PHOTO: ALEX PAUL
Two ODR racers occupy almostthe same airspace (above left). Number 11 is an Eaton Air Tornadoflown by Chance Cooper of McPherson, Kansas. Number 44 is a Magnum Models Duster, flown by Dave Garwood of Schenectady, New York. The Tornado was a joint effort by Eric Eaton at Eaton Air and Justin Ammon at Edge RC and was the predecessor to the Duster. Both have obechi sheeted wing and EPP fuselage. Justin Ammon of Lucas, Kansas (above center) spots for and coaches his son, Darren, in the Unlimited Race. Darren took fourth place in that race. Darren is 11. All ages are welcome and can succeed in slope soaring. A Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 60-inch Foam Warbird
PHOTO: ALEX PAUL
Racer (above right) over Wilson Lake during a race heat. The model is designed, built and kitted by Larry Blevins of Magnum RC Models, Knoxville, TN. Three 60-inch span models round the “Pole of Doom” (below left) in practice for the foam Warbird Race. The models are Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars made from Leading Edge Gliders kits, built and flown by Joe Chovan of North Syracuse, and Mike Gantner of Cleveland, Ohio, and a Messerschmitt Bf 109 original design by Mike Bailey of Fancy Foam RC models, Wichita, KS. One Design Racing (ODR) action at the far turn (below right). There is extra excitement in the ODR race because four sailplanes run together in each heat.
One Design Race: First run was the One
Design Race (ODR), exciting to watch and heart pounding to fly as there are four planes in each heat. The One Design class, with specifications developed by the Torrey Pines Gulls soaring club, provides a lower cost class for slope racing. The specification seeks to keep air- craft performance equalized, inexpensive to build and suitable to fly in a variety of wind conditions. ODR planes have two servos con- trolling ailerons and elevator and 60-inch wing spans. See the MWSC website for class specifications and suppliers of kits that meet the specification. With each pilot is a caller who launches
the plane, watches for traffic in the air, and notifies him of the far turn flag signal. At the start of a race, callers hold up the sailplanes one at a time to identify them to the far turn judges. Then the planes are launched and given about 20 seconds to gain altitude, then an audible signal, four planes dive onto the course and start the race. Five laps are flown, and points in each heat are awarded according to the finishing order. The top four pilots were Dennis Brown
from Wichita, KS, flying a CR Fun-1, Jim Baker from Lincoln, NE, also a CR Fun-1, Andrew Williams from Denver, CO, running a Magnum Models Bad Voodoo, and Joe
FLYING MODELS
Hosey of Topeka, KS, flying another CR Fun-1. The ages of the MWSC-2012 ODR pilots ranged from 11 to 70. Unlimited Race: After a brief lunch
break, the Unlimited Race was run on the same course. The sailplanes are similar in configuration to ODR planes but are bigger, heavier, and faster. Two planes are flown in each Unlimited heat which was run in a double-elimination format. This event brings out slope soaring’s big guns, the six- servo “full house” ships that would also fit in at an F3B or an F3F race. They are exciting to watch streaking along the straights or pulling through the turns. The steadiest pilots were Joe Chovan from Syracuse, NY, flying a Baudismodel Trinity, Thane Kirchoff of Lincoln, NE, flying his own design called The Crank, Andrew Williams of Denver, CO, running an RCRCM Strega, and 11-year-old Darren Ammon of Lucas, KS, who took fourth place flying a Tun-Modellbau Brisk. Foam Warbird Race: The wind was
still cranking so event organizers called for the Foam Warbird Race to be run late Fri- day afternoon, on the same course as the Friday races, flying two gliders in each heat. The requirements for MWSC Foam Warbird racers are models of combat aircraft pro- duced or in service between 1935 and 1955.
Under these rules maximum wingspan is 60 inches, with no minimum span. Except for control surfaces, airframes must be con- structed of plastic foam material. This race is a must-see event. The planes
look great in the air battling it out for race leader. The planes are fast and the heats are competitive. Early entries in this event were often 48-inch span WWII prop planes from Dave’s Aircraft Works. These have given way to 60-inch span propeller driven fight- ers and slope jets from Leading Edge Glid- ers, Magnum Models, and Slope Slayer. The Warbird race winner was Dennis
Brown from Wichita, KS, flying his own de- sign Focke-Wulf Ta-152. Congratulations to Dennis for taking first place in the ODR Race and the Warbird Race. The other top finishers were Mike Gantner from Cleve- land, OH, flying a Leading Edge Gliders Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, Todd Martin of Topeka, KS, flying a LEG Bell P-63 King Cobra, and Mike Bailey from Wichita, KS, with another LEG Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star.
Saturday: competition event day 2 The NWS forecast: “Mostly sunny, with a
high near 83. South winds around 18 mph with gusts as high as 26 mph. A 30% chance
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