Radio Control GIANT SCALE
Bob Beckman
STARS SPANGLED RALLY REVISITED
This makes the third year in a row that I have been lucky enough to get to Olean, NY for the Southern Tier Aero Radio Society's Annual Scale Rally. While scale models of any size are welcome, over the years this event has become known as a showcase for giant-scale models. This is understandable, since the STARS are a group who have been active in big models for several years. They are known for making things like Bristol Scouts and Fokker D‑VIIs by the squadron.
The STARS have the full support of the City of Olean, and in particular the Exchange Club. For the two days of the rally the Olean Airport is closed to normal full‑scale traffic. This provides almost unlimited operating air space, large grass runways, and paved runways for those who want them. With the flight lines 200 to 300 feet from the closest pit area, this is one of the safest locations I know of for exposing the general public to our hobby.
The public shows up by the hundreds and thousands. The Exchange Club helps organize and publicize the event, operates the concession stand, and handles spectator parking. Spectators are charged a small fee for parking which, along with concession‑stand profits, covers operating costs. The excess, and it is usually significant, goes to local charities.
By Friday evening the participant parking area was rapidly filling with campers, trailers, and motor homes. Saturday's weather was beautiful and there was at least one plane in the air throughout the day. The STARS established two flight areas at opposite ends of the huge grass runway. Both lines shared the runway but flew in different areas, an arrangement that could put up to six planes in the air at once so there was no lack of air space. If you had brought a plane you had not yet test‑flown, it could be flown.
Saturday noon there were over 120 aircraft registered, with another 40 to 50 that were on display but not registered to fly. Incidentally, there is no registration fee at this rally, and registration includes a free chicken dinner cooked by "Chicken Charlie" Nellis on his dainty 4‑ft by 8‑ft charcoal grill. Charlie's chicken has become one of the high spots of this event, and I suspect there are people who build a plane and bring it along—not to fly, but just to get a chicken off that grill.
I had brought a plane with me, but since I had not yet test‑flown it, it could not be flown at the rally. Saturday morning I unloaded the car, set things up in the pits, loaded my cameras, and started looking around for interesting things to see and photograph. I ran into people I hadn't seen since last year and greeted old friends. Many new people were met as well. Our corner of the RC world is growing by leaps and bounds, attracting long‑time modelers who had gotten bored with the hobby and become inactive, and many younger modelers too. I kept meeting people I used to see at the Nats in the Fifties but hadn't seen since.
By mid‑afternoon I had taken a bunch of pictures and realized I needed information about many of them. That's the hardest part of the job—getting info to go with the pictures. Since everybody wants to see everything and talk to everybody else, no one stays in the pits with their planes to answer a photographer's questions, and it's not a good idea to rush up to a pilot whose plane just took off and ask a lot of questions while it's airborne. "Oh well," I told myself, "I've got the rest of the afternoon to track people down—there's always tomorrow." I should have known better.
About that time I learned a group was getting together to go see Woody Clapp's place, and since I had never been there myself I wanted in.
Who is Woody Clapp, and what is there to see at his place? The STARS club flying field is on Woody's property. It is not just a model field; it's a small strip with hills around it adequate for many full‑size aircraft. Woody's hobbies include restoring old aircraft and building full‑size replicas; others routinely fly out of the field. Woody restored a Cessna 195, and it had flown from Olean Airport that morning.
It looked like too good an opportunity to pass up. I asked Woody if I could fly back with him and try to get some aerial views of the rally and his property. Soon I crammed myself, two cameras, and a camera bag into the right front seat of the Cessna 195, and we were off. After takeoff, Woody got permission from the tower (the field had opened to normal traffic at 5:00 p.m.) to make some low passes, and I happily clicked away. We then made the short trip to Woody's place, made several passes while I took pictures, and waited for the group to arrive in cars.
Soon they arrived, and once they had crossed the strip into the parking area, Woody brought the Cessna in. The strip looks like a postage stamp from the air, but he didn't use much over half of it. Once on the ground and with plenty of help available, the 195 was soon put away in one of the two small hangars at the edge of the strip. The hangars house the currently flyable members of Woody's fleet and provide storage for various parts.
In the second hangar was a real showpiece—an operable Sopwith Triplane. This was trundled out in front of the hangar while Woody helped interested people into the cockpit. His attitude toward his planes is that they are there to be seen, touched, and enjoyed. While kids, and not a few adults, worked their way in and out of the maze of brace wires, the rest of us took pictures.
Woody then asked if anyone there was a rated pilot. I spoke up, and he said, "Good. You get in and handle the controls, and we'll start her up." I worked my way into the cockpit and we went through the "Switch off," "Contact" routine. Before I knew it I was sitting with that long joystick pulled back into my gut and the engine ticking over as pretty as you please. When I looked up and saw all the cameras pointed my way, the ham in me came to the surface and I took off my hat and waved at them, just like I knew what I was doing. It was with reluctance that I shut down the engine and climbed out. It's been many years since I felt the breeze in an open cockpit, and I'd give my eye teeth to fly something like that Triplane.
We then climbed into cars for the short trip up to the old barn and outbuildings that are now Woody's workshops and storage areas. I could have spent days just looking around. There were bits and pieces of all kinds of airplanes, and engines ranging from a WWI rotary being rebuilt to a jet engine that needs just one small part to be runnable. Highlights included replicas and restorations of full‑size aircraft and numerous projects in various stages.
Highlights of Woody's collection and projects
- A replica Sopwith Triplane (operable)
- A restored Cessna 195
- A replica Fokker D‑VII (complete with guns—nonoperable)
- Two North American Harvards (AT‑6/SNJ), one being restored and the other supplying parts
- The Cessna "Bamboo Bomber" used in a television series
- A Grumman Avenger that was once used as a borate bomber and is scheduled as Woody's next project
- A WWI rotary engine being rebuilt and a jet engine needing one small part to run
- Quarter‑scale models of the "Bamboo Bomber" and a Stinson Reliant with internal structure of welded 1/4‑in. steel tubing
It is the kind of place that would take days to really appreciate.
We got back to the rally site shortly before dark in time to join one of the nicer customs of the STARS' events: beer, snacks, conversation, and—once it's dark enough—slide shows and movies. This year they showed a well‑organized slide show, set to music, of last year's rally. Of course, with all this going on, I still didn't get a chance to track down the information I needed about many of the aircraft. "Oh well," I said, "there's still tomorrow."
Wrong again. Sunday was mostly rain. While there was some clearing in the afternoon, up to 11:30 a.m. when I left (I had an eight‑hour drive ahead of me) few planes were pulled out and there was no chance to spot and interrogate the pilots of some of the more interesting aircraft. My apologies to those pictured here that I cannot adequately identify. I'll try to get the information and pass it on in a later column.
Despite Sunday's weather (a repeat of last year), the '82 STARS Spangled Rally was another huge success. The final count of registered aircraft was 138, with 126 registered participants. In addition, there were many projects "a‑building" that always show up at affairs like this. The rally has grown each year since it started. Will we see you there next year?
Bob Beckman 8248 Holly Grove Ct. Manassas, VA 22110
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
