Control Line: Aerobatics
HI AGAIN, Stunt fans. This month we'll conclude our walk down memory lane, courtesy of Mr. Joe Wagner, former chief engineer for the Veco Co. (Check out last month's column for the beginning of Joe's letter.) "When Hi (Johnson) and Bob (Palmer) made the original deal with Gil (Henry), they included their `patent rights' to the flapped U-Control model design. Although it's true that the Go-Devil was the first model kit to feature coupled flaps and elevators, the Comet Co. had earlier produced two Control Line kits with flaps alone. Designed by Lou Garami, they were the sleek Whizzer and the simpler, smaller Flicker. They flew around the circle nicely-I had one of each, way back when-but they couldn't loop or do any sudden maneuvers.
Control Line: Aerobatics
LET'S TALK about fuel tanks. While seemingly a simple container whose sole purpose is to keep raw fuel from spilling all over the beautiful finish on our Stunters, when looked at more closely it can be seen that tanks are intimately involved in the success or failure of our efforts in the Stunt circle. The design of the tank, its location in the airplane, and the manner in which it is plumbed all affect the way the engine runs and, therefore, the way the airplane flies. There are two major types of fuel tanks in common use for Stunt ships: plastic RC tanks, and metal tanks. The manner and type of construction is not particularly significant since this part of the tank-the skin, if you will-has only one function: containing the fuel. The only item of importance in this regard is that there be no leaks in the container.
Control Line: Aerobatics
FINISHED! From the mail I receive one would think that the paint job is the single most important part of a Stunt ship. No matter how much I stress the need for proper design, flight trim, and equipment preparation, it seems that the thing most budding Stunters want to learn is how to put out those Concours-winning finishes. Well, I don't blame 'em. Some of the most beautiful model aircraft ever built are Control Line Stunters, and the desire to be able to emulate some of these works of art is a goal to be admired.
Control Line: Aerobatics
HI THERE, boys and girls. Here it is, springtime at last. The snow is gone, the grass is green, and the time is right for flying that new creation which you spent all winter perfecting. I'll bet you're all just sitting expectantly around your batteries and fuel cans waiting for some pearls of wisdom to drip from the prolific pen of old "Fast-Lip" Fancher-words that'll give you that extra edge to make you a champion. Right? Wrong, nitro breath! It may be spring when you get your hands on this, but while I'm putting it out it is halfway between Christmas and New Years, I've just returned from a flight on good old United Airlines that allowed me to visit Chicago's O'Hare Airport right in the middle of a huge snowstorm that brought the entire country to its knees, my credit cards are all warped from Christmas shopping overload, my tax man is wringing his hands in anticipation, and my daughter just totalled her little Toyota. Guys, I'm flat out of pearls of wisdom . . . or of anything else.
Control Line: Aerobatics
PAMPA LIVES! I am pleased to announce that after a number of months of internal restructuring during which time the survival of our Control Line Stunt special interest organization was sometimes in doubt, PAMPA (the Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots Association) has successfully aligned many longtime leaders and some new ones into a hardworking and talented group of people who will bring PAMPA clearly back into the forefront of special interest groups. Tom Dixon, of Atlanta, Georgia, has just been elected to serve as president of PAMPA. Tom, an outstanding competitor and an accomplished businessman in his own right, has the combination of modeling knowledge and administrative acumen to provide the leadership which will be necessary to steer the group through the next couple of years.
