And the winner is............

[Derek Barry]

Billy Werwage is the 2010 Open National Champion and Walker Cup winner!!!

Congratulations Billy!

2 Doug Moon
 
3 Matt Newman

4 Rich Oliver

5 Kenny Stevens

Congratulations to all of the top five. It is one hell of a battle to get there, and even harder to win.

Kenny Stevens first time in top 5!!! Congrats!!

[Bill Little]

Congratulations to Kenny for his first Top Five! 

And to Billy for his return to the top of the US NATS after ? Years!

Bill

[Derek Barry]

I forgot to mention that Billy stuck his hand in his prop after the second flight. Evidently he was priming the motor and (without the battery) it fired up and started running. He tried to shut it off and somehow managed to reach through to prop. They bandaged his cut up hand and he went on to win. What a guy!!!

[Dick Pacini]

Billy Werwage is the 2010 Open National Champion and Walker Cup winner!!!

Congratulations Billy!

2 Doug Moon
 
3 Matt Newman

4 Rich Oliver

5 Kenny Stevens

Congratulations to all of the top five. It is one hell of a battle to get there, and even harder to win.

Kenny Stevens first time in top 5!!! Congrats!!

I hope someone got a video of at least Billy and hopefully, the top five.

[Will Davis]

Derek,

Thanks for the update, Good luck at the Worlds

Will

[Derek Barry]

Thanks William!

[Dan McEntee]

  It was posted over on Stuka that this has him winning in seven different decades! That would be the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, and now 2010. Almost seems like he planned it that way back in 1959 doesn't it???!!!
  This is a text book example of dedication and perseverance. Congratulations Mr. Werwage!
  Dan McEntee

[John Sunderland]

Congratulations to all! That is a line up of top five I have been waiting to see for a decade with one caveat....I wasnt there! So glad to see guys I often competed against in years past at the top. Way to go fellas!

[Matt Colan]

Congrats Billy!!!  That's a great comeback after not attending a Nats since 2004.

Was he flying the P-47??

It's nice to see Matt made it for the second year in a row, Kenny makes his first top 5, and is this the first time Richard Oliver made the top 5?

[Matt Colan]

I hope someone got a video of at least Billy and hopefully, the top five.

I'm 99.9% positive Windy has at least one of Billy's flights on video, plus the top 5.  Get the videos from him, as I'm sure he's got about 10 tapes worth of NATS coverage.

[Bill Little]

 It was posted over on Stuka that this has him winning in seven different decades! That would be the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, and now 2010. Almost seems like he planned it that way back in 1959 doesn't it???!!!
  This is a text book example of dedication and perseverance. Congratulations Mr. Werwage!
  Dan McEntee

Hi Dan,

I need to find this somewhere, but I think this is only Billy's 4th Walker Trophy..... first time in 1959 (as a Senior) with the last one in 1981... I can't remember the other year right now, but I want to say 1971.

It has been 29 years!  I doubt that record will ever be broken nor his record of 32 years between World Championships (1972-2004).

He is , in many ways, The Man.
Bill

[Ted Fancher]

It's nice to see Matt made it for the second year in a row, Kenny makes his first top 5, and is this the first time Richard Oliver made the top 5?
[/quote]

I don't think so, Matt.  I'm pretty sure Richard qualified for the finals his first year flying stunt at the nats.  Don't remember the year, though.  He and Doug Moon are sort of the poster boys when it comes to the "discussion" about halos and high finishes.  They were both in the Top Five flyoff the first time they ever flew in expert (and Richard the first time he ever flew stunt at the nats).  Kudos to the star crossed judges!!  They really do a pretty darn good job of finding the talent.

Ted

[proparc]

Jose Modesto finally made the finals!!! Hope he posts some pictures of his equipment.  Ted, Jose could painter better when he was eight years old, than a lot of cats do now-trust me.

[Randy Powell]

Glad to see Billy won. Sort of gives me hope I'm not quite washed up yet.   

[Tom Niebuhr]

Sure wish that I could have been there.

Billy has proven again that he is a Master.

Texas did great with Doug and Richard. And of course with Bob's two Noblers in Classic with Steve on top.

Glad to see that my long time friend Buddy Wieder is up there in 9th. Rookie of the year!

 Buddy is one of the two youngins it the picture with John D'Ottavio in the Model Airplane News, April 1961 JD Falcon article. He is now coached by Bob Hunt, and is helping to prove that the electrics are now strong contenders.

[Eric Viglione]

Billy is one tough dude. I was near by when it happened. I'll never forget the sound. *shivers*. When they finally got the engine stopped, Billy just calmly said "get me a paper towel, I'll be all right" and wanted to go right back to starting the motor to fly. Only Windy's offer of a first aid kit and some pleading got him off the circle to mend his finger first.

Billy then got right back out there and put up his two final flights. THEN... he flew ALL the Walker Cup flights, where most people would have put up just the one round and passed on the rest... no, not Billy, he gave the junior and senior full honor's and put up all 3 flights. Then proceeded to go to lunch with the gang. That's a class act.

Congrat's Billy, it was a pleasure hanging out. (and I still say your Brando was better than Martine's.  )
And also congrats on your induction to the AMA HOF!!!

Hopefully Bob McDonald will pass along the contents of these threads for him.

Eric Viglione

I forgot to mention that Billy stuck his hand in his prop after the second flight. Evidently he was priming the motor and (without the battery) it fired up and started running. He tried to shut it off and somehow managed to reach through to prop. They bandaged his cut up hand and he went on to win. What a guy!!!