1989 AMA National Fun Fly

By Larry Kruse

As seen in the October 1989 issue of Model Aviation.

The notion that modelers can and should get together for the sheer joy of flying their airplanes in each other's company is probably as old as modeling itself. During the last few years, this notion has become somewhat more formalized than in the days when flying sites were to be had on vacant lots or on the outskirts of every town. In lieu of the many impromptu flying sessions of earlier times, the scarcity of available flying sites has given rise to organized gatherings of modelers at specific local and regional locations—the fun fly format that has become so familiar to today’s modelers.

What happens at a fun fly nowadays is no different, however, than at the impromptu gatherings of the past. Modelers practice their flying skills, show off their newest creations, brag a bit, relate embellished versions of their own and others’ experiences, and just generally have a great time with old friends and new acquaintances. In short, they have fun with modeling in a setting designed to eliminate pressure and emphasize friendship and camaraderie.

This low-pressure concept has proliferated throughout the country. Fun fly events today are scheduled for every type of model aircraft imaginable: Giant Scale, floatplanes, helicopters, Old-Timers, Soaring ships, ducted-fan models, Control Line (CL) aircraft, Free Flight (FF), or any combination of the above. All of these, plus anything else you could name, crowd the AMA calendar from coast to coast in a seasonal pattern.

Using the popularity of the local and regional fun fly as a springboard, last year [1988] AMA hosted the first-ever nationally organized fun fly in Reno, Nevada. The event was intended to be inclusive of any type of aircraft modelers wanted to bring along and share. Following that embryonic beginning, the 1989 National Fun Fly was moved in­land to Dayton, Ohio, the "cradle of aviation" and the home of Wilbur and Orville Wright. I'm quite sure that Wilbur and Orville would have approved of AMA's choice of location. I'm also sure that the fraternal pioneers would have been hard­pressed to imagine a hundred or more model airplanes controlled by radios or wires, or simply flying unfettered over the very ground they once landed their own ships upon.

As any airplane buff is well aware, the big attraction of Dayton is the U.S. Air Force Museum. Located on the Wright­Patterson Air Force Base grounds, this huge museum and its accompanying restoration facility are absolute musts for anyone traveling through the central part of the United States. Hundreds of important aircraft displayed chronologically, along with memorabilia from various eras, video presentations, and audio commentary, make the museum a one-of-a-kind experience.

The 1989 National Fun Fly had the good fortune to be situated not much more than a stone's throw from history, and certainly close enough to remind each of us that we partake in some small way of the unique spirit which pervades all of aviation.

A fun fly is not about history, though, but rather about people and the airplanes they bring to fly. At this year's gathering, said people and airplanes met with a distinct shock on Saturday, the first day of scheduled flying. The temperature in the Dayton area plummeted to 55°, and the wind turned chill and blustery.

Immaculate 2/3-scale Spacewalker built from the Sig kit by the model's designer, Bruce Tharpe, from Montezuma IA. Bruce brought several of Sig's kitted designs, as well as some of his own work to fly. 

Prior to flying out of Kansas for the fun fly, my wife, Cel, and I had watched the national weather forecast closely to see what could be expected in Dayton, some 1,200 miles east and north of us. The smiling forecaster told of balmy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. We dressed accordingly, much to the glee of contest director Vince Mankowski, who repeatedly pointed out my shorts and shirt attire for all to hear via the PA system at the main flying site. I could have just as easily been identified by the blue veins in my legs. To add insult to injury, by the next day I had acquired long pants and a heavier shirt. Vince also pointed that out over the PA system to the crowd basking in the 80-90° temperatures and wearing shorts and light summer attire. It’s like George Gobel said: “Did you ever feel that the rest of the word is a tuxedo and you are a pair of brown shoes?” Ah, well.

Larry Wilson, of North Vernon IL, built his Etrich Taube from a Balsa USA kit. A Como .51 powers it. Although very light, the airplane performed well in gusty conditions on Saturday.

Despite the less than ideal flying conditions, by 10 o’clock on Saturday. the flight line had begun to fill with aircraft. Since both CLand RC were flown in the same immediate vicinity, some small distance to the east of the USAF Museum, spectators could watch both types of flight simultaneously. As many as six RC planes might be in the air at the same time. Somewhat to the west of the RC and CL site, a hardy band of Free Flighters periodically braved the gusts, launching their fragile craft on wind-tossed flights.

The majority of this year’s participants came from not too distant locations, which was the reason for scheduling the national event in the midst of the country’s largest modeling population base. Modelers from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia, and, of course, Ohio, tended to predominate, but others came from farther east and south. Don Ross led a contingent of Free Flighters out of New York and New Jersey; and one participant, F.C. “Nick” Nixon, came from the swamplands of Louisiana where he flies with the LARKS club from Lake Charles. In all fairness to Nick, he actually came to Dayton for a reunion of the 58th Tactical Fighter Wing, of which he is a member, and stayed for the fun fly. Many other participants said they came both to fly and to visit the museum, but I particularly like the comment of one modeler who may have been more honest than most. He said he came for the food.

(L): Ron Ballard and his beautiful Byron F-16 tore up the sky and wowed the crowd with incredibly low passes over the runway. This impressive aircraft is powered by a Rossi .90 ducted-fan engine. Ron hails from and flies out of Decatur IN, with the Spirit of America Show Team. (R): Bob Kuns, of Fairborn OH, is apparently quite happy with his design, Impulse Plus. Immediately behind Bob is one of his high-wing designs called the Sundancer. Partially hidden is his midwing Express. All of these .60-size designs are being kitted by Bob's firm, Air Flair Kits.

The diversity of participants was echoed by an equally diverse group of aircraft. From new kit prototypes to old standards, from customized variations on a theme to the downright weird, there was something for everyone. Modelers like Bon Kuns of Fairborn, Ohio, treated the event much like a flying trade show by demonstrating his company’s new kit offerings. Bob’s firm, Air Flair, had three very attractive 60-size sport ships on hand—the high-wing Sundancer, the low-wing Impulse Plus, and the midwing Express. Bruce Tharpe, one of Sig’s ace designers, brought his new Four Star 40, just out in kit form for the sport flier, as well as a gorgeous 1/3-scale Space Walker done up in yellow and red.

(L): George Steiner (on the left) and "Doc" Marsh were among those helping to run the impound and transmitter check areas to make sure no frequency problems were in evidence. George has been an innovative and longtime driving force of the AMA Frequency Committee. "Doc" was one of the many local volunteers who helped make the fun fly possible. (R): Al Seidowski, of Cleveland OH, firing up the Enya .60 in his X-Cell chopper from a Miniature Aircraft kit. Practically every category of aircraft was present, as well as many that just couldn't be categorized.

Several fliers showed a predilection for customizing their aircraft. Being a canard fan, I particularly like the Mystere 3000 canard by Frank Donisi, painted in a wild camouflage pattern and sporting two dummy jet engine nacelles above the wing. Frank said the dummy engines were made from Diet Coke cans. I asked him if he used Diet instead of regular Coke cans to save weight.

(L): Bruce Tharpe, designer of Sig's new Four Star 40, is seen here preparing to gas up this bright yellow version he brought with him to the fun fly. The simple yet attractive lines of this airplane and its very forgiving flight characteristics should make it a very popular design. (R): AMA President Don Lowe is apparently getting a big kick out of being interviewed by little Loren Wagner. Young Miss Wagner was seen everywhere helping her dad, Joe Wagner, a well-known designer in his own right, as well as a columnist for Model Airplane News magazine.

Brian Clayton had a big Robin Hood powered by a Supertigre 3000 finished in the olive drab of a reconnaissance plane—a very effective treatment. Dennis Kirby went one step further—he customized himself to match his plane. As Dennis steered his ultrastable Senior Telemaster through some ultraslow flyby exploits, his John Deere cap and shirt were a perfect match for the ship’s resplendent finish in the same colors.

(L): F.H. "Nick" Nixon had a grand time flying an armada of aircraft. This one's his Ace Littlest Stick powered by a Cox .020. The wide-eyed little airplane seemed to know its way around the field. (R): Frank Donisi's customized Mystere 3000 canard was dressed up in an elaborate camouflage paint scheme. Dummy twin-engine nacelles atop the wing are from discarded soft drink cans. Frank hails from Franklin OH.

Innovators like Bill Lehn and Glenn Stucker like to camp it up when they customize. They go in for the oddball, the playful, the downright strange. Lehn flew a huge foam flatiron, a Formula 1 race car, a lawn mower, and a twin-rotor gyrocopter. Stucker was right in there with him among the ranks of the truly innovative with his flying fish, aptly named “Jaws,” as was an unidentified modeler who brought the almost obligatory Snoopy’s Doghouse for show-and-tell on the flight line.

(L): The creations of Bill Lehn, of Dayton OH, tend to stand out a bit on the flight line. His flying lawn mower looks like it would be more at home in the yard than in the air. Constructed primarily of foam with overlays of the Wall Street Journal, this contraption certainly emphasizes the word "fun" in fun fly. (Middle): Another Bill Lehn work of art is this twin­rotor gyrocopter from plans in RC Modeler. The rotors are free-spinning and contrarotating to cancel out any potential torque problems. Another interesting feature is the negative pitch of the rotor blades, even though the rotors themselves have a positive angle of attack in relation to the thrust line. (R): This sinister Jaws created by Glenn Stucker, of West Chester OH, chews its way through the air powered by a Fox .50 as part of the routine of the Cincinnati Hurricanes Show Team. While Jaws menaces the air, appropriate background music from the movie is heard being played over the loudspeakers.

(L): Giant Scale had numerous representatives at the fun fly, including this terrific-looking Chipmunk built by Charles Fist of Sardinia OH. The model was constructed from a kit produced by Don's Custom Models and sported an immaculate red, white, and blue color scheme. (R): This trim-looking Sig Banshee, built by Bruce Tharpe of Montezuma IA, is a good reminder that flying for fun doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Powered by a Fox .35 with muffler, this profile sport/stunter would be a great way to be introduced into CL flying.

Original designs in the more traditional sense were also present at Dayton. Among them were two excellent flying aircraft, one in CL Stunt, the other appearing as a Schoolyard Scale subject for RC. Joe Reinhard of nearby Columbus, Ohio, turned the spectator’s attention from the RC flightline to the CL circle when he orchestrated and choreographed an aerial ballet with his truly excellent Cycle VI Stunter. Not particularly large at 540 sq. in. of wing area, the 54-ounce ship was pulled around the circle and through the difficult (in the wind) vertical maneuvers with ease by the Supertigre .60 in the nose. I didn’t get a chance to ask Joe if he had detuned the engine to slow things down. What I saw, though, was a rock-solid airplane flying through gusts as though they didn’t exist, and yet not in a hurry to do so.

(L): Bob Laybourne, of Donnelsville OH, is not only the owner of the Hobby Hangar but an excellent builder in his own right. He's seen here with his beautiful red-and-white Shereshaw Cumulus, finished in silk and dope. Imagine silking some of those compound curves on that fuselage! (R): Dillard Hazelrigg, of Huber Heights OH, carries Si Jordan's (Bellbrook OH) lovely New Ruler to the flight line. The old Henry Struck design almost dwarfs the O.S. 40 four-stroke bolted to its nose. Those Trexler air wheels absorb a tremendous amount of shock on landing.

Young Don Apel, who also hails from Columbus, waited until conditions were better on Sunday before flying his .049-powered Nieuport bipe in a confident and most impressive manner. The little plane was extremely responsive in all control modes and so realistic that one could imagine Nungesser in the cockpit.

(L): Antony Peters, of New York NY, brought his multicolored Caudron to Dayton as part of the FF contingent from the East Coast. Note the very efficient paddle-bladed propeller blades on this little WW II fighter. (Middle): Don Apel came from nearby Columbus OH, and put in some very impressive flights on Sunday with his own-design, scratch-built Nieuport. The airplane is powered by an .049 Cox and flew on rudder, elevator and.throttle. Note the external elevator control cables. (R): Don Ross, of Cresskill NJ, led a contingent of Free Flighters from NJ and NY. Here, Don prepares to launch his electric-powered Lectrolyte. Don is also the author of a new book titled Rubber Powered Model Airplanes, directed at Free Flighters.

All of the fliers are to be commended for exhibiting a very high level of flying skills. Although this was billed as a fun fly rather than a competition, it’s one thing to put your plane in the air n front of two or three of your fellow club members on a laid-back Sunday afternoon, and quite another to have two or three hundred spectators behind you watching your every move.

The appreciative crowd on Sunday. Spectators enjoyed the constant nonstop action of as many as six airplanes in the air at a time. Maestro Bob Underwood choreographed the flight line both days, keeping things moving along quite briskly with over 300 flights recorded by every kind of aircraft imaginable.

AMA HQ staff members and the volunteers who manned the flight lines are also be commended for giving everyone a chance to fly as much as they wanted, while still maintaining adequate provisions to assure a safe fun fly. The only accident, a midair, which destroyed both of the aircraft involved, was certainly no reflection on the officials, since it was caused more by depth perception errors than by procedural ones.

With RC, CL, and FF happening all at once, the main flying site at Wright-Patterson had all the pizzazz of a three-ring circus. Things were a bit more leisurely at the two other sites earmarked for Soaring and Old-Timer flying, respectively.

The soarers were in action immediately east of Dayton, some 15 minutes driving time distance, at the Twin Towers Park flying site, normally the home of the Dayton Area Thermal Soarers (DARTS) club. While appearing to be a deceptively small flying area from the road, the field opened up to the north to allow flying from the comfort of a shaded picnic pavilion, if desired.

(L): Dale Leach, of Bellbrook OH, is the president of the Dayton Area Thermal Soarers (DARTS) Soaring club. He used his company's color scheme and logo to trim his Chuparosa Glider, finished in a striking black-and-yellow motif. (R): Dale Leach, Ken Allen, Walt Schmoll, arid Jim Martin, all members of the DARTS club, showed up for the Soaring portion of the fun fly, located east of Dayton at Twin Towers Park.

As we drove into the site, we were pleasantly surprised to see five or six youngsters tossing Hand-Launched Gliders into the gusts and then enthusiastically running after them, only to toss them again. The youngsters appeared to range from about five to 12 years in age, and each had at least one glider that was capturing his or her undivided attention. Two adults, one obviously the mother of at least one of the youngsters and the other an older gentleman, were standing to one side, doing their best to keep things organized and moving along.

It was such a delight to see youngsters having their first experience with model airplanes. Even though I suspected that they weren't part of the Soaring portion of the organized fun fly, they were flying and obviously having fun. When I approached them, camera in hand, I learned that they were a youth group from the Prayer and Praise Fellowship Church of Pottsdam, Ohio. The older gentleman, Bill Connell, had organized the group and provided them with much of their needed material. He was being assisted in this worthy endeavor by Cindy Minnich, the mother of the youngest glider flier, Brandon Minnich. As their reward for braving the chill winds and uncomfortable conditions just to fly model airplanes, I promised to include them in this report. Bill, you and Cindy should be proud of the work you have done with these youngsters.

(L): Si Jordan, of Bellbrook OH, is seen cranking up the Forster .29 on his Playboy Cabin with the able assistance of Ray Sorensen, of Centerville OH. Both gentlemen can be found regularly at the Donnelsville Aerodrome. (R): The venerable Bill Lehn with yet another of his unusual creations, a flying flatiron. One can just imagine the fun Bill has with these arresting contraptions at model air show team demos.

Driving north from Twin Towers Park after visiting with several members of the DARTS club, we headed for the Old­Timers site. I can't tell you exactly how far from Dayton it is to Donnelsville because I took one of the roads that my wife can tell you I'm famous for taking—it's never on a map and it never goes where I think it should. Inevitably, such a practice causes me to stop someplace along the way and ask for directions.

We did find Donnelsville and did find Bob Laybourne's Hobby Hangar, the assigned site for Old-Timer flying. As we wound back through the trees on a gravel road, we suddenly came upon what could have been a WW I aerodrome. The operations headquarters was buried bunkerlike into the side of a hill, and the closely mowed runway awaited the arrival of a squadron of Sopwith Camels back from dawn patrol. What a great place!

(L): Several good-flying Telemasters were on hand and being put through their paces almost constantly. This one, a Senior Telemaster, poses proudly with its owner, Greg Bartling, of New Martinsville WV. Greg said he came to fly, see the Air Force Museum, and to eat good food—three components for a perfect fun fly. (R): Looking for all the world like a WW I aerodrome, Bob Laybourne's Hobby Hangar, a hobby shop specializing in Old-Timer and FF supplies and kits, was adjacent to the Old-Timer and FF flying area near Donnelsville OH.

(L): Jim Correll brought his whole family, along with a family of Zilches, to the fun fly. Jim, Betty, and daughter, Allison, came in from New Albany IN, to fly their trio of CL Old-Timers, including a 1-1/2-size Super Duper Zilch that Betty is holding in the center of the picture. In the extreme background, part of the museum complex can be seen. (R): Host and owner of the Hobby Hangar, genial Bob Laybourne, proudly poses next to his extensive collection of Old-Timer kits and engines that date back to the infancy of model aviation in the USA.

In reality, the headquarters was Bob Laybourne's Hobby Hangar hobby shop, and the aerodrome next to it the flying strip for the fortunate members of the SMAC chapter of the Society of Antique Modelers who call it home. A more congenial group you'll not find anywhere.

When we arrived, there was little activity, in deference to the weather. But we had hardly introduced ourselves when planes began magically appearing out of the trunks of ,cars, the back of the hobby shop, the side doors of vans—lovely aircraft ranging from ignition-powered cabin jobs to four-cycle Pylon ships that leaped off the mowed turf, eager to test the air.

(L): Gene Schepers, of Upper Montclair NJ, poses with his lovely little FF Scale Canuck on floats. These unusual floats were carved and sanded from lightweight foam. (Middle): Gene's Canuck gracefully soaring through the air. The airplane was a rock-steady flyer in Sunday's balmy breezes. Those foam floats don't seem to slow it down very much. (R): Charles Vermillion, of Marion IN, brought his 20-year-old-plus Focke-Wulfe 190 CL airplane from the pages of Flying Models to Dayton as one of several CL fliers who demonstrated their fine art form.

Jack Beatley, the owner of a black and yellow Lanzo Bomber, determined that nothing would do but that I fly his O.S. 40-powered airplane. Although I tried to appear reluctant, I would have given my eye teeth to fly any of the several planes gathered round. Jack's Bomber was a sheer joy in the air, responsive to the slightest rudder movement but clean and solid feeling when headed into the breeze in search of lift. With the prevailing wind in a westerly direction, it was necessary to fly out over an adjacent cemetery looking for lift. I handed the transmitter back to Jack just in time to refrain from making a tasteless remark about avoiding "dead air."

(L): Craig Kulesa, of Bellbrook OH, got some great flights with his Electric Golberg Mirage. Powered by a Cobalt .15 motor, the plane was comparable in performance to gas­powered airplanes in a similar size range. (Middle): Joe Reinhard, of Columbus OH, shows off his very competitive Cycle VI CL Stunter. The airplane is the culmination of several generations of refining the design. This silver-and-maroon ship weighs 54 ounces, has 540 sq. in. of wing, is powered by a Supertigre .60. It really gets out and performs. (R): Bruce Tharpe's lovely helper is his wife, Trayce, who is seen here keeping Bruce's original .049-powered pseudoseaplane­looking craft from blowing off the runway in Saturday's gusty breezes. The plane managed to fly well despite the wind and cold.

The Hobby Hangar and its genial owner, Bob Laybourne, were also a delight. A barely reformed Free Flighter, Bob has stocked his shop with Old-Timer kits, RC, CL, and FF supplies, plus all the extra goodies that he and his flying buddies might require in pursuit of their favorite sport. Any modeler within a 100-mile radius of Donnelsville is really missing something if he or she doesn't schedule at least one visit to the Hobby Hangar.

(L): Jack Beatley's Old-Timer Lanzo Bomber rises effortlessly from the Donnelsville field. The O.S. .40-powered classic was finished in a striking black and yellow scheme. Jack, who hails from Indian Lake OH, also flies regularly at the Donnelsville Aerodrome. (R): An enthusiastic group of unofficial Hand-Launched Glider fliers from the Prayer and Praise Fellowship Church of Pottsdam OH, turned up at the Twin Towers Park, even though it was cold and blustery. In the front row (L to R) are Brandon Minnich, Josh Bolner, Aaron Hammaker, Janelle Hammaker, and Andy Dean. In back are Cindy Minnich (Brandon's mom) and Bill Connell, who organized the group and helped the youngsters fly.

All too soon, our visit with the good people in Dayton came to an end—as did our sojourn through aviation history and on into present-day modeling. In retrospect, it was amazing how much we'd been able to compress into a weekend: shooting over a dozen rolls of film, taking two side trips to Twin Towers and the Hobby Hangar, getting lost on Ohio backroads, touring the fabulous USAF Museum, watching flight after flight at the fun fly—and, above all, meeting some of the best people on earth!

(L): This Wright Military Flyer and a Curtiss Pusher greet visitors as they enter the museum. These early attempts at man-carrying flight stand in sharp contrast to the sleek jet aircraft and sophisticated hardware found at the conclusion of the museum tour. (R): The structure housing the United States Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The complex provided the backdrop and the draw for modelers attending this year's AMA National Fun Fly. Featuring both indoor and outdoor displays, the museum is free to the public and is recognized as one of the world's best.

In my long love affair with the hobby, I have come to regard modelers as a breed apart, kindred souls who receive a particular delight from their association with model airplanes and with each other. Even as our flight home lifted off the runway at Dayton International, we still felt connected to those on the ground. That shared spirit is the very essence of the fun fly we had witnessed, as well as the impetus for gathering again next year-to fly and to have fun.