Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager
Season Outlook and AMA Nationals
The racing season is in full swing as summer approaches. This promises to be another great year for pylon racing. For those who don't already know, there will be FAI Pylon at this year's AMA Nationals — it has been a long time since we've had this event, and many of us are glad to see it return.
This year's Nationals will be held July 27 through August 4 at Westover Air Force Base, Chicopee, MA. You don't want to miss this one!
There will be plenty of racing for everyone. FAI will take place on Sunday, followed by Quarter Midget and then Formula I. These events will be run by very experienced and capable people, with Wayne Yeager (NMPRA Quarter Midget vice-president) as the Contest Director. Don't miss it.
North Dallas RC Club — Gainesville (May 5, 1985)
I received a short report on the first race of the 1985 season in Texas. The event was held May 5 and sponsored by the North Dallas RC Club at their new field in Gainesville. The field is nearly perfect and is also the site of the 1985 NMPRA Championships, to be held sometime in late October. (NMPRA is the National Miniature Pylon Racing Association, a special-interest group.)
The wind was the only significant problem at this contest, with gusts over 30 mph. Still, the 28 entries in Formula I put on one heck of a contest. Here are the results:
- Norm Johnson (Polecat, X40) — 1:12.25 — 20 pt.
- Gary Heithold (Pitts Pellets, X40) — 1:12.50 — 18 pt.
- Dick Ritch (Polecat, K&B) — 1:17.15 — 17 pt.
- Ed Rankin (Polecat, X40) — 1:21.17 — 17 pt.
- Steve Archambault (Toni, OS Max) — 1:24.10 — 16 pt.
- George Parks (Pitts Pellets, X40) — 1:22.89 — 15 pt.
- Richard Oliver (Polecat, X40) — 1:18.29 — 14 pt.
- Jerry Hempel (Toni, X40) — 1:17.48 — 13 pt.
- J.P. Hanway (Denight Special, X40) — 1:22.22 — 13 pt.
- Dub Jett (Denight Special, X40) — 1:16.58 (Fast Time) — 12 pt.
Although Dub Jett had Fast Time, he finished 10th due to a string of bad breaks. The Contest Director, Hubert Wells, and all the workers put on a good contest.
Jerry Small's All-Fiberglass Shoestring
For the last two years, Jerry Small (Dallas, TX) has been working on an all-fiberglass, ready-to-fly Formula One — a Shoestring. Yes, all glass, even the wings.
This plane comes out of the mold with tail feathers and ailerons already hinged. All that's left is to install the engine mount, mount the wing, install the radio gear, attach the cheek cowl (which fits perfectly), and go fly. It can be delivered in the color you want, and one day is all you need to get it into the air.
The fuselage is of conventional design, typical of most today's Formula One kits, but in this kit everything fits with no extra forming or fitting required. The wing is made of carbon fiber — the area of greatest stress — and a lot of testing was done. Believe me, you can't break this wing.
Jerry is a perfectionist and has gone all the way on this one. I hope to have more on this plane, along with pictures, in the next article.
By the way, Jerry flew at the Dallas race and finished 12th with a 1:23.83 fast time. He hadn't flown in a year and was very rusty, but the plane will be one to reckon with in the future. Some of you may remember that, several years ago, I had the honor of flying one of Jerry's Pitts Pellets machines — Jerry built all the molds for that one, and it is still going strong.
Supertigre X40 Update
Earlier this year, pylon racers were told that there would be no more Supertigre X40s produced. Consumer response appears to have made a difference: production has resumed, and there should be a new supply of engines and parts by the time you read this.
Send in Club Reports and Support Racing
Want to see your club's pylon race in print? Send me something! It may take some time, but I will try to use submissions. Send pictures — black and white preferred, but color is usable. Please give names of people in the pictures or any other helpful information.
Remember to support racing by joining the NMPRA. For information, write to:
- Phil Bussell, 4803 Fallon Pl., Dallas, TX 75227.
- Dues: $13 (non-flying) or $18 (flying members) — send to the same address.
See you next month —
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr. Conroe, TX 77385
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
