The pattern I first learned was the 52-56 pattern. I remember reading in one of the magazines that showed the pattern and learning to fly it.

I seem to remember that there was either no triangle, or it could have been the hour glass. It seemed to favor the lazy style of eights. I don't recall the clover being part of it.

I'm sure that Kieth, in his archives, has a description of that pattern, as well as the correct dates for when it was first, and last flown.

I remember that the magazines, either American Modelor, Flying Models, or M.A.N. carried the annoincement, and pattern desriptions for the new pattern, before it was to be flown in competition. 

I will try to shed some light on the question here which I think is what was the pattern during the period from around 1952 to 1957.

First, the pattern used in 1952 is taken from the 1952 rulebook  I am not sure what it was prior to that time.  That is the pattern that we use for OTS and the 1952 rulebook is available from various sources including Tim McTigues's website at

http://home.cogeco.ca/~ukeyman/otsmain.shtml

I have a poor copy of pages taken from an Air Trails issue from 1953 (month uncertain) that shows the "Official AMA Modelplane Rules".  This has a copyright in 1953 so I can only assume that these were the rules in affect in 1953 and for some time later.  Only the maneuvers for the CLPA event were listed  with descriptions and diagrams.

(Numbers in parentheses are the maximum and minimum scores for each maneuver)


Take-off  (5, 0)
Normal Level Flight  (5, 1)
Climb  (10, 2)
Dive  (10, 2)
Wingover  (10, 2)
Reverse Wingover  (20, 2)
Consecutive Inside Loops  -3 loops recovering to inerted flight  (20, 4)
Normal Inverted Flight  (20, 4)
Consecutive Outside Loops - 3 loops (20,4)
Square Cornered Loop - 1 loop  (20, 4)
Horizontal Eights -2 with vertical climb in the intersections  (40,
Vertical Eights 2 and a bit confusing as to where the start and end of the meneuver and if a complete inside loop is flown first (40, 12)
Overhead Eights - 2 to be flown much as in the current rules  (40,
Square Cornered Horizontal Eight - 1 with vertical climb in the intersections  (40,
Landing  (10, 0)

There was an articale in the Jul 53 issue of Model Airplane News titled "The New Stunt Rules".

A sample score sheet is shown with apperarance points for Realism, Finish and Workmanship for a total of 84 points  compared to the maximum flight score (with 25 pattern points) of 340. The article mentions that "Tabulation of voting on the rules change ballot showed 78 percent favored retaining appearance points as part of the precision acrobatic score."

I have a copy of another article from Air Trails (or Air Trails Hobbies for Youn Men) that does not show a date.   The introductory paragraph states "Exciting news for control line modelers are the AMA's 1957-58 stunt regulations.  ...  All maneuver are scored on a basis of miximum 40 points, minimum 10 points unless otherwise listed. ..."   This goes on to show the maneuvers and descriptions of the current pattern that we have now.

What I do not have is anything to show if there was any different pattern between 1953 and 1957.

There was a 2-page spread in the April 54 issue of Air Trails Hobbies for Young Men that showed a number of manuevers that were considered for the New Your Mirror Model Flying Fair.  These suggestions were submitted to the Mirror Meet organizers by Hi Johnson, Don Still, Lloyd Curtis, Jim Saftic and George Aldrich.  Some of these were incorporated into the Mirror Meet (which the Tulsa Glue Dobbers have resurrected) plus some othere that were considered a "wee bit too complicated for competition flying - just yet."

The legend is that George Aldrich created the pattern as defined in that 1957 rulebook.  The triangles, the hourglass, the outside square loops and a form of the four leaf clover appear in this 1954 article.

Thanks Keith. The Air Trails 53 description seems to ring a bell with me, That's likely the first pattern I learned. I never flew in a contest until several years after the current pattern was in use, so I never saw the 53 pattern in action.

I knew you'd have something in your archives, thanks. 

Chuck,

This would solve the flap "bonus" problem and give us a reason to have the N30 event.

So - were are those rule change forms?

Best,       DennisT

I flew stunt a lot from 1955-57 and I flew the odd pattern you are all talking about and I have it in my mind. Let's see it goes like thissssssssssss,can't seem to remember it. I do remember a wingover,a climb and dive, a reverse wingover, loops ,old style eights,two square loops, inverted flight maybe a square vertical eight. Not in the order I wrote them. Most contests that I went to flew what we call the old time pattern until 1956. Sometimes we flew the old time pattern with a reverse wingover in place of the single wingover.
Ed