1/8 Air Force Fall Fly-In
FOR OVER a decade the 1/8 Air Force Fly-In has been happening twice a year, once each spring and fall. Generally, articles about these fly-ins tout the larger, spring event as "the one not to miss," with scarcely a mention of the fall edition. Yet by most enthusiasts' measure a fly-in that draws well over 100 full-RC Scale birds-Corsairs, Mustangs, Staggerwings, Extra 230s, SR-71s and more-from across the country is pretty stellar in its own right. It's time to give the smaller sibling equal billing. Models and pilots gathered for the 1990 fall Scale fly-in at the Arizona Model Aviators' Spook Hills site in Mesa. From Mustangs to Extra 230s, these are big, fast planes-and they came to fly. Under Arizona's severe clear October skies, fly they did.
1/8 Air Force in the Spring
IF PICTURES really are worth a thousand words, then this photo essay must be good for over a million. And what words! Huge, awesome, detailed, realistic, incredible, clever, gutsy. With the 1/8 Air Force Spring Fly-In, hyperbole meets its match. As usual, the 1991 fly-in drew a throng of notables in RC Scale-Crooks, Hempel, Hildebrand, Thornton, McClung, Rivaldo, Collier, and a hundred more. Although practically every aspect of the two-day event was worthy of mention, the focus here is on the highlights.
9th Annual Greater Southwest Fan-Fly
The grandaddy of Jet rallies celebrating its ninth year brought fan pilots from all over the country. Manufacturers showed their stuff, and new speed records were set. The granddaddy of Fan Flys has pulled off another memorable event. Korney of Hurricane Fans garnering the big bouquet of top speed at the event. Korney didn't just beat out all of the fast entries, but beat the old master, Bob Violett himself. It was truly a Cinderella story, and to understand the significance of this upset is a story in itself.
Timing Models with Radar
RC Fan-jet contests need to measure actual model speed. Most meets use radar-but how accurate and how safe is it to use? The author presents a long-needed improvement. Radar guns have been nothing more than an expensive toy for many modelers. They are things that someone can use to point at a model airplane and shout out a speed.
1992 IMS Show: Pasadena
THE 1992 edition of the enormously popular International Modeler Show, held January 10-12, attracted 10,000 visitors to the convention facility in Pasadena, California. While some exhibitors reported that people are being more careful about what they buy, otherwise the show seemed relatively untouched by the recession. Modelers are looking for products with quality, value, and logical application, whether those items happen to be old stalwarts or newer offerings.
