Letters to the Editor
Father and sons are members of AMA
I am pleased to have two of my sons join me in AMA. We fly at Tri-Valley Field, Rosemount, Minnesota.
Art Sweet Richfield, Minnesota
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"Smilin' Jack" brought memories
I am writing to say I thoroughly enjoyed Alfred Lehmberg's article on "Smilin' Jack" appearing on page 38 of your May 1991 issue. I would like to get in touch with Mr. Lehmberg—could you advise me of his address? He mentioned that Milt Caniff's "Terry and the Pirates" later became "Steve Canyon."
One of Mr. Caniff's subjects in his comic strip was an old friend of mine, Hiram ("Tex") Broiles, whom I knew when he was a first officer for United Airlines, based in Salt Lake City in the late '30s.
I lost track of Tex after the war, and with Mr. Lehmberg's knowledge of these early aviation cartoonists, perhaps he can advise me how I might track Tex down after all these years. I learned he was a CAA (FAA) flight inspector after the war, but that is about all I know of him since he went into the service in or around 1941–42.
C.H. Fitch AMA 329324 450 S.E. LaCreole Dr., Sp. 1224 Dallas, OR 97338
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Builder's pride
I am writing because I am quite proud of my twin-engine plane. I took two Sig Fourstar 40s and made a twin like a P-38. I made a lot of modifications to the Fourstars: I extended the wing 18 in., and added 3 in. to each elevator and to the horizontal stab. I added a cap to the rudder and tapered it wider at the bottom. I made the top of the fuselages smooth. I also made my own pilot pod for the center, which houses the aileron servo, receiver, and battery.
I am flying this plane with two Saito .50s. The plane flies great and handles very well. I have lost power on one engine, and it will fly on one so I can get it landed.
I have sent you a couple of pictures, and if you can use this in your magazine, I would be very proud of my Fourstar 40–40 and a chance to be in the magazine.
Robert Jeppson La Salle, Illinois
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Can there be too much praise?
I really appreciate the excellent coverage you have been giving to indoor aircraft and events. Radio control takes most of my money, but indoor remains my strongest interest.
Bill Clarke Greenbelt, Maryland
P.S. Have you ever published a 7‑gm Bostonian? I suggest Dave Aronstein's, which broke five minutes at the Indoor National Champs.
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About the October cover photo . . .
The photo of Hurst Bowers' model work table that appeared on the cover of the October 1991 issue of the magazine was wonderful—a work of photographic and modeling art.
I had an enjoyable time identifying the various models, tools, and modeling items displayed in the photo, and the message was not lost on me. Well done.
Bill Brenchley Elkton, Maryland
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An excellent idea: Attracting Juniors
I write in response to a letter sent by another Junior. I am a 14-year-old RC pilot who has been flying for about three years now. I think he presented good points such as lack of cash or motivation for not getting into the sport.
I have met many Juniors who have been interested in flying, and I even went so far as to give them an airplane and offer to teach them—but to no avail.
I think most Juniors shy away because there are practically no other Juniors in the hobby. They have to relate to people the age of their fathers. For some teens this is hard, because the only adults they relate to are their parents. Plus some teens wouldn't be caught dead hanging around a bunch of adults.
Last year I competed in the Eastern Soaring League. I went to at least six competitions and was personally basically uncontested. I can only remember three other Juniors.
What I'm getting at is that the Juniors who are out in the ESL area (or any other area) should get together and go on a show tour to promote RC planes. Why not? They have adult show teams. This would also give other Juniors a group to identify with that is their own age. We could hope that this might break the ice.
Anyone out there in the ESL area who is interested should drop me a letter.
Bryan Whaley 809 Fox Hunt Lane Harrisburg, PA 17110
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
