Free Flight: Duration
Harry Murphy 3824 Oakwood Blvd. Anderson, IN 46011
"THE NFFS (National Free Flight Society) is an AMA‑affiliated, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to preserve, enhance, and promote the sport and hobby of Free Flight model aviation in all its forms" — or so it has declared in each issue of its newsletter, the Digest, since its inception in the Sixties. At no other time in recent months has this organization taken a larger responsibility in attempting to mold and secure the future of organized Free Flight competition at the domestic level.
Free Flight is synonymous with competition, which in turn encompasses a large spectrum of Free Flight categories. I like to associate these categories to those of a large track‑and‑field meet: lots of running, racing, throwing, and a multitude of events, plus fun and satisfaction for both those who participate and those who are content to observe.
We are often asked why we wish to do this thing. The answers may be many, but most sift down to an outlet for personal creativity, an inner desire to excel, and the enjoyment and fellowship derived from associating with others who hold similar interests.
Membership information
Should you not be a current member of the NFFS and wish to do so, or if your current membership is about to expire, the remedy is to send $15 to:
- NFFS, c/o Sal Fruciano
6146 East Cactus Wren Road Scottsdale, AZ 85253
Those age 18 and under can join for a $7.50 fee.
If you are renewing your annual membership, you may have noted the address is new. The NFFS has just announced a change of responsibility at the helm of the membership roster: Sal Fruciano is replacing Don Hughes in that capacity. Don had previously volunteered to serve for two years, and hung in there for five. His service in maintaining a smooth membership operation for these years is much appreciated. Good luck to Don in his future endeavors, and a hearty welcome aboard to volunteer Sal Fruciano.
Upcoming events — Mini‑Dome extravaganza
The new year popped off with the formal announcement that the AMA and NFFS will cosponsor the world's largest indoor model airplane competition in the Mini‑Dome at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, on May 28 through June 4, 1988.
- May 28–30: FAI Class F1D World Championships
- May 31–June 4: U.S. Indoor Championships (27 events)
For details, send a large SASE to:
- NFFS President A.J. "Tony" Italiano
1655 Revere Dr. Brookfield, WI 53005
Get your indoor armada ready. There will be a need for qualified timers and helpers to produce a successful show, so if you wish to aid the cause in this manner, notify Tony of your probable availability.
Also, if you represent a company, club, or organization (or even as an individual) that desires to sponsor an event or events by underwriting the cost of the awards, notify Tony as well. This should be one fine picnic on the Astroturf, and we hope you will attend.
NFFS Nostalgia Gas Championships
Worth mentioning again is the First Annual NFFS Nostalgia Gas Championships to be held July 19–20, 1988, in conjunction with the 1988 SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) Champs. Six events will be flown over two days:
- Tuesday, July 19: 1/2A, A, and C Gas
- Wednesday, July 20: 1/2A, B, and D Gas (the new Ignition Class will also be on Wednesday)
For details and entry forms, send a large SASE (with 39¢ in stamps) to:
- Moe Whittemore, NFFS Nostalgia Gas Champs Contest Director
R.R. #1, Box 296 New Palestine, IN 46163
The foregoing are examples of your NFFS at work, so "support your Free Flight gunfighters."
Mail bag
The photo of Matt Basta's home‑built 19‑cu.‑in. "Jr." Brown Jr. model engine printed in the December 1987 issue prompted inquiries about the availability of Roger Schroeder's casting kit. All inquiries were answered by return mail; however, should there be more interested parties, here is the necessary information:
- Send $28 to Roger Schroeder
4111 West 98th Street Overland Park, KS 66207
You will receive all unfinished hardware parts, an appropriately down‑sized molded plastic fuel tank, and detailed plans and instructions. If this do‑it‑yourself project doesn't keep you home and out of the bars for a while, nothing will.
Photo Phun follow‑up (Dave Platt's Rubber model)
In addition to other responses, I received replies from all three parties involved in the "Photo Phun" article from the December issue. I had shown a pair of photos (taken by Tom Schmitt) of Dave Platt's gorgeous monster competition‑style Rubber model (I've included yet another photo this month).
I raised some questions as to whether it was too large for AMA Mulvihill competition (300 sq. in. maximum wing area) and, if so, what good was it? I playfully surmised that if the model were too large for AMA competition, maybe it fell into the "Free Flight Fun‑Fly" category suggested by AMA's Executive Director, John Worth, in a recent letter to the NFFS.
A note from Tom confirmed my suspicions: the original model incorporated a wing area over 300 sq. in., but Dave has since constructed a new wing with a 52‑in. span which now brings the area below the Mulvihill limit. Reports are that the model flies even better with the new wing. (Sorry, Mr. Worth — that disqualifies another candidate for your Free Flight Fun‑Fly event.)
Dave Platt's subsequent letter confirms the intended use of the model: "Let it be known, I only build models that can be competed with. Competition is the greatest fun a model builder can have. If someone builds a model 'for fun' but doesn't compete with it, then the mission was only a partial success."
It follows that the Exile is a contest model, but your speculation that it was bigger than a Mulvihill was also correct. The explanation lies in the fact that there seem to be two different definitions for an "Unlimited (one flight at dawn) Mulvihill." In the West the event respects the regular 300‑sq.‑in. minimum‑area rule; however, here in the East "Unlimited" means exactly that. The one‑flight‑at‑dawn "Unlimited Mulvihill" class from here has no area rule. In fact, George Perryman flies a 600‑sq.‑in. model — mine is a mere 380.
Some statistics of Dave's original model:
- Wingspan: 65 in.
- Model weight: 90 grams
- Motor weight: 90 grams (10 strands of 1/4‑in. flat rubber made up to be 54 in. long)
- Prop: 26‑in. diameter, 26‑in. pitch
- Motor run: about 4 1/2 minutes
- Best dawn time so far: 8 1/2 minutes
Dave admits he has a long way to go to match the 10‑minute flights being reported out West and hopes that a unified definition of an Unlimited Mulvihill may be forthcoming.
On the subject of decline vs. growth
Mr. Worth predicted "that at the current rate of decline, for all the reasons noted in my previous letter to the NFFS, organized Free Flight may not make it into the year 2000, except as a novelty and nostalgic event. I hope that's not the case, and perhaps some fresh thinking about the nature of the activity may avoid what currently seems inevitable."
Those are rather ominous words coming from our AMA leadership. Personally, I shall attempt to restrain myself from swooping up my beloved, supposedly fallen banner of Free Flight and commencing to strike out wildly in retaliation in those pages. After all, we column editors are supposed to remain calm, reserved, and unbiased in these controversial situations, right?
Editor's interjection (R.R. McM)
(Well — not exactly, Harry. If you were calm and unbiased, you'd be no more than a glorified word processor, and that's not what we want or expect of our Contributing Editors. However, sometimes ye olde editor must apply the brakes gently in certain circumstances — but we let the readers know when that occurs! — R.R. McM)
I must say, I have a bit of a problem with Mr. Worth's prophecy as to Outdoor Free Flight contest activity in these parts. The Mid‑America Free Flight Contest at Lawrenceville, IL, last fall drew a whopping 98 contestants — about five times what they drew eight or ten years before. I would call this "growth," not "decline."
In the same interim we have added a couple of new Free Flight clubs in our area. Plus, we are requesting an increase from the normal six weekend approvals to seven approvals for the use of Wright Field for contest use in 1988. I can mosey downtown to the city courthouse steps most any warm summer evening and listen to gloomy soapbox dissertations on predictions of doom, but — like most people — I prefer to be optimistic enough to think things are not all that bad, and that there are ways to prevent such catastrophes.
On the other hand, as Mr. Worth suggests, I must agree that we are overdue for "fresh thinking" regarding some aspects of our activity. I wish Mr. Worth had said "some constructive thinking from within the ranks of the Free Flighters themselves," because solutions that come from within activities such as ours are generally more acceptable to participants than those forced by external pressures.
Aw, shucks — I can see right now that I am not going to get out of this without a soapbox stint of my own, so here we go.
Note from the editor
(Harry Murphy included an "editorial" at this point on the subject he has been discussing. Because of the length and nature of it, your editor opted to move it to the "Soapbox" portion of the "Competition Newsletter" section of this month's issue. — R.R. McM)
Next time we shall dispense with distasteful political issues and return to more of the fun things that are associated with the nuts and bolts of Free Flight. PEACE!
See ya downwind!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
