AMA Nats 1983: CL Navy Carrier
Dick Perry
AFTER many years in other ports, the USS Smallfry was once again docked on the East Coast. The facilities this year were outstanding, with large practice areas, smooth flying circles, and enthusiastic support from the Air Force and the community. The carrier circles were located right by the entry gate and spectator parking areas, ensuring plenty of spectators throughout the competition.
- 41 models were processed for Class I and II.
- 31 models were processed for Profile.
- Junior participation: three entries in each of the Scale classes and six fliers in Profile.
The number of contestants provided good competition without putting undue strain on the officials. A single deck could be used each day with few delays and very little waiting for a flight.
Equipment and engines
The equipment flown presented a good variety. After the usual profusion of Guardians in Class II and MO-1s in Class I, there were 16 different aircraft modeled in the Scale classes. Even among the Guardians and MO-1s, there was an assortment of sizes. The dominant engine in Class II was the Rossi. In Class I, K&B engines powered over half of the entries and were about equally divided between the .40S and 6.5 variants.
In Profile, there were many different models and engines, as is usually the case, but the K&B 5.8 was used more than any other power plant (25% of the entries), including three of the top five finishers.
Class II note on engine displacement
In one respect there was a break from tradition in Class II. Five entries—two Juniors and three Open, including first place in both age categories—were powered not by .60 or .65 engines, but by engines at the lower end of the displacement limit. While this would seem to be a disadvantage for high-speed performance, it certainly didn't hurt Tom (Carl T.) Schaefer, whose winning Kingfisher was only eight hundredths of a second off the fastest time of the day.
Weather
Weather played a significant role on both days of Carrier competition. The combination of temperature and humidity in the early morning of the Class I and II flying seemed to contribute to an unusually high number of incomplete flights. As the morning progressed, the wind grew steadily stronger and was topping 20 mph by mid-afternoon. This was a major factor in low-speed performance. Only three competitors in each class managed low speeds under 25 mph, and over half of those who completed their low-speed laps had speeds over 30 mph.
Notable performances
- Junior Mathew Wallick set records in both Class I and Class II using a Fairey Spearfish model with a 37-in. span. Mathew used the same airplane for both classes, switching from a K&B .40S in Class I to a K&B 7.5 in Class II.
- The Senior winner in Class I was Joseph Gruber, flying a K&B .40S-powered, 28 1/2-in. Guardian.
Open Class II results
Open Class II was closely contested; the top three places were separated by less than 16 points, with a variety of strategies used to achieve top scores.
- Brian Silversmith (second place) used a traditional, standard-sized Guardian and logged the highest speed of the day (114.6 mph) with a 26 mph low.
- Dave Wallick (third place) had the largest Guardian (40 1/2 in.) in the competition and a low speed of 16.5 mph.
- Tom Schaefer (first place) combined a 114.1 mph high with an 18.8 mph low. His original-design, 32-in.-span Kingfisher was the lightest model in the class, due primarily to its small engine (.45) and its simplicity (no flaps or rudder—only a line slider).
Class I results
Class I also showed a diversity of strategy.
- Dave Wallick won first with a low speed of 14.6 mph—more than 5 mph better than the next best low speed. Dave's 42-in. MO-1 had almost twice the wing area of Joe Dzialo's 30-in. TBF Avenger.
- Joe Dzialo took second with the best high speed of the day at 112.8 mph.
- The race for third place was particularly close and was not decided until late in the day, with only three points separating the flight scores of Dick Perry, Brian Silversmith, and Bob Whitfield.
Profile competition
Profile competition was plagued from the beginning by high, gusty winds which caused many flights to end in the water. Of 68 attempts, only 17 were completed through landing.
- Tom Schaefer's winning flight in Open was achieved early in the day with a 43-in.-span, 389-sq.-in. Kingfisher powered by a K&B 5.8. His top speed of 100.5 mph was 11 mph faster than anyone else, and he was one of only two contestants to better 120 seconds on low speed.
- Joseph Gruber and Deanna Wallick rounded out the winners' list in Senior and Junior with the only 100-point landings posted.
Eugene Ely Award
Although the strong winds kept Tom Schaefer's Open Profile score relatively safe from attack, the Navy Carrier Society's Eugene Ely Award was very much in contention. Tom Schaefer took an early lead. Dave Wallick's and Brian Silversmith's challenges both ended as incomplete flights. After lunch, Brian bettered Tom's three-flight total (Class I + Class II + Profile) by less than nine points to assume the lead.
With less than an hour left and no sign of improvement in the wind, Dave Wallick went up for his last attempt. With good high speed and the best low of the day completed, he needed at least a 50-point landing to win the Ely Award. His chances ended when his tailhook missed the ground just 40 ft. short of the deck on his landing approach.
Brian Silversmith was honored as the best carrier flier at the '83 Nats at the annual Carrier fliers' dinner Friday evening, receiving the Eugene Ely Award from Navy Carrier Society president and Carrier Event Director Pete Mazur.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
