Control Line: Scale
BY NOW THE 1975 Nats is a pleasant memory for most of us. We are now able to sit back and analyze what we did wrong or what we did just right to gain us that precious trophy. It is also a good time to plan ahead for the future. For the three of us, Mike Gretz, Ralph Burnstein and myself, it will especially be a time of looking ahead, as we qualified at this year's Nats for the 1976 U.S. CL Scale Team.
There were only five contestants competing for the U.S. Scale Team this year. But that didn't make the going any easier. Besides the three mentioned above, Bill Harney and Ernie Violett were also looking for a spot on the team.
The flying started around 1:00 on a beautiful day with Mike Gretz and his Zlin. He had a very smooth take-off and an almost flawless flight. Everything seemed to be working very well for him. With this flight Mike got the highest flying points of the day. After that things started to go down hill for the other Open contestants.
I was next to try my first official flight. The night before I had checked out my Meyers 145 and had made sure that everything was working satisfactorily. That afternoon everything seemed in working order so I went out to the flight line. I got out there, turned everything on and was surprised to find that my batteries for my electrical control system had gone dead overnight. So I took my first attempt. I owe a big thank you to Mike Gretz, who fortunately has the same system in his Zlin, for volunteering the use of his unit so I could try again.
Bill Harney was up next with his impressive Hughes XF-11 and was unable to get in a qualifying flight due to electrical problems in the CL system. Later in the day Bill did get in a qualifying flight which placed him in 4th position at the Nats. Bill is also first alternate for the U.S. Team.
Then Ernie Violett with last year's Morris Comet was out on the flight line for his first attempt. Ernie was having motor problems but finally both engines were running smoothly and his Comet was airborne. Unfortunately it was six seconds over the allowed time to get in the air, so Ernie took an attempt. Meanwhile Ralph Burnstein was having engine problems in the pit area.
Needless to say, things were getting very tense on that hot afternoon. The only one so far able to get a flight in was Mike Gretz. It was beginning to make people wonder if we would be able to have a full team with three people qualifying.
Well, I was ready to try it again. This time the electrical CL system was working properly. I motioned to my pit man, Arnold Stott of Foam Flite, to let go of the Meyers. It left the ground in a nice take-off but then the motor started to die after a lap. It settled down very suddenly with the gear still up. The Meyers landed on its belly but did nothing more than scrape the paint. Another attempt!
Ernie Violett used his last two attempts trying for a spot on the team but both times engine problems prevented the required number of laps for a qualifying flight. After running the engine and adjusting it, I was ready to take my last attempt. I was very happy that my Meyers had a good qualifying flight, which gave me the 2nd highest flying points of the day.
Ralph Burnstein, assured that all his problems were solved, came out of the pits to put on a very impressive, smooth flight in his new Boeing biplane F4B-4. During his flight he dropped two bombs. Ralph scored pretty good shots with the bombs landing within 5 feet of the pit crew.
After all the scores were posted it showed that Mike Gretz was in first place with myself in second, followed by Ralph Burnstein in third and Bill Harney in fourth. Big congratulations goes to Kathy Burnstein with Liberty Sport, a Sig kit. It flew extremely well and Kathy placed first in Senior Scale.
The three Scale Team members for the next World Championships to be held in Bremen, Germany, are all past members of previous World Championships. This will be Mike Gretz's second time at a World event with his Zlin Akrobat 526. The Zlin has retracting landing gear, operating flaps, throttle control, engine shut-off, and has raised panel markings with flush rivets. Mike used this same Zlin last year at the World Championships in Lakehurst, N.J., where he took 4th place.
Ralph Burnstein was a member of the 1972 U.S. Team that went to Toulouse, France and he finished in 3rd place at that event. Ralph's new plane that he flew at this year's Nats is an F4B-4 biplane. It is very well done with rivets, panel markings, flying wires and even a life raft in the opening headrest! Ralph will be spending the next year cleaning up and adding the final touches to it for the 1976 World event next summer.
My Meyers 145 got me on the U.S. Team again and 2nd place at the Nats, but I hope it has seen its last contest and will be able to retire; it has earned it. I was also on the 1972 U.S. Team with Ralph. I'm presently working on a Ryan STA which I will be covering with metal and other scale features that my first Ryan didn't have. If anyone knows of a good color scheme for a Ryan, please let me know! Drop me a line telling me whose it is and where it is located. If you happen to have a photograph of it could you please send it along. I'll make sure you get it back.
Attention All Scale Builders—Start building now for the next Scale Team Trials. Everyone has a chance. We want a good team every time, so that means we need more people trying out for the team and National competition.
(My address is: 118 East Wheeler St., North Mankato, Minn. 56001.)
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
