Jim Miller

MANHATTAN Cabin "Fever" was in the air at the 1976 Indoor Nationals held at Columbus, Ohio, but I was not infected immediately. A letter from Bob Larsh of the Central Indiana Aeromodellers (C.I.A.) inviting me to participate in the Manhattan Cabin event at their annual contest really gave me the bug. I haven't recovered since. Since I am not an expert in aerodynamic theory, I studied John Triolo's Nats' winner and designed a ship that wasn't too far from his winning combination. After several trimming sessions, a 5:27 flight under a 42-foot ceiling at the C.I.A. contest gave the first hint of its true capabilities. The spring NIMAS Record Trials at West Baden, Indiana proved to all that the model was a winner. The 97-foot ceiling provided the perfect opportunity to "pour the winds" to the motor and let the ship go all out.