CL Navy Carrier
I RECEIVED the first photos of the season from Jim Schneider (Livermore CA). His Profile F8F Bearcat is shown this month. Jim built the model from Brodak kit plans. Modifications include the line-slider and bellcrank on top of the wing. The model uses the Webra 32, which is a capable engine right out of the box. It is also very light, at only 7 3/4 ounces for the bare engine without the throttle. That's even lighter than the Nelson AAC (aluminum-aluminum chrome) Combat engine by approximately one-
Control Line: Navy Carrier
I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when I received Carrier-related E-mail via the Internet. Receiving E-mail isn't unusual, and most of it is about modeling, so that wasn't out of the ordinary, either. The surprise was that the message was from Lieutenant Mike Danford. He was in the Arabian Gulf on the USS Carl Vinson, flying S-3 Vikings and looking forward to returning to San Diego before the end of 1996. By the time this issue reaches print, Mike should be in Southern California flying Carrier with the San Diego CL club. He was planning to build Melvin Schuette's Curtiss XF-13C for the .15 Carrier event.
Control Line: Navy Carrier
WHEN ONE TRIES to find a word to describe the Control Line Navy Carrier competition, "Great!" is an obvious first choice. "Fantastic!" is still reserved for the meet that matches the two-decks-all-day-long 1976 Dayton Nats (if any meet can match Dayton). The competition in Muncie was exciting, and the camaraderie was outstanding. There were more contestants than we have enjoyed in quite a few years, even though some of the East Coast contingent were unable to attend. In all, there were 22 contestants for the three official classes, with some additional modelers participating in the unofficial events on Saturday. The event averaged more than 50 flights per day for three days of intense competition, with close scoring and some "personal best" performances as highlights.
Control Line: Navy Carrier
This month's column will concentrate on relatively new products that are adaptable to our Navy Carrier events. Most of these products are intended for Radio Control, but that never stopped us before. Northeast Aerodynamics (150 Robinson Rd., Hudson NH 03051; Tel.: [603] 881-5899) manufactures kits in their Profile Warbirds series that are intended for RC sport flying. They are profile models with landing gear. All are modeled after World War II aircraft, and about half of them are eligible for bonus points in Profile Carrier. They produce an F6F Hellcat, an A6M Zero, a P-51 Mustang, and a Bf-109.
Control Line: Navy Carrier
AS THIS ISSUE HITS the street, the 1997 flying season will be nearing its end, except for those of you who are lucky enough to live in more southern parts of the country. With the winter building season fast approaching, it's time to start planning for that new Carrier model that will impress your flying buddies in the spring. Three possibilities for building Carrier models (just as for any other type of model aircraft) are kits, plans, and original designs. Relatively few kit models are available that are specifically designed for Control Line (CL) Navy Carrier competition, but if you start looking at Radio Control (RC) kits, particularly 1/12-scale RC Combat models, there are more options. (I have compiled a list of manufacturers as I've mentioned items in my column.)
