1972 Glenview RC Pattern Nationals

I discovered some 16mm silent film from the great Chicago Radio Control Nationals. For a couple years running in the early 1970s the Navy opened it's gates to the entire AMA national contest. Free flight, control line, radio control Pattern, Pylon and Scale were scattered all over the large base. There's a lot of waiting around time in competition and if you brought a bicycle, you could get to the other venues and see the top people and airplanes from all disciplines. Also on this reel was some of the 1973 Glenview Nationals and the 1974 pattern master's fly-off in Wichita, Kansas which turned out to be a contest of big wind and brave pilots. Some famous people were at Chicago: Phil Kraft with his Kwik Fly, Don Lowe and his Phoenix, Doc Brooks and Cutlass, Jim Kirkland and a mustang-like Miss America. Jim's caller was Hal DeBolt. Jim Martin made a sensation with his ultra-fast Banshee. Formula 1 pylon was first being flown and Jerry Smith made a big start to the event.

[@aeomaster32]

Thanks for rescuing this film record. I started R/C in 1970, so this is a wonderful trip back to a time of excitement and discovery.

[@MGB1977Red]

The earliest set of retractable landing gear I recall was a set built by Jack Butler. It used engine vacuum pressure to work a bellows that retracted the wheels. The gear would pull out a bit at the bottom of inside loops so they didn't have a lock but the system worked fine and was reliable since if the engine stopped, the gear went down for landing. This was around 1968.

[@cllaurit]

I remember Jack's retracts, didn't Don Sobbe market them?

[@MGB1977Red]

I competed at the 1967 Los Alamitos Naval Air Station, California Nationals in Class I jr. I had a "High Fin" rudder only model and the plane to beat was a "Mach I" which had up-thrust and was trimmed to dive at low throttle. It was amazing to watch as it could loop from level flight with no elevator control. This spelled the end of Class I, II and III. US built radios like Orbit, Logitrol, Kraft, Micro Avionics, Controllaire, Citizenship, Pro-Line, Royal, even Heathkit radios were used.

[@billsomrak]

Boy did that bring back memories! 1st & only Nats I attended were 72 Chicago event with my friend and mentor, Austin Leftwich. I was a young man of 21 back then. All my old heroes have passed away ... kind of left me feeling sad😢. Kraft, Brown, deBolt, Whitley ... all the way back to Ed Kazmirsky! (reeds, back then)

[@S2Bflyer]

My first pattern contest was the '72 Nat's at Glenview. The Nat's really had a feeling of total modeling back then. All the events took place at the same site during that week. You could wander around and see things that you may have only read about in the model mags.

[@MGB1977Red]

Yes, the 1972 Kwik Fli III used Phil Kraft retracts. I used rom air retracts in a Bridi Kaos a couple years later. The Kwik Fli and Kaos were slower airplanes but looked more professional with the gear tucked up. I figured it was worth a couple extra points just for the look.

[@reinhardlehmann8161]

Miss America looks like a Mustang P51 with nose gear ! Wonderful video !

[@leifvejby8023]

I miss the large, jet like manoeuvres of that era. And the smaller, more transport friendly models too!

[@MGB1977Red]

The Gleview Nats were lots of fun. The old AMA pattern was quite simple but Cliff Weirick posted a flight of all 10s with his "Candy" airplane. Things were going to change if perfect flights were possible. I remember a sunset that was full of mass-launched free flight airplanes and then a full sized Spitfire MK 9 flew over it all. The Navy hangers were full of tables where folks were frantically building models or repairing them. The smell of Ambroid was in the air!

[@KaffiFlight]

Cool video. I grew up with pictures of those planes. The choice for the music in the vid was strange though. Those were the 70´s not the 20 or 30´s. No ragtime or dixieland, but the time of funk, soul and hard rock.

[@MGB1977Red]

You're right. Tony Bonetti and Troublemaker at :01 and Dave Brown with Phoenix at 1:56. The magic of KZbin is that we eventually get things right with the help of other viewers. The Taurus type thick-airfoiled aircraft were giving way to thin swept wings at that time. The FAI box ended that trend and knife-edge AMA maneuvers created some real guppies with fat fuselages in the next couple years. Lloyd Nicholson and Ted White were masters at the old AMA expert pattern. 8-ball and Gringo.

[@lesterhall90]

Great video. Could almost smell the fuel burning.

[@aeromodelisme45]

Super pour cette vidéo avec de grand champions !

[@mups53]

Great video but I must point out that twice Don Lowe was highlighted and both times it was not Don Lowe the first time it's Tony Bennetti with his Troublemajer and the second time it's Dave Brown in Kansas with his Phoenix. Thanks for posting it I was at all those events as a participant and it's so fun to watch. Mike Mueller

[@jonalowe]

Correct. My Dad's Phoenix does appear at about :34 in camoflage.

[@wylierudhman1603]

Jon Lowe , I knew Don from flying at WRIGHT-PATT AFB back in the 70's. Hope he is doing well.

[@S2Bflyer]

By '72 the pattern classes were A, B, C Novice and C Expert. C Novice and Expert flew the same maneuvers. Class D was the FAI class and basically the same as class C. I think there was a "muffler" requirement, but the SilenceAir flow through wasn't much of a muffler. Some claimed a power increase from flow extraction.

[@MGB1977Red]

Early AMA pattern was Class I (rudder and throttle), Class II (rudder, elevator, throttle), and Class III allowed anything you wanted to control the airplane. Radios were limited in channels though and servos were heavy. All classes performed the same list of maneuvers. Obviously Class I couldn't do an outside loop but everything else was possible. Sometimes there was a K factor which multiplied scores so that it was possible for a good Class I pilot to beat a Class III airplane!

[@MGB1977Red]

I'm surprised to see mufflers being used in 1972. There was no requirement and we didn't use muffler pressure to give more fuel flow. I just remember my ears "ringing" for days after a non-muffler contest in the late 60s. Jim Martin used Cox blue can high nitro fuel in his Webra Blackhead .60 Banshee to make it go even faster. This was way before the "box" and FAI noise limits. Most aircraft were silk and dope covered. Wing loadings were fairly high as the radios were still heavy.

[@delorispoindexter5663]

I flew control line in the 70s no mufflers loud.then I got into rci still control line fly sometimes I'm in my 60s now.great hobbie

[@MsPokey1234]

Not Don Lowe in Beginning~ Tony Bonetti & TROUBLEMAKER

[@caiolex]

The first plane is not Don Lowe, it´s Tony Bonnetti and Troublemaker.

[@ripmax333]

did phil kraft ever put retracts on any of his Kwik fly? all the rest of the competitors seems to have retracts at that time.

[@MsPokey1234]

Don Coleman & Cutlass

[@MsPokey1234]

After Phil Kraft is Dennis Donahue ~ I forget plane of his Blue Plane

[@444MH]

Dennis Donahue's blue plane is the El Tigre.

[@boulderdsvo]

Of course, the music is a 50-year anachronism. 1972 music would sound plenty vintage.