Control Line: Aerobatics
ONE LAST REMINDER to make plans for the third edition of the Vintage Champs, to be held again in Tucson, AZ on March 23 and 24. Old-Timer will be flown on Saturday and Nostalgia on Sunday, with two rounds for each event. Come early and enjoy the great weather and an excellent flying site. Contact Mike Keville at 6109 East Ivyglen, Mesa, AZ 85205; tel. 1-602/985-3363. Just finished watching another of Windy Urtnowski's videos. Called "Advanced Trimming Techniques," it's the second in his trimming series. I'm going to get the first one and the planned follow-ons. Surveying many of the significant developments in trimming over the last few years, the tape begins with tips on flying the pattern, giving details on each maneuver, and continues with a discussion of airplane trim changes for various situations. At $14.95 (plus $3.00 shipping and handling) this tape is a bargain that will repay you many times over. I thoroughly recommend it.
Control Line: Aerobatics
THE PAST few years have seen more and more CL Aerobatics fliers harking back to the smaller, .35-size aircraft, a trend that may have been fueled by the popularity of the Old-Timer and Nostalgia models. Whatever the reasons, I know it's for me. I've really enjoyed the fun of the smaller designs. One apparent problem, though, has been the lack of suitable engines. After all, the O.S. .35S, perhaps the best .35 of all, hasn't been produced for years. Sure, the venerable Fox .35 is still with us, but I was really looking for more power. Fortunately, as a result of an error in the Nats issue (November), I now have a Magnum .40 GP to evaluate. (Derek Barry won in the Junior class at the Nats using one of Tom Dixon's Magnums.)
Control Line: Aerobatics
MANY YEARS AGO I watched an experimental airplane I was truly thrilled with, a piped Stunt model. Actually, it was a Dynajet-powered ship. The guy flying it was a legend in the New York area (where I survived growing up) named Tommy DeVille. The flights were spectacular-so were the thunder of the jet and the large, sweeping maneuvers that were necessary to keep the jet lit. Over Labor Day at the Dallas Southwesterns the memories were rekindled by Dale Hungerford and his new jet-powered Stunter. Dale is the type of guy who likes to take on a technological challenge. He's really got hold of one here. The plane I observed wasn't the first jet Dale has tried. He has looped, both inside and outside, flown inverted and done figure eights. For those of you who haven't witnessed jet-powered Stunt, it's impressive!
Control Line: Aerobatics
My turn had finally arrived! Yes, I'd already heard about it on the "pipevine." The rush of technology - the thrill - was there. I'd modified last year's ship to accept a Randy Smith setup: V-Max .46 engine, 12 x 4 three-bladed carbon-fiber prop, and - the heart of the system - a Bob Hunt carbon tuned pipe. The modification to the plane was quite simple, as it was already set up for an ST .60. All that was required to install the V-Max .46 was to do a little grinding in the engine bay to accommodate the longer crankcase, and some slotting of the mounting holes to accept the new pattern. The whole thing amounted to a 30-minute job. Installing the pipe was somewhat more difficult, as I had to cut into the belly of the fuselage (the engine is installed in the inverted position, as is common to most Stunters). I wanted a neat, semi-enclosed configuration with sufficient space to permit adjusting the length of the pipe.
Control Line: Aerobatics
IF YOU MISSED the recent (March 24-25, 1990) Tucson Old-Timer/Nostalgia meet, you missed a happening! The hot weather warmed old bones much chilled from a long winter, and many old friends created lots of new ones. The Cholla Choppers club's home field was an absolutely beautiful site which, it can be hoped, will be the host for this event for many years to come. Most of all, the spirit of re-creating some of the golden days of Stunt was alive and well. In truth, that experience alone was worth the effort to be there.
