RC Aerobatics
LED by Ivan Kristensen, Canadians took first, third, and fifth in the FAI event. It could easily have been four Canadians in the top 10, but Dave Patrick became ill after qualifying 11th and could not continue. Maybe it's time to seal the U.S./Canadian border? Let's look at the level of participation in RC Aerobatics at the 1990 Nats: A total of 212 contestants competed in Pattern at the Nats. They were distributed among the classes as follows: ( Sportsman-47 ( Advanced-38 ( Expert Turnaround-25 ( Master-18 ( FAI-84
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
HERE WE GO AGAIN! I received a letter from James Sanders (Oklahoma City, OK) who is a member of the Baxter Field Club. He says that of the four flying clubs in Oklahoma City, they think theirs is the best. (Don't we all?) Anyway, the main theme of James' letter will strike a familiar chord in the hearts and souls of anyone who has read my column for very long. James wrote: "I am getting into some heated arguments here in Okie land. We here in Oklahoma have our share of wild winds. This leads to the question, `Does an airplane feel the wind (in flight)?' I have a very strong opinion that it does. To prove my point I explain that many an airplane has fallen by shear wind (downdraft). Also, if a small aircraft enters a tornado it will be torn to shreds. Could you please give us your expert view on this subject, `Does an airplane feel the wind?' "
SPA: Contest
LET'S TURN BACK THE TIME. Several of us did just that. The Senior Pattern Association (SPA) held its first contest on October 12th and 13th, featuring Pattern aircraft from the 1960s. The event was the brainchild of long-time pattern flier Mickey Walker (Smyrna, Georgia). Mickey had written to me back in March 1991 to announce the formation of the SPA and its first contest. I published most of his letter in the August issue of Model Aviation and mentioned it again last month. The rules for the SPA are fairly simple. First, you must be older than 45 years. The current age groups are 45 to 54 and over 55. There are some older guys who want the senior group to start at 60.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
EVERY AIRPLANE I build, I try something new. My most recent airplane is no exception. While fabricating the wing and stabilizer skins I decided to try two things I hadn't done before. The first new thing I tried was to cut the sheet balsa on a piece of glass. I'd heard earlier that a lot of people use a piece of plate glass when they cut MonoKote because it makes the MonoKote easier to cut. I tried that, and it does work. So, when I was ready to cut the 1/16 sheet balsa for the wing and stabilizer skins, I decided to try cutting it on plate glass. That works great, too.
