Letters To The Editor
All letters will be carefully considered; those of general interest will be used. Send to Model Aviation, 1810 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090.
SAM Champs Results
In Model Aviation (October 1985, page 21) my name was listed as second place in the Texaco event for the Madera, CA SAM Championships.
I was there all right. I flew in Texaco and had a great time, but I placed close to last. I don't know the proper winner of second place, but that person deserves to be mentioned in your magazine. Can you correct the record, please?
Paul Forrette Felton, CA
The second-place winner in Texaco, according to the Contest Director's report, was Wayne Beicher at 54 minutes, 53 seconds (the same time that was shown in the MA article). We regret the error, and thank you, Paul, for bringing it to our attention.
October 1985 "Plane Talk"
I think when praise is due it should be uttered instead of merely dying as a passing thought of the beholder. I have in mind Bill Winter's words in the October 1985 issue of MA. Here is a man who can be called "Mr. Model Aviation," but I never really appreciated him fully until I read his article which some may dismiss as disjointed wanderings, but to me are pearls of wisdom.
When my piles of modeling magazines reached the rafters in the attic, I had to start being discriminating and throw out a bunch, but the aforementioned issue is now marked "save" with a felt-tip pen.
Here is a man who has 620 completed planes or kits—makes my own 35 look like a drop in the bucket, and he has probably forgotten more about aerodynamics than I will end up learning in the next several years.
Of course, I may be prejudiced because I feel Bill is a man like myself who thinks of model flying in terms of relaxation rather than hard-nosed competition, and he has also been around long enough to know what types of "trainers" the raw beginners must avoid if they don't want to be put under an instructor's wing for ages. If we do have any differences, it is in his praise for certain 50-inch-span models (which he calls "an acceptable" trainer), because the bigger a model is, the less skittish it is (generally speaking). Of course, the 73-inch model that I am currently touting does require an engine that will idle nicely—plus a long runway because the landing glide is a little too good (if there is such a thing as "too good").
Jim Waterman San Antonio, TX
"Must Read" Stuff
I would like to say how much I appreciate your fine magazine. And a special thanks for the return of Bill Winter's column. That gentleman has really got a knack for writing marvelous, informative, simple material. I say "simple" because he does not get carried away with high-tech, megabucks models. He flies for the fun of it. That's great!
I also want to say thanks to John Preston for his fine safety article each month. That is the second "must read" article for me. We need good articles like that to keep our great sport and pastime fun and free from the unwanted accident.
Ernie McCluskey Tacoma, WA
Flaglor's Gee Bee Replica
I am enclosing some photos taken early (about 6:30 a.m.) on the last Sunday morning at the Nats as Ken Flaglor moved his Gee Bee Model Y replica from the display area next to Nats Headquarters to the Base Hangar for departure. Gladys (Granville) and Hiram Jones were there, as was Zantford Granville's daughter, Dr. Norma Granville. Hiram did most of the welding on the original Gee Bees and grew up with the Granvilles in Madison, NH. Gladys is the youngest sister of the famous brothers.
I flew a model of Ken's replica in the Nats. It got the highest static score in the event, but it crashed due to radio interference on its first Nats flight. It was the best-flying scale model I have ever had.
Henry Hafke Vineland, NJ
Happy New Year
To all modelers of AMA; Best wishes sincere Day after day after day.
Lou Roberts
Fancher's Trimming Tips
I feel an obligation to tell you that I really appreciate Ted Fancher's CL Aerobatics column in Model Aviation. It's useful to me although I don't fly CLPA (Stunt). I have particularly gained from the article on designing and trimming a Stunt ship. I fly CLNPAA (control line non-precision aerial engagements), Combat to non-CLPA folks, but used Fancher's insight to solve a 1/2A Combat design problem.
I had a problem with my 1/2A related to the wing loading. When I built a version that was big enough and light enough to turn and maneuver optimally, I had also come up with a version that was too sensitive to be a good Combat weapon. After reading Fancher's article that advised higher aspect ratio tails increase control sensitivity, I built a series of stabilators of different aspect ratios and got the problem under control. My stabs are removable, so I was able to experiment and prove to my satisfaction that the lower aspect-ratio stab made a discernible difference. I managed to defend my 1984 Reno Nats win at Westover due, in part, to that trim function. Thanks, and please ask Ted to keep up those articles of wide application.
Larry Driskill Montgomery, AL
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
