Our President, Mike Kirda, had a fine time at the AMA Free Flight NATS, July 22-26, 2024. Here is a summary of the week he wrote, along with a picture of him and his plane taken by Skilly DeLoach, the NATS News Reporter, and a picture of the lucky landing site of his Gollywock after a 2 mile flight in the 6th round of OT Stick. Thanks to Dave Lindley, we have a table of Scores from the Nats.
Mike’s Notes
I had quite a hard time at the NATS, with issues trimming, damaging models, picking air that looked great but was terrible, etc. The one bright spot was the light weight Gollywock.
Thursday started with Dawn Unlimited. I had intended to fly my large NOS rubber model, the Bienenstien Avenger, in it just for fun but had crunched it in a landing mishap into the asphalt.
So instead of complaining, I decided to enter my lightweight Gollywock instead.
I was the first one ready, launching right when they said launch. The launch on an estimated 15 in-oz of torque (12 strands, just about an inch longer than the hook to nose length) had it climbing vertically at first, with a huge height gain in a 1:20 motor run. The flight was in very dead air, no apparent lift, and managed a 3:29. I was ecstatic and I wasn’t last.
During the day, I flew the same model in OT Stick. Rules are six flights, with three 2 minute maxes, then the following ones adding an additional minute. I managed to easily max out the first three flights early. As the day heated up, thermals were easily seen popping off. One flight I launched into a field of circling RC sailplanes and easily out-climbed them all. I was lucky to have Alan Peterson next to me to help time and pick air.
With three rounds out of the way early, the game next was all about picking air. I knew the plane was really well trimmed and I had a lot of motors at hand. After round three, I started winding to what I thought was about the max safe torque, 20-25 in-oz, and changed the motors after each wind. The plane almost explodes out of my hands at 25 in-oz going vertical for 50-75 feet before finally getting into the spiral groove they are known for.
Rounds four (3 min) and five (4 min) were both launched into good air. Both flights got up quite high and circled lazily, drifting downwind slowly. When they were close to time, I used the RDT to bring them down. Both nice safe flights, still on the field.
Round six was for five minutes. I knew I needed another good pick to get to five minutes. I watched one apparent thermal pass and got ready as I had a feeling the next one would be big. Again wound to max and watched everything around me as well as my thermal detector. Alan made a comment it was probably time to go and I looked at the bubbles climbing and launched into a boomer.
It was obvious from the climb that this was one heck of a thermal. At 4:45, I clicked on the RDT. At first, it wasn’t obvious that anything had changed. I started looking at the BMK GPS and realized that the model was 435 meters up at that point. I knew I had my five minutes. Watching the model, I clicked the RDT several times. It’s so far up and away that it was hard to keep in the binoculars. Eventually Alan and I realized that something had changed, it actually had DTed as the plane was no longer circling the same way. It was making really large lazy circles as it was still going up in the thermal. I tell Alan i’m going to chase it downwind, hopped onto my bike and headed downwind quickly. At this point, I can no longer see the model with my eyes, and we are at over seven minutes on the clock. I head from the hill, cross to the road by the cemetary, then head south towards the airport. At some point in all this, I noticed my model was a full 990 meters downwind, and more than 560 meters high. It was still climbing!
I get to within 250 meters and try to see it. Still at over 500 meters high. Nothing I can pick out visually, just a few circling hawks and beautiful clouds. I have to go east before I can head south again so get further away, then closer. Model is falling finally. Getting closer. I stop and couldn’t believe that I visually reacquired it. It passes almost directly overhead, making these big lazy circles as it fell. I continued south basically almost parallel to it.
As I headed south, I was able to keep glancing up and watch it, finally seeing it disappear behind some trees. As I got closer, I came upon another road to the east and knew it was close. 300 meters, 200 meters, 100 meters, 50 meters. I got off the bike and walked a bit to one side and the other, watching the distance. Realized it was probably in someone’s yard.
Then I saw a bit of red and there was my Gollywock, sitting pretty. According to Google Maps, it was 2.15 miles from launch to that location. And it was the first time I’ve had what I consider a ‘real’ test in the field of my BMK system.
Suffice it to say, I am very very happy.
I also flew in large NOS and small NOS. I picked bad air after my first max in small NOS and crashed my large NOS that I was also flying in Mulvihill. Sigh
Web master’s Note: Plans for the “Avenger” are available at RetroRC. Wing Span is 47.4″.
Mike’s Scores
6 Events (Webmaster’s Note, Thanks to Dave Lindley for Tables)
Monday 7/22 Andrade Rubber 6th Place 318 Seconds
Tuesday 7/23 Mulvihill 13th Place 289 Seconds
Large NOS Rubber 6th Place 120 Seconds (Crash?)
Wednesday 7/24 Small NOS Rubber 7th Place 305 seconds ( 3 flights)
Thursday 7/25 Dawn Unlimited 4th Place 209 Seconds (1 flight)
OT Rubber Stick 1st Place 1080 seconds (6 flights)
Other Eagles Scores
John Stott (Beloit)
Tuesday 7/23 E20 12th Place 146 Seconds
Friday 7/26 P-30 DNF
Larry Nitz (Janesville)
Tuesday 7/23 Mulvihill 14th Place 219 Seconds
John Lorbiecki (Hubertus)
Tuesday 7/23 Jetex 1st Place 205 Seconds
Wednesday 7/24 F1J 4th Place 332 Seconds
Friday 7/26 F1S 7th Place 543 Seconds
Hi-Start Glider (Provis) 3d Place 94 Seconds
wife Patti 2d Place 184 Seconds
Friends of Eagles
Alan Petersen ( Arizona Guest)
Thursday 7/25 FiG (Coupe) 10th Place 206 Seconds
OT Rubber Stick 8th Place 348 Seconds
Friday 7/26 P-30 17th Place 245 Seconds
Kurt Krempetz ( Elgin)
Monday 7/22 Beat the Vartanian (HLG) 4th Place
Wednesday 7/24 HH Cat Glider 1st Place 325 Seconds
Thursday 7/25 HL Glider 9th Place 239 Seconds
Find more photos of the Nats, including Indoor and Outdoor Free Flight – Go To
AMA Flickr Album: 2024 Nats: NatsNews Contributor and Spectator Photos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/modelaircraft/albums/72177720318604191/page10
On Page 10 Outdoor FF_Skilly DeLoach Photo60
The Hi-Start Glider podium: Chuck Powell, first; Patty Lorblecki, second; and John Lorblecki, third. Photo by Skilly DeLoach
New Bong Eagles website 