Here we go again! Free Flight

Transcription

1 Free Flight July 27 Ted Allebone launches his Centaur P-30. The model is a recent Nats winner and Model Aviation feature available from AMA plans. Photo by Don DeLoach, Free Flight Nats 2014.

2 Free Flight Begins Here we go again! Free Flight the original form of heavierthan-air flight gets started today at AMA s National Flying Site in Muncie, Indiana. It s hard to believe this is the 89th running of the Free Flight Nationals. We will fly 60 (whew!) events this week, across five rule sets: AMA, National Free Flight Society (NFFS), Society of Antique Modelers (SAM), Flying Aces Club (FAC), and Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Most FF events are judged on pure duration usually a total of three flights plus flyoffs to break ties. Competitors aim for a flight duration maximum (max), which is based on the wind conditions and the size of the field. For FF events at the Muncie Nats, the standard max is 2 minutes. When a competitor attains three maxes in a row, he or she may proceed to attempt flyoff flights, which get progressively longer and more difficult to attain. In FAI (F1) events, the max is usually longer (3 or more minutes), and the number of regular flights preceding the flyoffs is either five or seven. Also, FAI competition is flown in 1-hour rounds, whereas AMA events do not require rounds. Central to FF competition is a choice: the best possible time to launch. Unlike Radio Control or Control Line, FF models receive no control from the pilot once they ve been released, making this launch decision crucial. Launch into rising air and FF modelers are happy. Launch into sinking air and the model usually has a poor chance of scoring a max. FAI events usually feature the most technically advanced models. AMA events are the next most technical. NFFS events are medium tech. FAC and SAM events are for simple, oldfashioned, balsa-and-tissue models. FAC features the only Scale events for FF. Some are judged statically for fidelity to the full-scale aircraft, but most are not. This year s FF event director is Mike Fedor of Arlington, Texas. Mike is a seasoned Free Flighter with many decades of experience running contests, so this should go very smoothly. Mike is a retiree of Vought Aircraft in Grand Prairie, Texas, and a many-time FF national champion dating back to the 1960s. He s also a member of the Free Flight Hall of Fame. As in past years, David Mills will be sharing NatsNews reporting/ photography duties with me. Look for David on the flightline Monday and Tuesday; I ll be covering Wednesday s, Thursday s, and Friday s events. Take us aside and show us your models, or point out other interesting happenings or outstanding feats of airmanship. We can t be everywhere at once. Don DeLoach 2014 Nats photos by Don DeLoach. 2 NatsNews 2015

3 In 2014 the following individual Free Flight National Champions were crowned: Event, # flew) 1st 2nd 3rd O.T..020 Replica (11) Bill Schlarb, 348 Ruth Bane, 341 John Oliver, 284 Nost. Payload 1/2A (3) Bud Romak, 314 Denny Dock, 208 Bill Vanderbeek, 19 Small Mulvihill (8) Joe Williams, 540 Frank Perkins, 516 Ed Sneed, 447 F1A (7) Oliver Cai, 1166 Steve Spence Andrew Barron Payload (5) Denny Dock, 268 Dan Kane, 265 Dan Berry, 251 Old Time HLG (14) David Hale, 191 Kyle Gerspacher, 176 Claiborne Wilson, 161 Moffett (15) David Sechrist, 780 Ed Konefes, 673 Ed Hardin, 545 Nostalgia C Gas (12) Brad Bane, 960 Gene Wicks, 937 Jack Marsh, 578 Electric B (10) Dick Ivers, 475 Hayden Ashworth, 425 Graham Selick, 354 1/2A Gas Open (13) Dan Berry, 955 Bob Hanford, 785 Faust Parker, 722 1/2A Gas Senior (2) Robert Marier, 581 Daniel Vucovich, 282 Old Time CLG (12 flew) Ralph Ray, 339 Tim Batiuk, 337 John Yost, 296 ROW Gas (5) Dan Berry, 573 James R. Kelly 284 Bob Stalick, 198 B Gas (10) Dick Covalt, 1124 GeraldBrown, 1028 Ronnie Thompson, 849 CD Classic Gas (12) Brad Bane, 2222 Ronnie Thompson, 1941 Bob Sowder, 819 Mulvihill Open (23) John Shailor, 2299 Bud Romak, 2285 Tom Ioerger, 1620 Mulivhill Senior (2) Robert Marier, 2410 Claiburne Wilson, 1123 Mulvihill Junior (2) Hailey Mattson, 367 Will Reuter, 67 F1C (4) Gil Morris, 1302 Faust Parker, 1247 Don Chesson, 598 F1H (5) Bob Sifleet, 600 Lee HInes, 502 Chuck Powell, 375 F1H Junior (2) Connor Vucovich, 338 Hailey Mattson, 13 F1Q (13) Matt Gewain, 1260 Richard J. Ivers, 1235 Dave Lacey, 1196 Nostalgia B Gas (18) Denny Dock, 821 Gene Wicks, 712 Larry Davidson, 674 Jetex (9) Chris Matsuno, 319 Bill Schlarb, 287 John Oliver, 190 Old Time Fuselage (9) Ed Sneed, 780 Ed Hardin, 746 Larry Coslick, 507 Nostalgia Electric 1/2A (3) Jerry Murphy, 294 Jack Murphy, 270 Hayden Ashworth, 220 ROW Rubber (3) Thomas Fox Christina Fox John Diebolt One-Design Combo (14) Hank Sperzel, 946 Denny Dock, 360 Gene Smith, 356 AB Classic Gas (13) Dick Covalt, 1030 Ronnie Thompson, 1013 Jim Bocckinfuso, 740 C Gas (8) Dan Berry, 1348 Gerald Brown, 1195 Charles Caton, 900 Cargo (1) Bob Stalick, 1387 Catapult Glider Open (1) Rocco Ferrario, 332 Tim Batiuk, 314 Stan Buddenbohm, 313 Catapult Glider Junior (10) Larson Ringlien, 169 Hailey Mattson, 121 Hayden Ashworth, 105 Catapult Glider Senior (4) Robert Marier, 132 Nathan Vucovich, 86 Claiburne Wilson, 70 F1B (1) Evan Simon, 1191 Carrol Allen, 1182 Tony Mathews, 1178 F1J (1) Faust Parker, 798 Gil Morris, 732 Jean Pailet, 441 E-36 (28) Scott Lapraik, 570 Ralph Ray, 558 David Hooke, 553 Nostalgia A (21) Larry Davidson, 960 Bob Sowder, 814 Keith Fulmer, 714 Nostalgia Early 1/2A (9) Brad Bane, 350 Keith Fulmer, 347 Dan Berry, 337 Small Nos. Rubber (15) Ed Hardin, 521 Robert Marier, 510 David Mills, 473 Old Time ABC Cabin (1) Bud Romak, 480 Robert Edelstein, 325 Bucky Servaites, 314 FAC Jimmie Allen (11) David Mills, 349 Pat Murray, 209 Grant Carson, 194 FAC Low Wing Trainer (2) Pat Murray Don DeLoach FAC Old Time Stick (8) Ted Allebone, 349 Don DeLoach, 348 Pat Murray, 326 FAC Dime Scale (8) Don DeLoach, 252 George Bredehoft, 197 Pat Murray, 139 1/2A Classic Gas Open (19) Jack Marsh, 659 Hank Sperzel, 634 Ronnie Thompson, 559 1/2A Classic Gas Senior (2) Daniel Vucovich, 380 Robert Marier, 354

4 1/2A Classic Gas Junior (3) Zachary Seymour, 396 Hayden Ashworth, 194 Will Reuter, 173 A Gas (9) Ronnie Thompson, 899 Dan Berry, 843 Gerald Brown, 749 Dawn Unlimited (7) Carrol Allen, 439 Bud Romak, 368 Gerald Brown, 355 HLG Open (20) Mark Covington, 340 Dan Berry, 338 Jan Langelius, 332 HLG Senior (1) Daniel Vucvich, 262 HLG Junior (7) Larson Ringlien, 177 Kyle Gerspacher, 105 Connor Vucovich, 103 F1G Senior/Open (23) Tony Mathews, 600 Carrol Allen, 599 John Clapp, 595 F1G Junior (4) Jack Merrifield, 515 Kyle Gerspacher, 469 Larson Ringlien, 374 F1P (1) Bob Hanford, 605 Electric A (14) Dick Covalt, 785 Hayden Ashworth, 568 David Hooke, 544 Nostalgia 1/2A Gas (19) Larry Davidson, 551 Gene Smith, 413 Keith Fulmer, 357 Old Time ABC Pylon (10) Hank Sperzel, 580 Simon Blake, 428 Bud Romak, 360 Fortastrop (4) Gene Smith, 324 Bill Vanderbeek, 220 Denny Dock, 208 Nostalgia Rubber Large (5) John Snobrich, 780 Ed Hardin, 540 Joe Williams, 539 HLG Mass Launch (7) Dave Gerspacher Don DeLoach Mark Covington FAC Old-Time Fuselage (7) Jim Gerzewski, 502 Ted Allebone, 501 Roy Stewart, 249 FAC Golden Age (5) Don DeLoach, 340 Gene Smith, 308 Ted Allebone, 225 FAC Embryo (13) Don DeLoach, 489 Larry Coslick, 460 David Mills, 337 WW II Combat (5) Pat Murray, Avenger George Bredehoft, Stuka Don DeLoach, F4U P-30 Junior (7) Jack Merrifield, 435 Joel Yori, 302 Hailey Mattson, 268 P-30 Senior (3) Robert Marier, 595 Nathan Vucovich, 281 Daniel Vucovich, 242 P-30 Open (26) Don DeLoach, 1410 Frank Perkins, 1320 David Mills, 685 Pee Wee 30 (6) Thomas Fox, 2453 Rick Pangell, 2019 Alan Abriss, 1580 Nostalgia 1/4A Gas (17) Hayden Ashworth (J), 409 Bill Schlarb, 347 Robert M. Hanford, 331 Old Time Rubber Stick (16) Paul Crowley, 2473 Ed Sneed, 1016 Dan Berry, 931 D Gas (8) Charles Caton, 1200 Ronnie Thompson, 1196 Jim Bocckinfuso, 989 Classic Towline (9) Tim Batiuk, 711 Jan Langelius, 537 Chuck Powell, 500 Super D (5) Jack Marsh, 677 Joe Clawson, 600 Charles Caton, 360 FAC WW I Combat (5) Don DeLoach, Scout Pat Murray, Fokker D.VII Grant Carson, Fokker D.VII FAC Rubber Scale (9) Pat Murray, Beriev, Don DeLoach, F4U, 144 Ted Allebone, 129 FAC Peanut Scale (3) G. Bredehoft, Pegna, Pat Murray, 98 Rick Pangell, 86 David Mills will be the NatsNews co-reporter again this year.

5 Graham Selick and his grandson, Hayden Ashworth. David Gerspacher and his son, Kyle. Small glider experts Lee Hines (L) and Mark Covington will missed at this year s Nats. Lee recently had hip replacement surgery. We wish him well. NatsNews

6 Don DeLoach photo. 6 NatsNews 2015