The VRCS is a special interest group (SIG) of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), and its purpose is to acknowledge the pioneer days of radio control airplanes. My first real exposure to the group came at the Weak Signals RC Expo in Ohio, more casually known as the “Toledo Show.” I’ve attended this event annually in various roles since the early 1980s, first as an spectator and entrant in the static display competition, later as an exhibitor performing covering demonstrations while working as the product development guy for Coverite, and finally as a representative of the hobby industry while editor-in-chief of the international trade publication, Hobby Merchandiser, and the AMA’s thennew magazine, Park Pilot. These days, I write articles for a few RC magazines instead of editing them, but I still attend the Toledo Show each year, and perform opendoor covering seminars on Friday and Saturday, assisted by my longtime friend Tom Kozel.
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f you’ve been reading my articles, it’s likely that you’re a model builder—or at least would like to become one. Building RC airplanes runs the gamut from basic trainers to highly detailed scale models, as well as everything in between. In light of our common interest in bench time, I have something different for you this column. Instead of the usual building tips, I’d like to give you a bit of insight regarding the Vintage Radio Control Society (VRCS), and tell you why you’ll enjoy getting involved.
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In 2013, Tom and I were asked if we would serve as static judges for the Vintage category at the Toledo Show. Tom and I are both AMA Contest Directors with plenty of history under our feet: Tom as a former flight judge for the annual Top Gun Invitational scale contest, and flightline director for several major sailplane contests (including the 1985 and ’86 AMA Nats), and me as CD for the Valley Forge Sailplane Championships and two years as the Soaring Events Director at the AMA Nats. Tom and I didn’t know much about the VRCS at the time, although we certainly appreciated the fine models that sat on the display tables, so we looked forward to reviewing them more closely. We studied the judging guide, carefully applying the rules to the models in the category, and ultimately came up with first-, second-, and third-place winners. Judging these models was fun and rewarding, but even more than that, it was inspiring. Like you readers, we’re builders, and fewer things can ignite a builder’s
fires like old-school modeling. First there are the airplanes: a Kaos, Kwik-Fli III, and Taurus from Top Flite, a Sterling Mambo and Mighty Mambo, Goldberg Sr. Falcon, and examples from Berkeley Models, Keil-Kraft, and Proctor Enterprises— even an original “rubber ducky” from Lanier R/C, the company that pioneered the ARF. Complementing the airplanes are the engines. The plans used for building the models must be submitted to the judges, and maximum points can be awarded for using the same engine shown on the plans. Although a few models had been modified for electric or four-stroke power, we were wowed by the old two-strokes from Fox, K&B, O.S., Enya, and others, with even a diesel and couple of ignition engines thrown into the mix. Points are also awarded for original finishing materials and methods, and what could bring back more memories than silk or silkspan and dope, polyester dressmaker fabric, early Coverite and “Super” MonoKote? Judging these models was an inspiring experience that fed into all of our memory buttons. Almost suddenly, we were back in the mid 20th Century—and then the light bulb came on. Hey! We have a lot of these old kits in our stashes back home. Why not get a couple of these classics off of our shelves, get some rewarding bench time, and show up at one of the nearby VRCS sanctioned events? So we did. The first meet we attended was in 2014 near Binghamton, New York, at the “Spirit of Selinsgrove Reunion.” I took along an original Proctor Antic Bipe I had built in 1978. This model is finished in fabric and dope, flies with an original Kraft radio, and was refitted for the event with a Webra Blackhead engine, like the one shown on the Proctor plans. I also brought a 1973 Royal Products Bleriot that I had modified slightly for functional wing warping. I had done this one for electric power, but it still qualified for the Scale event—and the R.A.M. Subscribe @ RCSportFlyer.com
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