Free Flight: Sport & Scale
FREE FLIGHT? The pilot ejected when the controls of his F-102A froze, and the plane continued on its merry way in free-flight mode! An article in the Winter 1986 Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society, sent to me by Bob Scholberg out in Arizona, tells the story of this 1960 incident which occurred near Kansas City, MO. It seems that, after the "Mayday" call, about 15 min. elapsed before another F-102 got into formation with the "Loose Goose," which had decided to keep flying in a roughly triangular course. By bringing a wing from his plane close under the low wing of the errant ship, the pilot could level the wing of the other craft using the airflow from his own wing! In this way, the maverick plane could be induced to either fly straight or roll. After an hour and 20 min. of "free flight," the abandoned F-102 finally ran out of fuel over an unpopulated area and crashed.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
ALL KIDS love to light fuses. The Fourth of July used to be my favorite holiday. When Jetex motors came along in 1947, many of us fuse-lighters attached these new toys to our models with varying degrees of success. The Jetex event at the Nats was always spectacular, with about 1/3 of the models refusing to light, about 1/3 crashing at high jet-powered speed, and about 1/3 flying out of sight. The first really good jet flight I ever saw was by Hal Swanson's Opel Hatry model launched from a rail at a Flightmasters Annual back in the early Sixties. It had one of the bigger engines (Scorpion?) and flew exactly as one would imagine the real one would. It is about the only good Scale subject I can think of for this form of power, most of the others requiring a thin metal tube down the center of the fuselage to keep the model from burning up, with the engine up near the CG.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
GOOD NEWS! Classic Models is making a comeback! Those of you who remember Gene Thomas' superscale models with the magnificent documentation packages have cause for rejoicing. Gene, having conquered a number of problems which would have stopped a lesser man in his tracks, is presently offering plans and documentation booklets along with the accessories still in stock. Full kits are not presently available, but Gene assures us that full production is coming on his Church Midwing, Cessna 1911, Heath Super Parasol and Baby Bullet, and Alexander Bullet. There is more! Having seen the plans for the new additions to the line, I know you are in for some great treats. His new darlings are the Arrowsport biplane, Cessna CW-6, Bellanca Columbia, Spirit of St. Louis, and my favorite, the Travelair Chevrolair racer.
Free Flight: Sport & Scale
CAPTAIN MIDNIIIIIIGHT! All members of the 1940 Flight Patrol or Secret Squadron, get to slicin' those ribs and trimmin' that tissue for the great 1988 Flying Aces Club Nats at Geneseo, NY July 8-10! If you aren't that old but want to learn what modeling is all about, mark the FAC
