Control Line Navy Carrier
THIS MONTH'S COLUMN has a distinctly English tone to it, with the photos, mystery airplane, Web site, and model descriptions-but don't be misled into thinking that everything will be British. A good number of models at the 1998 Nationals were patterned after British Royal Navy prototypes. Among them was a Fairey Barracuda by Garry Andrews, a Brewster 340 by Gary Hull, and Grumman Wildcats by Terry Kirby and Dave Rolley, Jr., which the Royal Navy flew during World War II. Leon Ryktarsyk brought out his Barracuda and Sea Hornet, but did not enter them in the competition. I hope we'll see them fly this year. This month's photos are of two other models based on British designs. Bill Calkins' Class I Hawker Sea Fury is an original design. Bill's model spans somewhat less than the 44-inch limit, and weighs in at two pounds 14 ounces, with an K&B .40S engine.
Control Line: Navy Carrier
OOPS! I gave incorrect credit for the beautiful de Havilland Sea Hornet shown in the June issue. It doesn't belong to Bill Calkins at all; the Sea Hornet is the handiwork of Bill Melton of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I received notice from Bill Calkins just after the photo was published, and I was able to trace down the rightful owner through the AMA number on the wing. I'll bet the authors of the original rule requiring models to display owners' AMA numbers didn't envision that benefit. Bill's Sea Hornet is the second version of that particular prototype that he has produced. The first was built to the maximum-allowable 44-inch wingspan (345 square inches), and it ended up weighing more than the four-pound limit at that size.
Control Line: Navy Carrier
NAVY CARRIER at the Nationals is always exciting, and this year was certainly no exception. The competition was hot-and so was the temperature! Even though the weather was not always as good as it could have been, many modelers produced "personal best" performances. There were some truly exciting flights-and not just from the scores. Most important, the fellowship and camaraderie were as good as always. The Nationals is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy flying and watching Carrier with a group of modelers who truly enjoy the sport and who also happen to be really good people.
Nats CL: Scale
SCALE MODELS have always attracted a lot of attention at the Nats, and this year was no exception. The Scale cage in the headquarters hangar was seldom without its collection of casual viewers, admirers, and self-appointed judges. The static display invariably raises interest in the flying which is to come. This year, the static display could hardly be called static since Sport Scale entries were being constantly shuffled in and out. Even after daily checking the cage throughout the week, one could still see a few new models on the Sport Scale flight line. The Scale events were particularly interesting to many of us this year because the U.S. Scale Team was to be selected from among the AMA Scale entries in RC and CL. There was some concern early in the week that there might not be enough participants in the Scale Team program to fill all three CL slots.
Nats CL: Navy Carrier
WITH THE Nats back in California, many were expecting a heavy turnout in the Navy Carrier events as the West Coast modelers had their first chance in ten years to complete in a "backyard" Nats. Two decks were set up, and the events were scheduled over three days to ensure smooth-running events with no waiting to fly. Entries were up from previous years in the Junior and Senior age categories, but Open participation was disappointing. The weather throughout the three days of Carrier competition was quite consistent. Mornings were cool and calm with 12-15 mph winds developing around noon. Because of the low number of entries, the wind created no problems for those who were ready to fly. The modelers who had equipment problems or scheduling conflicts with other events were the only ones who had to struggle with the wind.
