Free Flight: Old-Timers
By Bill Baker
1902 Peter Pan, Norman, OK 73072
Jimmie Allen North American Championships (1997)
The 1997 version of the Jimmie Allen North American Championships is a postal event in which participating clubs may fly anytime during July, August, or September; the scores of the three highest-placing contestants must be postmarked by October 6. The winning club will hold the perpetual trophy for one year and, as a condition of entry, will sponsor the 1998 contest. A packet of rules, eligible designs, and entry details can be obtained upon request from:
- Larry Oliver, 1011 Olive Ave., Coronado, CA 92118; Tel.: (619) 437-8889. (Send Larry a couple of stamps with your request.)
I previously gave some information about the Jimmie Allen models. Briefly, they were a radio-show and oil-company promotion in the United States and Canada. In my judgment the models are not for first attempts at stick-and-tissue, but they make a fun club small-field event. They are flyable and have a distinct 1920s–1930s style, but they are not Scale models. The models remind me of the airplanes I used to see in the Smiling Jack comics.
If you can't get organized for the 1997 contest, send for the information anyway so you can get ready for 1998. In 1996, 20 clubs sent in scores, and the San Diego Aeroneers club was the winner (and 1997 contest sponsor).
Penn Valley Hobby Center and Scale Flight Model Airplane Co.
The Penn Valley Hobby Center now owns the Scale Flight Model Airplane Co., originated by Jack Fike. The product line includes many of the 10¢ Comet and Megow kits, a few of the 25¢ kits, and some larger kits, such as the Scientific Korda Victory, which spans 32 inches. There are other Scientific, Peerless, and Burd kits, and even some catalog reprints from the 1930s and 1940s. The kits are exact reproductions; they have not been modified. In the two kits I examined, the wood and tissue were much higher quality than I ever got in a Comet kit of that era.
- Penn Valley Hobby Center, 837-B W. Main St., Lansdale, PA 19446; Tel.: (215) 368-0770.
They sent me a more complex kit that I will show when I am finished.
Nostalgia: Phantom Flash
I took a nostalgia trip and framed up one of the 10¢ Comet models: the 16-inch-span Phantom Flash in the photo. This model was designed by Joe Konefes, who is Ed Konefes's brother. Ed is a recent Mulvihill Trophy winner, and he was co-champion (with George Perryman) in Rubber events at the 1996 SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) Championships.
Joe designed many models for Comet, including one of the better fliers, the Curtiss Robin. He also designed the Buzzard Bombshell; it is one of the most popular gas models of all time and is still one of the best Class C Cabin models for SAM competition.
Joe told me he was flying the Phantom Flash prototype in his front yard when a lady driving past stopped and made him a cash offer he couldn't refuse. The model is meaningful to me because it was the first rubber model I ever made that flew—even on the rubber bands from newspapers, which is all I had.
I am going to cover the framework in the photo with the supplied black tissue and cut the skull-and-crossbones insignia from the plans to place on the wings! I may be old in body, but I am still young at heart.
Parts and Supplies
If you need new glow heads for your K&B Infant .020, order from:
- Bob Langelius, 32 Clinton St., White Plains, NY 10603. Cost: $5 each, three for $12. Add $1 for postage and handling.
Books: Making Scale Models Fly
William McCombs has a 1997 revision of his book Making Scale Models Fly. The new version is 16% larger, with added material for Scale and non-Scale models. I think a better title would be "Practical Aerodynamics and Structures for Models," since the informative data is relevant to all kinds of flying models, not just Scale. The more you understand, the better decisions you will make in designing, selecting designs, building, and flying.
- William McCombs, 2106 Siesta Dr., Dallas, TX 75224. Price: $16.95 (including postage and handling).
Hand-Launched Gliders (HLG)
All of my HLG buddies to whom I recently sent Thermic 18 and Thermic 20 plans will enjoy knowing that a Thermic 18 won the HLG event at the 1996 SAM Championships.
I believe the best design for competition—if you have a better-than-average arm and better-than-average building skills—is the Hank Cole design available from Bob Larsh. Send him a SASE and ask for his HLG list.
- Bob Larsh, 45 S. Whitcomb Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46241.
If you want to try modern Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) HLG competition, get plan #201 from this magazine and the corresponding article from the September 1977 issue. This is Robert Dunham's highly capable design that has won first place at the National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats) and many other contests.
Jim O'Reilly Plans Catalog
Jim O'Reilly has a plans catalog that includes several Old-Timers and some modern Free Flight designs. Jim is a highly competent draftsman and uses CAD (or something similar); the plans are precise, and all of the parts fit together.
Recent additions to Jim's catalog include:
- The Alert in .020 Replica, 42-inch-span class A, and 1/2A Texaco sizes.
- The Swoose for .19 and .09 (recently SAM-approved sizes).
- Hank Cole's Cirrus Cruiser.
- Smoothie rubber model.
- Bob Cahill's Hoosier Hillclimber, a 1935, 300 sq. in. rubber model, perhaps featuring the first two-blade folding propeller.
The catalog is $2 from:
- Jim O'Reilly, 4760 N. Battin, Wichita, KS 67220.
Suppliers and Contacts (summary)
- Larry Oliver — 1011 Olive Ave., Coronado, CA 92118; Tel.: (619) 437-8889.
- Penn Valley Hobby Center — 837-B W. Main St., Lansdale, PA 19446; Tel.: (215) 368-0770.
- Bob Langelius — 32 Clinton St., White Plains, NY 10603.
- William McCombs — 2106 Siesta Dr., Dallas, TX 75224.
- Bob Larsh — 45 S. Whitcomb Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46241.
- Jim O'Reilly — 4760 N. Battin, Wichita, KS 67220.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
