Great Missouri Sock Soak
The idea was to get together for a floatplane fun fly and share a bit of rise-off-water know-how with fellow modelers. For those who attended, it was a rousing success. If you hear of one of these in your area, you won't want to miss it. — Dr. D. B. Mathews
Model spotlight
Paul and Deb Grubich built a gorgeous model version of the sporty Monocoupe 90-D from plans published in Model Airplane News. An O.S. .90 two-stroke engine provides the power. The floats are homebuilt, and the entire model was covered with MonoKote.
The Danish HM-II floatplane was flown by Ron Pound of Terre Haute, IN. Ron built it from a set of RCM plans which he scaled up to an 80 in. span. Power is from an O.S. .120 four-stroke engine. This model was one of the most-flown at the event; both its water handling and flying were excellent.
Background
Modelers have been flying their creations off ponds, lakes, rivers, and even puddles for many years. Rise-off-water free-flight events (ROW) were once a standard part of the Navy Nationals (remember those wood-and-canvas tanks?). The sport of water flying also found its way into the modeling literature—an early account appeared in Model Airplane News in 1929.
Over the years, interest in free-flight water flying declined. It was kept alive primarily by a hard-core group that continued to set records. That activity was sufficient to ensure ROW events remained in the AMA rule book.
In the last year or two we've seen a sudden resurgence of interest in flying RC models from the water. A major reason is availability: with growing scarcity of clear, unobstructed, semi-private landsites, many modelers are turning to aquatic sites.
The event
Responding to the revival of interest in water flying, Ace RC and Top Flite sponsored the First Annual Family Float Fly—otherwise and more graphically known as the Great Missouri Sock Soak—held June 11–12 in Higginsville, MO. Contest organizers hoped to encourage participation in and share information about ROW-style RC flying.
The prototype event drew an incredible response:
- 146 registered pilots
- 300-plus airplanes
- Nearly 300 flights
Registrants came from more than a dozen states:
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Virginia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Wisconsin
Factory teams and exhibitors included:
- Ace
- Top Flite
- Sig
- Byron
- Lanier
- Others
There is every indication the Family Float Fly immediately became the largest such event in modeling history.
Flying and technical notes
It all took place without trophies, awards, competition, or bragging rights. The tone was distinctly social: everyone came expecting to have a good time, enjoy the company, fly a bit, visit more, and just unwind for a weekend.
After a long talk, Ken Willard and I concluded that many of the technical emphases—Vee bottoms, strakes, chines, contour, etc.—are of minimal importance. What's fundamentally important in water flying is sufficient flotation and enough power to get off the water. Equipped with floats, nearly any model design can be flown from an incredible number of water sites.
Organization and registration
Chief organizer Tom Runge had lots of help from Ace, KC employees, and Kansas modelers. Frequency allocations, assignments, and monitoring were handled flawlessly. Registration went smoothly—old friends renewed acquaintances and new ones were made.
On Friday evening, all transmitters were checked and given appropriate stickers (well, almost all). While Paul Holsten and Steve Goosman from the service department handled this, other Ace people took care of registration. Meanwhile, participants milled around the restaurant, renewing old friendships and establishing new ones—a very nice touch.
Social activities
Following Saturday's flying, the group met at the Higginsville Country Club for a buffet and more visiting—livened up by an impromptu "Willie the Whale" act from a couple of fellows who plunged into the pool fully clothed. The official entertainment was by the Higginsville Little Theater group, which presented several lively vignettes, including a wild "Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines" number.
The fact that several of the cast members and crew double as Ace RC employees, moving from greasepaint to face paint, made things all the more interesting.
Conclusion / Invitation
It all adds up to the sort of modeling event that even an old grump like me can enjoy. In fact, everyone is already excited about the word we're planning for next year. It would take more than a pack of wild horses to keep us away. Why don't you come join us?
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
