SEN 1272 2008

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Table of Contents - SEN 1272

Bill Hartill
Bill and the 50th
AZ Champs
F1J has moved on - get used to it
Listen to Don
Joe Konefes

Bill Hartill

Dick Gildersleeve informs that Bill Hartill, one of

SCAT Club's founders & past presidents, passed away

on Friday, Dec 12 at age 84.

An avid flier & vocal FAI advocate from the early '50s,

he authored a beautiful book, "World Free Flight Revue",

in the '70s.

Some of his designs can be found in Zaic Yearbooks.

He also CDed highly successful World FF Championships,

at Taft CA in 1979 and at Lost Hills, CA in 1993.

Lee Hines,

SCAT Club Scribe

Bill and the 50th
Editorial

Bill was one of those that lead the original SCAT members to leave the San Valeers and form our club. The motivation of those founders was focus on FAI events, following the rules as a way to raise the level of American Free Flight to world class. Bill insisted that the event should be run following the rules and that as a contest director he had no favorites. In running the two World Champs he organized the event for the contestants and made sure that everyone in the organizing team did that too.

At the club meeting this weekend we were discussing the plans for the 50th Anniversary of the Southern California Aero Team. We had already contacted Bill who said that he wanted to come the February from his retirement home in Arizona to see is FAI friends at Lost Hills as part of our celebrations. We invite you to remember Bill and his 8 friends with us at our 50th Anniversary next year.

AZ Champs Results


F1A
Jim Parker        180   180   180   180   180   180   180  1260
Brian Van Nest    180   180   180   173   180   180   180  1253
Jim Farmer        180   180   180   168   180   180   180  1248
Andrew Barron     180   180   180   180   180   180   144  1224
Lee Hines         180   180   180   180   180   180   111  1191
Peter Brocks      180   180   180   100   180   180   180  1180
Enes Pecenovic     25   174   112   145    87    29   180   752

F1B
Blake Jensen      180   180   180   180   180   180   180   300   396  1956
Paul Crowley      180   180   180   180   180   180   180   300   309  1869
E. Vanlandingham  180   180   180   180   180   180   180   273        1533
Elmer Nelson      180   180   180   180   180   180   180   244        1504
Dick Wood         180   145   145   180   180   141   180              1151

F1C-F1P
Don Chessen       180   180   180   180   180   180   180   413  1673
Cody Secor (F1P   180   180   180   180   180   180   180   335  1595
Richard Mathis    171   180   180   180   180   180   180        1251
Bob Hanford (F1P  180   180   180   132   179   141  DNF          992

F1Q
Bernie Crowe      180   180   180    12  DNF   DNF    102   654
Dick Wood          68  DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF   DNF     68

F1G
Peter Brocks      120   120   120   120   120   180   240  1020
Brian Van Nest    120   120   120   120   120   180   195   975
Paul Crowley      120   120   120   120   120   180   188   968
Dick Wood         120   120   120   120   120     3         603
Tiffaney O'Dell   120   113   120   109   120               582
Elmer Nelson      120   120    73   120   120               553
E. Vanlandingha   120   120   120    81   102               543

F1H
Brian Van Nest    120   120   120   120   120   180   186   966
Lee Hines         120   120   120   120   120   180   178   958
Jim Parker        120   120   120   120   120   180   161   941

F1J            None

F1J has moved on - Get used to it!

I remember when F1C moved from 10 to 7sec motor run then on to 5 sec many of my friends complained their old models would no longer be competitive and they were . probably right, but those who wanted to continue to compete built or bought new models, got rid of their Rossis and invested in Nelsons etc. Most of the others were not all that interested anyway and used the rule change to whinge or opt out of competitive FF to fly radio, play lawn bowls or bingo. I guess the same thing happens with formula 1 race cars too. When the rules change as everything else in life does you can spit the dummy or take on the new challenge. Once I would have typed this response on my typewriter and sent it to you through the post. Now I use this hi tech PC thing and email it. Considering the rumours to drop F1B rubber weight from 30gm to 25g or shortening F1A towlines a couple of years back we got similar responses. I agree we don't get a lot of participation in F1J but we have less people flying FF now then when we flew 1/2 A power or as we used to call it, class 1 power in Australia. I won class 1 power at our State Champs in 1964 - we had 17 entries. Now we have about the same number of people flying FF in total in Queensland but spread over all the disciplines. Having 7 or 8 compete in F1J these days is similar to any other class in our state. In fact since the availability of bought hi tech F1J models we have increased entries in F1J at the AFFS champs this year (10) being more than either F1H or F1G. Starting up more classes to fly older models only reduces the participation in every other class and makes the running of events like Nationals more difficult to fit everything in, particularly if you lose a day due to rain. Altering the rules for under-performing models (7 sec engine runs) is like golf with a handy cap (I only won because ......). Hi tech power events like F1C and F1J are not for the faint hearted - they are not beginners models. I get a buzz out of flying the new F1J models but I admit they are not as relaxing as flying my old Cox Tee Dee .051 models. Buying a new 6 panel, cyclon powered F1J will not guarantee you any more success than your well trimmed 1/2 A model unless you can handle the technology and pick the air. Success is more due to getting the best out of what you have rather than blaming your failures on not having a more expensive high tech model.

Cheers
John Lewis

Listen to Don

Guys,

Listen to Don Deloach. He knows whereof he speaks. Read again his comments about F1P in the last SEN. It's not just about F1J or F1P—it applies to the whole concept of F1. His is the voice of reason and sensibility. From my perspective, the whole conversation about the F1 dilemma has missed the real point (except for a few enlightened voices). The problem is complexity, plain and simple: factory built models. If ours is to be a hobby of aeromodeling, it may flourish or not. If it is to be a science of rocketry and thermal picking, then it will evolve from what it is now, more and more technical, until the option of actually building an airplane yourself is history—for better or for worse—and aeromodeling is dead.

It is ours to choose. And I choose the hobby route—build your own airplane, preferably of your own design or not, it doesn't matter. I say fly anything you want in the qualifying process, but when it comes to the WC, it just doesn't feel right to call a man a Model Airplane Champion Of The World unless he flies an airplane he at least built himself. You can't know what it feels like to win a championship flying your own airplane until you have done so. Flying a store-bought rig just ain't the same. It is just another NASCAR. Great thrills, yes, but it's still just aiming the thing.

Hey, we could save a bundle of cash, and just time ultra-tech balloons, and the guy with the best air-picking electronics would win. Is that what we want? If so let's just set it forth clearly so we all know for sure what F1 free flight is about. I vote for aeromodeling.

Augustus in Idaho

Joe Konefes

Maybe you have already announced it but the late great Joe Konefes passed away. We surely have seen his name on many Comet plans for drafting and design, besides his famous Buzzard Bombshell. Some of us are working on a model now with his name on the plan. We miss you Joe. Ed Mate

ED MATE
14510 EDBROOKE
RIVERDALE, IL 60827

.....

Roger Morrell