By Rob Romash (rob@eclipsetoys.com)
Lead photo: The Phantom Flash Mass Launch. Not enough tables to go around, so we did a hand launch!
Saturday started out with lightweight models. Not the lightest models, but pretty close. Limited Penny Plane (LPP) is one of the most popular events with a metric buttload of entries (about 14). This event is a stepping-stone category to lighter models. Many folks don’t get past it as the only events beyond are both lighter weight and require a higher level of focus—EZB and F1D, among others. Without events like this though, it would be a challenge to gain the skill sets to achieve the other lighter models.
Jonathan Nunez showing perfect launch form. He better as his pop, George, has been building scale models since he was in diapers. A family that flies together stays together! One of the best aspects of all of model aviation and common throughout all disciplines.
Another event very well populated is A-6. This model is a design that has to fit on one piece of A4 paper (basically 8.5 x 11.) It allows for a multitude of creative designs. For me personally, I love events like this. This model challenges folks to make something new that isn’t that difficult to achieve given that there are not many rules beyond the above.
The top competitor had a model that sported a Manta Ray style appendage out back—I have never seen anything like it. The foot-long thin stick’s purpose was to shift the center of gravity out back while still retaining a design aspect that helps the model.
Once again, catching lift came into play Saturday morning. Launching your rubber model at the right place at the right time could garner you an extra few minutes. First place went to an LPP that was 20 feet from the ground, and then went back up to 80 feet in a rising air current. Of course, there is luck involved, but as we gain experience at this site, that luck is becoming less lucky and more skill oriented. That flight would have been around 11 minutes but ended up being well more than 14 minutes. Yours truly bided my time and watched, launching my model to the roof and judging where I would come down to the best possible low-level lift. I also floated around at 20 feet for more than three minutes extra. In the end, not enough as I missed first place by five seconds—all with picking air. Fun stuff here in the Enormo-dome.
Even though Dave Sacks has long left us for the great big gig in the sky, his friend (me) keeps his models flying. Here is his perfect flying No Cal model climbing to the ceiling.
A closeup of the late Dave Sacks No-Cal scale model.
The morning lightweights swapped out with heavier FAC scale models and other ships. Heavier means they weight more then a couple grams for those who think an ounce is light (28 grams in an ounce). One of the most competitive events was Phantom Flash—an odd model made as a five-cent kit in the 1940’s and still making folks nuts as to how to gain the very last few seconds out of it. These models are now made with the finest contest balsa and can weigh as little as 2.8 grams. A few years back, a 5-gram model was considered amazing.
A Phantom Flash requires take off using its built-in wheels. Since there was AstroTurf down, we used a table to stand in as a runway.
One of my favorite events is Coconut Scale. This is a model that has to have at least a 36-inch wingspan and has to be scale representing a full-size aircraft. The Nunez family is especially good at this as is Dave Aronstein who bought his huge 60-inch span Antonov transport model. This is an infamous model within the ranks of those lifelong indoor nerds as it never fails to absolutely stop everything in the room when it flies super slow like magic.
Dave Aronstein sitting next to his legendary Antonov Coconut Scale model.
The wingspan is longer than Dave himself!
The Antonov in graceful flight.
Saturday was also the day where we did the free-to-kids P-18 build. This was headed up by John McGrath of Laser-Cut Planes (www.lasercutplanes.com). John is a physics teacher in Colorado and volunteers tirelessly to help kids of any age with making a truly great flying model at every event he can get his hands on. We had more than 10 kids—good for a town of just 2,500 people! John helped them make the models, and then took time away from his own flying to make sure the models flew, and we all helped out. Kids and models just go together—there is no doubt.
Sunday, we come to the close of the event and the final tally. Who will be the Grand Champ? Stay tuned my few loyal readers!
The best way to stay married forever: enjoy each other’s interests and be supportive. In model aviation, marriages really seem to last much longer than the average. Seriously a guy focused on making models and supporting family has little time to piss his wife off! Happy wife—happy life!
Jonathan Nunez with dad's Pistachio Scale Hisso Tripe.
The Coconut Scale Mass Launch. If there is anything better than watching one of these models fly, it’s watching all of them fly at the same time. Last one down wins.
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