Classic Model Airplane News

Model Airplane News, Sep 2004 by Yarrish, Gerry

50 years ago ...

... aviation artist Jo Kotula had defined the art of magazine covers. His pens and brushes re-created the excitement responsible for drawing so many young men into aviation careers. For the September 1954 Model Airplane News cover, Jo captured the very soul of barnstorming with a wingwalker plying his trade atop a vintage Curtiss Jenny biplane. The on-the-cover blurb on page 2 states that when Jo was a youngster, scenes like this were commonplace, and this cover art drew from one of his many childhood memories!

... engine reviews were very popular reading, and E.C. Martin sang the praises of the new 2-speed K&B .15. With the growing popularity of the .15 engine class, RC fans developed many models to use this engine size. K&B had already produced a single-speed (one needle valve) engine, and this new twin-needle-valve (no carburetor) version produced 14,000rpm on a 7x4 prop.

... Top Flite Models advertised that 113 first-place Nationals winners over the past six years had all used Top Flite props! The famous Carl Goldberg is quoted: "More pull per flight, more flights per prop!" As I look across my office to my workbench, I can't help but notice that my newest fun-fly model has a Top Flite 11x4 wooden Power Point prop on its nose. Some things never change!

25 years ago ...

... the September 1979 cover featured Dave Linstrum's photo of Ed Carroll launching his FAI free-flight model at the 9th U.S. Free Flight Championships in Taft, CA. The article highlighted modelers competing at all levels, from rubberpowered scale and P-30 flyers to powerful D-gas giants. Whether they took off from the ground or were launched vertically, these specialized models flew completely unassisted, relying entirely on the modeler's ability to trim his model before it left the ground!

... giant scale quickly becoming one of the most popular segments of RC-was helped greatly by the folks at Hobby Lobby. Satisfying the need for "big," Hobby Lobby offered oversize kits and engines. Few big-bird fliers today could ever forget the immense 12-foot Telemaster. Teamed up with Joe Bridi, whose company produced the kits. Hobby Lobby packaged the 12-footer with a 31cc gasoline engine-the Evra 190. Hobby Lobby also offered your money back plus $5 if you didn't think the giant Telemaster was the best kit of its kind!

... model boaters turned to Model Airplane News to learn all the latest nitro-competition news. Dave Lee wrote about the '79 Indy Unlimited. This IMPBA-sanctioned hydroplane race featured $6,000 in purse and prizes, making it a big-stakes event for some 137 contestants. Even today, a race with that many contestants would be a big-time event!

10 years ago ...

... the cover was a montage of 1994 Top Gun aircraft with winner Terry Nitsch's F-86 shown in a close-up fly-by! Then in its 6th year, Top Gun continues today as a world-class scale event.

... expert model airplane designer Andy Lennon continued a popular article on ducted-cowl design that made it easy to understand how to properly cool your engine. Filled with detailed illustrations, Andy's articles went on to become a useful "Model Airplane Design" book that's still available today.

... "Real Performance Measurement (RPM)" columnist Dave Gierke helped countless modelers with his discussion on breaking in "lapped" and "ringed-piston" engines. By offering concise definitions of terms and highlighting a proper break-in procedure, Dave's valuable advice set everyone on the path to success.