For the Schneider Cup Reenactment: Timing and Scoring
TIMING of the first annual Schneider Cup Reenactment turned out to be easier than originally anticipated. This highly successful event was presented by the Desert Hawks Model Airplane Club in Lake Havasu City, AZ in November 1989. In the speed timing part of the competition, each pilot attempted to fly his model at a target scale speed which related to the actual flying speed achieved by the full-size Schneider raceplane of the year his model represented. A quarter-scale 1931 Supermarine S.6B, for example, would attempt to fly at one-fourth of the 340.1 mph flown by the British entry in 1931, or 85 mph.
Coppa Schneider
ON A DRIVING tour through Europe last autumn I took a detour to experience firsthand a long-standing Italian modeling tradition. The XII Coppa Schneider was held September 1-2 at Schiranna on Lago di Varese. Nestled in the foothills of the Alps between Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, north of Milan near the Swiss border, the setting alone would have justified my visit. And since many of the original Schneider racers were first flown there, it's an appropriate site.
Double Barrel Fun-Fly
MODEL airplane clubs enjoy hosting fun-flys. So do pilots of full-scale airplanes. Everyone can compete, but no one gets too serious about it. Just as all modelers take at least a passing interest in full-scale airplanes, so all full-scale pilots own up to at least a little fascination with models. Indeed, many pilots fly both types of aircraft. For safety reasons, though, model and full-scale groups seldom attempt to fly together. For the past few years, two Arizona clubs have been countering that tradition with some double-barreled competition. On February 29, 1992-leap year day-the Lake Havasu City chapter of an international women's flying organization known as the Ninety-Nines and the Colorado River Airplane Pilots Society (CRAPS), of Bullhead City, Arizona, joined forces to host the fourth annual edition of the Needles Fun-Fly.
The Gossamer Albatross
MOST of you will recall that a team headed by Paul MacCready won the £50,000 Kremer Prize in August, 1977 by flying a Man-Powered Aircraft (MPA) over a figure-8 course. For 20 years people all over the world had tried and failed, but the Gossamer Condor made it. British industrialist Henry Kremer told MacCready at the award ceremony, "I have never in my life had so much fun with my money!" He reflected on this later, and created a new competition for MPAs: £100,000 for the first to cross the 22-mile English Channel. This is the largest award of its kind in history, and clearly a monumental challenge. Like the earlier prize, the rules are simple. A qualifying flight of 400 meters in a straight line is required. Then take-off in England from not over 60 meters altitude, and land in France. Pilot flotation gear is also required. Kremer, now in his mid-60s but much younger in appearance and spirit, expects this goal to be achieved within five years. It may, in fact, occur before this article is printed.
AMA Nats Lincoln '79: CL Navy Carrier
IT IS a privilege to fill in for Dick Perry, who couldn't make it to Lincoln. I had been apprehensive about the winds in the Nebraska cornfields, and Sunday morning at 8:30 I measured 10 mph gusting to 20 on my Dwyer Wind Meter. Sunday afternoon and through the night we had a "tornado watch." We don't have those in Los Angeles and I was sure that on Friday the wind gods would repossess my airplane during my low-speed flight. Tuesday it rained a little, but Wednesday it was hot, clear and windless. Two Carrier decks were set up for practice flights and I got in a few with Bob Reynolds, who had three beautiful Fairey Fireflies. Thursday was Carrier I and II day, but I flew Jet Speed in the adjacent circle. Rat Race was on the other side of the carrier circle-not a great help for the low-speed segment, where it's nice to be able to hear your engine. I found, however, that with the necessary total concentration during the low-speed run that my mind tuned out all the interference, and it was not a serious problem. Pete Mazur demonstrated his flying skill again with 350+ flights in both Class I and Class II with his fleet of Martin MO-1s. Bob Reynolds had the highest high speed of the day at 112 in Class II, and consistent Pete Mazur scored the three lowest low speeds (21 mph) of the day in both classes.
