Fokker D-VIII
IN SEPTEMBER of 1975 I attended the Rhinebeck, N.Y. World War I meet as a spectator. I was so turned on by the colorful activities and the pageantry of Cole Palen's full-scale show and of the RC miniature aircraft that I had to become a part of the coming show in 1976. The biggest negative of the past shows was wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph (at least it was for those of us who live here in the East). The RC aircraft in use generally had good power and penetration capabilities because a WW I design usually needs weight in the front. However, the wing loadings were in the 10 oz./s.f. sailplane class! So, with the short moments, light weights, and light loadings, the crashes were entirely too consistent for my money.
Zephyr 1100
IT'S JUST ANOTHER California floater, you might say. But there is more to the Zephyr 1100 than meets the eye. It is also more than just a twice-sized blow-up of the hand-launched Zephyr featured in the May 1981 Model Aviation. This model was created to fulfill the need for an all-round competition Sailplane involving various thermalling events in a variety of conditions. I set out to design a model that would be strong and light, simple and easy to fly, have low drag for penetration in winds, and have a pleasing appearance. The result is the Zephyr 1100.
