Radio Control: Soaring
IF YOU THOUGHT the bikini-clad lovelies which paraded about the F3B World Championships in Sacramento last summer were the most photographed forms, you were wrong. They came in second. First place honors went to the 12 winged beauties belonging to the Swiss team-12 beauties with the identical name of Spartakus. Three-views of this model appeared in the April 1981 issue of Model Aviation, and photos were in the October 1981 issue. This month the which you don't see at your average Saturday afternoon fun fly and, for that matter, weren't seen on any other ships at the World Championships.
Radio Control: Soaring
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO all of the different Two-Meter designs wouldn't have filled an LSF Level Two landing circle. Things have changed. Looking at the current listing one wonders if they could all fit in a large airport. The current roster of kits looks like this: Bird of Time-Mark's Models (also available as Three-Meter version); Challenger-Great Planes Model Mfg. Co.; Easy Breezy-Tower Hobby; Gentle Lady-Carl Goldberg Models; Habu-Pacific Sailplanes; Icarus-Midnite Models; Metrick-Top Flite Models, Inc.; Prophet-Joe Ruth; Riser-Sig Manufacturing Co.; Sagitta 600-Airtronics (also available in 100-in. version); Soar Birdy-Great Planes Model Mfg. Co.; Soarer-Midwest Products Co. Chances are by the time you read this a few more will have been added.
Radio Control: Soaring
BACK IN the May 1981 issue of Model Aviation, there were plans for one of the cutest little Sailplanes ever published-or designed, for that matter. I don't usually describe Sailplanes as cute, but this one was. It was Bob Owens' Zephyr. Spanning all of 52 in. and weighing five oz. without radio, it was designed primarily for mini hi-starts, hand chucking, and flying in darn near any space larger than its wingspan. If small flies well then big must fly better, so Bob now has a larger version with a 99-in. wingspan. Just like the original, the "99" uses an Eppler 387 airfoil section and has a high strength-to-weight ratio. The open framework weighs 21 ounces. There's a good chance you'll see plans for this one in the near future.
Radio Control: Soaring
IF YOU'VE BEEN keeping score, you might like to know there were six gents who met their LSF Level V achievements in 1981. Keith Kindrick from California was the first, followed by Gerry Zeigenfuse, then Don Goughnour, both from Pennsylvania, Don Clark from Maryland, Jim Porter from Iowa, and Don Patterson from Michigan. The honor of being the first in 1982 goes to Bill Meleske of Baldwin, NY. Needing only the 10-kilometer Goal and Return-a task which has postponed those same honors for many over the years-Bill stopped fighting the odds and did it his way.
Radio Control: Soaring
TOLEDO. This year, the Toledo Weak Signals celebrated their 28th year of hosting RC Conferences. It's kind of tough for some old salts to admit that this has been going on for quite a few years before some of the present modelers were even born! But, it is a great place to meet old friends and-with the exception of the AMA Nationals-no other annual modeling event brings so many friends together. Reminiscing is always a part of this annual bash, and the cost of RC through the years is always a topic. Inflation has made its mark on a lot of RC items, but the cost of radios not only has held steady over the years, but the radios have improved in technical advances and reliability.
