COMPETITION NEWSLETTER
ACADEMY OF MODEL AERONAUTICS 1810 Samuel Morse Drive Reston, VA 22090
The first-ever Control Line World Championships to be held in the U.S. are soon upon us! September 17–22, 1984, at Westover AFB, Chicopee, MA, are the important dates to remember if you're planning to attend as a spectator or Booster.
Booster Packet Available
A special packet of World Championships memorabilia will soon be available from AMA HQ to interested modelers. Included are an official cloth patch ($5 value), official enamel pin ($5 value), official decals ($2 value), official program book ($2 value) and a Supporter Site Pass ($6 value). That's a $20 value for just $10.
These Booster Packets will be on sale at the 1984 AMA Nats and at the World Championships site. If a packet is ordered by mail from AMA HQ, an additional $2 for postage and handling is required. No shipments will be made before September 1, 1984.
Booster / Spectator Lodging
In the June 1984 edition of the Competition Newsletter, we published a short list of motels in the Chicopee area that are interested in housing Championships attendees. These included:
- Parvick — (413) 592-7722
- Best Western — (413) 592-6171
- Skyline Inn — (413) 781-0900
- Howard Johnson — (413) 739-7261
Added Attractions
A pre-Champs FAI Combat meet is scheduled for the weekend prior to the World Championships (see the item devoted to this contest elsewhere in this issue).
International Participation
At present, contest organizers have received letters of intent to compete from 17 nations: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.A. All have indicated they will send competitors.
Although the U.S. will field full teams in all categories (Speed, Aerobatics, Team Race, and Combat), not all nations will send complete teams for all events. Ireland, for example, plans to send only one Aerobatics contestant, and Denmark will enter only one Team Race team.
Spectators are admitted free of charge. A Booster Site Pass provides more convenient parking and a closer-to-the-action vantage point.
1984–85 Rule Books Now Available
The new 1984–85 Official Model Aircraft Regulations (rule book) has been printed and mailed to all AMA members. You should have received your copy by the time you read this announcement.
If you have not yet received your copy, please contact the Membership Dept. at AMA HQ — your copy may have been lost in the mail.
HELP WANTED
Tractor-trailer owner-operator (tandem-axle tractor) based in the Mid-Atlantic States area who is planning to attend the ’84 Nats. The individual will contract to haul AMA's 40-ft. Nets trailer from Reston, VA to Reno, NV in July (just prior to the Nats), then drive the same trailer from Reno, NV to Springfield, MA in mid-August (immediately after the Nats). As an alternative, AMA will consider hiring one or two experienced semi drivers to drive a rental tractor on the same trip.
Interested drivers should contact Bob Voislavek at AMA HQ between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (weekdays) at (703) 435-0750.
1985 RC Aerobatics Team Selection Program Announced
With one World Championships ending, preparations begin for the next. The team-selection program for the 1985 U.S. RC Aerobatics team has been approved; it includes changes intended to make it easier and more convenient for more fliers to qualify.
1984 Nats Sponsors
Nats sponsors make excellent trophies possible and help defray the cost of operating the world's largest model airplane contest. The following sponsors had "signed up" as of April 20, 1984:
- Ace RC, Inc.
- Airtronics
- All Phase Art
- Art Gross Enterprises
- American RC Helicopter
- Bavarian Precision Products (HB Engines)
- Carolina-Taffinder
- CB Associates
- Cox Hobbies
- Bob Dively
- Du-Bro Products
- Electronic Model Systems (EMS)
- Addis Elmore
- Fox Manufacturing Co.
- Full Command Systems
- Carl Goldberg Models
- Great Planes Model Mfg. Co.
- Grish Brothers
- Hobby Products Co.
- Kraft Systems
- Leisure Electronics
- McDaniel RC Service
- Midwest Products
- Nico Engraving
- Northeast Engineering
- Peck-Polymers
- Semco
- Sig Manufacturing Co.
- Top Flite Models
- Williams Brothers
- World Engines
Team Race, Speed Team Finals
Speed is at a low ebb of popularity in AMA Control Line competition, and Team Race activity is even weaker. Because FAI rules for these events are more stringent than AMA rules, U.S. participation in FAI Speed and Team Race has been low. Nevertheless, a handful of dedicated modelers keep these events alive and are capable of world-class competition. They gathered recently at Houston, TX, to fight for places on the U.S. CL team, which will represent the U.S. in this year's Control Line World Championships. Speed trials were also held earlier at Merced, CA.
Reported by Laird Jackson and Bill Lee. Photos by Laird Jackson.
This belated report on team selections for Speed and Team Race illustrates the hard times these events face in the U.S. Within Control Line, Speed and Team Race enjoy less support than Combat and Stunt. Part of this comes from dividing efforts among four competition categories rather than unifying them. Speed once carried the American competition for many years; now that Speed people have fallen on hard times, Stunt and Combat fliers should consider supporting them.
The selection program for Speed and Team Race was delayed and had difficulty finding final sites. Final trials were held successfully for Speed at Merced, CA and Houston, TX; Houston was the Team Race site. The dual Speed sites result from the long-time split between West Coast and Central/Eastern interests.
Speed is now predominantly represented by West Coast fliers (Bob Spahr, Luke Roy, and others), with Charles Vassallo and Chuck Schuette in the Northwest. Carl Dodge is the lone active representative in the East. Charles Lieber remains interested but is focusing on graduate work at Stanford, so New Jersey activity is dormant.
Team Race activity is almost moribund nationwide. The few active spots are individual rather than group efforts, with partnerships sometimes working long-distance. This reduces U.S. competitiveness in the category.
The experience of two Speed fliers at Houston exemplifies the problem. Clifton Norman of Philadelphia was operating largely on nostalgia and lacked local help and motivation. He posted times close to Luke Roy’s but not enough to make the team. Carl Dodge in Cleveland is similarly isolated but has experience; he recorded a 14.15 and a 14.65, averaging about 14.74 seconds (≈250 km/hr). While competitive, that time will need improvement to be competitive at World level.
FAI Team Race Final Results
- 1st — Albritton / Perkins: 10:41.65
- 2nd — Willoughby / Oge: 10:45.57
- 3rd — McCollum / Knoppi: 11:24.86
- 4th — Hollifeld / Gillott: 12:06.17
- 5th — Callis / Kusik: 12:21.82
- 6th — Williams / Lee: 12:55.54
Note: Final positions were determined from each team's three best times.
All six teams that appeared in Houston had good equipment with potential for credible times, but six teams nationwide is not enough activity for a realistic world-class position. Increasing local Team Race events (perhaps by dropping less active categories) would help.
The Speed and Team Race selections took place over Labor Day weekend at the Merced Annual Control Line Meet (Western Speed elimination) and at a large site in northern Houston the weekend of October 8–9. Frank Hunt headed the Merced effort; Bill Lee arranged the Houston site.
Speed
At Merced the climate was hot and several Speed fliers competed. Merced fliers Bob Spahr, Charlie Vassallo, Luke Roy, and Chuck Schuette posted attempts. Schuette, with a long competition record, was disappointing when a fuel-delivery problem slowed his times.
Bob Spahr posted two excellent times at Houston in the high 13-second range for the 10-lap (1 km) course, giving a final average speed of about 260.5 km/hr. Charlie Vassallo split performances (mid-16s on Saturday, high-14s on Sunday), averaging about 14.75 seconds (≈244.15 km/hr). Luke Roy averaged about 14.85 seconds (≈242.42 km/hr).
Spahr is within range of the best fliers but needs improvement to contend for top places. Charlie Vassallo will not compete on the team this year because the FAI rule disallows proxy fliers; Charlie has a physical handicap preventing him from piloting a model. AMA is attempting to get FAI to allow proxy flying for CL events in future years.
Team Race
All teams used Nelson .15 diesel power and had well-prepared equipment. No unusual designs appeared; both flying wing and conventional wing-and-tail designs were present. Flying wings showed a little greater absolute speed potential, while wing-and-tail designs exhibited more consistency.
The competition ran over two days, with three heats each day; the three best times were used for final positions.
On Saturday, Albritton/Perkins and Willoughby/Oge posted the fastest, most consistent times (3:34/3:36 for Albritton/Perkins; 3:38/3:38/3:46 for Willoughby/Oge). Callis/Kusik suffered a mishap when Brent lost footing in the pilot's circle and the team was put out for 10 laps. Hollifeld/Gillott had inconsistent settings and practice-circle problems, and Williams/Lee posted a respectable 4:06 in their first heat. McCollum/Knoppi returned a 3:54, showing potential but not yet matching the top two teams.
On Sunday, Willoughby/Oge experienced a fuel-feed problem but still recorded times between 3:51 and 3:44, securing their top-three position. Tim Gillott ran into disputed trouble when Jeff Holfelder’s tow line caught Frank Williams' head as Frank was landing; the chief jury member (Doc Locy) felt it resulted mostly from Jeff's low handle position. No official protest was filed at the site, and Tim lost that heat attempt.
The Last Word
We salute the competitors who work hard in a narrow vacuum of interest—doing so for the love and pleasure of maintaining U.S. representation in world Control Line competition. The 1984 U.S. Control Line team should be well-represented overall, with strong Speed and Team Race contingents closer to world-class standards than in recent years.
FAI Speed Final Results
Notes: (1) = Merced times; (2) = Houston times; (3) = Merced/Houston times. Asterisks indicate noted best runs used in scoring.
- Bob Spahr (1 — Merced)
- Runs: NT; 13.81*; 13.83*; NT
- Best two (seconds): 27.64
- Speed: 260.49 km/hr
- Carl Dodge (2 — Houston)
- Runs: 14.15*; 14.65*; 15.74; NT
- Best two (seconds): 28.80
- Speed: 250.00 km/hr
- Charles Vassallo (3 — Merced/Houston)
- Runs: 16.59/NT; 16.29/NT; 14.72*/NT; 14.77*/NT
- Best two (seconds): 29.49
- Speed: 244.15 km/hr
- Luke Roy (1 — Merced)
- Runs: 15.00*; NT; 14.70*; NT
- Best two (seconds): 29.70
- Speed: 242.42 km/hr
- Chuck Schuette (1 — Merced)
- Runs: NT; 15.31*; NT; 18.87*
- Best two (seconds): 34.18
- Speed: 210.65 km/hr
- Clifton Norman (2 — Houston)
- Runs: 15.39; NT; NT; NT
- Best two (seconds): NT
- Speed: — (no qualifying best two)
Competition Directory
CONTEST BOARD COORDINATOR: Don Lindley, 420 Tupelo, Naperville, IL 60540
(Continued on page 152)
U.S. Indoor Championships
Monday, June 18 through Wednesday, June 20, marks the dates of the U.S. Indoor Championships — the nation's premier indoor contest. The site will be Michigan State Fair Coliseum — a 66-ft. ceiling, Category III site. Sponsors of the AAAA meet are the National Free Flight Society (NFFS) and the National Indoor Model Airplane Society (NIMAS).
Entry fees are relatively high (especially for entrants who are not members of either NFFS or NIMAS) due to the high rental cost of the building. All entrants...
(Continued on page 152)
National Records
The following National Records have been processed and recorded since the complete records listing was published in the June 1984 issue.
Outdoor Free Flight
- A-1 Towline Glider, Open — 4:37 — Martyn Crowley, 4/8/84
Outdoor Free Flight, Category III
- Payload, Open — 5:32 — Terry Thorkildsen, 3/25/84
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
