Re: The first Nats Penny Plane competition

From: Robert Clemens <robert.clemens_at_att.net>
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:19:28 -0400

It's not a long story, so here it is, ungarbled:


The First Nats Penny Plane Contest Recalled




The very first Penny Plane contest at an AMA Nationals was held as an
unofficial finale of the 1970 Indoor Nationals in Chicago. The event was
sponsored by the Chicago Aeronuts club. Veteran indoor flier and former
world FAI indoor champ Erv Rodemsky had conceived the Penny Plane event and
acted as CD for this innaugural competition. The site was the Washington
Park Armory on the south side of the city. The date was Tuesday, July 28,
1970. My son Christopher and I were there, and I still have the results
sheet mailed to all 28 participants, including five proxy entries, by the
late Pete Sotich on behalf of the Aeronuts.

The rules used at that first meet resulted in models that were considerably
different than those flown under today's rules. They were smaller, looking
somewhat like Easy B's covered with standard Japanese tissue. As I recall,
the wing was limited to a span of 18 inches, with a chord noticeably less
than today's models. As it is today, the minimum weight could be no less
than that of a new penny, 3.1 grams. There was no condenser paper or plastic
film covering to be seen. There was only one category of model, not the two
that we now have, and there were two age categories, one for juniors with
nine entries, and an open category for everyone else with 28 fliers. Erv
Rodemsky not only CD'd the contest, but also flew in it and made the
trophies.

Junior Penny Plane was won by Tim Noonan, son of the late Jim Noonan, with a
very good 6:32 flight. Second went to my son, Christopher, with 3:57.
Michael Parykaza was third at 3:26.

Open was won by Clarence Mather with an 8:28 flight. Second went to Erv
Rodemsky at 8:16. Third place was taken by me with 6:48. Below me in the
standings were such names as Fudo Takagi, Dave Linstrum, Charlie Sotich,
Chuck Markos, and Jim Richmond!

That contest was informal and fun. The models were easily built and
uncomplicated. But by the very next year, 1971, new rules saw the emergence
of more sophisticated, larger condenser paper-covered models with the bigger
diameter props very similar to what we see in the event today. That contest
in Chicago 37 years ago was the first and last time I flew Penny Plane.





Bob Clemens

Rochester, NY

October, 2007
Received on Mon Oct 15 2007 - 13:19:35 CEST