Vindicator
"Hey, aren't you that free flight guy?" Well, it's like the commercial: "Yes, I am." Flown FF since before I can remember. Eastern VP for the National Free Flight Society, and all that. But I've built and flown all types of models. "But what do you know about RC?" The Vindicator was born of such conversations. I flew some Two-Meter sailplanes in the late 1970s, but
Free Flight Nationals: Indoor/Outdoor
FREE FLIGHT at the 66th National Aeromodeling Championships began on Sunday, June 21, with Indoor events at Westover AFB's base hangar. The height to the top of the roof's arch is approximately 57 feet; assorted bracing, lights, and conduits reduce the usable height a bit. Modelers shared space in the hangar with a flight simulator under construction for training future C-5A pilots; while the simulator wasn't a large factor in the contest, its presence did limit floor space somewhat, and it had to be considered in preflight planning.
Free Flight: Duration
GRAVE DIGGER: One of this month's photos shows two sizes of my latest 1/2A design intended for Category III rules. This is a successor to my previous Power Play model and combines ideas from it with some from Gil Morris's Matchsticks and Dale Mateer's Benchmark. While the fullsize 1/2A has had some success, it's the other, smaller model-a "1/8A Gas," if you will-that has received the most attention. I've always had a fondness for the Tee Dee .010, and threw this model together in a few hours' time as a "play toy" during contest lulls. With a projected span of only 221/2 in. and weighing slightly over one ounce, it is a screamer! With the engine static-tested at 30,400 rpm, it has a distinctive sound that attracts everyone's attention as it takes off. Acceleration is unbelievable-so much so that visibility can quickly become a problem.
Free Flight: Duration
IT IS with great sadness that I report the March 22 passing of longtime Free Flight modeler George Pharr of Cincinnati. Modelers throughout the Midwest will remember George as one of the original Southwest Ohio Free Flighters (SWOFF) from the late 1960s. He was also a prolific builder and excellent competitor. At times he dabbled in the other modeling disciplines, but his primary interest was competition Free Flight. His eldest son, George IV, or "Bubba," often flew with him and was quite successful in his own right-he was an AMA scholarship winner, valedictorian of his class, Rhodes scholar, and so on. George flew virtually every competitive Free Flight event at one time or another, but his flying skill is perhaps what I will remember least about him.
Free Flight: Duration
PROJECT GRANDPA: Mentor. The January 1992 issue of Model Aviation featured the "PGM Trainer," an intermediate-level model in a building program designed by famous Free Flighter Larry Conover. In the construction article, Larry provided an address for further details on the PGM program. I have long been an admirer of both his designs and his writing, so I requested the latest information. I received a manuscript for another model in the PGM series (a rubber-powered Fokker E-II), a feature article on the program from a local newspaper, and a full program description from Education Research Group, of which Conover is a member.
