AMA Nats: CL Racing
HEARTLAND OF AMERICA. Sunny and warm summer days with cool breezes. Nothing could have been further from that cheerful picture when I arrived at Lincoln Municipal Airport on Sunday, July 12, 1987. The temperature was approximately 50º; there was a stiff 25-35 mph wind blowing with intermittent showers. Fortunately, as far as the weather goes, this was the worst day of the entire week. Generally the early morning temperatures were in the low 80s; from noon on, low 90s was the norm. The stiffest wind that I have had the unfortunate experience of flying in was prevalent on two days of Racing competition. One particular day the velocity was so high that the officials' tent had to be attached to a van to avoid being blown from the area. On Thursday, the wind gusted on several occasions to above 40 mph.
Control Line: Racing
THE CONTEST SEASON in the Midwest area is in full swing, and the first major Midwestern Regionals was held outside Chicago in Sugar Grove, IL. The typical Racing events-Rat, Scale, Slow Rat-had a minimum of 12 to 15 entries in each event. Over the relatively mild winter, several of the competitors had certainly done their homework. Larry Dziak showed up with a new, heavily modified Nelson "long stack" .15 which ran 14.5 to 14.9 in traffic. The winning time in Scale was 5:50, and second place was 6:01, which made for some excellent racing. Rat Race was certainly a mixed bag, in that several competitors were trying the new AAC piston and liner setups with the high-compression Nelson "funny head" which has the one-piece Nelson plug. The Nelson plug seems to be quite satisfactory in almost all Racing applications as long as the proper head clearance is maintained.
Reno 1984 Nats: CL Racing
HISTORY. Observers and competitors alike will attest that the Racing events were as exciting as ever. Control Line flying site circles were undoubtedly the finest for access, smoothness and positioning on which Nats competitors have flown in recent years. Special accolades should be given to the Control Line organizers-especially Bev Wisniewski for the site selection. This year, Racing Event Director Don Jehlik (a past World Champion in Team Racing) did a yeoman's job in the organization and operation of the events. The Racing site was supplied an excellent, large tent, tables, and other items for official use. AMA CL Coordinator Jim Ricketts was extremely cognizant of the need for drinking water by competitors and officials alike. With each day bringing temperatures in the high nineties with little or no humidity, the "ice-water cooler" he filled and delivered to the site each morning was certainly welcome. A thoughtful NATS Welcome Banner graced the entrance to the facility. The local TV station spent considerable time video taping events, and the Control Line Racing segment was included on the Friday night local news.
Control Line: Racing
RACING PROPELLERS. When it comes to Control Line Racing, nothing beats an epoxy/fiberglass or an epoxy/graphite-fiber propeller. The wood propellers are fine, but the proximity of the aircraft to the surface plus surface contaminants such as loose gravel, surface imperfections and cracks, and overzealous pit men will result in quick breakage of even the hardest wood propeller. To my knowledge, there are about three individuals producing satisfactory propellers for both Rat Race, Slow Rat, Scale Racing, and sport race. The old adage is certainly true that it is "what's up front that counts." Poor selection or improper preparation of a propeller can result in a 15-30 mph difference in air speed! In addition, an unbalanced propeller can cause premature bearing failure and develop vibration throughout the aircraft (causing additional problems).
1982 AMA Nats: CL Racing
SINCE the Control Line circles were relocated slightly from where they were at the Nats formerly held at Lincoln, I think the circles were nearly in perfect condition. Special thanks should be given to the Nats crew which laid out the circles, filled any remaining holes in the vicinity, and installed a rope barrier with permanently-mounted wire posts to control spectators. This cordoning of the Control Line area was appreciated by Speed, Carrier and Racing participants. This year the Nats was held with the same schedule as in Seguin, with Open Scale Racing on Monday, Open Rat on Thursday, and Open Slow Rat on Saturday. The Junior and Senior Scale Racing events were held on Wednesday, and the Fast and Slow Rat events were held on Friday. As in the past, the FAI Team Race was run on Tuesday.
