New Zealand ½-A Texaco Postal Challenge

Contest Director Eddie Hamler launches his venerable Quaker Flash half-A Texaco design at the SAM 27 Lakeville flying site April 12, 1996 during SAM 27's team participation in the "SAM 55 ½-A Texaco R/C Vintage Challenge".SAM 55 is New Zealand's SAM chapter and calls itself " The Association of Vintage Modelers." Spotty lift but beautiful weather greeted the SAM 27 contingent at the Lakeville Site Saturday. Maxes were hard to come by and sink showed up in the midst of scattered lift all morning long. The SAM 27 perpetual Trophy was won by Sean Crowley shown here with hand on hat attempting to look like a seriously competing SAM flyer while Scott Seronello times him. Looks to your webmaster like a couple of "real intense" competitors. SAM contest flying at its BEST! Of course a get-together at the flying field is a good time to catch up on what's going on. Here at left, John Hlebcar, SAM 27's Official Photographer shows Pete Samuelson his photos from the recent meeting to tour the Hiller Museum in San Carlos. Fascinating stuff. We're going to get some of those photos and get the background to them for the SAM 27 Web Site. Watch this space for more information and (hopefully) some of John's great photos as well!

On to the flying

Rick Madden, left, launches one of his playboys on an attempt. Jerry Rocha, on right, props his Rambler prior to a flight attempt. Note the beautiful flowers in the background and the clear blue skies. Gorgeous weather that should have had better thermal activity than was seen. It appeared to your webmaster that the marine layer stayed around longer than it usually does when the fog lifts and that once gone, the flight times and the thermals went up with it! The flying field was surface dry but soft underneath. It took the help of several SAM 27 members to help Dick O'Brien back out of the soft (muddy?) turf. Staying to the grass and the well-dried areas was the order of the day. Sean Crowley, shown at left with the SAM 27 "Longest 1/2A Texaco Flight" Perpetual Trophy, and on the right with his good friend Grace Ranoa,(your webmaster's idea of a better deal all the way around), Sean had one of the few Max flights of the day just before the end when thermal activity picked up considerably. He went home a winner on both counts! (Grace has flown at the SAM 27 Crash 'n Bash and is a regular attendee when Sean flies. Most of the older SAM members were envious of her enthusiasm for the sport.) There were several new plane setups to be tried at this contest because of the rule change for -A Texaco requiring the 4CC tanks, many had not flown the event yet with the smaller tanks and a bit of tweaking went on. Prop pitch came down for some to 8-3 in order to get higher with a shorter run time and, as Sean proved, some stayed with the tried and true and did just as well. (Sean kept his trusty 8-6 on and used the increased run time to his advantage.) Here Eddie Hamler works on his Quaker Flash. Eddie proped down to 8-3 from 8-6 to get a greater climb rate. The Flash is a 292 Sq.-inch enlargement from the Flyline 020 replica plans and has been a proven competitor with the 8-CC Black Widow .049 or the Texaco engine. It flew well with the smaller tank and stayed well within sight. SAM 27 Treasurer John Carlson, on the right, readies his Atomizer for an official flight. John got her flying and did fairly well. Eddie Hamler, left, talks over conditions with John Carlson after his last flight.Below Right, Jerry Rocha Launches Ray McGovern's Playboy, er Wasp.(the Wasp was, after all, the Canadian Playboy!)Conditions were delightful, and the breeze was light to nonexistant most of the morning.(there was some thought that lack of a breeze kept the thermals from breaking loose!)

Pete Samuelson, below left,holds his Foote Westerner while discussing engine ideas. Pete flies almost exclusively the Don Foote designed Westerner in ALL sizes. His giant Texaco Westerner is a sight to see!

Jerry Rocha, right, gives advice to Ray McGovern on his Wasp 1/2-A. Ray built the plane based on the Canadian design, obviously a fine flier.

Pete Samuelson packs up his Foote Westerner 1/2-A before heading back to Napa. Pete is retired from CalTrans.

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