1986 Nats: FF Power
Larry Kruse
Overview
The high‑tech advances long seen in FAI flying have begun to filter down into AMA events, as evidenced by numerous sophisticated ships at this year's Nats. Carbon fiber, boron, Kevlar, VITs (variable‑incidence tails), autorudders, propeller brakes, Mylar covering and multi‑function timers have crept into the vocabulary — and the construction — of the average FFer. These items showed up on models flown by top competitors such as Charlie Caton, Bill Dunlop, Bob Hatschek and Bill Gieskieng.
Charlie Caton applied modern technology across classes with great success. From his classic Hummingbird down to his 1/2A entry, Caton's aircraft combined minimal drag with advanced auto‑surface setups and home‑brew multi‑function timers; his placings included firsts in 1/2A, B, A and D Gas, plus other top finishes. Bill Dunlop's all‑carbon WitchHawk and Bob Hatschek's mechanical refinements were also standout examples of modern materials and design. Bill Gieskieng's long experimentation with variable‑geometry and folding wings pointed to future directions in powered Free Flight.
Monday — Payload and C Gas
Payload has enjoyed a renaissance, returning from provisional status at some contests to a full AMA Nats event. The task — lifting a prescribed weight and timing the flight given a set engine run — is straightforward and popular.
- Payload (C Gas)
- 1st: Bill Hale — 312
- 2nd: Robert Nichols — 307
- 3rd: Jim Walston — 306
- Juniors: David Brown — 209 (1st over Tony Hutchins)
C Gas entries were light among youngsters: Tony Hutchins was the lone Junior, Melinda Anderson the lone Senior. Open was active, with 30 entries.
- C Gas (Open)
- 1st: Marvin Mace (Seguin, TX) — 1,320 (Pearl variant)
- 2nd: Bill Dunlop — 960
- 3rd: Charlie Caton — 942
Tuesday — 1/2A and Cargo
Rising heat and wind made high‑nitro runs tenuous and retrieval difficult. Scores reflected tougher conditions and a change in flying‑site category relative to wind.
- 1/2A (Open)
- 1st: Charlie Caton — 549 (minimal‑drag, auto‑surface ship)
- 2nd: Jim Summersett — 454
- 3rd: Bob Sifleet — 429
Smaller Gas classes usually draw Juniors and Seniors, but entries were light this year. Notable junior/senior times (which would have placed high in Open) included Tony Hutchins — 360, Matt Gagliano — 359, and Senior Dana Wile — 344.
- Cargo
- Open 1st: Robert Nichols — 1,220 (Bull Moose)
- Open 2nd: Curt Sanford — 1,020
- Open 3rd: Carl Carmichael
- Senior 1st: Dana Wile — 1,096 (would have been 2nd in Open)
- Junior lone entry: David Brown — 822
FAI Power (F1C) and D Gas
FAI Power brought state‑of‑the‑art machines and cutting‑edge experimentation. Bill Gieskieng's latest high‑thrust‑line design featured folding wings, winglets and variable‑incidence tail surfaces — an impressive machine that unfortunately went off pattern and self‑destructed before it could show its full potential. Admire Bill's tenacity in pushing the frontiers of model performance.
- FAI (F1C)
- 1st: Bob Sifleet — 840
- 2nd: Bobby Dunham — 674
- 3rd: Jack Nix — 633
D Gas saw notable performances and a dose of drama. Charlie Caton blitzed the Open D Gas competition with a total of 571 seconds despite a near‑disastrous toss flight in which the ship was nearly wrecked (dropped on its nose when the engine cut prematurely). Jim Summersett was second with 347, and Bob Combs took third with 299.
- D Gas
- Open 1st: Charlie Caton — 571
- Open 2nd: Jim Summersett — 347
- Open 3rd: Bob Combs — 299
- Junior 1st: Tony Hutchins — 120 (only Junior entry)
The most unfortunate D Gas tale involved Bill Dunlop, who lost his large ship on its first flight. It was later returned, but had been run over by a four‑wheeled retrieval vehicle while in the undergrowth.
A Gas and B Gas
A Gas and B Gas wrapped up more traditional Power events later in the week.
- A Gas (Open)
- 1st: Bill Dunlop — 1,011
- 2nd: Charlie Caton — 953
- 3rd: Bob Combs — 653
- Junior 1st: Tony Hutchins — 312
- Senior 1st: Jan Langelius — 251 (suffered engine problems)
- B Gas (Open)
- 1st: Charlie Caton — 1,080
- 2nd: Marvin Mace (Seguin, TX) — 928
- 3rd: Bill Dunlop — 689
- Juniors/Seniors: Tony Hutchins (Junior) and Jan Langelius (Senior) top their classes
Bill Dunlop's attempt to repeat earlier success in A Gas was hampered when his original design "went over‑the‑hill" to the right under increased power and corked wide open.
Note: Tony Hutchins made a strong showing in Junior gas classes, sweeping several junior events (1/2A, B, C and D Gas).
Electric and CO2
Electric and CO2 classes continue to develop at the Nationals level.
- CO2 (Open)
- 1st: Lin Cochran — 231 (highly‑modified Twin Cyclone with Davis conversion)
- 2nd: Robert Nichols — 171
- Junior 1st: David Brown
- Senior 1st: Dana Wile
Electric was split into two classes based on cell count.
- Electric A (six or fewer Ni‑Cad cells)
- Open 1st: Robert Nichols — 198 (unique pod‑and‑boom motor installation)
- Open 2nd: Curt Shanford — 178
- Open 3rd: Jake Demore — 120
- Senior 1st: Dana Wile — 188
- Senior 2nd: Melanie Sanford — 75 (model lost to a tree)
- Junior: David Brown (only entrant)
- Electric B (seven or more Ni‑Cad cells)
- Open 1st: Robert Nichols — 270
- Senior 1st: Dana Wile — 176
- Junior: David Brown (only entrant)
A model‑eating tree foiled Melanie Sanford's attempt to win Senior Electric; her Electric Pearl was powered by an Estes motor with integral reduction gear and folding prop blades.
Conclusion and Thanks
The 1986 Nats showcased the spread of FAI‑level technology into AMA competition and highlighted both meticulous craftsmanship and forward‑looking experimentation. Special thanks are due to the hard‑working contest officials who endured five days of extreme heat and humidity:
- Murray Frank
- Sandy Frank
- Linda Brown
- Kay Brown
Their tireless efforts on behalf of Free Flight are much appreciated.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
