Control Line: Aerobatics
HI, GANG. This is going to be an odds-and-ends month. There are lots of exciting things happening that should be passed on, so here goes. Class act: That's all I can say about the terrific response from Cox Hobbies, Inc. regarding my review of their Super Chipmunk ARF (almost-ready-to-fly-Ed.) Stunter last month. Kudos also to the Model Aviation editorial staff for the way they handled the matter. I was a little concerned about submitting a column which contained an opinion which was less than totally complimentary to a product from one of Model Aviation's advertisers. Would Cox take exception to the column even though they had solicited the review? Would MA choose not to run it for fear of alienating an advertiser?
Control Line: Aerobatics
"HELP!" That was the nature of the phone call I received from a Stunt flier the other day. He was seeking help on one of Precision Aerobatic's most vexing problems. His Stunt ship, which was "perfect in most every way," had an apparently incurable tendency to hunt. Now this type of hunting has nothing to do with red hats, cold feet, and antlers above the fireplace mantel. No, when a Stunter goes hunting you're more apt to want to shoot the plane! Hunting is the frustrating condition wherein the ship cannot be made to settle into a nice, flat groove in level flight. It is always climbing just a little or diving just a little. This condition usually deteriorates in the wind, and (if severe enough) may make level flight a very exciting maneuver indeed!
Control Line: Aerobatics
ARF STUNT! Are we ready for it? Is ARF Stunt ready for us? What is ARF? These are just three of the questions for which we will search for answers in this month's episode of "As the Nobler Turns." (Yuuchh! Who wrote that drivel? Couldn't have been me . . .) Well, whoever wrote it, it is an appropriate entree to this month's column. You'll remember that at the end of last month's effort I mentioned the new Cox Super Chipmunk 1/2A almost-ready-to-fly (ARF! There, one of the questions is already answered!) Control Line Stunt flier which arrived on my doorstep sometime last summer. It was accompanied by a letter from the Cox people which concluded by noting they were looking forward to my review.
AMA Nats: CL Aerobatics
THE BATTLE to determine the best Control Line Stunt fliers in the United States for the year 1988 is history. Characteristically, the story of this year's Nats isn't just one of winners and losers. It is more a story of people and places and the things they choose to do to add a spice of individuality to their common avocation, flying Stunt airplanes. It's the story of an invasion of friendly foreigners, intent on carving themselves a slice of American Stunt history. Of an individual pilot, one of the best ever, who chose to do it his way, even though at first "his way" appeared to be a novelty footnote to the competition . . . and then nearly ran away with the whole ball game!
Control Line: Aerobatics
HI, GANG. You'll recall that a few months back I did a series of columns discussing my modification of the Sig Twister. I've received several positive letters from fliers indicating their desire to see more of that type of article. This is evidence that the majority of my readers are neither rank beginners nor top-five Nats fliers. Rather, they are competent pilots who are looking for information and projects with which they can improve their existing skills and enhance their competitive standing amongst their peers. To do this they are in search of good-flying, attractive aircraft-ones which don't require a year to build (and/or repair), yet provide better performance than the available commercial kits.
