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The official Academy of
Model Aeronautics (AMA)
Biography of Neil
A. Armstrong mentions "Neil was part of the U.S. Navy team at the 1949
CL Speed Nats and attended the 1962 Nats." Here is what might be the only surviving
photograph of Mr. Armstrong at the event, holding what appears to be a
Sterling
F4U Corsair control line model (I currently have one in progress). The caption states he was 32 years old at the time,
which jives with his August 5, 1930 birth date (1962-1930 = 32 years). Also Don
Pratt's Cox .020-powered Monogram's "poor man's Phantom" is shown. An
article titled "Adding Power to Plastic Scale Planes"
appeared in the previous month (November 1962) with details of the conversion. There's plenty of other good news
and photos that you'll want to read and see.
Model Progress - Commentary
By Al Lewis
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Neil A. Armstrong,
32, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, NASA test pilot on X-15, chosen as one of nine "second
generation" spaceship pilots to fly the 2-man Gemini and moon-bound Apollo. Neil,
a former model builder, is shown at the '62 National air-model championships. See
photos of the full-scale
N5588N
Corsair at the Warbird Registry website. Maybe I'll paint my
Sterling F4U Corsair in the same colors
in memory of Mr. Armstrong.
Famous visitors Dick Everett (lt.) and Johnnie Brodbeck (rt.)
at ribbon cutting ceremony for new PacAF model facility.
Fred Boos of the Chicago U-Liners club constructed and donated
Nats' Navy Carrier "island"
Betty Meredith is head drum majorette and a senior at Norview
High School.
Bobbie Riddick (no, it's not Vicki Lawrence) is enrolled at East
Carolina College as a freshman.
Back again to intrigue us with his very flyable "non-flyers",
Don Pratt adds Cox .020 power to Monogram's "poor man's Phantom."
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There's so many exciting events to report on we're wondering how to shoehorn
everything in. Because we've needed more space for new modeling developments the
"powers that be" (bless 'em) are expanding each issue of A.M. into a 100-pager which
will appear every other month.
All that and color, too ... almost too much for this harried editor.
Why Harried? Because there aren't enuf hours in our working
day/nite. Yet we took time to expound on aero/space "technical modeling" at the
National Recreation Association's annual convention (in Philly). Once this group
goes all out and embraces land-sea-air-modeling and model rocketry - wowee! Lotsa
interest there. More in a later issue including on how you and/or your club can
go after rec folk in your environs.
German Sensation. Performance of (West) German team in England
at FAI World Indoor Championships was eye-opener. Held in RAF's Cardington hangar
on Sept. 22-23, Germany's Hacklinger, Hewel & Riecke totaled 244.06 minutes
"to win group honors. Carl Heinz Riecke topped all with best-of-2-flights 88 minute,
48 sec. total. Second was his teammate Max Hacklinger with 86:17; third went to
USA's Carl Redlin - 84 minutes on the nose.
Great Britain placed 2nd in team standings, America third. Details planned for
Jan/Feb A.M. avec exclusive photos.
Newest, Biggest "Annual." You're advised via a brief announcement
that the 1963 A.M. Annual is due Nov. 15. Man, this is the most ultra-most. For
instance: a global engine review details 270 mills from both sides of the Iron Curtain.
We're afraid to count the number of photos for fear our accountants will murder
us!
Its 132-pages makes this at 75¢ the biggest bargain in annuals you'll encounter
anywhere, anytime. Shall we make with the word? ... Run (cautiously, of course)
... don't walk to you-know-where. And if you drive fasten those seat belts.
Air Progress, Too? Oh, sure, Condé Nast folks figure
they as well go all out with features in the upcoming 100-page Winter edition that
you'll not find elsewhere.
Be the bearer of glad tidings to those who read A.P. and maybe spend long hours
trying to track down each new edition. This is just between vous et nous, y'understand?
... an itty bitty boid blabbed that in 1963. Air Progress will be issued every other
month and - wonders of wonders - Subscriptions Will be Available.
To about 1.738 jillion A.P. fans that will be news as welcome as a cut in taxes!
So, the I.B.B. word should be worth a coupla free sarsaparillas when delivered to
air-minded Garcias.
Where Were We? Oh, yes, are you a model club or recreation department
leader/worker or someone helping trying to help a novice group? Something you should
nave handy when you discuss a simplified air-modeling course or easy related projects
to get those young 'uns started off on the right foot: "A Beginner's Guide To Model
Plane Building." It's an excellent pamphlet prepared by Sterling Models' Ed Manulkin.
A note to Ed at Belfield Ave., and Wister St., Philadelphia 44, Pa., will bring
you a gratis copy. Study it carefully, then see if you don't agree that Sterling's
proven series of six profile-scale easily-made prefabbed rubber-powered beginner's
18" span jobs are just what the kids need to get "airborne." Tell Ed we put you
on the trail of ABGTMPB.
Walt's Pair. Those craft on page 33 by Norfolk's Walter R. Williamson
are certainly unique. "Tag-A-Long" (below, right)
is for controleers who want to learn to fly two Ukies simultaneously. Confesses
WRW: "When I fly two powered jobs at one time I have had trouble keeping 'em together.
With a wire between this tug and my non-powered Tail-End Charlie I can keep both
in sight. I can drive the towed job until it is almost directly under the tow ship.
Control lines to towed model should be 5 feet shorter than to the tow plane.
"Many new approaches could evolve from this. It would be a splendid way to teach
novice Ukie-ites. Or hook a streamer to the back plane and fly combat with a similar
duo (Ed's note: !!!).
"When that gets too tame, try team combat with two pilots opposing two other
stout-hearted C/Line men! Stunt flying could be run off the same way. Tow 'cable'
should be 15 to 20 feet and at least .021" diameter. Anchor same securely to tow
plane. I mount a spring between tug and aft-ender."
Okay, Mr. AMA 9012, how's about that pivoting wing job Bobbie Riddick's holding
.... (below, right)
"Ah," admits Walt, "this is not really as extreme as most of mine, but, then,
I've been sleeping better lately - very few nightmares. I had figured that with
the elevator plus half the wing pivoting she would turn on a dime. Alas, those motors
acted like gyros ... the faster they ran, the less control I had. So the lines snapped
and the pivot-plane crashed breaking off the motors which had been mounted on the
movable outboard wings. Originally she had a Fox .15 inboard, a Fox .09 outboard.
I rebuilt her with one Fox .19. She flew, but hasn't been completely debugged. Maybe
this will give someone else an idea or two."
"This conglomeration evolved via the following: Outer wing sections from a Senior
9; center portion started life as a PDQ Flying Clown; stab and elevator were salvaged
from a Warrior."
People. The Navy had these USA air-Nats champs aboard a carrier
at Pensacola Naval Air Station, along with their Dads: Junior Champion Jim Skarzynski;
Senior Champ & Sr. Carrier winner Larry Miller; Air Youth Champ David Fox; Junior
Carrier winner Ellis Brasch.
When you peruse those
rocket
pix on page 46, update "Red" Thompson to Captain. Congrats, Bryant; it couldn't
happen to a nicer, more deserving, harder-working USAF officer.
Speed C/Line expert Harold Stevenson who painted some of our outstanding covers,
back from an extensive painting trip abroad, is conducting extremely successful
over-subscribed private classes for art students showing exceptional promise at
his studio on Long Island's north shore.
Percy Pierce, long-time aviation enthusiast who flew with the U.S. Army in World
War One and was extremely active in developing air-model programs around Philadelphia
- he organized the fantastically successful Philadelphia Model Aeroplane Association
(PMAA) - died last August. As a boy he set many model endurance marks and prior
to the PMAA started the Junior Aero Club of America in NYC.
Back again to intrigue us with his very flyable "non'flyers", Don Pratt adds
Cox .020 power to Monogram's "poor-man's Phantom."
Last issue we incorrectly identified Tom Brett's R/C plane which flew off with
the World Championship crown in England as his "Apogee" - actually it was the Michigander's
"Perigee." They are identical twins inside and out so it was an understandable error.
We're running Tom's plans in Jan/Feb A.M.
(Le)Roy Cox & friends broke ground in Santa Ana, Calif., for a new Thimble-Drome
plant going on a ten acre site. Roy will be consolidating equipment, personnel and
material from his present 8 structures into one. A model flying field will be part
of the expanded layout.
Paul Lindberg sez his MiG-19 plastic scale assembly kit has been duplicated by
Russians and is on sale in Moscow stores! 'Twas copied right down to the rivets.
Wave The Banner. Makers of sponge rubber wheels on demountable,
turned aluminum hubs, Banner Model Co. adds 2-1/2" diameter size ($1.75 per pair);
line now starts at 1" goes to 2-1/2" via 1/4" increments - similar 2-3/4" size will
follow at $1.85 per pair. Two plastic hubbed 3-inchers still offered at $1.95 (Banner,
218 W. Palm Ave., Burbank, Calif.).
D.P. Follow-Up. Recall Don Pratt's fly-like-mad glow-plug powered
"non-powered shelf scalers" in November A.M.? Pix shows his latest: Monogram's F-51D
(kit #PA77); this is a low cost version of firm's Phantom Mustang. Cox .020 turned
regular Cox 3-blader. Performance is jim dandy - Don "cheated" with larger elevator
of balsa, kept job light. Remainder is all scale except controls and wheels. Thanx
for updated report, Don.
Posted May 3, 2014
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