The 2017 NATS party was fun!! See you next year!
Drink up till next year!

It was kind of brutal but not as bad as the Polecat on Sunday. It was typical Muncie Air with the wind added to make it interesting. The strategies were varied, Jim Marcicki flew a light plane (his own design by the way) with no ballast at about 50 oz or less and I flew my old Supra with ballast at about 79 oz and both did well in the wind. Jim could do a lighter air and I could range at will to look for the big stuff and both worked. I timed for Jim on one round and he scared the crap out of me going wAAAAAAy down wind and just a spec on height, he made it back on time (but just) and it was butt puckering the whole way.

Jim and Johnathan make it rough for us old guys but it is really fun to see at some young blood coming into the sport, they did not even need golf carts to get to tape 11.

As Muncie goes it was a good two days with no rain and mild temps so not too tough on us physically, only mentally. All in all a great time with nice people and a low key process for running the show, thanks to all that made it happen.

A special thanks to Ed Franz for timing for me for two days and putting up with the Group A nerves on Saturday (I was not in my normal state of prep do to a lot of BS and Scotch the night before in the hotel lobby), he kept me calm and out of trouble when I flew. Kim did a great job on the photos and NATS NEWS so she also gets big hand.

Hope I can do next year and see all of you again.

I didn't see any pix of the winning plane out there in the thread, so here are a couple pix of Jim Marcicki's "own design" plane that came in first in ALES!

Very impressive plane by an extremely talented (and very nice) guy! Congratulations Jimmy!!!!

Also, want to express our thanks to Larry, Wally, and Dave for all their efforts in making this a great contest! Everyone had fun despite Mother Nature's strange sense of humor!

Barn

Barn,
Thanks for sharing the photos. That is a beautiful model. As a scratch builder myself I'd be very interested in the construction materials/methods and if not proprietary the airfoils he chose to use.

Also, from everything I've been reading and hearing this was one very successful Soaring NATS. That's great for soaring. I know how much work goes into putting this together so congratulations to all those involved!

Curtis

Curtis, Jim's wings are based on Gerald Taylor's Synergy J work. Here's a link to one of Jim's posts to Gerald that will fill things in a bit!

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-soaring/page2

Thanks guys for the kind comments! Curtis, I'm happy to share more build details beyond what I had in that link that Barney shared. I'm thinking I'll start a new thread with a few pictures I took of the wing and tail construction later this week, and the panel blocking information, once I've had some time to find everything. The airfoils are the SynerJ series Barney linked.

I'd echo the thanks to Larry, Wally, and Dave for running a great contest. Hope I can make it back next year.

Jim

One of my favorite memories - Jim Marcicki, Ben Corbin, and Gordy Stahl deep and downwind. Ben motored up to get back and then Gordy motored up. Jim was like nah...I got this...and he came cruising back at 20 feet in the 15+mph wind and plants a landing. National Champ for sure!!!!
Wally

Dont forget you guys - Next years NATS ALES will have a Hawaiian shirt day!!!!

Originally Posted by R.M. Gellart

From multiple sources, Muncie ate people alive today. A finalist in J did not have a single flight over three minutes, one contestant had five landings out for zeros. Severe clear is a tough condition when a big high pressure systems moves in. Hopefully fly ALES next year!

Marc

I resemble that remark!! Of the 4 last rounds, 3 were zeros due to landing out...and remember landing out is 75 meters now, not just back on the field. Sure opened my eyes to the need for more practice in the wind, because Muncie is known for these crazy, changing conditions!

Well run contest by all those involved! Thanks!

Jim C

For anyone interested in a few more design/build specs about my plane, I started a thread in the ALES forum here: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...s#post38027916

Jim

Originally Posted by wadasczi

One of my favorite memories - Jim Marcicki, Ben Corbin, and Gordy Stahl deep and downwind. Ben motored up to get back and then Gordy motored up. Jim was like nah...I got this...and he came cruising back at 20 feet in the 15+mph wind and plants a landing. National Champ for sure!!!!
Wally

Dont forget you guys - Next years NATS ALES will have a Hawaiian shirt day!!!!

I remember that flight well...I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but the plane just kept cruising!

sounds great