December 2011 The Inside Loop


Editor Jay Smith [email protected]		 Living in Muncie, Indiana, has its benefits, but for me, winter is not one of them. Having moved to Indiana from Florida, I miss the ability to fly outdoors year round.
I’m trying to embrace the “winter build season” and whittle away at a closet full of future projects. I even have an airplane in need of repair after a disagreement with terra firma. Winter also brings indoor flying and swap meets; I am certainly thankful for that! One of the biggest benefits to living in Muncie is flying at the International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) at the AMA and attending many of the events. Aside from the Nats, the largest event, judged by pilot participation, is the IRCHA Jamboree. This helicopter-only gathering draws nearly 1,000 pilots each year and has been held at the IAC for 10 years.
I have attended the event for four years straight and I find myself looking forward to it more each time. For me, helicopters have gone from being an oddity to something really cool. At IRCHA, I get to see the latest high performance and Scale helicopters flown by the world’s top pilots. Modelers of all skill levels get together and share their passion with like-minded individuals.
Whether you missed the Jamboree or just want to reminisce about the great time you had flying your helicopters, Mark Fadely has captured all the excitement of what some would consider “the helicopter pilots’ Woodstock.” Not wanting to skimp on your helicopter issue, we enlisted the help of Jim Ryan to bring you a rotor-related construction article. Although Jim might be best known for his 400-sized electric warbirds, he has also embraced RC helicopters and designed and built the AH-56 Cheyenne. I was impressed when I saw his creation at the 2011 Toledo Expo and the judges apparently felt the same way, awarding Jim’s Cheyenne first place in the Helicopter Class. The model made its flying debut at IRCHA and garnered much interest. If you want to set your sights on something even bigger than Jim’s Cheyenne, we have Chuck Bucci’s story of how his love of RC helicopters inspired him to build a full-scale Rotorway in his garage. His dream took flight this summer and makes me wish I had my own personal helicopter—especially during rush hour! A helicopter-themed issue wouldn’t be complete without a review. Roth Heyes brings us his take on the A Main Hobbies Frenzy V2—a glow-powered machine that is available at a bargain price. So … if someone asks you, “Helicopters are cool, right?” give them this issue and invite them to IRCHA 2012. If helicopters are not your thing, we have the next installment from Dave Scott on mastering straight lines and course adjustments and an article on a competition with a collegiate flair to hold you over until next month! MA


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