1985 Model airplanes

1985 Our lives in America
June 1985   Dennis Percival takes this picture of me packing my 1984 World Championships plane to take with me. I had written to Ted Fancher (whom I did not know) and he put me in touch with a guy in Orange County called Bob Whitely. I also pack my backup model on the understanding that Jenni will bring this with her when she joins me later. Before leaving Australia to begin life in Amertica, I go to our Kuringai Model Flying and catch up with Dennis Percival. Dennis inherits my old plane.
I also say goodbye to Ian and Julie Smith. He has a garage full of planes. He has so many planes he has to stack them in the rafters. July 1985   For the first few weeks I stay with Ranny and Caroline in Virginian Lane. I call Bob Whitely from Ranny and Caroline's and, the next weekend, I meet him at Whittier Narrows a suburb of L.A., for my first Stunt Contest in America. That's a real live bush fire burning out of control along the Pomona Freeway so I immediately feel at home.
I have my 1984 model with me and it's all I have to fly. Here I'm at Whittier Narrows. Bob is flying a semi scale P51 Mustang at the time and it turns out that Bob is a pretty good flier. I also know who he is because he designed a model called the "Derringer" which is a popular plane in Australia. The next weekend, or maybe one later, I go to Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, Orange County, and meet Jim Levell, a very nice bloke. I also meet Jim Armour who I like a lot.
I meet Bob again and thus begins a thirty year friendship with him. We start off by having breakfast at Denny's with the L.A. mob and not long after he invites me to his house. I learn that Bob is a very good flier, so good that he is a former National Champion. I meet Keith Trostle again having met him before at the 1984 World Championships. He is also a former National Champion and a USAF Air Force Colonel. August 1985   Jenni joins me. By now, I had left Ranny and Caroline's and rented an apartment in Rancho Bernado.
Jenni brings my backup model with her as checked-in luggage. October 1985   1985 Golden State Stunt Championships held in Clovis CA near Fresno. At the banquet that night, I meet Ted Fancher for the first time and he introduces me to the local fliers. He mentions that I represented Australia at last year's World Championships and I have to water down everyone's expectations that I am a top-notch flier. My plane in front, Ted's plane and then Bob's Mustang at the rear. Unfortunately, I don't remember who he is.
Keith Trostle flies very well and places 4th. Ted Fancher poses with his own design, the Imitation powered by an ST46. Jim Armour, lovely bloke. Local flier Bill Howe, the only one I beat.
Gid Adkisson, the winner. This is the first in his series of Lasers, weight in the 80 ounce range. Bob Whitely is so impressed he builds his own Lasers. Gid's Laser is modelled on the Loudenslager Laser 200 mid-wing aerobatic monoplane. The original Laser 200 is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. It was built and flown by aerobatic champion and airshow pilot Leo Loudenslager. Dino Mancinelli wins the Advanced category. In the Expert class, it is Gid, Bob and Jim. Ted sits in the stands along with Shareen Fancher and Barbara Trostle. We immediately click with Ted and Shareen.
This is Arlie Pressler who, for many years, made the Concours de Elegance prize at the US Nationals. The award itself was a large, two bladed, laminated propller and winning it was considered to be one of the top awards at a Nationals. The workmanship and finish was exquisite. I come seventh out of eight fliers. But Hang on, three in front of me are US National Champions. Regardless, I'm pretty pleased with myself with 513.5 points. Bob Ellis presents the trophies. Bob is an Advanced flier from the Fresno area. Bob's wife looks on. I think that might be Jenni's new Honda Civic in the background.
October 1985   I have no idea why I am here or why I happen to be in New Jersey, but I find myself at Windy Urtnowski's house. This is the plane with which he won the 1984 Concours de Elegance prize at the 1984 US Nationals. Windy works on his new plane in his bedroom. Of course, where else? During the severe winters on the East Coast, Windy usually makes two planes during hibernation. This is his backup model. Windy takes both planes to the 1986 Nationals at Lake Charles LA.
Brian and I first meet Windy at the 1984 World Championships. He invites us to stay with him after the Championships are over and this turns into an interesting couple of days. Bob Whitely's new laser. He takes this plane to next year's US Nationals at Lake Charles and comes second with it. Jim Armour launches Bob's new Laser at Mile Square Park. R.I.P. Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley, California. It closes when Orange County decides to build a golf course circa 1994. The Laser. To save weight, Bob covers the plane with heat shrink plastic.
Control Line Scale at Mile Square Park.   The Fokker Dr.I (Dreidecker, "triplane" in German) was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918. It became famous as the aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen gained his last 19 victories, and in which he was killed on 21 April 1918. This is an R/C model. Venus, by Bob Palmer. Quote: "A full-stunt ship that has eye appeal as well as stability. Note resemblance to Lockheed Altair. The Lockheed Altair was a single-engined sport aircraft of the 1930s. It was the first Lockheed aircraft and one of the first aircraft designs with a fully retractable undercarriage. Jim Armour's Eclipse. Dino Mancinelli's Patriot. The end of this segment.   Jump to "1986 - Our Lives in America"