AMA Nats: RC Aerobatics
THE HYDES, Merle and Chip, established a record by being the first father-and-son duo to capture the Nats RC Pattern championships. Chip won the FAI Turnaround (F3A) event, while Merle won Advanced. This year's Nats RC Pattern events saw 202 competitors flying in five events: Sportsman-62, Advanced-35, Expert-29, Master-21, and FAI-53. It was a big Nats for RC Pattern! The Nats Pattern events were held at NALF Fentress, near Chesapeake, VA. Contrary to some confused opinions, NALF stands for Navy Auxiliary Landing Field (not others like Narly Alien Life Form, or Nearly Adult Little Fellow, or even Not Always Likely to Fly). Except for a few support buildings, and one small swimming pool, the field is vacant and only has one runway and a taxiway.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
LET me pass on a few hints before getting to the meat of this article. The first two involve adhesives. I've been in the hobby long enough that I can remember when everyone used Ambroid (didn't it smell great?) The water-soluble glues like Titebond and Wilhold were big improvements, and so were the cyanoacrylates like Hot Stuff, Jet, Zap, etc. The same is true of the epoxies and contact cements; they all work great in their own way.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
LET'S SEE if we can help out a fellow modeler. A.J. Hansen (32 E. Columbus Ave., #5, Phoenix, AZ 85012) wrote to me and asked if I could help him locate copies of deBolt Kitten and Kazmirski Taurus plans. The Kitten had been his first RC airplane 27 years ago, and he wants to build another using modern radio components. Talk about coincidences: When I started in RC 35 years ago, my first RC airplane was a deBolt Kitten! Unfortunately, I no longer have Kitten or Taurus plans. I put him in touch with Tom Dixon (1938 Peachtree Rd., Suite 401, Atlanta, GA 30309) who sells a lot of items not generally available through local dealers.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
"To whom it may concern, . . . I have been flying RC planes for about 4 1/2 years now. I started with a Goldberg Eagle 63. Over time I was able to perform various stunts such as loops, barrel rolls, inverted flight, touch-and-go, etc. I recently purchased and built a Goldberg Sky Tiger. My problem is that I can't get the plane to turn with the rudder (left or right). "When I use the rudder, all the plane does is a flat turn. I can't get the plane to bank unless I use the ailerons. When it is banking and I try to level the plane out with the rudder, it acts as if it's side-slipping. Say I'm banking to the right and I give left rudder to roll out of the bank. Instead of the plane rolling to the left and level flight, the plane stays in the bank and the nose goes up as if doing a sideways flat turn. This tends to cause a loss of altitude.
Radio Control: Sport and Aerobatics
PLANNING to go to the Toledo RC Exposition? Also plan to attend the first annual FAI Pattern Judging School. Ron Chidgey will be holding it from 8:00 a.m. to noon on April 8-9 at the Radisson Hotel. I understand that this will be very much like the judging school he conducted in Europe last summer. You can attend the school in the morning and participate in the Expo activities all afternoon. Reservations: (419) 241-3000. I sure miss attending the Toledo show. While I was stationed in Dayton, OH (1964-69) and Washington, DC (1969-72), I went to the conference for many years at the old Lucas County Recreation Center (home of the Toledo Mudhens!). If you havea chance to go, don't miss it.
