Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager 4 Holly Springs Dr. Conroe, TX 77302
WOW, HERE WE GO — we're off to a super start in this '91 racing season. Let's take a quick look around the country. From Drew Jerina:
"We just got back from our first F1 race in Wichita Falls, Texas. The weekend began with the WFRC Club hosting a racing fly-in where our guys got to warm up and show off all of their 1991 season stuff.
"The WFRC did a great job of staging the fly-in, keeping lap times as well as total heat times. This new approach was well received by all, and most were eager to repeat an annual event like this one. The WFRC has expanded its concrete takeoff pad so that even four B-17s will have elbow room to take off, and that smooth grass landing area was vast enough that most guys ran all day with the same prop.
"Phil Bussell had a smoking 1:07 practice heat on Saturday and came back on Sunday for the for-real race and in windier conditions to set the fast time of 1:12.17.
"We had 20 entries in the race with results as follows:"
Wichita Falls Formula 1 Race
- Pl. 1 — Jerry Small — Best Time 1:13.84 — Pts. 20
- Pl. 2 — Norm Johnson — Best Time 1:14.95 — Pts. 20
- Pl. 3 — Bob Greer — Best Time 1:15.57 — Pts. 17
- Pl. 4 — Phil Bussell — Best Time 1:12.17* — Pts. 16
- Pl. 5 — Bill Hager — Best Time 1:13.04 — Pts. 14
Whittier Formula 1 Race
March 16, 1991
- Pl. 1 — Dave Shadel — Best Time 1:07.74* — Pts. 20
- Pl. 2 — Richard Verano — Best Time 1:08.71 — Pts. 19
- Pl. 3 — Rusty VanBaren — Best Time 1:09.27 — Pts. 16
- Pl. 4 — Henry Bartle — Best Time 1:08.49 — Pts. 15
- Pl. 5 — Scott Manning — Best Time 1:11.07 — Pts. 13
- Pl. 6 — Mike Helsel — Best Time 1:11.55 — Pts. 12
- Pl. 7 — Francisco Gonzales — Best Time 1:12.54 — Pts. 12
- Pl. 8 — Lou Rodriguez — Best Time 1:14.35 — Pts. 12
- Pl. 9 — Rudolph Tisza — Best Time 1:21.44 — Pts. 11
- Pl.10 — Chuck Brown — Best Time 1:26.51 — Pts. 10
March 17, 1991
- Pl. 1 — Rusty VanBaren — Best Time 1:06.95* — Pts. 18
- Pl. 2 — Richard Verano — Best Time 1:07.92 — Pts. 17
- Pl. 3 — Mike Helsel — Best Time 1:09.73 — Pts. 16*
- Pl. 4 — Henry Bartle — Best Time 1:08.31 — Pts. 16
- Pl. 5 — Rich Tocci — Best Time 1:12.36 — Pts. 15
- Pl. 6 — Lou Rodriguez — Best Time 1:08.41 — Pts. 12
- Pl. 7 — Dave Shadel — Best Time 1:08.69 — Pts. 12
- Pl. 8 — Bruce Brown — Best Time 1:14.67 — Pts. 11
- Pl. 9 — Chuck Brown — Best Time 1:23.21 — Pts. 10
- Pl.10 — Lyle Larson — Best Time 1:11.37 — Pts. 9
* Fast time ** Fly off
This race was a real showcase for the new Nelson engine. All the times below 1:10 were by the new Nelsons! Some start for you Quickie 500 fliers. The NMPRA, with Jim Allen as Q‑500 VP, is trying to come up with a more equitable set of rules. Here is Jim's proposal:
Quickie 500 proposal (Jim Allen)
"The Nelson Q‑500 engine was flown for the first time in competition, as far as I know, on March 23 and 24 at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, California. The race was hosted by Henry and Donna Bartle and everyone really had a great time. The Nelson .40 proved to be very impressive, not only in its performance, but also in the consistency of performance from engine to engine and in its ease of handling.
"In fact, it appears to have all of the good handling characteristics that racers liked about the Rossi .40; it just goes a lot faster. The price is higher than we are accustomed to, but you are getting what you pay for, and parts should never be a problem. The engine now holds the new AMA class record, set by Lyle Larson, who bought the engine from Dave Shadel during the second round. Lyle proceeded to bolt the engine onto the airplane in place of a Rossi. He won both days and set the record. This sure says a lot for the engine.
"Now for the problem and the reason for this article. The $325 price tag for the engine is definitely an issue, but the speed is the biggest problem. This engine is so fast that some beginning racers have no business flying Quickie. The Q‑500 group is going to have to come up with some place new racers can compete. We need a class that will have a limit on the cost of engines allowed. This would, in turn, keep the speeds down to the point where a true entry-level class should be.
"This is intended to be a proposal that we would like everyone to consider as a way to keep Quickie an entry-level event, and maintain the tremendous competition that the Nelson .40 can give us. The proposal is that we have two classes flown separately wherever possible. The classes would be AMA Quickie 500 and Quickie Sportsman.
"AMA class would be flown using the current rule book, and would include all engines that the Pylon Board has approved. Quickie Sportsman would be the same as AMA Quickie except for the engine rules. There would be a specific list of engines to be allowed in the class. They would be engines which retail for $150 or less, so that most of them could be bought in the $100 price range.
"It is also recommended that the class use standard propellers. The APC and Master Airscrew 9 x 8 are recommended.
"The points scored in the Sportsman class would not be counted for the national standings but could be tracked by each district area. When the pilot feels that his skills have progressed to the point that he would like to enter the national points race and qualify to attend the championship race, he would begin to fly AMA class. This would be an incentive to keep skilled pilots from staying in the entry-level class. It would be a shame to have these more skilled pilots building up a points total by beating up on the beginners.
"The Nelson Q‑500 engine has the potential to make AMA Quickie more competitive than it has ever been before. The consistency of the performance seen so far and the history of the Nelson .15 in Q‑M indicate that the event will be decided mostly by pilot skill.
"The problem with this engine is that it has such a performance advantage that it must be phased in very carefully so that we don't lose competitors in the process. Some races around the country are outlawing the engine for this year. This must be done carefully. Either allowing or disallowing the engine may cause problems.
"We feel that our goal should be to try to standardize the Quickie events around the country and develop an entry-level class which will give the beginning and less serious racers a safe, affordable, and fun place to compete. It is essential that all of us approach the upcoming year with an open mind and keep our ultimate long-term goals in focus. We'll look forward to a more stable year in 1992.
"Remember, the Nationals and the NMPRA Championship Race will be flown by AMA rules. The Nelson appears to be the engine to have. One word of warning: Make sure your planes are strong. Many people who have bought the new engine are blowing up or fluttering the planes that were fine with a Rossi on the nose. The difference in loads on the airframe with the increased speed is tremendous. A wing that could handle a hard No. 1 turn with a lesser engine may fold with a Nelson. Be careful.
"This is meant to be a proposal for your consideration. I would like to hear from you, either by phone or by letter. My address and phone number are listed below. Please let me know your opinion, good or bad. We need input to refine this class into something that will be best for Quickie in order to continue the growth that the event has experienced over the past few years."
- Jim Allen
956 E. Huber Mesa, AZ 85203 (602) 464-1443
Letter from Jim Bradley (Bradley Model Products)
I just received a letter from Jim Bradley of Bradley Model Products, 1337 Pine Sap Ct., Orlando, FL 32825.
"You might think it odd that a Free Flighter would write to the RC Pylon Racing columnist, but personally being involved in F1A competition at the international level I can appreciate that a lot of your readers are always looking for a fine advantage or edge. I read all the specialty columns because I find several things of interest to me that I can apply to my flying.
"I doubt that most of your readers would be interested in tow hooks and DT timers, but they might be interested in all the various carbon fiber products that I carry. Carbon fiber is becoming more common in modeling. It's no longer just some exotic material that the fanatical use. In the cured sheet form it is no harder to use than balsa wood. CyA is one of the best types of glue to use with it, so it lends itself to quick and strong models."
Jim has a variety of carbon fiber sheet and carbon fiber mat. For more information write Jim—or you might call 407/277-9132.
RCAFC Dash for Cash II — Contest Report (Dennis O'Brien)
"The Radio Control Association of Central Florida (RCACF) hosted the second annual Dash for Cash Crop Midget race on March 23 and 24 in Orlando, Florida. We were greeted by excellent weather and a contingent of very competitive pilots. Although the overall number of combatants was lower than anticipated, I'm here to tell you there were no 'gimmie' heats. A 3 x 7 matrix covered the 20 entrants, and in two days of racing there was only one re-fly. This is directly proportional to the skill level of the RCACF pylon crew, most of whom have worked the racecourse through several competitions and the NMPRA national championships, as well!
"A full 10 rounds were flown, and no one had a solid foothold on any of the top five positions until the last heat. Even then a final flyoff was needed to decide first and second positions.
"The first day was seasoned by Orlando, Florida's Bill Williamson, who recorded a time of 1:15.9 in his first heat. That time stood as fast time for day one. Several 1:10 times were recorded throughout the entire race, and those were climaxed by North Carolina's Jim Katz with a 1:13.4 second blast on the second day that stood as fast time of the contest!
"Jim's unique Tiger Moth racer is extremely fast and very smooth, but definitely fits the old saw that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. All kidding aside, Jim's aircraft was the plane to beat all weekend. Jim probably would have walked away with all the marbles, but lady luck dumped on him in the form of a blown plug on the line, dropping him down three points.
"Atlanta, Georgia's 'Racer Rick' Landers consistently flew his 10 laps in his favorite spot — out in front! Rick seemed to have his hat in the ring for top honors until an irate rudder servo allowed Orlando's Jim Lyons to stay in front of Rick's ill-handling racer, dropping him a point. Rick then dropped one more point when a cut during a heat forced him to try to lap the other competitors. He was only able to collect one.
"Amidst all these goings-on, Atlanta's Jake Jacobsen was amassing points by winning or placing in most of his heats. The most notable thing witnessed was that Jake was not as blazing fast as is usually the case! Also appearing down on speed were usual scorchers Dave Latsha and partner/caller Vern Smith.
"Faring no better were the Midwest's usually fast Al Grove and Dan Kane Jr. Dan started off with no help from lady luck, losing his number one aircraft in his first heat while challenging Bill Williamson. Turbulence from Bill's aircraft induced a famous tuck-and-stuff maneuver around the 2-3 pylons.
"Mike Katz from Atlanta took the 'Bet you can't do that again!' award while performing a wide-open touch-and-go maneuver around the 2-3 pylons and breaking only his prop! His brand-new Pole Kitty sustained nary a scratch — and yes, it lived to race another day!
"Another recipient of the 2-3 pylon woes was DeLand, Florida's Jim Bartels. Always competitive, Jimmy was racing hard, but all he got for his effort was a re-kitting of his Tsunami while negotiating the aforementioned pylons.
"The best effort award had to go to Paul Benezra, who thrashed his airplane toward the end of the first day. Not having a backup, he adjourned to Barry West's garage, stayed up until the wee, small hours putting together all those jigsaw puzzle pieces — and yes, he did race again on Sunday!
"That reminds me. Paul's girlfriend, Darlene, kissed him just before the ill-fated flight. She also gave Jim Katz a kiss right before he blew a plug on the line, and ruined his chances for a win! Just what do you suppose we have here — a kiss of death, or what? (Darlene, I love ya, dear, but stay away from me when I'm racing!)"
After the 10th round was flown and completed, the third through fifth money spots were confirmed, with Jim Katz in third, Dennis O'Brien fourth, and Jake Jacobsen in fifth place.
This left "Racer Rick" Landers and Bill Williamson in a flyoff for first and second. Rick elected to change his frequency and go for it, as Bill had recorded a faster time up to that point, and both were on the same frequency. In the ensuing flyoff, excitement was an understatement. Rick cut a pylon about the seventh lap. Up to that point, the lead had changed hands a couple of times, and there were several near-miss skids. Bill won the flyoff and the top cash, and was pushed into a 1:14.8 time in doing so. A truly excellent finish to an outstanding two days of competition. Again, thanks to all the participants, sponsors, and super work crew, and see you next year for a bigger/better Dash for Cash.
RCAFC Dash for Cash II — Results
- Williamson — 28 pts — 1:15.19
- Landers — 28 pts — 1:17.80
- Katz — 27 pts — 1:13.47
- O'Brien — 26 pts — 1:18.80
- Jacobson — 24 pts — 1:22.03
- Klutz — 23 pts — 1:20.07
- Kovach — 22 pts — 1:19.37
- Schuster — 20 pts — 1:20.35
- Latsha — 19 pts — 1:21.51
- Lyons — 18 pts — 1:23.05
Remember, support the organization that got us where we are in racing.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
