You know maybe he was from Norway. I'd have to research it a bit. Who was the best pattern flyer from Norway? Thanks, Mike

Don't think Norway ever had a TOC entrant - could be wrong.

Ray

Hi again Mike,

Could be Benny Kjellgren, I know he competed in TOC in Las Vegas 3 years in mid 1970th (he placed 12 two times and 15 one time). He was Swedish F3A champion for many years in 1970th and 1980th. He is from Tidaholm here in Sweden and I think he lives there still today. He entered his first World championship 1975 in Switzerland and placed 11 (1 was Wolfgang Matt, 2 was Hanno Prettner, 3 was Dave Brown) - Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0a-ghZArnk
I think it might be a young Benny 6:06 min in the video (blonde with sun glases).
But here is an older Benny (in 2006) and I'm sure You recognice his face even today (in the beginning of the video): http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...18290556088339
Benny was also a competitor at the Swedish F3A championship 1977 (in his hometown Tidaholm, actually) where I placed somewhere in middle or slightly below. Guess who was 1977 champion here... (again). He was a F3A flyer all other F3A flyers admired for his precise flying. He flew a red-white Curare in 1977 I remember, before that he flew a Mach 1, actually painted orange-white like mine, and I'm rather sure he had Mach 1 in the TOC in Las Vegas, Webra Speed engine and Kraft RC system. His older brother (Tommy I think) was also competing in 1977 F3A Swedish championship with an Atlas plane if I remember correctly. I have seen Benny is a judge today at various acrobatic events here in Sweden. I know he is still an active flyer - just googled him and found in a Swedish model plane forum he has just built a huge 8 meter (260 inch) wingspan Duo Discus sailplane, like this (he was going to fly it in late May this year I can read in the forum): http://www.tun.ch/media/video/DuoX8m...cbae0da%200428
1977 was my only national championship but I competed in some more local and nordic events later but then high school, military service, university, jobs etc took my time. I however bought two small RC helicopters last winter (Walkera 43B and 4G3) that I play around with indoors. I'm sure tempted to get some new RC equipement and some nice acrobatic plane again but I just do not know much what is used these days.

/Bo

Mike,

The best Norwegian F3A flyer at that time was Tore Paulsen (who was an SAS airline pilot). I competed once in same competition as him in "Gränscupen" ("Border cup" - Sweden, Norway, Denmark) in 1978 I think it was. I had a Curare then. He had a white-red home made airplane he named "Scarabe". Before that he used a home made semi scale "Spitfire" like F3A airplane painted in camouflage, so he had only main gear (retractable of course) on his plane while all others had tri gear planes.
It is amazing what memories this brings up to surface and I can not understand I remember things like this even today, over 30 years ago.

/Bo

Good memory Bo. Here's a couple of shots I found of Benny's Mach 1 and Tore's Spitfire. I'll give up trying to spell the surnames []

Ray

Ray,
Exactly the planes! I remember when I was for the first time a spectator at one F3A competition in a town some 30 miles (50 km) from my hometown, I think it was in summer 1973 or 1974, I was 12-13 years old then. Benny was one of the competitors with one of his Mach 1 plane painted exactly as in your picture, maybe it was the plane in the picture You posted. That event "ignited" my interest in acrobatic flying. I remember Benny flying and of course winning this competition also. I remember this clearly - I was learning to fly RC airplane that summer with a Graupner "Taxi" and Enya 6.5 cc engine, Robbe/Futaba 4 ch RC system. I was learning fast then (no simulators to cheat on!), I know I mastered the Taxi trainer in 2 days practice with an experienced flyer as teacher, and I was in heaven - I was more at the flying field that summer than I was at home and all my money went to buy fuel, glow plugs, props etc.

/Bo

Bingo!!!! It was Benny. Somehow his name didn't set off a bell. He was really special. Thanks guys for all the info I will look at the videos tonight. Mike Mueller

Bem,

Interesting story and I can be short.
I still remember one of the skandinavian pilots did fly a/the Spitfire in Bern Switserland in 1975
I was there as a visiter, never forget.
I now know the whole story, thanks.

Cees

Another old time pattern picture:

I found a picture from an old Swedish RC model catalog and on the front it had this picture.

Tsugutaka Yoshioka, Japan, and his Blue Angel, F3A World champion 1973 (second place Wolfgang Matt - notice his signature on the Blue Angel wing).

[Edit: same picture as below was in Model Airplane News 1974 issue 2 and photo was taken from the roof of MK factory in Osaka. The engine was Enya 60 with YS carburator.]

/Bo

Hallo !

Best regards

Benny Kjellgren
Sweden

Hi Benny. Do you have any old pictures? Mike Mueller USA

Benny,

Thanks to react,
I did tell, I do still remember the Spitfire in Bern (Thore was the pilot?).
Wish you good luck and good health!

Cees

Hey Mike, Mark here. I know the last three photos (one with the US flag)in that post are from the RC3 (Radio Control Club of Chicago) pattern meet at Kickapoo Woods in Harvey, Illinois (and I'mcertain they are you). I'm gonna guess circa 1972-74. I was 17 and was just staring in 74. In fact, I have a large jacket patch from the RC3 club that I keep highly preserved on my dresser. Not sure if you'll see this old post but I had to comment on those pictures. If you recall a young one-armed guy flying single stick, that was (still is) me, and I still have the old Pro-Lin Comp 6 that a good friend gave me way back then. This is too good!

Mark Kosco
AMA 63845

disregard</p>

Hey Mark it's good to hear from you. We will be in St Charles Il. next Saturday for the Fox valley contest. Stop by if you get a chance. Mike Mueller

I used to fly pattern years ago. Mostly Atlas's and Curare's. Mr Fox had personally put together my Fox Eagle 60 FIRE engines for me to use at the time. I used a few of the old Fox Hawk 60's as well. The guys running more exotic 60's were amazed at how well a good FOX 60 ran.
But after the changeover to TOC style flying and planes, I more or less dropped out. The big planes were just too much trouble and sorta scary when you think about that big prop on the front.

I still have a bunch of these planes. This particular one was built up circa 1990, it wore out one Saito, and sports a Saito 80 now.
Yes I am still flying it today. The paint has some cracks in it here and there, but what the heck, I have a bunch of spares to use up still.
My best friend had started a business venture in 1990 with some ARF's that was all built up with sheeted foam wings, and already painted, no monokote. The wing was already built and assembled as one piece. I got to assemble and test fly all the versions of them. But when we received the first container load of production planes, we were dismayed at the quality. It just wasn't up to our standards. It was all painting problems for the most part. The typical problem with Far East businesses, the prototypes are great, but the production run sucks.
Anyway, we wound up with a lifetime supply of planes to use as we couldn't sell them as is.

Gents,

I am still very interested in pictures of 1961, 1962 and 1963 of USA pattern flying.
Especially the snapshots with one or more Taurus’s on it.
There must be more of them when we see the “Kazmirski's Taurus Scourge" of these years.

Cees

I was a member of RC3 back around '80. My main club was SAC but a friend of mine was also a member of RC3 and convinced me to join that club as well. As for the pattern contest I did fly in a few but I can't for the life of me remember what years but I know it was before I was a member.

1) Norm Coleman with Mach 1
2) Ron Chidgey with Intruder
3) Phil Kraft with Kwik Fli Mark 2
4) Tony Bonetti with Trouble Maker
5) Intruder but that was not Ron Chidgey
6) Don Lowe with Phoenix
7) Daddy Rabbit and I can't remember the guy's name Doc something.

Next post
1) Phoenix Mark 2
2) Eyeball but that was not Art Shroeder
3) Intruder again
4) Cannot see enough of the plane
5) Intruder again
6) Daddy Rabbit
7) Don't know people that well.

Sure that wasn't Norm Page with the Mach One?
Scott

I can't remember. You could be right. Memory is a funny thing. Then I was reading some thing else and remembered the man with the Daddy Rabbit was Jim Whitney.

Norm Page with the Mach 1 and Jim Daddy Rabbit Whitley. Good guessing, Mike

I recall the SAC club, many a good fun fly there. I was a RC3 member well into the eighties,I don't recall when the club disbanded but there are a few of us that date back to the early seventies and even the sixties that are still around. I know Bill Hargraves is out there, Denny Who, Mike Bliss, Arnie Bonoguaro, and myself. Those were some great old flying days at Kickapoo Woods; I believe the Chicago Model Masters use the field now, many are the old control line or free flight guys that use to use the north side of Kickapoo; now they have a paved runway and I think they still host a large scale meet too.

Mark
AMA 63845

LOL, that wasn't exactly guessing. I knew those airplanes better than my homework back in those days.

Mark,

Yeah I know Mike and Denny, as a matter of fact I have a Cap 20L that Denny built (and crashed) still in the repair stage from 25 years ago. Someday I might finish it.