Wood Crafters
Dedicated to those that build and fly wood R/C Sailplanes

Wood Crafters is dedicated to perpetuating the model builder, not the model buyer.

If you didn't build it, you can't fly it, with the following exceptions:

A one off you purchased that was built in the continental USA by a USA citizen.

Construction rule:

  1. All flying surfaces are built up from wood.
  2. No restriction on spar construction or materials.
  3. No Molded D-Tube leading edge construction.
  4. Fuselage can be wood, glassed wood or molded Fiberglass.
  5. Carbon reinforcement can be used on any part of the structure.

Exception for Wood Crafters Ladder and Longest Flight events or Fun Flying:
The old Hobie Hawk and Graupner Cumulus can be flown.

NOTICE ...

NO DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR WOOD CRAFTERS 2009.

PROBABLY WILL NOT HAVE AN EVENT THIS YEAR, IF I HAVE ONE, IT WILL BE LOCATED IN THE SMOKEY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK OR IN THE BLACK HILLS CUSTER STATE PARK. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE VACATION FLYING FIELDS. I HAVE FOUND GREAT FLYING SITES IN ALL THREE PARKS.

I WILL DEFINITELY MISS FLYING A WOOD CRAFTERS WITH ALL THE GREAT GUYS THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PAST AT THE AMA FLYING SITE SINCE 2002.

Wood Crafters 08, June 27, 28, 29, 2008.
AMA International Flying Field, Muncie, Indiana

Single entry per ch except for team entries sharing the same ch. This allows unrestricted flying.

Pre Registration only
... No entries at the field.

WC 08 entry form

Entry forms will be mailed to past participants first, then open ch's will become available. All entries are daily, you can register for one, two or all three days.

Click Here for Wood Crafters 08 Current Entry list.

SCROLL TO BOTTOM OF THREAD

Look for an open channel and send the entry form to:

Ray Hayes 9218 Thunder Hill PL, Fort Wayne, IN 46804

Entry Deadline: June 15, 2008

Wood Crafters 08 Championship Contest will be Man on Man group launching from Sky Bench Hi Starts.

Rules and Regs: No size classes. "Pull to Launching Line" will be adjusted based on wind velocity and size of your sailplane. Smaller planes can be launched first from shorter distances (less pull).

Hi Starts will be "Ray's Small Field Hi Starts"
50 foot of the finest Mandrel made rubber and 225' of braided tow line.
Launches Challengers to 2M Lil Birds.

Jack Smith, the famed winch master of Wood Crafters will not be able to "work" the retriever winch this year. He will fly with us on Friday, but Sat. and Sunday will be spent with his other hobby buddies at their annual Short Wave Field day trials.

The Winch/retriever will be on the field, but may need volunteers operators.

Looking forward to flying woodys with you all.

We are using the same Sky Bench Hi Starts this year we used last year in the MOM One of a Kind event and I have had request for them (some guys believe in practicing), I am selling the black 50" mandrel laid rubber (the best), if interested .. contact me by email (only).

Soar In Travelling Trophy

The Wood Crafters Reunion will include:

  1. Fun fly all three days including 1/2A electric.
  2. Ladder, three minute steps with no penalty, any number of attempts, only launches from Ray's Hi Starts will count for the Ladder competition.
  3. 1/2 A Speed 400 MOM group launching.
    Speed 400 set up tips for the Wood crafters 1/2A AMA Rules event.
    To read the AMA event 604 rules click here
  4. MOM launched by hi start for One of a Kind contest featuring the Gulf Coaster.
1/2A elec MOM and the Ladder are separate contests each day. Gulf Coaster is a two day event that can have a late Sat. start, but we can fly till 5 pm or ???

The Sky Bench winch and retriever will be on the field for fun flying, but will need volunteers to operate it.

Current Gulf Coaster MOM players: Don Harris, Dick Nadolny, Joe Albridge, Bill Suter, Greg Bell, Ray Hayes, Ken Shaw, Paul Siegel. Join in the fun, partial kit is $59. plus $12.95 sh.
Gulf Coaster Building Tips (PDF)

Parts Don Harris and his Gulf Coaster

Bill Suter's Gulf Coaster
Bill Suter's Gulf Coaster, looks Terrific, great job Bill.

There have been several questions about my Gulf Coaster, so I will try to cover most of them. These are the things I did and your ideas may be better. I increased the poly angle for the tip. With the inner panel flat on the board, the tip is raised 4.5 inches.

The inner panels have laminated carbon spar caps of .014 on top and .007 on the bottom. The tip panels have no carbon.

The wing rod is 11/32" by 8.5". That's probably over kill but that's what I had. The spoilers start at 15" from the root and measure 12" by 1". I do not have any wash out in the tips.

Don Harris

Scale Aerotow all three days, beautiful woody scale at it's best.

Winners holding plaques
L-R Steve Moskal, Gordon Pearson, Ken Bates Wood Crafters 2005 Scale winner

GORDON IS LOOKING FORWARD TO WOOD CRAFTERS 08
AND SEEING ALL HIS WOODY SCALE FLYING BUDDIES.

PLEASE JOIN GORDON, YOU'LL MAKE HIS DAY!

Gordon Pearson's E-mail Address:
gordonpearson@chartermi.net

2008 Hotel Information (Muncie & surrounding areas)

Hotel NamePhone Address
Best Western (765) 282-0600 3011 W Bethel Ave
Lees INN (765) 282-7557 3302 N Everbrook Ln
Signature INN (765) 284-4200 3400 Chadam Ln
Holiday INN Express (765) 289-4678 4201 W Bethel Ave
Fairfield INN (765) 282-6666 4011 W Bethel Ave
Super 8 Motel (Muncie) (765) 286-4333 3601 Foxridge Ln
Super 8 Motel (Anderson) (765) 642-2222 2215 E. 59th St
Days INN (765) 288-2311 3509 N Everbrook

Wood Crafters

Wood Crafters 08 Photo Album and Report

Wood Crafters 2008 June 27, 28, 29, 2008
Wood Crafters 2007 May 24, 25, 26, 27, 2007
Wood Crafters 2006 May 25, 26, 27, 28, 2006
Wood Crafters 2005 May 26, 27, 28, 29, 2005
Wood Crafters 2004 May 27, 28, 29, 30, 2004
Wood Crafters 2003 May 23, 24, 25, 2003
Wood Crafters 2002 May 25, 26, 2002

Click here for larger picture.
Otto Heithecker with Jim Vanderzyl's
Challenger, Wood Crafters 2002

October 25, 2007
Otto Heithecker's memorial service Eulogy
Written and read by Karl Heithecker.

Otto Heithecker and John Neilson
Wood Crafters 2004
Otto and John Neilson

Otto Heithecker and his full scale
Otto enjoyed his full scale sailplane too.
L-R Bob Robinson - Gordon Pearson

Otto Heithecker and another beautiful scale
Otto drove from his home in Knoxville, TN every year to attend Wood Crafters.

 

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Sky Bench Aerotech 
skybench.aerotech@GTE.net 

Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46804
Phone/Fax 1-(260) 434-1322