SAM 40 Contest

Report on this weeks SAM Chapter 40 Contest from Bucky Walter

Hi Guys,

You can see the contest flyer and the events to be flown on this two day contest. That's the Ole Bucky Volvo pack for tail gate sales and his Powerhouse Foxacoy.

Some photos of the Toledo Weak Signals Flying Field in La Salle, Michigan. Very nice field house and flight line. I tried to get as many photos of the models and fliers. Notice the high dollar winches. The Weak Signals Club is into gliders big!

In the morning the thermals were outstanding. I made a checkout flight with my Powerhouse. I had to spin it out of a huge thermal. A bird chased it all the way to the ground. Quite a few comments were made about the black color of the fuselage arousing the bird sexually.

The Weak Signals Club provides lunch for the contestants and guests as you can see from the photos.

Of course, my official flights in the Foxacoy event were bummers. No thermals after lunch. That is except for Bob Erpelding who got a max in 1/2A Texaco. No other contestant had a max after lunch.

Peggy Erpelding and my wife Joan did the score keeping. Joan also sold the tail gate stuff from Jack Ross' estate which I brought into the club house. I was too busy having fun flying and timing.

After the contest some of us headed for a watering hole with good beer, food and a great waitress. Nicole took good care of all of us.

A great way to end a contest day.

Bucky Walter

Anderson Pylon
Cabin Playboy

Thermal Magnet







1/2A Bomber with another MG-1









Lanzo Racer











Click on any of
the pics to enlarge

SAM 40 Weak Signals Contest Aug 5th, 2009

Some photos from Wednesday's contest at LaSalle, Michigan taken by Bob Erpelding.



Jim Hainen checking out Trenton Terror


The flightline



Bucky and the brand new Foxacoy Powerhouse

Gene Navoy with his seldom seen MG Cabin aka MG-1 designed by Mike Granieri

The MG-1 off on a winning 20 minute Texaco flight

Genial scorekeeper Peggy hard at work.

Peggy and Joan

2 days of great weather, 28 contestants, good food both days and a good time had by all.

Night Flying with an Electric Old Timer

I'm surprised no one in San Franfreako reported a UFO!

Still not convinced he was flying at night? Click here.

Rudder Tiller hint

Aileron torque rod link as employed by Vintage1 on his Smeed Popsie taken from R/C Groups.

Foxacoy Powerhouse part 5

Hi Guys,

Added some decals and name tags. Trying to break up the dull black color. Joan called it the Stealth Bomber. I don't think Chester Lanzo will like that.

Fred Mulholland told me years ago to use a servo wheel for a tail skid.
It causes less hanger damage. Also less drag on takeoff, compared to a wire skid.

If you hang around guys that know what they are doing some of it may rub off on you.

Bucky

Foxacoy Powerhouse part 4

Hi Guys,

Well the scaled down Sal Taibi Powerhouse for the Foxaco Event turned into a Plane Jane.

Tom Ryan said he would bring his spray gun & spray the tips of the flying surfaces with Day Glo Pink.

Tom sent the Sky-scrapers Decals, one of which I used on the wing.

Tom's father, Frank, wanted photos. He is getting photos along with the rest of you guys.

Plan on flying the Powerhouse next Tuesday, August at Shelby, Ohio. Then fly it at the SAM 40 Contest at La Salle, Michigan on August 5.

Nothing like cutting it close. Bob Erpelding suggests that I make the checkout flight at La Salle in the morning. Now that is really cutting it close.

The weather has been terrible for flying this year, so I have been building.

The Speckrum DX5e radio is installed. It is a nice simple 5 channel radio. Also Cheap!

The locater radio is also installed, just in case the old eyes fail or in years passed, Tom McCoy put a hat over my face while flying a R/C 1/2 A Texaco. I lucked out and spotted it. I was flying proxy for the Contest Director, Jack Brown. Also won the event for Jack.

Bucky view of Tatone Tank Mount

and tongue muffler