ORIGINAL: rg1911
ORIGINAL: kingaltair
I believe Ed was the manager of the 1965 team. We know he flew the Simla in the 1965 NATS and didn't place well.
This has been stated several times. I've been wondering if Ed didn't place well because the Simla wasn't a good design for the times, or if it was just one of those days.
Richard
We don't know, and we'll probably never know for sure unless we can find a 65 NATS contestant, or maybe a write-up of the 1965 NATS in one of the mags that could provide a clue, (hint Ray)
; maybe he had mechanical problems, or something else.
I think we have to guess based on what is most logical. I have a few points to make that may or may not mean anything, but sound logical to me:
1) Ed's competitors were flying smaller, lighter planes with the same engine, so vertical performance would be better on loops, or any other vertical maneuvers.
2) The competition by 1965 was becoming MUCH keener, and as more and more pilots switched over to the new medium of PROPORTIONAL, Ed lost his advantage...he was a master of the much harder to fly, (and less intuitive) REED system. When proportional came along, he was just one of many very good proportional pilots.
3) There is one more possible factor that I heard of for the first time at the SPA contest in Asheville, just a couple weeks ago that had to do with a physical problem Ed may have had. This report came from a spectator, who knew and competed with Ed back at the time, (named Garner I believe). He said that Ed had a problem with chronic tremor or "shakes" that didn't affect his flying ability with reeds, (he called it "the shakes"), but DID affect his fine motor functions with proportional radios. I know positively that Ed flew "Mode 1".
IF this is true, it might explain a lot. Can anyone else who knew Ed well either confirm or deny this statement?
Duane