Dick Perry

Wing Loading Revisited: The reason our current airplanes are significantly larger than the ones we flew 25 years ago is that slow speed is important to obtaining a good score. Our airplanes are larger because a lighter wing loading produces a better low speed. I pointed out the performance differences which were evident at the Nats in my last column. Because slow speed has a predominant role in determining overall flight score, the majority of our models are now built to a 44-inch wingspan limit. Because wing loading is determined by dividing weight by wing area, there are basically two ways to decrease wing loading: You can build a model lighter, and you can build a model larger. Building lighter has its limitations, and experience has shown that the best improvement in performance comes from building larger models.

What a great Carrier Nats! There were new models and new modelers; young modelers and old modelers (in experience, if not in age) who hadn't been seen at a Nats in quite a few years; there was a new event for old models, but not necessarily for old modelers; and most importantly, there was good competition, good sportsmanship, outstanding camaraderie, and a chance to catch up on what friends had been doing since the last Nats. Adding variety to the flightline this year were some new models, including a few new MO-1s, which added to the numbers of that popular design. In spite of the bonus that went into effect last year for multiengine models, all of this year's entries were single-engine types.