Letters To The Editor
All letters will be carefully considered; those of general interest will be used. Send to Model Aviation, 18110 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090.
Aero Champ Coincidence
On page 55 of the November issue, your RC Old-Timer columnist, Dr. D. B. Mathews, ran a picture and story on the Megow Aero Champ and its modern-day replica, now being kitted by Carl Spielmaker.
What a coincidence it was to find the Aero Champ's designer, Walter Eggert, pictured on page 97 of that same issue in connection with Bill Warner's article on the Flying Aces Nats!
Walt's been active for many years in Philadelphia-area modeling circles, having designed Megow's Aero Champ and Soaring Eagle gas kits, as well as many of their old rubber-powered scale kits before WWII. More recently, he's specialized in RC soaring and scale competition; he teams with his son in FAC Rubber Scale events. As a member of SAM-76, he flies an absolutely gorgeous example of his old Class B-size Soaring Eagle in SAM 1/4A Texaco competition.
Incidentally, he still uses his old NAA number 292 (visible on the tail of the original Aero Champ) as his AMA number.
Dave Ritchie Hatfield, PA
Oh! What Great Fun RCin' Used to Be
What fun it was to get my son involved in RC modeling in 1980. What fun it was to go home and tell his mother just how well our son was doing with this hobby. I can remember saying that if he was to practice a lot, before long he would be flying in contests with me and other contest-goers.
Oh! What fun RCin' used to be in '81, to arrive back home from a contest in Missouri just to tell his mother that our little boy had won two trophies, as I mumbled I had a great time.
Oh! What fun RCin' used to be in '82, when we decided to go to Lincoln, NE for the '82 Nats. We both flew in the Sportsman Pattern class. Oh! What fun it was to watch this TV news person interview my son on how he finished second in the nation in Jr. Sportsman Pattern at Lincoln, NE.
Oh! What great fun RCin' was in '83. I felt good about RCin' because the old touch was starting to come back. I had done it again. I won more in '83 than my son. (I guess I should tell you that, in '83, he was touring the West Coast with his grandparents.)
Oh! What fun RCin' used to be! Here it is June '84. We are getting ready for a contest at Pekin this weekend and our own in Quincy next week. I can't wait to get back home so I can tell the wife just how much fun I had bringing up the rear. But I see daylight just around the corner, for this 14-year-old flier is starting to notice the females look better than most planes. So it won't be long before ol' dad is back in the limelight at home.
Oh! What fun it has been to write this RCin' letter—about the nicest young man I know, my son, Mike.
Mike Bratton, Sr. Quincy, IL
Let's Hear It for George!
So seldom it happens when you meet someone like George M. Myers, the writer of your "Radio Technique" column, that the man deserves recognition.
We met George about a year ago when we joined the RC helicopter club Hover Lovers of Long Island, of which he is a member.
George must truly be admired for the radio information he professionally investigates and reports on in your publication, but more so for the time and effort he devotes to the club and its members. He is always ready to share his knowledge and help anyone in need, as well as organizing club events. George brings enthusiasm to all members through his precise recording and detailed photographs of shows and contests he has been to.
"We feel it's about time someone said, 'Thank you, George!'"
Raymond and Floann Landeck Yonkers, NY
Appeal of Old-Timers
The issues of Model Aviation really do keep getting better and better! The October 1984 issue was especially good . . . good color, good articles, good range . . . just good work all around. The story by Dick Stouffer (SAM Championships) was well done and enjoyable.
I would like to add a comment or two to Dick's explanations of the appeal of Old-Timers. While the planes certainly retain the atmosphere of the early years of model powered flight and the young people who built and flew them, there is another factor that, as a designer, I feel plays an important role. That is the shapes of the planes. These planes, the Old-Timers, were graceful and beautiful designs with contours that have given way to the expediency of straight lines. From an absolute technical point of view, there may be much to be said for "modern" design, but the fact remains that the older planes were simply very easy to look at.
Some design trends grow from technological advances, and some are the result of fashion. But just as automobiles of the Thirties surrendered their charm as they entered the Forties and the (ugh!) Fifties, model planes seem to have lost much of what they had in those early years, and hopefully it will be rediscovered by some talented young modelers. In almost all areas of design, you will find pits and peaks over a period of time, and "Old-Timers" was most certainly a peak for model aircraft design. The more I look at what is offered as kits today, the more I feel that we are in a pit ... and the time is coming when we will begin scrambling out. The SAM chaps are not only preserving memories of younger days, they are showing us how beautiful powered models can be. And should be! Many thanks for a lot of good reading and looking.
Tom Chipley Cary, NC
Levi's Chopper Pilot
This isn't a real biggie, but does anybody know who's flying the chopper in the Levi's 501 Blues commercial? My curiosity finally got the best of me.
Also, I've been meaning to write and say thank you to all involved in the acquisition of the new RC frequencies, but it just kept getting put on the back burner. Here's to all who helped—thanks!
Greg Richards Hamilton, OH
Editor’s note: Sorry, Greg. We don't know the name of the pilot. Lots of folks helped get the new frequencies for modeling use, not the least of which was the AMA Frequency Committee, then chaired by Bob Abere.
Mulligan a Big Monocoupe?
Re the caption beneath the photo on page 55 of the August 1984 issue, I'm sure Ben Howard would be surprised to learn that his Mr. Mulligan was really a big Monocoupe.
J. C. Sheehan Tucson, AZ
The photo caption was in the article written by Don Berliner, "75th Anniversary of Air Racing," Part 1. We sent Mr. Sheehan's comment to Don, whose response follows.
Here's what I found on the issue of Ben Howard's Mr. Mulligan being a big Monocoupe, and it's more than I expected.
I interviewed Mulligan pilot Harold Neumann on May 26, 1974, at Clarksdale, MS during an aerobatics contest. I asked him if the Howard racer flew much like a Monocoupe, and he answered, in part:
". . . Eddie Fisher (one of the boys who helped to design and build the aircraft) told me this, himself. Benny, one day, just says, 'Eddie, how'd you like to draw up some sketches of a big Monocoupe?' which Eddie did."
Neumann added: "Mulligan flew well... I just made myself feel right at home, because of flying the Monocoupe. It was just larger, that was all."
I think that makes it pretty clear that Mr. Mulligan was a big Monocoupe, even if Benny Howard never said so publicly.
Don Berliner Alexandria, VA
Safety / Preston (Continued from page 20)
Listen, just one other thing. There was that time I let time slip by and then had to rush home (my niece's birthday). I didn't mean to leave a mess behind; it wasn't as bad as the time I backed over the trash barrel and then pretended not to notice. I promise I'm going to be out there one of these Saturdays real soon and help out cleaning up the flying site to make up for my carelessness. And, I'm going to show up for one of those field work parties one of these weekends, too. Next Saturday? Uh, no, but real soon, I promise.
Dang. It sure feels great to get all this off my chest. You guys have really been tolerant of me. I hope you won't hold all this against me. Who am I? You know me... I'm the other guy!
Have a safe month.
John Preston 12235 Tildenwood Dr. Rockville, MD 20852
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
