A NATS long ago?

[Mike Griffin]

I have been struggling with a memory that I hope someone could help with.  When I was a kid, we had a long time friend of the family, Jim Marvin, who took me to a model airplane meet at Millington Naval Base in Memphis.  I cant remember exactly what year but I think I was around 10 or 11 years old which would have put it in the neighborhood of 1957-1959.  All I remember was watching the control line event and the free flights.  I had a free flight at the time with a COX .049 on it and it was an Indian name something like a Navaho or Comanche (cant remember for sure) but at this meet the thing I distinctly remember was watching the free flights with the de thermalizer fuses that made the planes drop straight down pretty much after the flight.  I had never seen anything like that before.

My question is since there where different categories at this meet, could this have been a NATS?  Does anyone remember if the NATS were held at Millington at one time?

Thank you
Mike

[Tony Drago]

Mike NATTC Millington brings back fond memories. Went to aircraft school there in to 60's.  They had one heck of a well stocked hobby shop and work area on base.  We flew C/L
 right out side of the shop. Which was ran by an elderly couple.
 We all called them Mom and Pop. 

[Terrence Durrill]

Mike NATTC Millington brings back fond memories. Went to aircraft school there in to 60's.  They had one heck of a well stocked hobby shop and work area on base.  We flew C/L
 right out side of the shop. Which was ran by an elderly couple.
 We all called them Mom and Pop.

                                               
                        Sounds like a great time............those were the great days for control line flying...........50's, 60's and 70's.         

[Dave Harmon]

I have been struggling with a memory that I hope someone could help with.  When I was a kid, we had a long time friend of the family, Jim Marvin, who took me to a model airplane meet at Millington Naval Base in Memphis.  I cant remember exactly what year but I think I was around 10 or 11 years old which would have put it in the neighborhood of 1957-1959.  All I remember was watching the control line event and the free flights.  I had a free flight at the time with a COX .049 on it and it was an Indian name something like a Navaho or Comanche (cant remember for sure) but at this meet the thing I distinctly remember was watching the free flights with the de thermalizer fuses that made the planes drop straight down pretty much after the flight.  I had never seen anything like that before.

My question is since there where different categories at this meet, could this have been a NATS?  Does anyone remember if the NATS were held at Millington at one time?



Thank you
Mike

It was not 59'.
The 59' NATS was at Los Alamitos NAS....I was there and had a great experience.

[Will Hinton]

I can verify that it wasn't the nats because I practically lived in the hobby shop in '59 while in avionics school.
Hey Navy Memphis Tailhooks, join in here!

[EddyR]

1957 Nats was near Johnsville  PA. I was there. It is not to far from Philadelphia.
Ed

[Norm Furutani]

Nats history shows no Nats in Memphis. See:http://www.modelaircraft.org/museum/hisfacs/factoids_july.aspx

As for the FF's, all the Veco kits had native American names, Navaho was a pylon model, Comanche- cabin/payload and on and on.

Norm

[Mike Griffin]

Thanks guys.  Ty may be right. It could have been a regional of some kind and as far as the year, I was guessing because I was really young and just barely remember a few details.  It was at Millington and there was definitely free flight and CL flying going on.  Do not remember if there was any Radio Control at that time.  It was  a big event and there were a lot of people there.  That is about all I remember clearly.  Jim Marvin passed away last year and I never got a chance to talk to him about it before he died.

Mike

[Dan Berry]

The 1/2A FF was probably an 'Apache'. Designed by Ralph Ray who is still alive and flying Free Flight. He has altered the Apache into the Apach-E for electric FF. It is a very different approach to power FF but it is THE plane to beat.

[Norm Furutani]

Apache was new at the 1960 Dallas Nats. Ralph won A ROW with a .051 Holland Hornet for power. May have set a record, too. My Apache did an infamous "figure 9". To see the predecessor to Apache, look up the .020 powered PAA Ray, payload winner. Ralph's stuff was/is always out of the normal box! He was a winner in stunt, too! Ask him!

Loved those Navy Nats. A week of aeromodelling, every type of plane going at the same time, ending with a Blue Angels show!

Norm

The 1/2A FF was probably an 'Apache'. Designed by Ralph Ray who is still alive and flying Free Flight. He has altered the Apache into the Apach-E for electric FF. It is a very different approach to power FF but it is THE plane to beat.