Mike,

Bob, our dad and I took out the back seat of our '49 Kaiser to make room for planes for the non-stop trip to Olathe. We had "Kansas City" playing on the radio and were looking for "the crazy little women there". This was Bob's first Nats. He caught the bug the year before at the '67 Nats in Los Alamitos watching Cliff Weirick and Larry Leonard (Larry taught Bob and I to fly). Who knew what it would all lead to!

Charlee Smith
Bob Smith Industries

The 68 Olathe NATS - HOT as in HEAT. Flew 3 Ukie events in what was my first NATS.

Wow Charlee that was also myDad and I'sfirst nats. Your brother was tough to beat. I got close but no cigar.
Are you Bob's brother? Did you fly pattern or something else? Thanks for the cool reply. Did you see the posted picture of Bob with his Miss Liberty? Mike Mueller
Please say hello to Bob for me.

Mike

You got me digging in the picture files files looking for my Patrica. Still looking for those picturres

Me in 1972 or so Super Kaos Webra Black Head and the ever quiet semco muffler rev up 11 7.5 prop and the Radio think I had the only east of Rockies.

Last year the Pinnacle with the 12X.



I

Hey Mike,
I know Charlie and Bob were big into Formula 1 in the 70's from the magazine column (Pylon Pit Patter.... M.A.N maybe...I don't think it was M.B.) Those were the days of the Miss Dara airplane....K&B and ST formula one powerplants... Kent Nogy and Terry Pratherwereother notablyF1 flyers....

Yes OK they were big in pylon but Bob Smith was also a heck of a pattern flier too. Seems to me like the flying skills in pattern really helped in Pylon. Lot's of guys were fast but they lacked flying talent in pylon.
Bob Violet andwas another guy who flew pattern and pylon but succesfully.

Mark you haven't changed a bit. Still good looking!!!!! Good picture with your EK Logitrol radio. Did those things even work???? Mike
Hey on a side note we have a guy that's been coming to our midwest contests for the year or two that was an engineer for the old Heathkit company in the RC division. He has some interesting stories.

Mike,

I was still learning to fly in the summer of '68. I never did get close to doing aerobatics as good as Bob but could do left turns and landings half way decent. The picture of Bob is with his Undone II, which was painted like Larry's Liberty Belle. When he saw it this morning, he said "can you believe I sold that for $35, and it was scratch-built!" He says hi and has fond memories of the "rivalry". They were times that can't be duplicated.

Charlee

Man that's too cool! Bob Smith.... He was a cool dude! Thanks Charlee

The "then" photo was in Model Airplane News taken at the "79 Lincoln Nats. The model was an original design of mine called the Asp. The "now" photo was taken at the 2008 Burbon County RC Flyers contest. The model is a Defiant Mk II designed and kitted by Todd Schmidt.


Jerry Voth

Hey, that's cool Jerry.....Hope all is well with you...you build some darn nice airplanes. Hope to fly with you again soon, missed you at Tulsa...Chris