Letters to the Editor
We Goofed!
Author Ken Wilson took the MA staff to task for abbreviating the table that gave the inventory list of aircraft at the Robins AFB Museum of Aviation (March '92 issue). So, here's the remainder that was left out:
Inventory of the Museum of Aviation's Aircraft, Drones, Missiles
- Lockheed — EC-121K — 51-41297 — Constellation
- Martin — RB-57A — 52-1475 — Canberra
- Martin — MGM-13A — 58-1465 — Mace
- Martin — TM-61C — 52-1891 — Matador
- McDonnell — F-101F — 58-276 — Voodoo
- McDonnell — F-4C — 63-7550 — Phantom
- North American — F-51 — 53-1511 — Mustang
- North American — F-86H — 53-1511 — Sabre
- North American — F-100C — 54-1851 — Super Sabre
- North American — T-6G — 49-3217 — Texan
- North American — T-28A — 52-? — Trojan
- North American — T-39A — 62-4461 — Sabreliner
- North American — U-4 — 37-948? — Aero Commander
- North American — B-25J — 44-86872 — Mitchell
- Northrop — F-89J — 53-2463 — Scorpion
- Northrop — SM-62 — 53-8183 — Snark
- Republic — P-47D — -- — Thunderbolt
- Republic — F-84E — 51-604 — Thunderjet
- Republic — RF-84F — 52-7244 — Thunderflash
- Republic — F-105G — 62-4438 — Thunderchief
- Ryan — AQM-34A — 74-2147 — Firebee
- Ryan — PT-22 — 41-21039 — Recruit
- Sikorsky — CH-3 — 65-12797 — Jolly Green Giant
- Sikorsky — H-19D — 55-3228 — Chickasaw
- Sikorsky — H-34J — 148963 — Choctaw
- Vertol — CH-21B — 52-8685 — Workhorse
- Vultee — BT-13 — 42-90018 — Valiant
Meet Billy Bob
I sometimes drift down to Fredericksburg, Virginia, with Dick Dean for a truly dreamy flying session with Charlie Rector of the Aeromasters. We bask in the sun, talk, and fly our models. The site is an open spot in the piney woods. We drag our deck chairs and put up electrics, Old-Timers, and an occasional ill-mannered, jumpy gas job. Flights may go for an hour, with the model a speck in the sky.
The owner has protected the area with a fence; he also enjoys donkeys, sheep, goats, turkeys, us, and — you've got to meet this dude — Billy Bob, a true Southern gentleman. They don't come much more Southern than Billy Bob. As a llama he's as streetwise as a camel's cousin can be. Billy Bob greets us and hovers about all day, sniffing rudders and poking into field boxes for goodies (he ate Dick Dean's rubber bands!), such as an open lunch.
Billy objects to our going home and may guard the gate to prevent us from working the lock, while "sneezing" as camels are wont to do. Dick, the nimblest of the three of us, may climb the fence to distract Billy while the rest of us unlock the gate. (Billy likes to travel.)
So look at the photos and meet Billy Bob as he protects Charlie's trusty Flying Quaker or whispers into Charlie's ear that the Quaker's four-stroker quit about a half hour ago.
Bill Winter Fairfax, Virginia
Why is it our fault?
The photo I've enclosed is your fault! I've been in RC long enough to accumulate enough balsa dust to build a good-sized house, and during that time your magazine has featured articles, letters, and notes that read more like religious conversions than topics related to model airplanes.
The letters and articles I refer to all involved one or another version of the Simitar design. It got to the point where I wondered, "What is the big deal?"
So I built one, and now I know what those guys were talking about and what they felt when they flew them. And now I'm writing you to share my extreme excitement.
I live in Sarasota, Florida (part of the time) and also in Milwaukee and am lucky enough to have great friends to fly with in both places. Milwaukee's Simitar Squadron is headed up by Gordy Stahl (he's holding my Airtronics transmitter in the photo).
I went to Gordy with some pretty specific parameters for my first Simitar. He used his extensive experience with the design to meet the performance characteristics I was looking for. He provided the general design, dimensions, and the foam cores. I added in a few personal aesthetics to produce my Simitar variation, the E.P.O. 45 Pole Star Racer.
It features a special wing planform and uses elevons and a rudder for control. A Magnum .45 with a Mac's pipe sits in the nose. The covering is Hobby Lobby's Super Coat.
How does it fly? You'd never be able to print all the good things I'd say or all the comments of club members who've seen it. It's kind of like flying a Gentle Lady that looks like a jet and has pylon, pattern, and fun-fly capabilities.
I'm hooked on Simitars, and it's your magazine's fault... and darn it — thank you! (And don't stop.)
William E. Sterka 3446 Anglin Drive Sarasota, FL 34242
Justifying the sport
I have always thought that the major aim of this beloved hobby/sport was one of, as Fred Berman put it ("Does Safety Really Come First," MA March '92 issue), "fun and pleasant diversions..."
Now, being a newcomer to the sport (my Cuban eights still look like fuzzy Cuban doughnuts!), I've been rather hesitant up to now to voice an opinion. But I would like to say something to all my fellow comrades out there who are hell-bent on convincing nonmodelers that we're not "just a bunch of overgrown kids playing with toys" — relax, folks!
A note on the Litespan
He likes my model better than his own, but he's a nice man and a heck of a good designer of similar airplanes. The Litespan is also a joy to work with.
Bill Caldwell Dallas, Texas
A simple act: Lots of good will
I thought you might like to know of a rather pleasant experience I had last fall. I felt I should let somebody know so proper credit can be given.
I have a Midwest Aerostar 40 which I am just learning to fly. Last fall, on about its third or fourth flight, I crashed, and the plane made an unplanned and somewhat violent landing. It was repairable, and I have put it back in shape, though too late to fly that season.
The next day I took the damaged plane to the model shop where I had bought it. The owner suggested that I take it to a repairman he recommended. This man took the model upstairs, looked it over, fixed a number of things, then said he would rebuild the fuselage, glass it over and apply a new covering. He said it would be ready within a week or two, and he charged me only for the materials plus $5.00 for labor.
When I picked the plane up some three weeks later it looked like new. I tried to give him more than he charged; he would not accept it and asked only that I tell others that he had done the work. I give the fellow the biggest possible thumbs up; his name is unknown to me, but his kindness deserves recognition.
Thanks, Midwest
I crashed my plane and couldn't fly any more that year. However, in stripping off the covering the window decals were lost.
I tried to find replacement decals at several hobby shops without success. I then wrote to Midwest, and in due time a package arrived with a new set of decals — but no bill.
I waited a while, expecting a bill to show up later. None did. Several months have gone by, and no bill has come. I assume that Midwest supplied the decals gratis.
The point of this letter is to bring this kindness to the attention of the public and to thank Midwest. So, thanks, Midwest! And a tip of the hat to you.
Stan Reeves Montevideo, Minnesota
A cheer for the Executive Council
This is just a short note commending the efforts of some members of the AMA Executive Council.
Recently, I had occasion to discuss by mail a topic of some concern to myself and others. Letters were addressed to Bob Underwood, with copies to Vince Mankowski, AMA President Don Lowe, and other members of the Executive Council.
Messrs. Underwood and Mankowski replied immediately — at length, and with a great deal of understanding and concern. The perceived problem was resolved to my satisfaction after a further exchange of letters.
Any AMA member who thinks that perhaps the Executive Council doesn't take an active interest in helping the rank and file should perhaps reconsider. The concern and action shown by these gentlemen speaks for itself.
Mike Keville Mesa, Arizona
Ants in his...
My son and I were flying a highly modified Dura-Bat powered with a SuperTigre .45 ringed engine. It was quite a handful, and it ended up in Lake Weatherford.
Rusty (my 10-year-old son) and I ran to the lakeshore, and seeing the wing floating about 50 yards out, we decided we would go swimming for it. I stripped down to my birthday suit and unknowingly threw my clothes on the biggest fern and bed in Parker County! I jumped into the water, swam, dived, and never found the fuselage — just the wing. I finally gave up, came ashore wrinkled as a prune, and started putting my clothes on. Yeow! There is something besides me in my clothes! I was burning all over as I again shucked my clothes to discover many mad fire ants in my clothes and attached to my body! My son scraped the ants off me, but we decided that getting them all out of my clothes was a lost cause.
Rusty went back to the flying field and tried to persuade someone to bring the pickup to me, as I was not about to put any of the infested garments on my burning body. Rusty did some fast talking to my fellow modelers and their wives as I hid behind a large brush pile, naked as a jaybird. All I could hear from where I was hiding was a bunch of boisterous laughter as my "friends" decided that I should come to get the pickup myself!
Thanks to the wheeling and dealing done by my son, the pickup was finally delivered to my location and we made our escape. We arrived at home, and once more Rusty had to swing a deal with my wife to get some more clothes for me so I could get into the house. There was more laughter roaring from the house.
Well, I survived the 150-plus ant bites, crushed pride, and ultimate embarrassment. With the application of a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and Adolph's Meat Tenderizer I avoided a visit to the emergency room. Lots of TLC took care of everything else.
About 13 months later, a young man and his grandfather snagged the Dura-Bat while fishing, and up from the watery grave it came. The plane was returned to me at the next club meeting (accompanied by more laughter). I was thrilled to get it back.
Bill Winter Fairfax, Virginia
Engine revival
At home I took the engine apart, cleaned and oiled it, put in a new glow plug, mounted and fueled it — and the SuperTigre came back to life after spending 13 months under water! Thanks to the fisherman and to SuperTigre my plane is still flying at Weatherford, Texas.
Virgil Summers SuperTigre fan Weatherford, Texas
What do firebombers drop on fires?
Allen Wulf's S2F Tracker 1/2A control liner in the January '92 issue looks to be a delightful model. However, like most folks, Mr. Wulf continually referred to the stuff dropping out of firebombers as "borate."
Air tanker drops have not been borate for many years. Borate worked well, but as a salt it was hard on the environment. The red stuff dropped by tankers (the technically correct term these days for "firebombers") today is called "slurry." Slurry is composed of water, an ammonium-nitrate fertilizer of some sort (several commercial varieties vie for the trade), and iron oxide to serve as a dye and marker so air attack and the tanker can see where the load dropped.
A drop is a "drop," and the S2Fs used in northern California by the U.S. Forest Service and California Department of Forestry are two-door-capacity craft. Usually drops are a single door at a time — thus two passes are possible on each flight, often on different areas of a fire. Air tankers are handy tools to buy the ground time to get a handle on a fire — especially in steep and/or heavily covered terrain.
A final miscellaneous note: slurry is slick — almost every firefighter has stepped in the stuff and gone down at one time or another. And it will take the paint off your car or airplane if you don't wash it off within eight hours or so.
I'm pleased to see one version of the available "workhorse" mentioned. Several S2Fs are usually around Rohnerville, Ukiah, Redwood, and/or Santa Rosa airports during the summer and are available for up-close photography during summer fire season for those who want to model a specific craft.
Gerald E. Myers Chief, Beginnings VFD Redway, California
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
