Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager
I hope that you pylon racers are planning to attend this year's AMA Nationals, to be held at Seguin, TX, August 2 to 9. Yours truly will be the C.D. for Pylon Racing. There will also be lots of good, experienced helpers. The site this year is more than adequate, so plan on attending. I don't think you will be sorry.
New Formula One: the Curtiss-Pitts Pellet ("The Pitts")
It sure is nice to see someone come up with a new Formula One racer. We have been looking at Tonis and Polecats for too long. Now there's a new Formula One called the Curtiss-Pitts Pellet. The designer (with tongue in cheek) prefers to call it "The Pitts." Since I had the personal honor of putting in the first few test flights, I can personally attest that it isn't "the pits." It is a super new design that seems to have all the makings of a winner.
Jerry Small — background and designs
The man behind the new design is Jerry Small from Houston, TX, who is not new to racing or developing original designs. He started competitive control-line speed modeling in Wichita Falls, TX (a rarity these days — a native Texan). This was in 1959. He competed in his first Nationals in 1960 and began winning on a national level in 1961.
College and the U.S. Army slowed down his modeling activities until 1969, when he started flying RC and designing his own planes. In 1974 Jerry teamed with a lifetime friend, Don Downing, and they formed the Model Merchant kit company. As their kit line was developed, Jerry's kits tended to follow the racing vein. Highlights include:
- The first Model Merchant kit: a semi-scale Shoestring 1/4A pylon racer (originally marketed by Hobby Lobby in Tennessee).
- Two Quarter Midgets: the LR1A and the Midget Mustang (Downing still manufactures these). The LR1A was used by George Parks and Gale Helms to place second and third, respectively, at the Dayton, OH Nats.
Jerry's main background has been in advertising, and it beckoned him in 1974. He is currently director of sales promotion and advertising for American General Life Insurance Company. He sold his interest in Model Merchant to Downing but kept active in racing and designing by creating the Tomcat Formula I. Jerry campaigned the Tomcat during 1979 and 1980 without much success, but he consistently managed to put his Tomcats on the first row at judging, usually coming down to the final three or four.
With a better understanding of the Tomcat's shortcomings, Jerry designed his new "Pitts" this past winter and plans to market the kit on a limited basis sometime this summer. If his new ship appeals to you, give him a call at (713) 440-7921. This ship is what I want to compete with this year, if Jerry can produce kits fast enough.
FAI racing update
Since our first article on the new rules for FAI, I have been receiving letters and phone calls from fliers all over the country asking for more about the event and when our first race might be. It seems a good number of people want to see FAI racing return. It looks like it will be coming back very soon, judging from all the input I have received.
As I was writing this article, several groups of fliers were putting together an FAI plane of some sort for the first FAI race we have had in the United States in several years. This race will be held November 2–3, 1981, in Las Vegas, NV. There are no qualifications for this race; just bring your planes and be ready for some good competition. The race will follow the NMPRA Championship Race to be held October 31 and November 1, 1981.
NMPRA qualifications and dues
For those new to pylon racing, to qualify for the NMPRA Championships you must first belong to the NMPRA. You can qualify by:
- Finishing in the top 10 in Formula I at the AMA Nats, or
- Finishing in the top 20% of your district for the season (the season ends October 1, 1981).
If you wish to join the NMPRA, send your $13.00 dues to me directly.
1981 season — first race report (Sepulveda Basin)
The first race report for the 1981 season is from the race held March 28–29 at the Sepulveda Basin. The Valley Flyers staged the event, with CD George Finch coordinating the function. They had a turnout of 43 fliers. Eight rounds were flown, with Dave Shadel leading most of the weekend with a perfect score.
Mike Atzei, who had been only one point down, was finally matched against Dave in the last round. Mike took the heat after each cut once, then beat Dave in a flyoff for first, turning a time of 1:12.9. The victory was Mike's first in nine years of racing. Ron Gilman recorded the fastest time during the event, a 1:12.8. Report submitted by Gary Hover.
Send reports and dues
Send all race reports and NMPRA dues to:
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr. Conroe, TX 77302
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
