Letters to the Editor
Masthead from the Dec. 1940 edition of the AMA's membership publication indicates the long heritage of AMA's current magazine. The history goes back to AMA's beginning in 1936 — Hall of Famer Frank Zaic produced the first issue in June of that year.
The Way it Was.
With the announcement of a "nostalgia" event at the free flight champs to be held by the San Valeers Club, I went digging into my old plans box, and look what I found. I suppose that you guys at AMA headquarters maintain a file of all your past issues of Model Aviation, but in your business I doubt that you spend much time looking back.
I've included a copy of the December 1940 issue that I found. The issue actually had eight pages, but I've included only the cover and the center fold, since they were the most interesting.
I thought that you would get a kick out of reading the list of names of "personnel of the Academy." It's like reading the who's who of model aviation. Next year this list will be 40 years old!
Jim Adams Whiting, IN
Put It All Together
I sometimes wonder if the younger generation, which has been brought up with proportional radio control as an accepted part of their recreational life, gets the thrill out of it that men of the "grandfather" generation experienced. I am 64 years old and have been model building and flying over a period of 53 years. All of my modeling was in free flight until recently.
When I was young I used to lie on my back in the grass of our backyard in Ohio and watch the turkey buzzards catch a thermal and spiral upward, hardly ever moving a wing, climbing to great heights. It always fascinated me to see them climb with no apparent effort. Little did I know that some day I would build a "bird" that would accomplish that same feat at my command. Radio control was unheard of at that time.
Now I fly my eight-foot soaring bird off the cliffs above the ocean north of Dana Point, California and watch it soar, spiral and dive to my every whim. When it rises on a strong updraft to several hundred feet altitude, I am reminded of the turkey buzzards soaring in the blue Ohio sky.
Another great thrilling experience with soaring birds happened at the beach north of Ventura, California one day when I was sitting on a park bench at the crest of a hill above the beach. A large pelican came soaring so close that I could have touched his wingtip. He looked me straight in the eye and seemed to say, "You are invading my domain!" Right then I decided that I would design and build my own soaring bird. That bird has now been flying quite some time, had several severe crack-ups, but is now more beautiful and efficient than ever, having been improved with each rebuilding. Each time I launch my bird, I get a thrill as it immediately starts its climb into the blue.
John W. Luxon San Clemente, CA
Dust Eater Worried Him
Just finished reading the article about the "Dust Eater" in the June issue.
It's a great idea for balsa dust; however, I am not too sure of it being used with resin or other highly flammable chemicals. The constant arcing of the motor brushes might ignite the fumes. Maybe I am wrong about this but I hope someone will check into this and get this into the next issue.
Hank Roncarti Waterbury, CT
The Dust Eater is intended for use with sanding dust only. While the fans of the suggested type I've checked are all used brush-type motors, they are not designed for use in areas containing flammable vapors.
The Dust Eater might filter some overspray mists from the air, but it can do nothing toward removing toxic vapors. The air movement in the printing area would probably ensure plenty of dirt in your paint scheme also. Play it safe: use only a good canister mask, designed to remove both vapors and mists, when spraying paint or applying resin.
—Ed Haury
Rainy Day in Texas
It's been raining and cold the last few days, so it's back to the den for flying. I can't get the time that the indoor boys do, but 40–50 seconds are a long time to dodge the light fixtures and floor lamps. If everything goes right I can wind (I have a Midwest winder mounted on a suction-cup vise), launch and retrieve without leaving my chair… old man's flying.
Wouldn't it be fun to have a contest in which the winner was the contestant that had the most one-minute flights during the shindig? Everybody flies, winds, etc., don't need timers—need counters.
L. F. Randolph Dallas, TX
Sanity in 1/2A Pylon?
The "Sanity in 1/2A Racing" was a nice article. I have concluded that the rules-making procedure is too democratic. This fellow Kilsdonk comes in from U/C speed and completely undoes what a lot of us have been doing in 1/2A pylon. He has a completely different frame of reference and is trying to turn a fun event into a specialist event that is won in the machine shop. Unfortunately, that is the history of all AMA events. The net result is that we shall use our own WILL rules and continue to have fun.
Frank B. Baker Madison, WI
As we all know, this is a familiar problem. No matter what ideals attach to the founding of a new event—beginners, fun, etc.—technical aspects, and attendant skill levels, remorselessly escalate; the nature of competition. We note that this group of clubs intends to hang onto their own special-event rules which have been effective in attracting many new pylon fliers. Nor can we blame "Big John" for doing what comes naturally. It is all food for thought...
"Export" Messerschmitt
In the January issue of Model Aviation, in the free flight column on page 61, you published a picture of Bill Noonan with his Messerschmitt M20B and stated that the plan was to be published in MA. Although I have a subscription for 1979 issues I have not yet received an issue giving further details of the plan and should be glad if you could let me know when it will be available. The reason is that later this year we will be holding a rubber scale contest in England (probably at our Nationals) and this would seem a fine example for such a contest. However, time is getting a bit short and if there is a way you could let me have a copy of the plan quickly I would be most grateful. Not knowing how much it will cost I cannot send any money at this stage, but would gladly do so on hearing from you. For what it is worth I would mention that I am the editor of SMAE NEWS.
Needless to say I think that your magazine is excellent — it is far superior to anything that we have in this country, and is the only one that I consider worth subscribing to on a regular basis!
David Parker Kent, England
For the sake of international relations, and as a courtesy to a fellow editor, MA sent an advance print of the M20 plan to Mr. Parker — of course, he said such nice things too. Don't get any ideas. We can't cope with requests for advance prints. You can always say you are a fellow editor, but don't count on that.
Color Him Happy
Just a few words to tell you how much I enjoy MA. The May issue was truly superb. The other model magazines are all good but I feel that MA is the best of the lot.
The color spread ("Magical Kingdom") was quality all the way and well justifies the added expense. The graphics of the whole magazine are beautiful — my congratulations to the art director.
I'm not involved in all the various phases of model building but I enjoy reading about them all. A guy who bombs around with a hot pattern ship may not be interested in pennyplane but he certainly should acknowledge that he most likely wouldn't be there without the contributions of the ages-old pennyplane experimenters. After all, "flight" is what this whole business is all about and all the various skills interact. We should never lose sight of this fact — and I believe that the editors of MA haven't. They prove it with each wonderful issue.
Roland Michaud Westwood, NJ
Likes Senior Telemaster
I would appreciate your assistance. I wish to build a 40- to 60-size airplane. The requirement being a very large wing which will result in very slow flight. I believe a company, "Hobby Lobby," makes a kit for a "Senior Telemaster," which is about what I am looking for.
Perhaps you might know of some alternative source, if you do not have such plans yourself.
Robert J. Ptau La Crescenta, CA
We advised Mr. Ptau that the stated subject appears excellent for his purpose, that no alternatives were suggested, and that a cheaper source probably would not be found.
A Worthwhile Book
Although not an AMA member myself, I have access to your magazine each month and always enjoy your columns very much, particularly those about free flight and especially free flight scale, the most difficult but most interesting to me now.
I enjoyed particularly your words about free flight scale in your December '78 column; your brief summary should be helpful to many interested in scale.
I am writing to tell you about a truly most helpful and accurate book I bought last spring. It is called "Flying and Improving Scale Model Airplanes."
I have built scale free flight models for years, and collected all the pertinent magazine articles — but for the first time this book has enabled me to really finally "understand" them. I have used it to make many of my old scale models, rubber and gas, really fly well for the first time — even as to making better props and understanding, finally, about CG location, dihedral, winding rubber motors, etc. — as well as developing a "touch" as to best trim. Even my old scale biplanes fly much better.
I haven't seen any comments about this book in the magazine articles — but I know from experience it is really what any modeler who is not an "expert" yet needs. I think, based on my experience (I'm not "expert"), you should at least read it — and tell your readers how helpful it really is, either for FF scale or FF non-scale. It's not "just another book" like I, myself, supposed at first — it's the best ever for making all kinds of models fly best.
Bob Hamilton (City Unknown)
A multitude of good books, from the cheap and simple to the sumptuous and expensive, have been mentioned in various special columns in this magazine. All sorts of fine books, mostly on real aircraft, are advertised in many places, and there is always your library for reference (they have lists). It would be a rewarding investment for any reader who would build a library of his own — a hobby, in itself, and a great pleasure for quiet evenings, rainy days, or when you are in a mood to lose the bonds of the everyday hassle. The book Bob refers to was published by Model Airplane News. We have read it. Interested readers should drop a line to MAN editor Don Toppan.
Kudos to Hempel
I enjoy your magazine very much because it covers every aspect of model aviation. I was a free flight advocate for many years and now devote all my spare time to control line speed and Rat Racing.
I especially wish to commend and thank Mr. Gene Hempel for his extraordinary "speed" column. He has supplied me with valuable advice pertaining to this type of control line flying and is a credit to your publication.
Bob Solomon, PhD Brooklyn, NY
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
