Paul Dranfield launches Paul Bedford's .15-powered Chipmunk featuring New Zealand roundels insignia. Jack Oster photos.
Pacific Aeromodellers club revised the date of the Fun Fly to Sunday, July 23. The event went very well despite very windy conditions. The club members opted to fly a " Non-Hook & Not-throttle" Sport Carrier Event using typical profile Ringmasters, Sterling Mustangs, etc.
Typically the models were timed for seven fast laps. For "slow" times the entries were allowed to fly either two wingovers or two inside loops in each of 7 laps and then the model would proceed to attempt a landing on the deck.
The wind proved to make it a real challenge to spot land on the carrier deck and Dennis Matthews destroyed his Sterling Mustang in course of an inside loop during the slow flight when a gust of wind caught the model and drove it into the asphalt just beyond the carrier deck!
The big winner of the event was Larry Bell flying an original slow combat model with a landing gear. His "slow " flight was nearly the same as his "fast" flight -- but the wind was "on his side" and he managed to "nail" the landing right on the deck.
Photos of the action are provided by our Official Club Photographer, Sir Jack Oster of Surrey, B.C. who himself proved to be a formidable competitor in the event. Pics include a group photo plus photos of the takeoff from the Carrier with the two paved flying circles in the background at our Rice Mill Flying Site in Richmond that our Club shares with the VGMC.
It is suggested that other clubs try out this "entry level" Carrier event as an initial introduction to the Navy Carrier -- particularly if a modeler doesn't yet have a carrier ship ready to go. Most flyers have an old profile hanging on the wall ! Try this "non-hook" & "non-throttle" carrier sport event for a week-end of pure fun ! However, prefer to pick a calm day - gale force winds tend to create re-kitted models!
This page was upated Oct. 1, 2006