Radio Control: Aerobatics
Ron Van Putte 1111 Sleepy Oaks Rd. Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32548
NOTE the name change for the column: Model Aviation publisher Ross McMullen has decided that beginning this month I’ll get to concentrate on my first love. Sport RC will be covered in a separate column appearing in alternate months. The only drawback is that my source of pictures for this column is cut in half.
Virtually all the RC aerobatics photos I’ve published to date have been taken with my own camera. Aerobatics flying is alive and kicking all over the country, not just in the Southeast, but I’ll need help from you Pattern guys to prove that. Black-and-white pictures (plus the negatives) are preferred, but the Model Aviation staff can process good color pictures if necessary. How about sending along some good pictures with suggested captions? It won’t make you rich, but you might be sort of famous for a month.
U.S. Team Selection Finals
By the time you read this, planning for the finals will be well under way. AMA notified my club (Eglin Aero Modelers) of its selection as host by a poll of potential competitors. The finals will take place June 26–29 at Duke Field, one of nine auxiliary fields on Eglin AFB in Florida.
Duke Field is the home of the 919th Special Operations Group, which flies C-130 gunships. An Air Force Reserve group, it had just been activated and was on its way to Saudi Arabia as this was written. Though it would complicate coordination of our flight operations, I sure hope those guys are back home by the time we host the finals.
When my club put in its bid for the team selection finals, John Fuqua and I discussed the need for a large team fundraising campaign—partly because travel costs to Australia will be high and partly because the AMA cut FAI team funds. We were in the initial stages of establishing a couple of fundraising schemes when the recent issue of K-Factor (newsletter of the National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics) arrived. It seems somebody started the fundraising ball already. Paul Verger, the new NSRCA vice president, is in charge of raising money for the team fund. In Paul’s words, here’s what is going on:
- For a $100 donation to the team fund, you will be given a jacket of the type that the U.S. team will receive. This will be a quality product—satin with lining and knit cuffs and collar. It will be computer embroidered (no silk-screening) and American-made. The only difference in the jackets will be the color: team jackets will be white, while support jackets will be blue or red—your choice.
- John Fuqua (Fort Walton club) suggested that each contest in NSRCA District 3 pledge $1 per entry to the team fund. This dollar could be added to the entry fee or just viewed as a club donation. Either way, it could add up to a nice chunk of money by season’s end. This would be donated to the team in the name of District 3. Maybe other districts would like to match us.
- A raffle to be held at the Nats. With the support of the industry, we should be able to gather a large number of Pattern products to be given away at the Friday night awards presentation. Nat Penton is in charge of getting the products for the raffle. Jim Fife and Kearney Lejeune will organize the raffle and ticket sales.
If any equipment or kit manufacturers can assist, please contact Paul Verger or any of the above organizers. I’ve seen the team jackets—they’re really nice. Not $100 nice, but the point is supporting the team. I sent my check for a jacket shortly after receiving K-Factor and hope many Pattern fliers will do likewise.
Paul Verger 1214 Birdsong Rd. Lafayette, LA 70507 Telephone: 318/237-0322
FLYING NEAR AIRPORTS! BE CAREFUL!
Free Flight or Radio Control flying near airports, or in any situation that might involve models being in the vicinity of full-scale aircraft operations, must be avoided—or conducted so as to eliminate any dangerous situations. Models should not be flown in the proximity of full-scale aircraft unless the flier has someone else with him for the sole purpose of watching for full-scale aircraft and supervising the flying to prevent the possibility of an accident.
Wings and Things
No, that’s not a new fried chicken franchise. It’s the name of Marty Pizzitola’s new enterprise. Marty, a Pattern flier I see from time to time at contests in the Southeast, is making covers for your model’s wing, stab, fuselage, etc., using the same material that Velux blankets are made from. I reported on this material in the August 1990 column. After Sue Ellen Verger discovered it in a K-Mart store, Paul made a great set of wing and stab covers, and my wife and I followed suit.
Since Marty is in the custom drapery service business, he presumably has access to the material in bulk. He sent me a complete Full Body Suit for my new Eclipse (which should be flying by the time you read this). Included are covers for the wing, horizontal tail, vertical fin, and fuselage, plus two 6 x 1-inch tubular covers—for the propeller blades. The covers are very well made, just as you’d expect from a professional. I’ll be proud to have them on my airplane.
If you’d like a set, be advised they aren’t inexpensive—quality costs more. Marty is selling the Full Body Suit at an introductory price of $57 and the surface covers (wing, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical fin) for $42.
Marty Pizzitola 20339 Bruning Rd. Covington, LA 70433 Telephone: 504/893-0016
Nats Info
The Nats dates are actually July 13–21, not July 6–14 as I reported in the March column. The dates were shifting as that column was being prepared, and I made an invalid assumption based on information from AMA. I won’t make that mistake again.
I hope even more people make the trip to this year’s Nats. The site is great, and any bugs from last year should have been worked out. I stayed at Vincennes University dorms in Vincennes, Indiana last year; they were very nice. The university cafeteria next to the dorm building served a great breakfast (all you care to eat) for a reasonable price. There are enough fast-food restaurants in Vincennes to suit almost any taste. The drive from Vincennes to the Nats site takes only about 15 to 20 minutes. If you've been thinking of making it to the Nats, give it strong consideration.
Industry News
- Bolly props: Tom Dixon of Atlanta sold the popular Bolly props for quite a few years. Recently Randy Smith of Aero Products identified himself as the new exclusive distributor of Bolly pipes and props. Those who appreciate the strength, efficiency, and relative quiet of Bolly props still have a U.S. source. The labor-intensive fabrication process makes the Bolly prop extremely rigid, producing higher efficiency and noise reduction—hence the relatively high cost.
Aero Products 1880 Scenic Highway Snellville, GA 30728 Telephone: 404/979-2035
- Radio South: The firm has moved again to larger quarters. New address and phone: 5524 Old Palafox Highway, Pensacola, FL 32503; 904/434-0909.
Did you guess the name of the tyke in the March column? That was Chip Hyde before he started whipping all the big dogs in Pattern.
Contest season is just around the corner. I'm really looking forward to it. See you on the circuit.
Ron Van Putte
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
