Indoor Free Flight June 12
There s no doubt that Thursday was the best Nats day so far. Why? Try 25 kids beaming with excitement over their first model airplanes flying a minute or more, amid a throng of cheering spectators, parents, and supporters. Yes, the 2015 P-18 Pro-Am was a huge success! From 9 a.m. to about 11, the kids were given excellent K&P winders (thanks FAI Model Supply!), FAI Tan Super Sport rubber motors and expert instruction in flight trimming and contest strategy from volunteers from two local clubs. The kids were allowed five official flights, and were able to take the single best flight as their final score. Then, as a bonus, we held a single-flight, winner-takeall mass launch just shortly before the AMA plaques were awarded. Most of the P-18s flew really great with very little trimming. The average flight was a little over minute. The winner did 1:39. Many kids had flights between 1:10 and 1:30. Some were so excited that they chased underneath their models, in circles, across the floor! Few moments in this hobby are more joyful than the simple sight of kids succeeding with their first model airplanes. Basically, this event could not have gone any better. As for the regular Nats flying, a lot of action took place this day, starting around noon when the kids departed. A bunch of guys flew Pennyplane with their Limited Pennies, in part tuning up for the Limited showdown on Friday. Rob Romash worked hard all evening and turned an impressive 8:41 with his Limited but was unable to catch my 9:35. (Does the very act of me typing that I don t wish to gloat constitute gloating? If a balsa tree fall in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound? These Jace Pivonka s nifty little French Dime Scale is his first FAC Scale model. and other questions will be answered in my forthcoming book, The Art of Beating Romash Without Much Effort. Hawwwww!) The big story of the day was Larry Coslick adding Nats wins in Helicopter (6:03), Ornithopter (7:08), and 35cm (11:38). That brings his win total to eight if my count is correct. He also placed second several times, including in F1M on this day. Congratulations, Larry! For those who don t know him, Larry is one of the finest gentlemen in our sport. He literally stopped tinkering with his models instantly around midafternoon when I poked a hole in a wing and needed guidance on patching it. Thank again, Larry. Front row (L-R): Don DeLoach, Rob Romash, Wyatt Wear, Mike Fedor. Rear (L-R): Rick Pangell, Bill Gowen, Dick Wood, Larry Coslick, Larry s daughter and crew chief (sorry, I didn t get her name), and Jerry Murphy. 2 NatsNews 2015
Larry Coslick launches his second-place F1M. Its design is very interesting, featuring two fins, one off centerline. Magnificent Mountain Men club member Darold Jones was a big help as Pro volunteer. F1M, as expected, was an absolute clinic by Bill Gowen, the World and quadruple national record holder. He set a new site record with a best single flight of 12:54, and a two-flight total of 26:20. Larry Coslick had trimming problems and managed 19:17 for second place. Another four fliers took part in this wellattended event. A number of fliers put in Towline flights Thursday, including me. I ve got to admit that this event really has me excited. My model, built from Limited Pennyplane scraps, took barely an hour to assemble late Wednesday night. Trimming Thursday was a snap, with just one move of the towhook, and the third test-flight turned a :49. At least half a dozen fliers are gunning for the Towline championship, which is being held over through Friday because of time constraints. The unofficial USIC/Nats perseverance award again had to go to Wyatt Wear who had another impressive day flying his wellworn, original-design F1M. He must have put up 50 flights this day, and finished with a best flight of 6:18. He is submitting it as a national record for Senior, Category II. Congrats! Don DeLoach NatsNews 2015 3
P-18 Pro-Am winners. Helicopter 1 2 Place Larry Coslick 6:03 1 David Erbach 1:23 1:37 2 Mike Fedor :52 3 Mini Stick 1 2 3 4 5 Place Rick Pangell 5:36 6:54 6:51 1:12 5:47 1 Don DeLoach 2:21 6:20 5:34 1:12 5:47 2 Richard Wood 4:49 3:09 5:13 3 Wyatt Wear 4:43 1:24 3:31 3:53 4:26 4 Mike Fedor 1:21 2:03 4:04 5
35cm 1 2 Larry Coslick 8:07 11:38 Orinthopter 1 2 3 Place Larry Coslick 5:34 5:57 7:07 1 Jerry Murphy 6:00 2 F1L 1 2 3 4 5 6 Place Larry Coslick 9:09 10:59 1 Richard Wood 4:17 6:08 8:09 7:29 2 Rob Romash 0:08 0:30 7:06 8:10 3 Dick Branch 2:49 2:58 2:18 2:26 2:51 0.12 4 Rick Pangell 1:45 5 Penny Plane 1 2 3 4 5 Place Don DeLoach 9:35 1 Rob Romash 7:22 1:41 7:29 8:41 6:59 2 Richard Wood 5:52 6:05 6:00 7:32 6:00 3 Rick Pangell 7:08 5:20 7:08 4 Mike Fedor 4:55 5:09 6:23 6:04 6:50 5 Jerry Murphy 3:43 2:04 4:45 5:29 6:30 6 Bill Carney 5:10 5:20 5:58 1:39 3:53 7 Jolin McGrath Handlaunch Stick 1 2 3 4 5 Place Larry Coslick 4:45 15:26 20:47 1 Mike Fedor 8:34 8:53 7:19 2:53 8:00 2 Wyatt Wear 6:08 1:20 4:15 5:21 6:09 3 P-18 Pro-Am 1 2 3 4 5 Place Emon Kavanaugh 1:39 0:26 1:21 1:29 1:25 1 Gretchen Gaebler 1:29 1:27 1:00 1:30 1:36 2 Liliana Aleman 1:30 :16 1:19 1:01 3 Skilly DeLoach 1:14 1:19 1:24 1:23 1:29 4 Nina Luellen-Sipes :27 1:28 1:20 1:20 1:20 5 Brandi Stevens 0:35 1:12 1:26 0:36 6 Zachary M 1:12 1:09 1:10 1:21 1:26 6 Amalie Drischoll 1:12 1:20 1:23 1:22 1:26 6 William Ledden IV 1:25 1:02 1:13 1:26 :52 6 Zack 0:48 0:59 1:29 1:23 1:22 7 Richard Gray :62 1:13 1:20 1:22 1:02 8 Tanya Deis 1:21 1:15 9 Lamfor 1:20 :30 1:14 1:02 1:11 10 Thomas Monda :06 :36 1:19 1:14 1:06 11 Juliet Gray 1:15 1:10 12 David 1:15 :26 :31 :31 :55 12 Loren Luellen :48 :30 :68 1:11 :30 13 Megan Monda :42 1:06 14 Nico Luellen-Sipes :45 :26 :28 :28 1:02 15 Steven Carney :59 16 Quinn Kavanaugh 0:46 0:01 0:43 0:58 0:05 17 Olivia Luellen :23 :10 :51 0:58 :47 17
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