'81 AMA Texas Nats: FF Rubber
Jerry Barnette
Wakefield (FAI Rubber)
Rubber competition got underway on Wednesday (the third day) with Wakefield. The entry list read like a Who’s Who of rubber fliers: good weather and a strong field promised a competitive event. The FAI format — seven rounds, three-minute maxes, flying from a common starting line — makes it essential to get that first morning max.
Starting off with first-round maxes were Bob White, James O’Reilly, Chris Matsuno, C. C. Johnson, Fred Pearce, Jim Quinn, and Robert Dunham. Round two proved tougher: the air looked promising but wasn’t quite good enough, and only Matsuno and Dunham repeated their maxes while White dropped six seconds. By round three thermals had become stronger and better defined; half the remaining field was posting 180‑second scores. Conditions stayed good the rest of the event, with several strong “brick‑lifters” as fliers cautiously waited for sure thermals.
Final placings:
- 1st: Chris Matsuno — perfect score of seven maxes
- 2nd: Bob White — six seconds behind
- 3rd: Fred Pearce
There were no Junior or Senior entrants.
Notes on Matsuno’s model:
- Same model flown all seven rounds, but with adjustable configuration.
- Rolled‑tube fuselage; pylon/wing mount rubber‑banded (not glued) with a keyway to ensure alignment.
- Wing could be shifted fore and aft to vary center of gravity (CG) without changing weight or other trim — used about 65% CG in calm early rounds and about 60% CG in later turbulent rounds.
- Matsuno, like White, used a turbulator on the prop.
Coupe d'Hiver (Coupe)
Coupe d’Hiver, Wakefield’s smaller cousin, was flown the next day. The event drew a respectable number of entries and produced two distinct strategies: fly very early in the calm morning air and rely on pure model performance, or fly later and try to catch thermals.
- Early flights: gentle climbs, long prop runs, very high altitude followed by slow, graceful open‑glide circles — visually beautiful.
- Afternoon flights: afternoon “boomers” climbed rapidly and impressively, but Coupes in strong thermals could still come down embarrassingly short of a max.
Results favored the early‑bird approach. Top finishers:
- 1st: Bob White — six maxes; White’s Beau Coupe was also honored at the Model of the Year / NFFS annual symposium
- 2nd: Chuck Markos — maxed out, nearly a sixth with a modified Garricoupe
- 3rd: Fred Pearce — four three‑quarter maxes
Korda Unlimited Rubber (unofficial)
The Korda Unlimited Rubber event, sponsored unofficially by the McDonnell‑Douglas Free Flight Club (St. Louis), sought the longest single rubber flight in calm early‑morning conditions (7 a.m.).
Top flights:
- 1st: Fred Houston — 9:24
- 2nd: Bob White — 6:45
- 3rd: Jim Quinn — 6:30
Notes: Houston, used to high‑humidity flying areas, attributes part of his success to allowing tissue covering to sag slightly in damp conditions. High humidity disadvantaged several others; winding problems (see below) also affected results.
P‑30
P‑30, now an official Nats event, was flown near the end of the rubber schedule. Three‑minute maxes were achievable; only Bob White was able to max out. White’s total of 946 seconds should have been good enough to break the current national record.
Junior and Senior winners:
- Junior P‑30: David Brown — score likely to have broken the Junior record
- Senior P‑30: Susan Brown (David’s sister)
Mulvihill Trophy
Saturday featured the Mulvihill Trophy, the big event. With five previous days of nice weather, Category I rules were used (five‑minute maxes). Wind picked up by mid‑morning, so fliers opted to fly early; the stronger wind made retrieval difficult.
Bob White continued his dominance in rubber, making his five‑minute maxes and even a six‑minute flight before stopping due to the wind and the state of competition.
Associated team award:
- Steve Geraghty Mulvihill Team Award (unofficial)
- Six teams of three competed.
- Winners: California team — Bob White, Jim Quinn, Irv Aker
- Last year’s winners: Dixie Free Flight Team (Georgia)
Other unofficial events
- Rubber Speed (Georgia): Chris Matsuno won.
- Rubber Helicopter (unofficial): George Perryman won (locals call it “Helicopter”).
Winding incidents and equipment notes
Several unfortunate incidents occurred during winding:
- Larry Sargent: covering wrinkled soon after winding and a car fuselage began bending precariously.
- George Perryman: fuselage folded shortly after winding.
- Bob White: first model blew up during winding due to a weak glue joint.
Overall, the Texas Nats rubber events offered varied conditions and strategic choices. Early calm‑air performance and careful waiting for strong thermals both had their moments, but consistent early maxing proved decisive in several events.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
