Letters to the Editor
"Buck" Williams flies in Mahwah, New Jersey
Enclosed is one of many photos I took of basketball star "Buck" Williams during the 1989 flying season here in Mahwah. Unfortunately I don't have one with both of us together, but that's my loss.
"Buck" joined us in early January of 1989. He was in the process of building a trainer, and the local hobby shop steered him to our organization. To keep this short, "Buck" was trained by our instructors for about four to five weeks — we started flying the last week in April, and he soloed by the beginning of summer.
We lost him when he was traded to Portland, but we'll never forget the gentleman he was, on or off the field. He assisted me in local projects, like a Mahwah Library plane-building and flying contest, Delta Darts, and in many other ways.
We know he still owns a home in the vicinity and truly hope he'll rejoin us when he retires from the NBA. In the meanwhile I hope somebody in Portland, Oregon picks up on this great person and gives him some flying time out there. I'm not spouting off because he's a star. I know him to be a great individual and a great friend also.
Joseph J. Karpowich Mahwah, New Jersey
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Fox Mfg. assists club
In the spring of 1987 Mr. Duke Fox of Fox Manufacturing Company gave away several Fox .40 Deluxe engines to selected aeromodeling clubs. These engines were given away to be used in powering these clubs' trainer aircraft. Our club, the Valley RC Flying Club (AMA No. 633) of Harrisonburg, Virginia, was one of the lucky recipients. We have used our engine extensively over the years in the course of teaching many people how to safely and successfully fly RC aircraft.
This engine, after having been used so much, recently began to show definite signs of wear and tear. We returned it to Mr. Fox for inspection and repair. When we got it back, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the work had been done (including the installation of new parts) free of charge. We wish to publicly thank Mr. Fox for his generosity to our club and for his service and dedication to the sport of aeromodeling. We believe someone of his stature deserves recognition for supporting model aviation at the grassroots level.
Chester L. Williams Secretary, Valley RC Flying Club Dayton, Virginia
(The modeling world lost a good friend when Duke Fox passed away. RMcM)
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1/2 Air Force — where was it?
In the September issue there is a nice article entitled "1/2 Air Force in the Spring." The workmanship those builders did on the planes is remarkable.
I do have one question that was not addressed in the story, however. Where did the annual gathering take place? I'd like to attend next year, but not knowing where it is or in what month it is held makes it hard to plan a trip.
Douglas C. Pizac San Dimas, California
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CORRECTION:
Due to a production error, several pages in the October 1991 issue held continued columnist material which was in the wrong order.
For your information, the following will explain how to find this "lost" material:
- Charlie Johnson's "CL Combat" column should continue from page 44 to page 183; then from page 183 to page 158; thereafter as noted.
- Dick Perry's "CL Navy Carrier" column should continue from the bottom of page 154 to page 181; and from the bottom of page 181 to page 182. It then flows correctly onto page 183.
- Dave Linstrum's Indoor Nationals report continues (as noted) from the bottom of page 180 to page 184.
We regret the inconvenience this error has caused.
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RC Combat attracts members
Editor's note: This letter was written to Dr. Sandy Frank of Weatherford, Texas. Sandy tells us that he has received almost 100 letters similar to this one expressing interest in the RCCA (Radio Control Combat Association).
I read with interest your letter to the editor of Model Aviation. I am interested in becoming a member, charter or otherwise.
I recently assembled a Kombat 40 with an Enya .45 CX and tuned pipe. It flies well, but now I am in search of others to dogfight with. The idea of aerial combat made immediate sense to me when I saw the Airplane Factory ad. I have no doubt that we will soon see sanctioned events for our planes.
Rules will have to be formulated, of course. As a relative newcomer to the hobby (flying for three years) my input might be limited, but I am willing to help in any way I can.
I am curious about what kind of doctor you are. I notice you are a life member of the AMA, so I assume you are not a newcomer to the hobby. For information, I am a mechanical engineer (Lehigh class of 1978) running my own air conditioning business. We build special refrigeration machinery (computer controlled screw machines to 1,000 hp), and service large AC systems. We repaired the main AC on the Cunard Princess in Malta before she headed for the Persian Gulf for R&R duty.
Because of my background, RC flying is the perfect hobby for me. I will be striving over the years to understand every detail of model flight, control, and engines.
Please let me know how you are progressing with the RCCA and how I may fit in.
Benjamin A. Bailey Rumson, New Jersey
(Ed. note: Dr. Sandy Frank is a psychologist. RMcM)
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
