'91 All American Nationals: RC Aerobatics

'91 All American Nationals: RC Aerobatics

Ron Van Putte

Introduction

The hot one — that's how we'll probably remember the 1991 AMA Nationals. The contest felt like a war of heat and attrition. Below are the results and a summary of notable events.

A total of 203 contestants competed in RC Pattern: 46 Sportsman, 27 Advanced, 36 Expert, 21 Master, and 77 FAI. As in 1990, FAI entries far outnumbered the other events. There were fewer no-shows this year because part of the entry fee was nonrefundable, which encouraged preregistration and kept scheduling on track. All groups were scheduled for six rounds except FAI, which had four qualifying rounds and two finals rounds.

The beautiful main runway at the Mid‑America Air Center housed three adjacent Pattern sites spaced about 3,000 feet apart. Each site had two flight lines, so there were usually six Pattern airplanes in the air at once. Given the distance, midair collisions between adjacent sites were not expected, but one occurred: Mike Wilson’s FAI aircraft (site two) and Wendell Dietz’s Advanced‑class aircraft (site three), both performing turnarounds, collided. Mike’s aircraft crashed into a cornfield opposite the runway; Wendell was able to land, but his Eclipse was essentially totaled with major wing and fuselage damage.

Flying was scheduled for almost 10 hours each day for five days. Sportsman, Expert, and Master flew 7:15 a.m. to noon; Advanced and FAI flew 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sportsman and Advanced had two flight lines (scores normalized after two rounds). Expert and Master shared three flight lines (scores normalized after three rounds). FAI had four flight lines; scores could not be normalized until the fourth qualifying round was complete, leaving FAI fliers with only rough standings until qualifying ended.

Getting workers is always a challenge in the Lawrenceville/Vincennes area. Event Director Greg Frohreich resolved the issue by entering every Pattern entrant in a random drawing to select workers; each selectee worked a half day. To discourage no‑shows, any selectee who failed to work or simply had someone else do the shift received a zero for his next round. The plan produced needed help and, notably, many of the top fliers performed jobs such as timers, line expeditors, and scribes.

Weather was strange: light, variable winds in the morning (mostly easterly), stronger northeast winds in the afternoons, and no rain threat. Afternoon temperatures reached the 90s, making the workday punishing for those on the flight line and especially for judges who had limited shelter.

Two hardware trends stood out. First, four‑stroke engines were “in” — in FAI they outnumbered two‑strokes among top fliers, though FAI winner Chip Hyde used a two‑stroke at the Nationals even though he used a four‑stroke to win the Team Selection Finals three weeks earlier. Second, many were running high nitromethane percentages; some four‑stroke users ran 60% nitro. The average nitro percentage among the top 10 FAI fliers was around 30%, which raised eyebrows given nitro shortages caused by a plant explosion.

A significant controversy involved radio interference and reflying. Dean Koger experienced interference in his first qualifying flight, landed safely, swapped his PCM receiver for an FM receiver, and was allowed to resume the flight from the point where interference was first noted. Protesters argued that because the pilot changed receivers and the problem was resolved, the interference was not truly beyond his control and thus not grounds for a refly. Event Director Greg Frohreich allowed the refly; similar incidents occurred with Mike Klein and Paul Verger. No formal protests were filed (complaints differ from protests), but it did expose a problematic situation when Greg had appointed himself to the jury — a conflict that drew grumbling and is unlikely to be repeated.

Sportsman

• Bill Heatherington, 43, Norman, OK — Conquest — 7.63 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Balsa — H'Poxy / K&B / Paint / M'Kote — O.S. .61 LS-P — Beam / O.S. 8
• Bob Smyth, 17, Cincinnati, OH — Conquest V1 — 7.10 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Balsa — Acrylac / M'Kote — YS .61 LS — Galor — K&B 1L
• Miguel G. Munoz, 31, New York, NY — Aurora — 7.70 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Balsa — Lag & Cir? — Hanno Special — P & T — O.S. 8
• Jonas Pharr, 14, New Iberia, LA — LA‑1 — 7.75 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Balsa — M'Kote / Epoxy — O.S. .61 LS — Galor RC
• Dan Burns, 35, Citrus Heights, CA — Crash Aire — 9.55 lb — ? / M'Kote — Hanno Special — P & T
• John Nosler, 50, Eugene, OR — Summit III — 7.94 lb — Epoxy / M'Kote — Hanno Special — Yes — O.S. 8
• John Flickinger, 50, Salina, KS — Fountaine (design) — 6.90 lb — K&B Epoxy — YS 1.20 — Own — Enya 3
• George Mohr, 18, Chester, NJ — LA‑1 — 8.65 lb — U/Thm / M'Kote — Hanno Special — P & T — O.S. 8

Advanced

• R. "Rosco" Segura, 18, New Iberia, LA — Summit III — 7.50 lb — Epoxy Glass / Foam / Balsa — Iron Panel / U'cote — YS .60 SS — J‑Tec — K&B 1L
• Kirk Gray, 23, Florence, SC — T2A MKII — 8.50 lb — Glass / Foam / Balsa — K&B SP's? — YS .60 SS — OPS 300
• Ronald Dietz, 26, Baton Rouge, LA — Meridian — 7.75 lb — Foam / Balsa / Glass — (no K&B?) — YS .60 LS — Performance Prod. — OPS 250
• Robert A. Pastorello, 40, El Reno, OK — LA‑1 — 7.31 lb — Foam / Balsa / Fiberglass — No Auto Lacquer / M'Kote — O.S. .61 LS? — Vlb/Dmp Beam
• Bill Ahrens, 35, St. Louis, MO — PA‑2 — 8.25 lb — Foam / Balsa / Fiberglass — DP Center / M'Kote — Hanno Special — Perf. Prod. — McCoy
• James L. Joiner, 30, Seminole, TX — Wizard — 8.00 lb — Foam / Balsa / Fiberglass — YS .61 LS — Perf. Prod. — OPS 300
• Dave Blewitt, 30, Abilene, TX — Aurora — 8.00 lb — Foam / Balsa / Fiberglass — YS .60 SS — K&B 1L

Expert

• Dan Peterson, 20, Monticello, NY — Dash 5 — 7.20 lb — Balsa/Foam/Balancing / M'Kote — Hanno Special — P & T — Enya 5
• Jeff Powell, 25, Ft. Worth, TX — Lady's Fancy II — 8.06 lb — Balsa/Foam/Bal — M'Kote / Epoxy — YS .61 LS? — O.S. 8
• Tony Stillman, 34, Pensacola, FL — Summit II — 8.25 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — DP Center / M'Kote — YS .61 LS — Galor — O.S. 8
• Mike Darnold, 30, Oklahoma City, OK — PA‑2 — 7.69 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Lacquer/Trim / M'Kote — YS .61 LS — Vib‑Damp — O.S. 8
• Matthew B. Klein, 24, Beachwood, OH — Jekyll — 7.75 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Auto Lacquer / M'Kote — YS .61 LS — Enya 3
• Joe Walker, 18, Maitland, FL — Conquest VI — 7.25 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Lacquer / M'Kote — O.S. .61 LS‑P — K&B 1L
• Hal Shapiro, 19, Overland Park, KS — LA‑1 — 7.25 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — M'Kote / Spoxy — O.S. .61 LS — Rosco!
• Ryan McLaurin, 17, Eustis, FL — Eclipse — 7.72 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Acryl Enamel / M'Kote — O.S. .61 LS‑P & T — K&B 1L

Master

• Larsen Anderson, 24, Nashville, TN — Jekyll — 8.13 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — K&B and M'Kote — Hanno Special — Vibra Damp — Enya 5
• Don Szczur, 24, Huntsville, AL — Conquest IV 7 — 8.25 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — R/S Perf / M'Kote — O.S. .61 LS — Vibra‑Damp — TH
• Wayne Apostolico, 43, Arlington, TX — Sapphire MK I — 8.19 lb — Glass / Balsa / Foam — Lacquer — YS .61 LS — GPA
• Dave Lockhart, 30, Absecon, NJ — Topaz — 7.63 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Polyurethane / K'cote — ST .61 K — P & T — K&B 1L
• John Meyer, 32, Louisville, KY — Summit III — 7.63 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Lacquer / M'Kote — Webra IS — Rossi 5
• Kearney LeJeune, 38, Baton Rouge, LA — Eclipse — 8.13 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — K&B — YS .61 LS — Perf. Prod. — K&B 1L

FAI

• Chip Hyde, 19, Yuma, AZ — Jekyll — 7.60 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Deltron — Webra — Merle Hyde's Webra
• David von Linsowe, 34, Mt. Morris, MI — JUSa STAR — 10.00 lb — Balanced Foam/Bal — Ultracote — YS 1.20 — Wibb‑Damp?
• Bill Cunningham, 30, Tulsa, OK — Malibu — 9.25 lb — Wood / Foam / Bal — M'Kote / Poxy — YS 1.20 — Galor — O.S. F
• Ivan Kristensen, 24, Guelph, Ont., Can. — Summit III — 7.38 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — M'Kote / Poxy — YS .61 LS — Own — Rossi R5
• Quique Somenzini, 24, Rio Cuarto, Arg. — PA‑? — 7.60 lb — Balanced/Foam/Bal — M'Kote / Poxy — YS 1.20 — Own — Enya 3
• Dean Kooger, 47, Beavercreek, OH — Vortex 11 — 7.50 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — M'Kote / Poxy — YS .61 LS — Hanno Special — Rossi R5
• Geoff Combs, 32, Pickerington, OH — SL‑1 — 9.80 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Automotive / Clearcoat — YS 1.20 — Own — Enya 3
• Dave Stricker, 29, Baltimore, MD — Excalibur — 9.50 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — M'Kote / Poxy — YS 1.20 G — Galor — O.S. F
• Dave Patrick, 38, River Forest, IL — Conquest 7 — 7.38 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Epoxy / Urethane / M'Kote — YS .61 LS — Own — Rossi R5
• Greg Marsden, 33, Burlton, Ont., Can. — Legend III — 8.00 lb — Epoxy / Glass / Foam / Bal — Lacquer / M'Kote — YS .61 LS — Perf. Prod. — Rossi R5
• Steve Helmes, 42, El Toro, CA — Mystery — 9.50 lb — Balanced / Plastic? / Bal — Acryl Enamel — YS 1.20 — Own — Enya 3
• Gene Bedders, 51, Ft. Worth, TX — Mystic — 8.50 lb — Fiberglass/Foam/Bal — Wood / Dom / Bal — YS .61 LS — Own — O.S. F

(Note: acronyms — Acr = Acrylic, AL = Aileron, Asmb. = Assembly, BP = Battery Pack, Bal = Balsa, Car Fib = Carbon Fiber, Con = Controll, DP = DuPont, Ena = Enamel, FGls = Epoxy Glass, FG = Fiberglass, Flt = flight, Foam = Foam, Fuse = Fuselage, Lac = Lacquer, M'Kote = Monokote, P & T = Planes & Things, PolyU = Polyurethane, Vib Dmp = Vibra Damp.)

Competition Notes and Highlights

• Do you need a four‑stroke to win FAI? Obviously not. Chip Hyde won the Team Selection Finals with a four‑stroke, and three weeks later won the Nationals using a two‑stroke. He flew two different airplanes, both Jekyll designs. Several top pilots said vertical maneuvers are easier with a four‑stroke, which will likely push marginal two‑stroke fliers to switch engines — creating a market for used two‑stroke engines.
• Nitro fuel percentages varied widely. Some competitors used very high nitro mixes (reports up to 60% for four‑strokes), though the top 10 FAI average was about 30%. Given a nitro shortage caused by a plant explosion, the high mixes raised eyebrows.
• The reflying controversy centered on receivers and whether interference was beyond a pilot’s control. Greg Frohreich allowed reflys; no formal protests were filed. The controversy highlighted the problem of an Event Director also serving on the jury.

Class Summaries

• Sportsman: Bill Heatherington led early and held first after six rounds, having won two initial rounds. Bob Smyth placed second, Miguel Munoz third, and Jonas Pharr fourth.
• Advanced: Ron “Rosco” Segura won after six rounds, taking three rounds total. Kirk Gray was second; Wendell Dietz finished third despite losing his own airplane in a midair collision and borrowing a Meridian to continue. Mike Hayden (owner of the Meridian) finished ninth.
• Expert: After normalization, multiple fliers had round wins. After six rounds, Dan Peterson finished first (with only one round win), Jeff Powell second (two round wins), Tony Stillman third, and Mike Darnold fourth.
• Master: A tight battle saw Larsen Anderson and Don Szczur trading rounds. Anderson ultimately prevailed, with Szczur second, Wayne Apostolico third, and Dave Lockhart fourth (who battled engine problems).
• FAI: After four qualifying rounds, the top five were Chip Hyde, Bill Cunningham, Ivan Kristensen, Quique Somenzini, and David von Linsowe. The first 24 advanced to finals; notable miss was Paul Verger, who dropped to 25th by zeroing the landing on his last flight. Jim Bennett, a top contender, was absent from the top 24 after a season of airplane losses and a midair collision during qualifying with Louis Patton. After finals, Chip Hyde finished first, David von Linsowe second, Bill Cunningham third, Ivan Kristensen fourth, and Quique Somenzini fifth. Dean Kooger placed sixth, helped by a finals round win.

Closing Thanks

Event Director Greg Frohreich did another excellent job running Pattern for the third year. Scorer Mike Lauman and his system again bore enormous pressure and performed superbly. To the judges, workers, and volunteers who made the 1991 Pattern Nationals possible: thank you.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.