Control Line: Navy Carrier
Dick Perry 31010 East Sunset Dr. North, Redlands, CA 92373-7453
On the Road
I mean that quite literally—I’m in Indiana (en route to California) at a borrowed typewriter. My car is full of fuel, paint, and a host of other modeling staples that moving companies under government contract won't move, along with model airplanes that I won't let them move. Unfortunately, I am separated from my records, photos, drawings, letters, and all the other things that are the lifeblood of a bimonthly columnist.
You have the opportunity to read this column only because the editorial staff at Model Aviation struggled through the weak print made by an old typewriter ribbon and the many errors and corrections that my computer usually eliminates before I send out my final copy. My thanks to the editors for overcoming the obstacles to put this in print.
I had planned to be settled in California by the time this column was due, but the Air Force had other ideas. I've been out of my Virginia house for over a month—in and out of five temporary rooms and cut off from my modeling mail. Now that I'm finally released to proceed to my new assignment, I'm more than a little behind.
I had planned to attend the Seebre Hayes Memorial AAA contest at Whittier Narrows over the Columbus Day weekend and give a firsthand report on carrier flying in California. You won't see that topic this month. Neither will you read about centrifugal-force-operated control surfaces or wing-tip weight that is adjustable on the ground and moveable in flight. I suspect the mail that has been collecting for me in California will suggest another topic or two. Please be patient. By my next column, I should have settled into a more normal lifestyle and be able to produce a more normal column.
I hope to attend the Southwest Regionals in Arizona this winter to renew some old modeling friendships and make a few new ones. I'll include photos in a future column.
This month's photos came from Roland Baltes, whose letter arrived the day we were cleaning the house after the movers left. The model is Roland's Sturdi-Built Corsair. Roland uses a SuperTigre .60 with a standard RC carb on suction for reliable power. The model's finish looks as though it would be right at home in CL scale competition. The performance isn't the best in the country, but the fun is!
The concrete carrier deck is part of the modeling facilities maintained at Whittier Narrows in South El Monte, California. I'm looking forward to seeing what is available there. It sounds like a great modeling facility.
One good thing about traveling with a station wagon full of model airplanes—they're great conversation starters. One such conversation began at a gas station just off the interstate in West Virginia. We skipped the usual "Do you fly model airplanes?" or "Do those things fly?" and started off at a higher level: "Do you fly those models with a radio?" I responded as usual about flying in a circle with steel cables, but was pleased and a little surprised to hear a somewhat unusual, "Hey, that's really neat!" response.
My fellow traveler proceeded to tell me how much better my way of flying seemed to be compared with the radio-control flying he had seen—lower cost, smaller area, and seeing the model up close while it's flying. I had a CL convert without even trying!
Two full fuel tanks and two very young, travel-weary children in his car brought our brief conversation to a close, and we headed off in opposite directions. Maybe he'll remember CL when his kids are a little older. I hope so.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
