Model World on the International Scene
March 1968 American Aircraft Modeler

March 1968 American Aircraft Modeler

March 1969 American Aircraft Modeler Cover - Airplanes and Rockets Table of Contents

These pages from vintage modeling magazines like Flying Aces, Air Trails, American Modeler, American Aircraft Modeler, Young Men, Flying Models, Model Airplane News, R/C Modeler, captured the era. All copyrights acknowledged.

Model rocketry was a big deal in the 1960's as America and Russia pursued the great Space Race. The U.S.S.R. had effectively trumped us by launching the Sputnik a year before we put the Explorer 1 into orbit. Yuri Gagarin made it into space before Alan Shepherd blasted of atop the Mercury Redstone rocket in his Freedom 7 capsule for a couple orbits around the earth. Boys (and a few girls) around the world proudly referred to themselves as "rocketeers." Since the Academy of Model Aviation (AMA) usually allocated space (no pun intended) for model rocket-relate news and evens, it is no surprise that the sport was included in the "Model World on the International Scene" features. Single-channel radio control (RC) also garnered a lot of participation worldwide, since "multi" units were more expensive and required a larger investment in time and money. 

Model World on the International Scene

Young Rocketeers Demonstrate for Space Scientists - Airplanes and RocketsYoung Rocketeers Demonstrate for Space Scientists

Greg Scinto, 15, of Stamford, Connecticut - Airplanes and RocketsModel rocketeers were honored by space scientists during special ceremonies last October on the tenth anniversary of Sputnik. Five young members of the National Association of Rocketry were special guests, cited as representing "the wave of the future ... in space research." Greg Scinto, 15, of Stamford, Connecicut, is shown discussing model rockets with H. W. Paige, Vice-President of the General Electric Company's Missile and Space Division. Jim Kukowski supervises demonstration at G.E. host site; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

U.S. Finals Site Shows New Trend for Indoor Meets - Airplanes and RocketsU.S. Finals Site Shows New Trend for Indoor Meets

The 1968 U. S. Indoor team was selected last August at a fly-off in the Pompeian Court of Northwood Institute in West Baden, Indiana. The court is similar to the Palace de Sport in Rome, Italy, where the world championships will be held this year - almost 100 feet high and over 200 feet in diameter. Indoor meets of old, usually held in big military hangars, suffer in comparison: contestants slept in rooms looking out over the site. AMA's CD, Chuck Borneman, marveled: "Imagine waking up and watching a mike job go serenely past your window!"

 

SVAZARM Provides Government Support for Czech Modelers

SVAZARM Provides Government Support for Czech Modelers - Airplanes and Rockets

Martin Dilly

Model flying in Czechoslovakia includes facilities and support for 200 clubs, provided by SVAZARM, a government organization that runs such activities as gliding, swimming, shooting, sailing, parachuting, flying and athletics, as well as other branches of modeling such as slot racing and rocketry.

To a Westerner the support given to model flying seems unbelievable. At the recent World Free Flight Championships at Sazena, the government supplied three helicopters for model recovery, and the contest obtained for five consecutive days an average of 22 out of the 140 column inches of the sports page of Rude Pravo, the country's only daily newspaper. Even at small contests the local party first secretary, the equivalent of a mayor, will present the trophies, and the results will appear in the paper alongside the football and other sports results. Can you visualize that in this country?

 

 

Single Channel RC in the Land of the Rising Sun

Single Channel RC in the Land of the Rising Sun - Airplanes and Rockets

2nd All-Japan Club RC Contest - Airplanes and Rockets

Lawrence Hoffman

The 2nd All-Japan Club RC Contest, Single Class, was held at the Marashino Air Self-Defense Forces Parachute Training area. Eight clubs were entered, five men to a team. Due to extremely heavy wind conditions flying time was increased to seven minutes from the five normally allowed. The spot landing area was altered to include the 50-meter circle for top points, and anywhere in the immediate area as the next lowest score. Highlights of the contest were the splendid flying of the individual high scorers. On the right you see Mr. Y. Kimura, age 14, from Tokyo, urging his bird along with a little hip "body-English." Mr. Mimura was highest individual scorer and flew the Hope Star, low wing, ailerons only, with an Enya .19 engine and Hinode single proportional radio. On the left is the winning team, the Kobayashi RC Club, winners of last year's single class contest. From left to right: Y. Kimura, holding the Hope Star described; Mr. T. Kobayshi, designer of the Hope Star and several other fine flying planes. Mr. Kobayashi flew his biplane, the Silver Star, but is shown holding his yet-to-be-released "Glory." Next in line is the younger Tomei with his home-grown creation in front of him. His older brother is just behind and on the extreme right is the team captain, Mr. Y. Ota. Mr. Ota flew the Victory C, another Kobayashi bird; shoulder wing with ailerons and coupled rudder.

 

 

Officials Meet to Present Historical Model Display

Officials Meet to Present Historical Model Display - Airplanes and RocketsDr. Walter Zaharevitz of National Aerospace Education Council, Pat March from Cincinnati, Ohio, Bob Sauter of Silver Spring, Maryland, and James H. Sage of Dallas, Texas, are shown listening as Sauter points out working details of 1908 Farman Biplane made by Carlysle Linskie of Irving, Texas. The occasion was a special presentation held in Washington, D.C., under the joint auspices of the International Plastic Model Society and the National Guard Association of the United States. Presented was a collection of historical Air National Guard aircraft produced by I.P.M.S. modelers. The collection was the result of a project initiated cooperatively by both groups to obtain replicas of all aircraft flown by the Air National Guard from 1908 to the present. Over sixty aircraft were modeled and contributed by I.P.M.S. members. A magnificent collection indeed!

 

Tokyo-Built Messerschmitt - Airplanes and Rockets

Lawrence Hoffman 

Tokyo-Built Messerschmitt

Hand-rubbed to a high gloss, this silk and dope finished semi-scale WW II Messerschmitt is the result of much patience and unusual skill by its creator, Mr. Fujio Oka. Mr. Oka designed and built the plane from scale pictures for Mr. Keiji Ishikawa, President, Japan Steel Company, Tokyo. These gentlemen are members of the Tokyo Flyers Club, winners of the First All-Japan Team RC Multi Class contest last year. Vital specs are: Radio is Orbit, with fifth channel used for landing gear. Wing span is 190 cm, fuselage is 150 cm. Flying weight is 4.7 kg (10.3 lbs.), Engine is Fox .74. Main gear tires are locally made by the MG Company. Model also has flashing wingtip and tail lights.

Close-up of a World Champion

Theobald & Wisniewski's TWA 2.5 cc engine - Airplanes and Rockets

Dale Kim 

According to advertising on American television, "it's what's up front" that counts. Here is a close look at Theobald & Wisniewski's TWA 2.5 cc engine from the rear. This is the engine which Wisniewski used to win the FAI speed event for the U. S. at the 1966 control-line world championships in England. Note exhaust opening, air intake and the "suction" metal tank. Tuned exhaust pipe slips into exhaust opening after the pan and engine are attached to the plane. The 1966 tuned pipe performance started a revolution in international competition. European pipes dominated the Criterium of Aces control-line meet last year, and the 1967 free-flight world championships was won with a tuned exhaust engine from West Germany.

 

 

Posted March 30, 2018