Free Flight: Duration
AMONG the enjoyable aspects of each competition flying season is the opportunity to travel throughout the country to various meets within reasonable driving distance on weekends. Renewing old acquaintances and making new ones are two of the activities which always rank high on my list of favorite things to do, as does the chance to observe at first hand new developments in the art and science of Free Flight. Denver's Magnificent Mountain Men Club harbors some of the nation's best and most innovative fliers in its midst, so it's always a pleasure to include at least one of its contests in our travelogue plans. Not only does it have good monthly flying meets at its excellent site southeast of Denver, but it designates certain meets for various purposes, such as emphasizing specific events to encourage club members to build outside their area of specialization.
CL: Scale
IN CONTRAST with the remote location of the CL Precision Aerobatics flying site, the Control Line Scale events were held adjacent to the AMA Nats Headquarters, assuring good vantage for even the casual spectator. That, along with the pit area placement next to the heavily trafficked path to the RC Pattern flight lines, allowed a great deal of kibitzing and photo taking by an appreciative audience. It was indeed a pleasure to hear spectator applause after the completion of every flight, and to witness the interaction between contestants and interested fans as they moved by the pit to view all 25 entries in CL Scale.
Vintage BT
IF YOU'RE ready to move up from a slabsided trainer to something that looks more like an airplane, this little model may be the answer. Most trainers look like a box with wings; designer Ed Ross wanted to try something more interesting. What he came up with is a basic trainer that captures the spirit of a whole generation of big military trainers such as the Vultee BT-13 and the North American T-6. Sized for two-stroke engines in the .20 range, the BT-for basic trainer-is an outstanding flier: light and quick, yet docile and forgiving. Anyone who can handle a trainer will have no trouble slowing this airplane down. The BT combines the stability you expect from a tutor with a reserve of power when you need it.
Boston Coupe
DESIGNED AS A SEMISCALE model of the Monocoupe 90A, the Boston Coupe is also geared to the current west coast (Mooney) Bostonian rules. The prototype has flown for 48 seconds indoors under a 28-ft. ceiling, and I anticipate that flights exceeding one minute can be achieved as further testing is conducted. Building this model presents no real problems for those with at least a few Scale ships to their credit. The brief construction notes that follow, however, will explain anything unclear on the plans as well as guide the uninitiated.
FF Outdoor Glider
VICTIMIZED! As the accompanying photos tend to reveal, Outdoor Glider flying was truly victimized by the weather at the Badger Mountain site. Fliers garbed in everything from foul weather gear to T-shirts and shorts indicate how atmospheric conditions went through the complete range from really cold and windy on Sunday to nearly perfect by Wednesday. Monday was marginal, and Tuesday could be classed as very acceptable. Sunday has traditionally been set aside for Indoor flying at all Nationals within recent memory. In retrospect, A-1 fliers were wishing that had been the case in Richland, as they were greeted with winds which bent wing wires and snapped plug-in panels at the fuselage juncture before the smallish Gliders could get free of the towline.
