The Gambler

[Robert Zambelli]

I found a set of plans for the Gambler but no credit or history information.

Anyone?
Designer?
Date of design?
Published?

THANKS, Bob Z.

[Trostle]

The Gambler was designed by Frank McMillan,  Model Airplane News, April 1957.  Flew in the Mirror meet.

Keith

[Robert Zambelli]

Thanks, Keith, for the quick reply.
Do you know if Mr McMillan was successful with it?

Bob Z.

ps - when did the Mirror Meet finally end?

[Dan McEntee]

    I have a set of plans for a model named Gambler that I bought from George Aldrich years ago at VSC. I will have to dig them out to see if this is the same airplane  or not as Frank's model, but this one is quite large, over 600 square inches I think and OTS legal, if that helps you any. De Hill can quote you history of the Mirror Meets. We had a guy here in St. Louis , who has since passed away, who finished 2nd or 3rd one year at the Mirror Meet.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Trostle]

    I have a set of plans for a model named Gambler that I bought from George Aldrich years ago at VSC. I will have to dig them out to see if this is the same airplane  or not as Frank's model, but this one is quite large, over 600 square inches I think and OTS legal, if that helps you any. De Hill can quote you history of the Mirror Meets. We had a guy here in St. Louis , who has since passed away, who finished 2nd or 3rd one year at the Mirror Meet.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

Hi Dan,

There was another airplane named the Gambler that was OTS legal.  It was by a person from Texas whose name I cannot remember.  It was a large straight wing model that needed a large engine.  In fact, Frank McMillan had (or has one) powered by an ST 60 I think.  Frank's was all white.  He loaned it to me at VSC one year and I placed with it.  The only other thing I remember about it is that it was bigger than a Chief.

Keith

[Steve_Pollock]

The plan is on OZ #1252

[Trostle]

Thanks, Keith, for the quick reply.
Do you know if Mr McMillan was successful with it?

Bob Z.

ps - when did the Mirror Meet finally end?

Bob,

First, I need to apologize for not mentioning that there were two distinct different designs called the Gambler.  One was Frank McMillan's design from the '57 MAN with fairly "typical .35, 500 sq in" dimensions and layout for a stunter from the late 50's.  The other is the larger OTS design from a designer in Texas with a straight wing and larger engine as mentioned in Dan's post above.  As it happens, the same Frank McMillan has or had a rendition of the OTS design that I flew at the 2006 VSC after crashing the OTS ship I had at the time.  All I knew about it was that the designer was from Texas and I think Frank mentioned that George Aldrich knew the designer.  Big airplane, thick airfoil.  According to a magazine article on the 2006 VSC, this OTS Gambler had 700 sq in, weighed 53 oz and took second that year.

Frank did not talk much about the Gambler.  He wrote in his article that he flew Chiefs prior to the article and had won and placed in several contests.  This would have been in the New York area where he grew up.   (After college, Frank entered the Air Force in the early 60's and retired as a Colonel.)  His Gambler article does not mention any contest record of his design.  His article mentions that the Gambler was designed for the Mirror meet pattern but does now explain if it was flown in the Mirror meet or how well it did there.  Frank's Gambler MAN plans are available from the AMA plans service.

I am not sure of the history of the New York Mirror meets.  There were at least two of them, and one of the last would have been around '53 or '54.  I cannot find anything right now in my files on these contests.  I remember reading that thousands of spectators would attend.  The contest was sponsored by the New York Mirror newspaper.  The stunt contest used the AMA pattern (basically what we now have) plus extra maneuvers.  Refueling was allowed because of the extended flight times.  There have been posts on this website about what some of those maneuvers were.

Keith

[GallopingGhostler]

Don't mean to derail this thread. Love the layout of that fat wide wing and well rounded wingtips, really is an eye catcher. After exhausting my small stash of .35 kits, would like to in future move up to something larger like that.

[Robert Zambelli]

Thanks for all the interesting responses, Gents!

Turns out I have Mr McMillan's design.

The title "Gambler" is shown but his name is blanked out.

OK, now check out the "Bluebird"

Bob Z.

[Dennis Leonhardi]

I have a file known as the David Baker Plan Index.

It lists the McMillan Gambler as 54" and published in MAN April 1957.

Another Gambler is credited to R. Snyder 1949 with a 65" Span and published in SYB08 - No idea what that is!

Dennis

[dale gleason]

There was Bill Cummins, a young Texan who won the NATs in 1956 or so, I've photographed the Walker Trophy up close to see Bill's engraved name.

George Aldrich, at one of the VSCs, told me, in his opinion, Bill was the best flyer to ever pick up a handle, in any event. Bill Cummins and Gene Hempel were very close friends and flew all over Texas and Louisiana in the mid/late-fifties.

 I watched Bill fly speed a lot. He looked like Elvis Presley with a Hell Razor with a Dooling 61 in his hands rather than a guitar. Bill died in an industrial accident at an automobile plant in Arlington, Texas, way before his time.


dg

EDIT: I Just called Riley and he said he didn't have a "Gambler", his plane was the "Texan".  He recalled Bill Cummins won the '56 NATs with a Nobler.

EDIT 2: Here's three VSC guys and the Old Time "Gambler"

[Phil Spillman]

I attended The Mirror Meet in 1960 as a new comer to competitive control line in general but seeing the plans shown herein stimulated my 82 and 3/4 year old memory to that hot day in the summer of1960 in New York City! I remember a blue ship which looked exactly like the plans shown above here! Could it have been the Gambler as flown that summer of 1960? Somewhere in my boxes of snap shots I just may have one or more black and white pictures of that very plane! As I recall it had a chin type cowell!

Tally Ho!

Phil Spillman

[Robert Zambelli]

I can wear this to fly my Gambler!!!     

Bob Z.