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VSC XXI - March 2009
There’s something about this contest that I really like and I’ve figured it
out: it’s the atmosphere. It’s a friendly, relaxed social gathering that
uses old model aeroplanes as an excuse.
We’d been planning this trip for about a year and Jenni and I were to travel
with Bonnie and Dennis Percival. Dennis was to fly in Vintage Stunt and I
planned to fly in Classic.
Preparation for the VSC
Of the six VSC’s that I’ve been to, this was the best prepared I’ve ever
been. That’s not hard of course as at two of them I never flew at all and at
one other I used a borrowed plane. This time though I’d built a Thunderbird
in mid-2007 and had it flight trimmed and the engine set up in plenty of
time.
Dennis was equally well prepared until about six weeks before we were due to
leave. He finally concluded that the Super xxxx, an Australian design from
the 1940’s, would never fly and that he should build a new one, an All
Australian.
He got it built with a couple of weeks to spare and we finished the paint
and graphics in time for him to have one (yup, one) practice flight. You
see, that didn’t really matter because the real purpose of the VSC isn’t to
fly aeroplanes. It’s only the ticket to the game.
Our plans go slightly awry
At Sydney airport, our 747-400 broke. We spent 2 ¾ hours on board before
being offloaded and spending the night in a hotel at the airline’s expense.
We flew to the US the next day, picked up a rental car at LAX and drove to
Palm Springs to rest for the night. We were still 7 hours from Tucson. I
called Bob Whitely to let him know that we’d made it and learned that
Dennis' event, Vintage stunt, started the next morning and would be over by
lunch time. Our ETA was late afternoon which meant that the first round
would be over by the time we got there.
No matter said Bob, he’d talk with the event director and arrange for Dennis
to fly both rounds the day after. Dennis still only had one flight on the
plane and its second flight would be the first round of the competition.
We made it
The next afternoon, we found our way to Bob and Jan Whitely’s place where
Jenni and I were to stay for the week. That night was the second of the
social engagements (we’d missed the first sponsored by Bill Heyworth) and it
was to be at Rickii Pyatt’s place where Bonnie and Dennis were to spend the
week.
That night, Dennis and I assembled our models ready for the next day, he for
competition and me for practice.
Day 1 in Tucson
Dennis’ first flight didn’t go well, he ran out of fuel too soon. The next
flight wasn’t good either as the motor wouldn’t start and he called an
attempt. A little later he made his final attempt and the motor still
wouldn’t start so Bob Whitely took over, flicked like mad and finally coaxed
it into life.
During the flight Dennis got the US Vintage pattern mixed up with the FAI
pattern and didn’t score well at all. On a positive note though, he flew
well as did the plane.
By lunch time Vintage was over with the event being won by Bob Whitely by ½
a point.
In the meantime, in my first practice flight, I learned that what worked
fine in Sydney didn’t work here at 2500ft. This time I came prepared and
changed the 274 venturi to a 281 and got most of my power back. Going to 20%
nitro made it even better.
I was reasonably well prepared for my first official flight the next day.
Day 2 in Tucson
I got through the flight OK and scored an OK 502 points – not outstanding
but not dumb either. The high point of the day though was catching up with
Claus Maikis again. That night I drove with Claus to a not-nearby restaurant
where we met about 10 or dozen other modellers and had a great dinner.
Day 3 in Tucson
Day 2 was a bit of a disappointment for me. My flight scored only 495½ so I
figured I was flying too big as everything else seemed to be OK. I also went
to 25% nitro and the motor was never happier.
The people at the top were the same people at the top who are usually there:
Bob Hunt, Bob McDonald, Bob Whitely, Gordan Delaney, Frank McMillan, Lou
Wolgast, Keith Trostle, etc. These battle-hardened veterans always rise to
the occasion; hail, rain or shine.
The weather remained benign. This turned out to be not so good for me as, in
previous VSC’s, I’d always fly when half the field dropped out in windy
weather. I’ve always considered that all I needed to do was takeoff,
wingover, a few loops and land and I’d be significantly in front of those
who didn’t fly at all.
Tonight was the traditional pot luck at Keith and Barbara Trostle’s house, a
by-now traditional Friday night get together.
Day 4 in Tucson
Bob Whitely seemed to have this in the bag but usually whoever scores over
600 points in a round goes on to win; and this is what Bob Hunt did. Frank
McMillan took second and Bob came third.
I flew small and scored much better but I had brain fade. I flew four level
laps after takeoff instead of five so I lost my 25 pattern points and scored
502. Result is I came 30th out of 75 entrants.
Jeff’s report card
Should try harder. Can do better.
Claus Maikis
Airline ticket pricing is crazy. It costs marginally more to get a
round-the-world ticket so we arranged to go the Germany and spend some more
time with Claus Maikis.
Claus travelled from his home in Ulm to our Gasthaus in Bad Tölz, not that
far from the Bavarian Alps, and spent the next few days showing us around.
The Alps were covered in snow and it was dramatic contrast to the Sonoran
desert of Southern Arizona.
Claus invited us to his home on our final day with him and it’s a true
modeller’s home. He has a large two-bedroom flat with a back yard where he
can paint his models.
Bedroom 1 is his workshop and materials storage; where he builds his planes.
Bedroom two is where he stores his completed models, has his computer and
drawing board, etc. I thought it fantastic that Claus described his dining
area as the place where he draws his cartoons. Eat there? Good heavens no.
I had the opportunity of examining Claus’ models up close and although he’s
very modest about the quality of finish, they are all front line aeroplanes.
The whole house is given over to his hobby. Where’s he sleep? On a small
fold-up cot in the living room. Sleeping sort of gets in the way of his
hobby.
This was a delightful excursion and probably the high point of the trip for
me.
What’s next?
I reckon I can squeeze one more trip out of our rapidly diminishing
retirement funds. I left my model at Bob Whitely’s house and it looks like
I’ll have to go back to get it. |
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