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Author Topic: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS  (Read 1410 times)

Offline Shultzie

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GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« on: February 07, 2009, 11:02:43 PM »
THANKS MIKE AND PETE...for giving me a call this morning.
 What a great surprise to see GARY LETSINGER...OUR N/Ws ICON Aerodynamic Engineering, stunt model designer, builder, stunt flyer and stunt judge of the highest caliber at the field this morn. WITH A BRAND NEW OTS STUNT MACHINE.

. My family and I  have been soooooooooooo lucky and blessed to have enjoyed Gary's friendship since around 1962...GADS! 47 YEARS??? :o H^^
Let there be NOT DOUBT,  he has PROOF POSITIVE  that over all years Gary has GLEANED his fare share of  CLPA awards, ribbons, trophies that just may be lining his home hanger walls.

His interests and hobbies over the years...has been amazingly varied. He was an avid sail boater who loved racing...flew his own full scale sail plane, gifted wood carver and wood worker static scale model builder, outstanding photographer with his own fully equipped darkroom where his B&W enlargements graced so many magazines and wall of homes all over the country.

HIS MUSIC SYSTEMS IN HIS BASEMENT...RIVALED EVEN MOST MOVIE HOUSES OR CHURCHES...WITH SPEAKERS THE SIZE OF DOUBLE WIDE REFRIDERATORS ...WITH A SOUND SYSTEM THAT I WOULD BET COULD SPLIT WALLS AND SHATTER THE WINDSHIELD OF HIS ALWAYS LIKE NEW HONDA ACCORDS.
When I first went to work at Boeing I needed a work car....Gary sold me his HIGH POWERED GREY GHOST 1966 DODGE CHARGER that without a doubt was  one of the fastest car in the windtunnel parking lot.
 Never got much more than about 10 mpg. but I could almost alway beat any other model rat out of the Boeing wind tunnel parking lot at shift change time.
Gary..and gang, sorry for the  R%%%% R%%%%

so here are few attached photos of Gary.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2009, 09:54:10 AM by Shultzie »
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Offline Leo Mehl

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2009, 10:54:11 AM »
I have always thought that Gary was the gentelman of modeling. He is always upbeat in a cdool sort of way. He has a great memory and always comes up with something you don't remember. He is always there when needed at a contest. and he just makes you feel at home. He is one of my favorite modelers and a really good source of medeling history in the northwest. Good post and pictures Shultzie. I don't think your mind is as demented as you would have us believe. Another gentalmen of thid hobby. H^^ H^^ H^^ H^^ HB~>
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Offline Steve Helmick

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2009, 08:28:45 PM »
I'm happy to hear that Gary found his way to the circle at TNA. Hope he didn't get one of those $52 tickets for not paying the bridge toll...

What's the story on the lineup of "warbirds"? I take it that the Still Stuka was Gary's? The T-bolt appears to be a Charles Parrot design. What's the Moostang, and what plans? It looks like it could be the Swedish one that was published in AeroModeller?

Our new windows went in without a hitch, but we had to reassemble the place. I didn't schedule it for Saturday. The  mw~ wife changed the schedule without consulting me.  HB~>  Steve
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Offline Shultzie

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2009, 09:32:16 AM »
Steve, sorry we missed you at the field...but again the weather was cold with fog until past noon.
I don't remember if that shot was taken at The SouthCenter Mall..where Gary took first place with that beautiful little Stuka. He earned it the old fashioned way...with one of the best demo's of what a pattern should look like, starting off with one of the best reverse wing overs we had seen in a long time...but Gary OWNS THE OVERHEAD EIGHTS...AND HOURGLASS.
Gary has always advocated that just like in Golf, baseball, tennis...etc.
"KEEPING YOUR HEAD STILL AND FEET PLANTED IN ONE PLACE...and then SIMPLY JUST MOVE YOUR EYES...NOT YOUR HEAD as you track that model through the OVERHEADS etc?

I can't remember if that JUG was built by Emmett or Joe Dill...however the P-51 was Mark Freeman's first semi-scale...but then after Mark saw how beautiful Al Rabe's Mustang's flew...then Mark got the scale bug bite reeeeallly bad where he then jumped on the virtually full Scale mustang wagon, and showed up at the next contest with a Rabeeeeized-Freemanized; verison of his own.

Carol and I were loading the car to go to Seattle..when Mike and Gary called, so I MANNED'-UP and INFORMED MY CEO-CFO-MISSEEEEMAAASAAAA THAT I WAS GOIN UP TO THE NARROWS FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES!
Being the wussie that I am...I did stay for a little over n' hour instead?  LL~ LL~
I will post the photo proof...when I pick up the pictures from Targetto this morn.
If I demented memory serves me...daaaa??? LL~
That last Stuka photo..is actually from one of my nationals photos...OF THE REAL DON STILL'S MODEL.
After all is "STILL" SAID AND DONE...I believe that a Don Still Stuka is still one of the best flying stunt models (especially for its size) is the best flying CLPA models ever built.
Sadly I can't remember which nats...however? n~ H^^
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Offline Randy Powell

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2009, 10:01:31 AM »
The pic with the Kostecky Talon looks like it was taken at Sandpoint NAS.
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Offline Shultzie

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2009, 11:06:32 AM »
Quote from: Randy Powell on February 09, 2009, 10:01:31 AM
The pic with the Kostecky Talon looks like it was taken at Sandpoint NAS.
Yes....That was Gary's model...and his "co-Aero-engineering work partner" (however most of us felt that we knew more than both of them thought we knew, especially when you read their faces as shown in this first photo taken at SanPoint.)  They loved doing so many special things together!:-* :-* :-* y1
 
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Offline Gary Letsinger

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2009, 11:55:07 AM »
     Thanks gang but keep in mind that Shultzie lays it on a little thick.  He didn't mention all the incompetence I displayed after not flying for about 4 years: like getting castor oil all over my coat and ruining it, Not being able to start my own engine (Shultzie started my Fox 35), and plugging the wrong vent after fueling.  On top of all that I was worn out after 1 flight with a leaned out engine, probably due to plugging the wrong vent.  At least I took the airplane home in 1 piece.
      Still I had a wonderful time.  It would have been more than worth the miserable drive even if all I had done was visit with Mike, Pete and Don.

Gary
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Offline Shultzie

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2009, 03:56:52 PM »
Hey Gary and gang...
Here is few shots from Sat. at the christening of Gary Letsinger's new OTS RIDE...called "THE GUIDED WHISTLE, published in a vintage 1950's model magazine.

Natually we had to style and profile a few shots to add a little "lev-it-tee' to the occation.
However, leave it to old Shultzie...who fired up that beautiful old Vintage Fox 35. Everyone who has ever owned an old Fox certain can atest to their crankiness and unwillingness to start in cold weather...
Ahhh HAAAA! Gary and I  outsmarted that old Fox...simply by backin' open the needle about 3 turns...primin' the sh-t! out of it with Mike and Pete's trusty lighter fluid....VOAAAALLLLAAA!

GARY AND I WERE SOOOO EXICTED WITH THAT SUDDEN BURST OF POWER...neither of us hadn't taken notice that we had plugged the wrong tank vent...DAAAA~ n~
 Almost like Gary had a TIGRE'...uhhh...NO!JUST AN OLD FOX BYE THE TAIL...for what seemed like a 30minute lean-n-mean  over run.
(Up where the Angels,above between the tarmac and sky."

 However, becausethe weather was SOO DANGED COLD, that OVERLEANED FOX JUST KEPT ON PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRED LIKE  A RAT RACIN KITTY-KA-TAT!

After Gary landed...I checked out that FOX! STARTLING, to believe  but that engine actually felt better than before. I could even touch that heat without feeling a thing...
HUMMM?
That is until I smelled aroma  that smelled like burnt flesh, or a piece of fried chicken...left and forgotten on a hot grill. 
(Due to my botched "CAR-POOL TUNNEL surgery on my right paw and lost finger feelin...I didn't even notice until I was driving home that FLIPPIN' FLIPIN' FINGER had turned to a deep shade of black n ruby red. LL~
attached are a few of the GP rated photos...
« Last Edit: February 09, 2009, 07:30:07 PM by Shultzie »
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Offline Shultzie

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2009, 03:15:45 PM »
Just received this scan from an old slide from an outside source that refuses to let me use his name...simply because he was one of the students shown in this photo that was a "DROP OUT!"
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Offline Randy Powell

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2009, 04:13:53 PM »
Is the guy to the left Big Leo?
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Offline Shultzie

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Re: GARY LETSINGER...ACE AERODYNAMICAL ENGINEER, STUNT FLYER, SPOTTED AT THE NARROWS
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2009, 05:12:03 PM »
Quote from: Randy Powell on February 10, 2009, 04:13:53 PM
Is the guy to the left Big Leo?
U BETJA'
Leo Mehl is on Gary's right
On Leo's right is Gene Matheny
On Gary's left is Joe Dill and that nose that is behind Joe head with glasses is Bob Welch who also built the most beautiful semi scale Chipmunks..
behind Joe...in distance is Jack Shane
and on the far right background is young Greg Davis who turned his attention away from speed flying and combat and then became a master  CLPA model builder and his models were always beautifully finished pieces of sky art.
GADS! Greg, like Leo..LOVED GRINDER-ORANGE painted stunt models..
 
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