A RACER RISING THROUGH THE RANKS

Jake Hanbury captured everyone's attention on the flight line at Rantoul. Jake has been flying RC for four years and regularly flies glow and electrics with his father, USRA president Scott Hanbury. At only 13 years of age, this serious RC racer was competing for the second time at a USRA giant-scale event. Last year, Jake took 5th in Dominator at the 5th annual North Coast Challenge in Ashtabula, Ohio.

At Rantoul, when the Dominator Gold heat was starting, there were two alternates on the flight line - and Jake was the second. If he was to have a chance to race, two of the five pilots slotted for the heat would have to suffer a DNS or equipment failure. Holly, flight line director, yelled "Okay, boys, let these dogs go!" The engines roared to life, but one pilot could not get his engine started, and only four aircraft took to the air--but one of those suffered a breakdown in flight before the planes were "on the clock." Jake was allowed into the air! Yes! But then the race was stopped owing to a timing and scoring malfunction—a rarity. After a quick huddle (should the original lineup be allowed a second chance?), it was decided to restart the race with the five who actually made it into the air when the race was called. Jake was back in, and he placed 5th.

Jake will race in Dominator again at the 6th annual North Coast Challenge, but next year will move up to Forumla 1 GT and fly at all of the scheduled races. Scott notes that Jake, who plays guitar in a rock band, loves anything mechanical. Jake is planning to join the Civil Air Patrol and hopes to pursue a career flying UAV's in the Air Force.

TOM EASTERDAY—GIANT SCALE RACING PIONEER

Tom Easterday and Cliff Adams started giant-scale racing almost two decades ago. They were looking for a more affordable yet highly exciting counterpart to full-scale Reno racing. Their first race was held in Madera, CA in 1991 and the two donated $25,000 in prize money. That year, there was just one class--the Unlimited racers, and 110 entrants competed. In the mid 1990s, the giant-scale racing phenomenon expanded to include AT-6 and other classes, and there was a surge of activity that is reemerging today.

Tom’s unlimited racing team, Team Extra, has been competing on the giant-scale unlimited racing circuit since its inception. He has also contributed sponsorship dollars to race purses over the years. Tom generously donated $6,000 in prize money to each of the three races held in 2005 (split between the Unlimited and Formula 1 classes), and sees this as one more way to add to the excitement that motivates the sportsmen who compete on the giant-scale racing circuit. Behind the scenes, Tom has helped transport race planes to and from races, and has on a few occasions given planes and equipment to aspiring racers.

Tom and Team Extra simultaneously represent the legacy of unlimited racing and its future. His team pilots have consistently been among the top winners. Tom’s company, California Research Tabulations (CRT), developed the scoring software used at all of the unlimited races. Tom proudly notes that giant-scale racing has contributed technology and engineering to the RC community in general. Today, 29-pound unlimited racers are pulling 20+ G’s in pylon turns without suffering any structural problems. Moreover, the safety advances developed by the unlimited racing community—including assignment of exclusive frequencies to each racer in a class, simultaneous multi-plane engine-on range checks and mandatory kill switches—have served as a model for use in other RC arenas.

Looking to the future, Tom notes that the sport is poised for expansion: “The Formula 1 GT 80 and Formula 1 classes, both of which run Zenoah engines, are highly competitive yet affordable classes for serious sport racers, and the entry-level Dominator class is perfect for newcomers. The camaraderie is high among unlimited racers, and some of the better known RC personalities like Quique Somenzini, Mike McConville, Diego Lopez, Peter Goldsmith and others have been bitten by the bug. This all sets the stage for exciting competition where spectators can root for their favorites much as they do in motor sports. We see a bright future in giant scale racing.”

CONCLUSION

Giant-scale racing is growing because of the good work of many people and organizations. USRA president Scott Hanbury has raced and promoted the sport at every turn. Other avid participants driving giant scale racing forward include veteran racer Holly Hollingsworth (line boss at Rantoul and other USRA giant scale races this season), Tom Easterday (see sidebar) and Fred Sattler, who, in collaboration with APC, has designed ever more efficient propellers for different giant-scale racing classes, including Unlimited. The several sponsors of the races are making a huge contribution, and last but not least are the sportsmen themselves whose drive to perfect ever better race planes have made today’s giant-scale racing more fun than ever.

Can you make the USRA giant-scale race at Blue Water River Run in Parker, AZ on October 20 - 23? Visit www.usrainfo.org to learn more; you’ll be glad you did.

The pilots' banquet on Saturday night at the Chanute Museum was a real pleasure. Good food and great company in a remarkable museum setting that could be enjoyed by family and friends alike.