Author: B. Darkow
Edition: Model Aviation - 1992/05
Page Numbers: 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
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'91 SAM Champs

Bill Darkow

Event summary

The 25th annual celebration of old-time aeromodeling, the SAM Champs, was held October 6–10, 1991, at Jean Dry Lake, Nevada. The Silver Anniversary meet, sponsored by the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM), drew about 250 competitors and roughly 400 total attendees. Flying was compressed into four days, providing plenty of flying time and ample camaraderie among builders and pilots.

Crouched in front of his Lanzo Bomber, a pilot presses the rubber cup of an electric starter against the spinner and squeezes the switch. The prop spins briefly, then disappears as the engine roars to life. The model rockets into a near-vertical climb, vaporized castor oil trailing behind. By the time the countdown reaches 20 seconds, the bomber's eight-foot wingspan is a half-inch spot overhead. The pilot cuts the engine and the model noses into a floating glide; the role shifts from power pilot to glider pilot hunting thermals. That scenario was repeated many times during the meet.

Notable aircraft, pilots, and events

  • Chet Lanzo's 1938 Lanzo Bomber dominated R/C classes, taking 18 of 45 possible top places.
  • Playboys and Anderson Pylons together accounted for 10 top places.
  • Eut Tileston scored four top places with several versions of the 1936 Taylor Cub 3-2—one Cub even climbed nearly vertically at scale-200 mph.
  • Half-A Texaco Duration (restricted to the Cox .049 reed-valve engine with stock 8 cc tank) was very popular with 85 entries. Typical models: ~300 sq. in. wing area, ~16 oz. weight. Lamoine Schrock won the six-way flyoff flying a Cox .049-powered New Ruler (1940 design).
  • A new spin-off, 1/2A Texaco Scale Duration (scale replica of a pre-1943 man-carrying aircraft; no scale points awarded), drew 21 entries and is expected to grow.
  • The Grand National Collector's show, sponsored by MECA (Model Engine Collectors Association), was the biggest yet, filling the banquet room with modeling memorabilia for sale or trade.
  • The 25th Northrop Flying Wing Contest (sponsored by Bill Northrop and directed by Carl Hatch) featured Gas/Electric, Rubber, Glider, and Scale entries. Joe Tschirgi won Power; Frank Faulkner won Rubber; George Perryman won Glider.
  • Wakefield Rubber competition added an "Antique" class for 1928–1933 designs. Ed Wallenhorst won the Antique class and the Four-Ounce event (designs 1934–1936). Bill Gibbons won the Eight-Ounce event for more recent Wakefields (1937–1951); Joe Macay was second and Peter Michel third.
  • International events: Tailless Power Competition at Middle Wallop RAF Aerodrome (Aug 9, 1992) and several international Wakefield meets scheduled for 1992, including SAM Italia at Gorizia Airport (Aug 22–23).

Spirit of SAM and Hall of Fame

  • The Spirit of SAM Concours d'Elegance showcased models exemplifying early aeromodeling creativity and craftsmanship. Models had to fly to validate static scores. Jim Person Jr. won with a flawless, star-spangled version of Frank Ehling's 1937 Contest Winner, powered by a Brown Jr. D.
  • SAM Hall of Fame presentations were held Wednesday evening following a brief business meeting. Honorees received life memberships, plaques, and a standing ovation.
  • New Hall of Fame inductees included: Jim Bohash; Johnny Brodbeck (the "B" of K&B); Vic Cunningham; Dick McCoy; Claude McCullough; J. G. "Bud" McMorgan; Tim Daniels; Mickey DeAngelis; George Perryman; and Jerry Stoloff.

Organization and volunteers

  • Host club: Model Museum Flying Club (SAM 1).
  • Contest Director: Mike Fields (first time directing), supported by Assistant CD Art Groshke; Free Flight CD Art Hills; and RC traffic director Ed Malmer. The contest staff ran the meet smoothly.
  • Many father-and-son teams attended; notable family pairs included Mickey and Bill DeAngelis, Vic Cunningham and Vic Jr., Sal and Mike Taibi, and Harry and Danny Klarich.
  • Vic Cunningham and Vic Jr. donated the Lindbergh Trophy (for twin-pusher rubber-powered models). The Lindbergh Trophy was originally awarded by Charles Lindbergh in 1927.

Vendors, parts, and publications

  • MECA president Dick Dwyer is the contact for vintage engines (spark, glow, diesel): Dick Dwyer, 1837 Flood Drive, San Jose, CA 95124.
  • John Pond (one of SAM's founders) operates a large parts service including plans for Old-Timer Rubber, Scale, Towline, etc.
  • A 28-page booklet lists over 700 SAM-approved gas model designs; a similar booklet for rubber models is in preparation.
  • Danny Shields sells an 84-page spiral-bound booklet, Antique and Old Timer Model Aircraft (pre-1943 ads and three-views), for $10: Danny Shields, 6317 Park Heights Ave., Apt. T-8, Baltimore, MD 21215.
  • Klarich Custom Kits (Harry Klarich) produces nearly 300 kits. Contact: Harry Klarich, 2301 Sonata Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670; (916) 635-4588. Send a SASE with 65¢ postage for a catalog.

1991 SAM CHAMPS Results

Radio Control (150 entrants)

  • Grand Champion — Larry Davidson
  • 1st Runner-up — Don Bekins
  • 2nd Runner-up — Eut Tileston
  • Ohlsson .23 (23 entrants)
  1. Don Bekins — Lanzo Bomber — 13:34
  2. Walt Geary — Goldberg Zipper — 11:14
  3. Stan Lane — Anderson Pylon — 7:48
  • Ohlsson Sideport (29 entrants)
  1. Don Bekins — Lanzo Bomber / O&R .60 — 23:16
  2. Eut Tileston — Taylor Cub / O&R .60 — 12:52
  3. Walt Geary — Clipper Mk I / O&R .60 — 11:45
  • Class C Ignition (62 entrants)
  1. Larry Davidson — Playboy Sr. / Orwick .64 — 32:03
  2. Ed Shilen — Lanzo Bomber / Edco .65 — 30:51
  3. Joe Percy — Josephine / O&R .60 — 30:50
  • Class C Glow (37 entrants)
  1. M.R. Lipsey — Playboy Cabin / Torp .32 — 30:39
  2. Eut Tileston — Taylor Cub / SuperTigre .40 — 30:06
  3. Art White — Lanzo Bomber / K&B 6.5cc — 28:14
  • Electric Texaco (27 entrants)
  1. George Joki — Lanzo Bomber / Kyosho — 52:47
  2. Fred Mulholland — Lanzo Bomber / Leisure — 51:38
  3. Peter Rafferty — Lanzo Bomber / Leisure — 50:43
  • Electric LMR (26 entrants)
  1. Gary Westland — Lanzo Bomber / Astro — 20:42
  2. Peter Rafferty — Lanzo Bomber / OS Cobalt — 20:35
  3. Roland Boucher — Anderson Pylon — 20:24
  • Class B Ignition (40 entrants)
  1. Larry Davidson — Lanzo Bomber / Torp .29 — 27:49
  2. Don Bekins — Foo 2-U / 2-Torp .29 — 26:39
  3. Art White — Lanzo Bomber / Forster .29 — 19:06
  • Class B Glow (39 entrants)
  1. Fred Mulholland — Playboy Sr. / K&B .29 — 27:33
  2. Eut Tileston — Taylor Cub / SuperTigre .29 — 26:48
  3. L.A. Johnston — Blitzkrieg / HB .25 — 20:57
  • Class A Ignition (27 entrants)
  1. Larry Davidson — Playboy Jr. / Elfin 2.49cc — 21:00
  2. Don Bekins — Anderson Pylon / Elfin 2.49cc — 18:46
  3. Ed Shilen — Winged Yankee / Elfin 2.49cc — 18:28
  • Class A Glow (39 entrants)
  1. Eut Tileston — Scorpion / K&B .19 — 22:15
  2. Fred Mulholland — Lanzo Bomber / K&B .19 — 21:08
  3. Jim Kynce — Kerswap / K&B 2.35cc — 20:56
  • Pure Antique (33 entrants)
  1. Don Bekins — Lanzo Bomber / Edco .65 — 30:00
  2. Ed Shilen — Lanzo Bomber / Edco .65 — 28:06
  3. Fred Mulholland — Thor / Anderson Splitter .65 — 26:23
  • Antique (32 entrants)
  1. Jim Kynce — Anderson Pylon / O.S. .61 — 40:09
  2. Larry Davidson — Lanzo Bomber / Orwick .64 — 38:12
  3. Mike McLaughlin — Lanzo Bomber / McCoy .60 — 30:00
  • Texaco (62 entrants)
  1. Don Bekins — Lanzo Bomber / O&R .60 — 16:20
  2. Joe Percy — Lanzo Bomber / OS .60 (9in.) — 15:42
  3. Jim Kynce — Anderson Pylon / OS .60 (4S) — 15:03
  • Old-Timer Glider (14 entrants)
  1. Frank Heacock — Zaic Floater — 19:47
  2. Tom Williams — Thermic 100 — 15:46
  3. Ross Thomas — Thermic 100 — 15:34

Other notes and future events

  • The 1992 SAM Champs were scheduled for July 5–10 at the Mid-American Air Center near Lawrenceville, Illinois, hosted by SAM 57 (The Variety Group). Check-in at the Executive Inn on Saturday, July 4. Dormitory rooms available at Vincennes University.
  • New for 1992: two days of Nostalgia class events run to NFFS rules, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, July 5–6.
  • International Wakefield and tailless-power contests were planned for 1992, including events at Middle Wallop (England) and Gorizia Airport (Italy). The Duca D'Aosta was donated as a perpetual trophy to SAM.

Contacts and addresses

  • Jim Adams — President, SAM North America, 2538 N. Spurgeon, Santa Ana, CA 92706
  • Mike Granieri — Eastern SAM VP, 3 Dryden Rd., Box 78, Pottersville, NJ 07979
  • Bob Larsh — Midwest SAM VP, 45 S. Whitcomb Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46241
  • Art Groesheider — Rocky Mountain SAM VP, 2045 St. Paul, Denver, CO 80210
  • Bob Angel — Western SAM VP, 1001 Patterson Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93455

Additional contacts and vendors mentioned:

  • Dick Dwyer — MECA president (vintage engines): 1837 Flood Drive, San Jose, CA 95124
  • Danny Shields — Antique and Old Timer Model Aircraft booklet: 6317 Park Heights Ave., Apt. T-8, Baltimore, MD 21215
  • Harry Klarich — Klarich Custom Kits, 2301 Sonata Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670; (916) 635-4588
  • John Pool — Tailless Power Competition info: 8 Sycamore Rd., Barby, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 7XB, England

No primary article text appears on one scanned page — that page contained only the "Spirit of SAM" photo feature and captions.

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