CONTROL LINE: Speed
Glenn Lee, 819 Mandrake Drive, Batavia IL 60510
Organization and personnel
Something new was started this year at the Nats: the North American Speed Society (NASS) was assigned to organize and run Control Line Speed. Frank Garzon, Bob Heywood, Ken Barthel, and Barry Tippett formed a Nats committee to do so. Bob was Event Director, Barry was Treasurer, and many other volunteers helped out.
- Tabulator: Lori Wilson (assistant: Ione Parsons)
- Line‑check and pull‑test: Seabert Parsons (most of the week)
- Head Timer: Frank Garzon Jr.
- Other helpers: John Camp, Al Kelly, Nick Arpino, Warren Kurth, Tom Hartvigsen, Mike Couts, Dave Hull, Barry Tippett, Kevin Peters
A hearty thanks to all of them; we couldn't have a Nats without them.
Weather and opening (1/2A Speed)
Speed competition starts with the 1/2A events. Monday began with the scream of high‑revving .049 engines and the zing‑zing of tiny, hard‑to‑see airplanes as they zipped around the circles. Hot, humid weather was forecast, so modelers were out early with their Profile Protos and 1/2A Speed models.
Charlie Legg, one of the top competitors, likes to fly early. His first attempt was a test flight—the needle wasn't quite right. He flew a sidewinder airplane that resembled a miniature FAI model, powered by his homebuilt, tuned‑pipe‑assisted engine. His second attempt produced a speed just under 144 mph, which held all day for first place in Open.
Top finishers, 1/2A Open:
- 1st: Charlie Legg — just under 144 mph
- 2nd: Bob Fogg (FABS Team) — 141 mph
- 3rd: Billy Hughes (G&H Team; Chinese CS engine) — third place
Junior/Senior 1/2A (three entrants):
- 1st: Bobby Fogg — 136 mph
- 2nd: Russell Whitney
- Peter Brown had difficulties and did not record an official flight.
Profile Proto (1/2A)
Profile Proto had 11 Open and five Junior‑Senior entrants. The Fogg‑Brown team narrowly beat Charlie Legg.
Profile Proto Open top speeds:
- Fogg‑Brown team — 109.11 mph
- Charlie Legg — 108.78 mph
- Dave Hull (CS‑powered) — 105 mph
- Warren Kurth — fourth (had a line‑loop failure that destroyed the airplane and dented his Shuriken engine)
There were 25 official flights posted in Open—an excellent showing.
Profile Proto Junior‑Senior (five entrants):
- 1st: Bobby Fogg — 104.73 mph
- 2nd: Peter Brown
- 3rd: Russell Whitney
- 4th: Krystal King (first speed flights) — daughter of racing flier Larry King, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
- 5th: Philip Peters — Niagara Falls, Canada
Class A
Cooler, drier Canadian weather arrived for the rest of the week, and speeds were good in the larger classes. Turnout was disappointing for Tuesday's Class A, with four Open and four Junior‑Senior entrants. Most models are FAI converted to monoline.
G‑T Brown Team (Tommy Brown and his father George II) placed first in Open at 183 mph. Bobby Fogg won Junior‑Senior.
FAI Speed
FAI Speed was outstanding, with 13 entrants—more than there have been for some time. The event is flown in rounds, so pilots must be ready when called.
Notes:
- Excellent, fast, ready‑to‑fly models are available from Czechoslovakia, and several good engines can be purchased. There is no builder‑of‑the‑model rule, so anyone can be competitive in FAI Speed (you must fly your own airplane).
- The line length was increased this year, making it easier for the pilot to keep up.
FAI top finishers (after three rounds):
- 1st: G‑T Brown team — record‑setting 177 mph
- 2nd: Ron Peters
- 3rd: Jim Rhodes
- 4th: McGee‑Newton team
- 5th: Chris Montagino
Fifth place was faster than 166 mph—competition was tough!
.21 Sport Speed
The low‑tech .21 Sport Speed continues to be the most popular Speed class, with 20 Open and five Junior‑Senior entrants. Flying was fast and furious all day Wednesday; nearly 50 official times were turned in.
Top Open finishers:
- 1st: Frank Puleo — 153.13 mph (Ned Morris design, Tim Gillott modification, NovaRossi‑powered Indy 21)
- 2nd: Fogg‑Brown team — 153.00 mph (ACE‑powered)
- 3rd: Bob Ytuarte — joined the 150‑mph club
- 4th: Glenn Lee — finished fourth after engine difficulties
Competition was close—10th place was nearly 145 mph.
Senior .21 Sport Speed:
- 1st: Peter Brown — new Senior record 145.93 mph
- 2nd: Mike Wisniewski
- 3rd: Euan Edmonds
.21 Proto
After official .21 Sport Speed flying ended, the .21 Proto event was flown. Participation was down from last year (seven entrants), but speeds increased.
Top flights:
- Glenn Lee — 142.59 mph
- Jim English — 132.95 mph (first Speed flights in several years)
Proto models are beautiful and fly very well; hopefully it will be an official event next year.
Class B
Class B had nine Open competitors, including three Seniors. Jim Vansant (and son Glen) have flown Speed for many years; Jim won B Speed in 1986 and again this year.
Class B top finishers:
- 1st: Jim Vansant — SuperTiger .29‑powered — 173.84 mph
- 2nd: Team Wisniewski — K&B .29‑powered Pink Lady — 169.11 mph
- 3rd: G‑H team (Frank Garzon and Billy Hughes)
- Senior: 1st Senior — Bobby Fogg — new Senior Class B record 167.37 mph
- Mike Wisniewski — 150.44 mph
- Peter Brown — 142.80 mph
Formula .40
Formula .40 competition was fierce, with 18 attempts and 44 official flights.
- 1st: Jim Rhodes — Nelson .40‑powered model, Kelly 7/2 × 8 fiberglass prop — one flight 153.92 mph (I clocked his top speed during the flight at more than 165 mph). Jim's official time would have been much higher if his model had accelerated faster during the first lap—acceleration on that first lap is critical.
- Bob Ytuarte — joined the 150‑mph club
- Glenn Lee — finished fourth after engine difficulties
Competition was close: 12th place was more than 145 mph. Mike Wisniewski was top Senior at 145.46 mph, with Peter Brown second among Seniors.
Class D and Jets
Good weather held on Friday, and the big .65s and the loud jets came out. There were 16 Class D entrants, and seven jets showed.
Phil McGee (Australian now living in California) teamed with John Newton in several events. John makes fiberglass bodies for sidewinder‑type B and D models. Phil built a homebuilt engine using his crankcase, a SuperTiger crankshaft, and an O.S. .65 sleeve and piston. They turned in two flights of more than 192 mph.
Class D top finishers:
- 1st: Phil McGee / John Newton team — two flights over 192 mph
- 2nd: Fogg‑Brown team — 191.82 mph (ACE .65‑powered carbon‑fiber/epoxy sidewinder)
- 3rd: Ned Morris — "conventional" upright Indy 65, O.S. .65 — 189.40 mph
Jet top speeds (noisy but not as fast as piston classes):
- 1st: Mike Fiske — 185 mph (modified Bailey pulse‑jet)
- 2nd: Mike Couts — 180 mph
- 3rd: Perkins team (Dimmitt and son Steve)
Glenn Lee crashed during the jets.
Awards and closing
There was a banquet on Friday night to say goodbye and hand out high‑point awards.
- Junior/Senior champion: Bobby Fogg
- Open champion: Fogg‑Brown team
- High Speed Award (record FAI flight): G‑T Brown team
Come out and fly with us next year!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
