AirTrail 1946 - interesting site

[Dennis Toth]

While looking for some information on old designs I came across this web site that had some old magazines, I opened the Air Trails from 1946 and click on the " Nationals reborn" article. It had the some pictures of the Nat's winners - Jim Walker - R/C, Dave Slagle _ Stunt (Checkaroma sp?), interesting to see pictures of these people.

http://www.airplanesandrockets.com/magazines/the-nationals-reborn-nov-1946-at.htm

Best,          DennisT

[FLOYD CARTER]

Slagle's plane was called
"Check-a-la-Roma", named after a pop song of the period (Chickory-Chick, cha-la-cha-la)

I love thumbing through those old mags  I have Air Trails Annual for 1944, and several others.  Not many engines available during war time, and some of the ones offered were real BAD!  (exception was O&R, who made a few during off-hours. and available only from factory after filling out a lot of paperwork!)

Floyd

[Douglas Ames]

While looking for some information on old designs I came across this web site that had some old magazines, I opened the Air Trails from 1946 and click on the " Nationals reborn" article. It had the some pictures of the Nat's winners - Jim Walker - R/C, Dave Slagle _ Stunt (Checkaroma sp?), interesting to see pictures of these people.

http://www.airplanesandrockets.com/magazines/the-nationals-reborn-nov-1946-at.htm

Best,          DennisT

Is this the earliest picture of the "Walker Cup"? (AMA National Stunt Champion) Obviously, it wasn't named that then. 

[Don Hutchinson AMA5402]

My info does not give the trophy a name for the 1946 Nats but it is called the "Jim Walker stunt trophy" in the write up of the 1947 Nats. The way the stunt event was scored back then was totally different than the OTS pattern we fly now. It actually consisted of 3 different sequences, precision, aerobatics and novelty. As Jim Walker donated the trophy, he also spelled out how the event would be run. If anyone wants to know what these really were I can post them. The rule change to basically what we fly for OTS today came about in 1948.

[Dennis Toth]

Don,
Would love to hear how the 1946 stunt event was run and judged. As I remember from a Nats Walker Cup list young Dave Slagle won it two or three times.

Best,       Dennis

[Dave_Trible]

A copy of the Checkalaroma is in the AMA museum.  I recently got the plans from the AMA and plan to build one for my (brand new) 1945 DeLong .30.  This will be fun but doubt it will do square eights very well!  I think Davies won three times with it until others figured out what a symmetrical airfoil was.

Dave

Maybe it's just me but I think I see what Matt Kania was looking at when he designed the Super Ringmaster and the rest of the Ringmaster line.

[Ara Dedekian]

    Davis Slagle lives here in Maine and flies RC planes of his own design. He built two C/L biplanes a few years ago, one to fly clockwise and the other to fly counterclockwise. He sold them because he got dizzy flying them! He's a master builder, his planes are works of art!

Ara Dedekian

[Don Hutchinson AMA5402]

Davey Slagle did win the Nats in 46, 47 and 48. His airplanes were powered with a Super Cyclone engine, I would question the use of a Delong 30 if you want to be able to do the OTS pattern. Here are the criteria for the 1947 event.

Precision: Take off, Overhead flight, wheel touching, landing, spot landing(dead stick).

Aerobatics: wingover, vertical dive, stall and recovery, inside loop, consecutive inside loops, square lop, inverted flight, outside loop, inverted inside loop, inverted outside loop, pair of spectacles, rolls ( full, half, half and reverse, Cuban eight, immelman), flying two planes at once, waltz or formation shift.

Novelty: Unassisted takeoff, pick up glider, pick up other object, release (glider, sign or parachute), laying smoke screen, retract landing gear, carrier flight, dive bombing, balloon bursting, motor control, multiple motor, remote control.

A lot of this is what Jim walker was able to do with his Fireball airplanes, hence the above.

In 1948 the pattern was changed to be close to the OTS pattern we now use except it did not require the horizontal eight to be vertical at the intersection and there was a special maneuver toward the end of the pattern. One of them involved flying the model through a three foot square wall of sheet balsa doused with gasoline and set afire. Not sure what rules they used at the 48 Nats as I think the novelty etc. was still in there for that meet.

Note, the biplane behind the Checkalaroma is Moitle, a 1944 design described in another 1946 Air trails. It was the first decent stunt model design that used a symmetrical airfoil and could do outside maneuvers. I built that airplane and it flew very well, OS 35 FP power. Left the engine in it when I sent it up to Muncie.  

[Brian Massey]

"Early in the morning, Jim Walker won the radio control event by putting his entry through some complex maneuvers, including take-offs, circles, figure eights, and spot landings."

My, how the hobby has changed. Reminds me of a film clip I saw a few years ago; women's gymnast from the 50's doing the Vault. No flips or twists, just a smooth takeoff and landing.

Brian

[Dan McEntee]

  Didn't Davey Slagle win his first NATS with a Jim Walker whip powered model?  Then the next two with the Check-a-la-roma?
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Dave_Trible]

Davey Slagle did win the Nats in 46, 47 and 48. His airplanes were powered with a Super Cyclone engine, I would question the use of a Delong 30 if you want to be able to do the OTS pattern. Here are the criteria for the 1947 event.

Precision: Take off, Overhead flight, wheel touching, landing, spot landing(dead stick).

Aerobatics: wingover, vertical dive, stall and recovery, inside loop, consecutive inside loops, square lop, inverted flight, outside loop, inverted inside loop, inverted outside loop, pair of spectacles, rolls ( full, half, half and reverse, Cuban eight, immelman), flying two planes at once, waltz or formation shift.

Novelty: Unassisted takeoff, pick up glider, pick up other object, release (glider, sign or parachute), laying smoke screen, retract landing gear, carrier flight, dive bombing, balloon bursting, motor control, multiple motor, remote control.

A lot of this is what Jim walker was able to do with his Fireball airplanes, hence the above.

In 1948 the pattern was changed to be close to the OTS pattern we now use except it did not require the horizontal eight to be vertical at the intersection and there was a special maneuver toward the end of the pattern. One of them involved flying the model through a three foot square wall of sheet balsa doused with gasoline and set afire. Not sure what rules they used at the 48 Nats as I think the novelty etc. was still in there for that meet.

Note, the biplane behind the Checkalaroma is Moitle, a 1944 design described in another 1946 Air trails. It was the first decent stunt model design that used a symmetrical airfoil and could do outside maneuvers. I built that airplane and it flew very well, OS 35 FP power. Left the engine in it when I sent it up to Muncie.  

Don thanks for the info.  I'll look at the engine choice again.  The airplane isn't very big but I can see how it can build heavy-1/4" plywood for stab/elevator.  I figured that was to offset a chunk in the nose.  I'd like to keep it ignition but can't see my Anderson in it.  Maybe need to look for a Cyclone or .....Atwood?