I took these photos after the finals during the 1967 Nats in Calif.
Bart was clearly HEAD-N-SHOULDERS above the rest of the pack. Although Bob Gieske and Dick Mathis...gave a good run for 2nd place.....

Everyone who watched the fly-offs even on a casual basis....CLEARING KNEW  (without question)WHO THE WINNER THAT DAY WOULD HAVE TO BE.
(Although looking at the score black board..the NAVY JUDGES...seem to reflex less enthusiam and played it more than just a bit conservative with the score sheets.

 TO MOST OF US WHO HAD THE PLEASURE TO WITNESSED HIS ASTOUNDING 1ST PLACE WINNINGS IN BOTH THE NATS AND THEN THE WALKER CUP! In truth....I highly doubt if we shall ever see perfection in flight like that again.
CONGRATULATIONS, BART! WHAT A  FLYING LESSON YOU GAVE ALL OF US THAT DAY!
Anyone who has ever to the SCHOOL OF BART KLAPINSKI...in those days, were truly blessed indeed.
1st photo...Bart at the score board.
2nd photo... THE BIG THREE....(Bob Gieske 2nd-Bart, WINNER, Dick Mathis 3rd)
3rd photo... Dick Mathis and Bart! (Who is the young senior winner behind  holding that beautifully crafted Bob Gialdini Olympic...getting ready for the Walker flyoff?)

I agree with what Don said about Bart's winning flights at the 67 Nats.  There definitely were no better flights than his at that Nats.  And I have seen very few flights since that match what Bart did that summer.

He had the right shapes, the right sizes, blinding corners, great intersections, great bottoms, everything there.  And it was "smooth" and it "flowed".  He also did what few have been able to perfect, he made it look easy.

After 39 years, Bart has not lost much of that talent.  A good airplane, some practice and a coach, I do not doubt that Bart could be in contention at any level.

Keith Trostle

Don,
I believe that the "Olympic" is actually a Shark, and the man comes to VSC with it and flys it to this day!
I cannot remember his name right now, sorry.
Chris...

Hummmmmmmmmmmm? Chris, U might be right....That year there was a beauiful Olympic in the line up...but now that you mention it,  perhaps, after checking this slide up closely...that Olympic was a deep "marooooonish-plum color instead of the one shown behind Bart and Dick.
Thanks...
Now if we could ID the young man holding that plane with the double rudders??? Any ideas?

Oh Don... This one is too easy! The man holding the twin rudder ship is Steve Harris! How's that for a memory? And the red ship with the USA on the inboard wing is Silhavy's 35 size Gypsy I'd wager.

Bob Hunt

WOW!!! BOB!!!!!!!!!! U ARE GOOD! GREAT TO SEE YOUR MEMORY HASN'T BEEN DIMMED BY ALL THE YEARS OF SNIFFIN FOAM AND PAINT FUMES!!!
THANKS FOR BEIN' MY BRAIN...(I CERTAINLY SHOULD BE STUNTHANGERS..POSTER BADBOY ON DRUGS!

Don,
The Olympic with the cool exhaust stacks was Ray Smith's. He is now in Phoenix and flies R/C.
Chris...

Thanks Chris
That model of Ray's truly was an outstanding example of an Olympic that Bob Gialdini was so pround of...and that OLYMPIC ARTICLE...really was the GENESIS the ALFLAAFA-N-OMEGA...that started me follow the GOLDEN RULES OF ROBERT "BOB" C GIALDINI!!!
His mentor ship was truly as addicting as that infamous brewww that made Milwaukee famous...and this old Shultz and Bob's brew "Schlitz" really made an advocate of soooooo many stunt flyers n' me----drunkern' a skunk.
Schlitz and AeroGloss make a letal combination. (Again, I am the poster-daddy on that one)
PLUS' take a look at the best line art that one will ever see grace a magazine...another true mentor for me as well...his beautiful inked drawings were like none other...what an artist.
 
"DOUGLAS ROLFE" THE GIFTED GENIUS OF INK!!! SADLY UNDERPAID FOR HIS TALENT...

Nice job on all of these posts, Don, and the whole concept of Stunt grunts. YOU, are a STUNT GRUNT EXTRAORDINAIRE! (And get me to use CAPS!)

Chris...

"EXTRA ORDINARY-WITHOUT HAIR?"