ALLWAYS WONDERED if this was tecnically exact , or thearter . ANYONE know if that IS how it was ?? sounds like a good way for a ' sports day ' to string it out and getta bitta tension & drama , build up they call it ? .
copyed but spelink aint orl kright .
662T e a m It a e in g . U .S .A . s t y l eby Bob Lutkerhenneth Mur»», left, u f Galetburg. lUinol·, trinner o f thi· year tf 954 l'..S'. Motional» Tram Haring Event bring /.retrain! uith thefamed F.A.S.T. Clul. Perpetual Train Raring Trophy. Pret rntaliunit mail·· by an Admiral o f thr I'.S. Very. The \avy i· hntl toI hr SallonaltThfo r i g i no fTeam Racing dates hack prior to 1950 when some of the top California speed flyers of the famed F.A.S.T. Club began racing semi-scale models in team competition over a ten mile course. The event was patterned after the famous Good- vear Trophy Races that were so popular in American aviation in past years. Rules were established to govern Team Racing, and as interest in the event grew, races were being run regularly. Basically those same rules still exist today, with a few modifications throughout the years. The following is an excerpt from the Academy of Model Aeronautics model aircraft regulations setting forth the objective of this event. “ It is the purpose of Team Racing to flv semiscale, realistic airplanes in direct competition through a series of beat races leading to a feature race for the most consistent racers of the day.” Here we have the makings of an exciting and fascinating model competition. The event was first introduced in U.S. National competition at our 1950 National Championships at Dallas, Texas. That first year there were few entries, but the apparent interest in Team Racing was high. The following year, at the 1951 Nationals, again at Dallas, it was my good fortune to win first place, finishing the ten-mile final race with a time of 10 minutes, 34 seconds. My model was designed to the minimum dimension requirements of the rules, constructed very light, and powered by a Torpedo “ 29” . Its light weight of just 17 ounces gave it terrific acceleration, with a top speed of about 85 m.p.h. That year there were only 18 entrants, but each year since has seen increased entries. The best time I’ve seen here in the U.S.A. in a ten mile race was at the 1954 Nationals in Chicago. George Moir, using a specially hopped Fox “ 29” , took first place that year with the very good time of just under 8 minutes, which is fast in competition flying. Better times have been flown, although I’ve never seen them, and I have heard of ten mile races being covered in slightly over 7 minutes.Hob l.alker and thr "MIGHATOH'·. Hr hot named thin tertianuf the drtign “ Little 11 illir", after hit irifrThis year’s 1956 Nationals, held at Dallas, Texas, on July 23rd-29th showed a strong interest in Team Racing with a total of 56 entrants. However, only 30 planes made qualifying flights. The job of directing this year’s event was given to me. We had a very close race throughout, with some of the top Team Racing flyers entered. First place was won by Kenneth Moras of Galesburg, Illinois, flying a Torpedo “ 29“ with a finishing time of 10 minutes, 29 seconds. The finish was close, with Richard Heist, Jnr., of Fort Worth, Texas, coming in next just two seconds behind Moras. The times weren’t especially fast, but the competition was very close with evenly matched airplanes, which always makes for a good race.Team Racing is ever growing in popularity throughout the world. While in Europe I witnessed some of the finest Team Racing I’ve ever seen. The competition at the 1954 World Speed Championships at The Hague, I lolland, was unsurpassed anywhere, as was flying at the Vlth Criterium of Europe in Brussels in 1955. Much to my disappointment, there was no Team Racing event at the 1955 World Speed Championships at Paris. A regrettable and most unfortunate oversight for so important a competition.F.A.I. rules requiring 2-5 c.c. engines were predominantly used in Europe. I personally like this class very much and would like to see it become more popular here in the U.S.A. Judging by the performance of Team Racers in the F.A.I. 2-5 c.c. class, I am inclined to believe that we here in the U.S.A. would have a hard race on our hands in competition with Europe’s best, and in fact would likely have difficulty in even keeping up. I have yet to see finer flying than seen in Europe.An event such as Team Racing requires something more than the average model airplane event. It takes a high degree of team work and perfection to consistently turn in winning performance. The pilot must be highly skilled in control-line flying to
December. 1956663avoid the many dangers that arise when flying four or five planes in the same circle. The airplane itself must be rugged, dependable and a stable flyer. But even more important is the job of the ground crew man. Here is where the race is cither won or lost. The entire outcome of the race depends upon his ability to re-start the engine as quickly its possible.Primarily Team Racing is the same in Europe as in the U.S.A., in that the final race is either a 10-milc or 10-kilometrc course. The requirements of the aircraft are about the same, necessitating similar dimensions and fuel limitations. There does, however, seem to be a vast difference in the elimination races prior to the finals. In Europe it is common to have 5-mile or 5-kilometre elimination races to determine who is to fly in the final race. I Ierc in the U.S.A. things are a bit more complicated. We run a series of much shorter sprints, known as heat races, leading up to the 10-mile final race.Present rules call for even further eliminations. Every airplane makes a qualifying flight and is timed from the instant of release on take-off for a course of seven laps. The 20 fastest qualifying airplanes are then selected to enter the race, thus eliminating all slower aircraft from the start. Flying four planes per race, each of the 20 qualifying models is allowed to fly once in each of a 21-lap, 35-lap, and 70-lap heat race. Each plane is given points on a graduated point system for the place it finishes in each heat race.The four high point airplanes go into the final race. In addition, a 100-lap Consolation Race is run between the 5th through 9th place models, and the winner of this race also enters the final race. These five planes fly in the 10-mile, 140-lap final race, and the winners are determined by their position at the finish.The basic reason for the short sprint races is to save time, for here in the U.S.A. there are normally such large numbers of entries at contests that time is at a premium.A further intent of the short races is to require that Team Racing models be capable of winning speed dashes as well as the long races. This is a much more complicated procedure than the simplified elimination system used in Europe.I'he "MU'.K ( TOR", a Traiii Harrr ile»ign byRob Luther, powered by a Torpedo "29'''.Ron lint place in Team Racing at the V.S.1051 National· with the original prototype o fI hit model. ThU ie hie thiril vereion o f the"M IGRATOR". U right U 17 ounce·. Propellerie 8 inrhe» by 9 inrhr· Tornado "Plaaticoat".Terrific acceleration with a lop a peril ofModels here are generally flown with engines of ‘190 to *300 cubic inches (3-25 to 5 c.c.) displacement, as outlined in A.M.A. regulations. A one- ounce fuel system is allowed. As an added safety factor, and to save valuable time at large contests, a fuel shut-off is required. Fuel shut-offs can be most difficult to install in a model, and could possibly be a limiting factor in the growth of Team Racing. Many modellers here feel that elimination of the shut-off from the rules might further the popularity of this event. Our models are flown on the standard 60-foot, -0 1 2-inch diameter control lines, making it possible for a model to handle very nicely at our average speed range of 70 to 100 m.p.h.If Team Racing continues to grow in interest as it has in the past, it is destined to become one of model aviation’s most popular control-line events
." MIGRATOR " plan & a phew fotos there .
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