RADIO CONTROL COMBAT
Greg Rose, 3429 Elmy, Orion MI 48359
I've been taking considerable grief for covering events all across the US but not getting enough pictures in Model Aviation from events going on in my own backyard. So I packed my camera case and went to Warbirds over Lennox, a 704 meet hosted by the Radio Control Club of Detroit (RCCD).
Warbirds over Lennox
One interesting thing about this meet was how much of a "family" event it was. In the group shot are:
- Standing, left to right: Daryl Rorbeck, Paul Wagensomer, Dave Wagensomer, Lee Tait
- Kneeling, left to right: Greg Wagensomer, Don Veres Jr., Don "Little Don" Veres III, Don Veres Sr.
They may all be related, but neither the Wagensomer nor the Veres clan pull any punches in RC Combat!
Warbirds over Lennox ran for two days, and despite some attrition most of Saturday's contestants were able to get airplanes up and continue with Sunday's sorties (although at least one competitor had to stay up into the wee hours to get ready in time for competition). In the end, Dave Wagensomer's Gus Morfis–designed MiG-3 in Red Guard colors took top honors. Dave's little ThunderTiger .15–powered MiG-3 tipped the scales at only 27 ounces and showed an excellent balance between speed and maneuverability.
Lee Tait, who serves as Contest Director (CD) at the Romeo Skyhawks' meets (which form a round-robin series of four events with RCCD in the northern Detroit area), gave Dave some serious competition for the Top Gun award. During one round Lee cut a streamer off his target, but his AT-6 could barely stay in the air, ending up with several feet of string wound around the front of the engine. It wasn't until the final round that Dave squeaked out a 20-point win.
Defending the honor of the Veres clan, "Little Don" came in third despite losing his 109 during a warmup flight just before the second day of competition.
Walter Wetzel Memorial Dedication
The next RCCD event promises to be something very special. Dave Wagensomer and the RCCD have put forth a tremendous amount of effort, in cooperation with the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce, to organize the Walter Wetzel Memorial Dedication. During WWII, Private First Class Walter Clive Wetzel, a resident of Macomb County, was awarded the Medal of Honor for throwing himself on top of a live hand grenade to save the lives of fellow soldiers.
Before the next 704 meet, the RCCD will host a dedication ceremony to rename their flying field Wetzel Memorial Field. The dedication will include a program presented by a U.S. congressman and members of the Wetzel family, honoring the memory of Walter Wetzel. Topping off the presentation will be a low-altitude flyby salute of F-16s by the Michigan Air National Guard.
Thanks to the 220 members of the RCCD for their efforts to bring their community together around this unique event.
Products and Resources
- Model Graphics (121 Cove Road, Hemphill TX 75948; Tel.: [409] 787-2875) has introduced a new series of 1/12-scale markings for 704 Combat fliers, including U.S. (early and later versions), British, German, and "Chinese P-40" (Flying Tiger/AVG). The pressure-sensitive graphics are printed on a thin, high-quality vinyl film and go on easily.
Since some people, myself included, have trouble using pressure-sensitive products because they stick exactly where you put them, Model Graphics recommends the use of their RapidTac surfactant to aid in applying the markings. RapidTac is used to coat both surfaces with a thin film of liquid that lubricates and "floats" the markings on the surface of the model until you position them properly; then you squeeze the liquid out from between the decal and the model to set the markings in their final position.
- John Fredriksen (461 Loring Ave., Salem MA 01970; Tel.: [508] 745-9849) is offering his series of reference booklets, Model Warplanes, 1996 Volumes 1–5 at a special cost. I have Volumes 3 and 4 of this series, covering 1939–1945, and I find them to be an invaluable resource for finding RC plans, especially for an obscure airplane. Call John for details and pricing on these very complete sources.
Feature Model: Grumman F9F
I'm not sure what to call this month's scratch-built beauty — it's really more of a "semikitted and built by two people, but covered and finished by one person" beauty. However it came together, it's still a beauty. The model is the Grumman F9F, co-built from Gus Morfis plans by Marvin Banka and Don Veres Jr.
Marvin, who runs Marvin Banka Models (17 Rutledge Ave., Trenton NJ 08618; Tel.: [609] 883-1490), will cut any Gus Morfis design for 704 modelers. Don purchased the F9F, which was semibuilt by Marvin, then Don added the finishing touches.
Don chose to power the Grumman with an O.S. Max .20 FP and he covered it with UltraCote. The tail assembly required carbon-fiber reinforcement to stiffen it properly, and most of the markings were hand-cut from UltraCote.
When I heard from Don, the Grumman's first flight was "about two weeks away." If it flew as good as it looked, it should have been a dream in the air.
That's all for now. Until next time, good hunting, fly safely, and be sure to check your six!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
