide which to attend. Yes, things are tough all over! The really nice part is to be able to see and learn from many different types of models and talk to some of the best modelers in the business. Present Indoor activity includes much fun-flying (mainly because making trophies for so many meets is tiresome), plus many specialized events run by the people who wish to promote their favorite ideas. Some of these specialized events which have created a lot of interest have been the Beat Walt Mooney Event, Autogyro, Sub-Peanut (eight inches or less span), and most recently the Lympne Trials.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
MINI-ELECTRIC; the new craze? From where I sit, I'd bet it will be! Not only has MRC come out with a new rig for about 35 bucks for those smaller Scale and sport jobs, but the do-it-yourselfers are making great strides. I had heard rumors about guys like Ed Toner flying Peanuts on electric, but hearing about it ain't seeing-and seeing is believing. Well, I have seen, and I'm impressed with Vern Cary's little Red Devil Bristol M-1! Ferrell Papic had been telling me about the great two-minute Peanut model at Mile-Square Park near Los Angeles for some time, and I will admit that my curiosity was piqued. When I actually saw it in the air, I was overwhelmed! After spending some time with Art Overn and Vern Cary, the originators of this mini-marvel, and with Ferrell who is doing some interesting things with it, I can see the future.
