Sig Chipmunk

While thumbing through a Brodak catalog, I noticed the add for Sig's Chipmunk, stating it was a "National Champion 1st Place Award Winner" Is this true? Who was the award winning pilot? Inquiring minds want to know. Larry, NorCal Circle Jerks

Larry,

I believe that it was 1st in the Senior event at the 1969 Nationals and was flown by Mike Stott a more or less prodigy of Jim Van Loo the designer. I believe he narrowly missed taking home the walker cup from Bob Lampione. This comes from the Chipmunk history supplied to me by Mike Gretz of Sig. Give me your E-Mail and I'll send you a copy of the Chipmunk history.

Larry,

I looked up your E-Mail in the PAMPA web site, hope it all gets there O.K.

Oh ya,

[email protected]

David Fitzgerald did it a few times.

Curt,

Quite true, Dave Fitz won a lot with a Chipmunk in Jr and Sr in the late 80's and early 90's. He hasn't been added to the Chipmunk history though as told by Mike Gretz. Maybe he should add Dave's Nats exploits to the history also! I'm sure Dave would be willing to fill him in.

Wierd, first post didn't make it. Jim, would you please send me a copy of the Chip history as well? I'm currently building a Van Loo Chip and a modified Super Chip and have loved the plane since I was a kid. Can't wait to get it finished and flying.

Thanks, email address as aforementioned!

>Quite true, Dave Fitz won a
>lot with a Chipmunk in
>Jr and Sr in the
>late 80's and early 90's.

Mid 70's, early 80's. He's old.

Dave is the only person to win the Jr., Sr., and Open National Championships.

Best looking Chip I ever saw was flown by Don Schultz in Seattle. Great metallic paint and Don was a killer flyer---when you could get him to fly.

LAST EDITED ON Feb-03-02 AT 02:57 PM (CST)

I saw those Chips in Seattle many years ago. Talk to Joe Dill about them occasionally, and according to Joe, they were not related to the Van Loo or SIG designs, closer to scale. I think the Chips were by Joe Dill and Bob Welch, tho. Saw Don in '00 after the B-17 project. He's flying kites, I think. Kites are good things to fly when it's too windy to fly FF or CL models. Steve

Ooops! I definitely should update my Chipmunk history document to include Dave Fitzgerald and Jim McClellan. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Here's the entire Chipmunk win list, as far as I can recall:

Van Loo Chipmunk
1st place Senior Stunt 1969 Nats by Mike Stott

Mike Stott Super Chipmunk
1st place Senior Stunt 1976 Nats by Dave Fitzgerald
1st place Senior Stunt 1977 Nats by Dave Fitzgerald
1st place Senior Stunt 1978 Nats by Dave Fitzgerald
1st place Senior Stunt 1979 Nats by Dave Fitzgerald
1st place Senior Stunt 1980 Nats by Dave Fitzgerald
1st place Senior Stunt 1983 Nats by Jim McClellan
1st place Senior Stunt 1984 Nats by Jim McClellan
1st place Senior Stunt 1985 Nats by Jim McClellan

Pretty good record! All in Senior! That's interesting. Possibly the only kit airplane that even warrants a mention in that class next to the record of the incredible Nobler.

I've always loved the Chipmunk, especially the early one. Couldn't help it! I grew up in Mike Stott's home town of Mankato, Minnesota, where Mike and his dad Arnold ran a hobby shop and C/L foam wing cutting business (the first ever - called FOAM FLITE - used by Bob Lampione, Gene Shaffer, Bill Simons, and many other notables of the 60s and 70s). When Mike went to SIG, Arnold kept the hobby shop and foam wing business going until he retired to Texas about 1976. I ended up following Mike to SIG.

A few years ago, when the new plan of Bill Werwage's Nats winning Aries came out, I thought; "Hey, I need to do that for Mike's '69 Nats winning Chipmunk." I knew it was the only remaining sample of Jim Van Loo's pre-Model Airplane News and pre-Sig kit Chipmunk design (it's bigger than either of those!). So I made Mike dig his '69 Chipmunk out of the attic and let me bring it home to take a complete set of measurements. I've had a CAD drawn plan of it about half done for several years now. One of these days!!

There's a final sad ending to the story of Mike's '69 Chipmunk. About 3 years ago his job required a move from Mankato to Tennesee. In the move the Chipmunk got broke and he threw it in the trash! I almost cried when I heard!! I should not have given it back to him.

If anyone wants to a copy of my Chipmunk history, email me at [email protected] Let me know if you want it in ms-word format or plain text.

Mike Gretz
Sig Mfg. Co.

I just got to thinking:
Brett said that Dave Fitzgerald has won Junior, Senior and Open.
Was his Junior win with the Super Chipmunk? I may have it wrong in my list. Can someone find out and let me know?
Mike G.

Tools,

Sorry, I didn't get the message from you post that you desired a copy also - The files is on my work computer and I am off until Monday - perhaps Mike can send you a copy from his computer. Also Mike, where in Tennessee did Mike Stott move to. I'd like to look him up sometime.

That CL-3 version is not a bad plane either!! I scratch built one last year, taking advantage of the superchipmunk wing kit to get a ribset. I wish somebody would make a kit or short kit (ribs, etc) of the CL-3, I'm an inefficient scratchbuilder.(!) The smaller versions like the published plans and early kit make such a good match to the reworked FP-35. I'm not sure what would be the perfect match would be for the larger plane. Maybe a DS 50, I suppose.
My chipmunk was such a nice looking, nice flying plane, but ill fated; wrecked on its 27th flight. I have not gotten the motivation to salvage the wing and start over yet....
I read somewhere that the Dick Sarapolous Challenger profile job used the same wing as the Chipmunk, if thats the case the Challenger plans show a simpler wing construction and all the rib outlines, if I have any complaint about the wing kit from Sig it is that they are a bit heavier than I would like( that and my LHS loves charging lots of money for them!!).
I'd love to see more people build those old Chipmunk designs...

>I just got to thinking:
>Brett said that Dave Fitzgerald has
>won Junior, Senior and Open.
>
>Was his Junior win with the
>Super Chipmunk? I may
>have it wrong in my
>list. Can someone find
>out and let me know?

Sure, or I can get Dave to enlighten you himself. I would guess is was probably a slightly modified Banshee.

I have one of Sig's Super Chipmunk kits. The wood looks pretty good. I wish that I could buy a fiberglass replacement for the kits plastic (and relatively heavy) cowl and wheel pants. Does anyone know a source?

Thanks Brett. If you have an email address for Dave, send it to me. I remember taking a picture of Dave and his Super Chipmunk many years ago for use in a Sig ad (I think it was at Dayton in '76), but that is the last time I had any contact with him (I don't often get to the stunt event at the Nats anymore). However I have followed Dave's stunt career with a little more than the normal amount of interest simply because of the fact that he did use a Sig airplane in his early days. Kinda like when a member of your family who goes on to fame and fortune. We're proud of him!

Jim Van Loo told me that SIG originally kitted his Chipmunk design and paid him a royalty on it. After Mike Stott won the nats with a modified Van Loo Chipmunk, SIG started kitting that version and quit paying royalties to Jim. Of the two, the Van Loo is lighter, and a better flyer.

I have a funny feeling that it won't be long before we add a second name to the list of fliers who have won as a Junior, Senior and Open competitor. Larry

Jim,
Mike Stott only lived in Tennessee for about 1 year. He is now back in Mankato, Minnesota.
Mike G.

Dee,
Not to start an arguement, but perhaps Jim's recollection was a little off when you talked to him (gee, it's only been 32 years!). Mike Stott did not win the Nats "with a modified Van Loo Chipmunk". In fact it was an early 1968 pre-SIG pre-MAN Chipmunk from Jim's own plans. Stott won in 1969. That was 5 years before he made the Super Chipmunk, which SIG then kitted in place of the CL-3 Chipmunk.

I've talked to Jim and Mike several times about the Chipmunk history, and there is no dissagreement about which airplane Mike flew in 1969. I've taken everything they've told me and put it into a "Chipmunk History" document. I'm going to try to post the entire document, including pictures to my web site later tonight, or at least sometime this weekend. I'll post a link to the site as soon as I get it online.

In the meantime, here's a couple paragraphs about Mike Stott's Nats winning Van Loo Chipmunk:

According to Jim, he first conceived the idea of a semi-scale Chipmunk stunter in 1966 after seeing an article in FLYING magazine about National Aerobatic Champion Harold Krier and the DeHaviland Chipmunk that Krier had modified for aerobatics. Starting with a stock Canadian-built DH Chipmunk trainer, Krier clipped the wings and installed a more powerful engine (the bigger engine was still an inline type to fit inside the original slim cowling). Krier?s Chipmunk retained the original round top rudder shape. With a beautiful red, white and black checkerboard color scheme, the Krier Chipmunk was the hit of the air show circuit in ?66.

Inspired by the FLYING magazine article, Jim immediately drew up his first semi-scale Chipmunk stunter. He built two prototypes during the fall and winter of 1966-67, both with a 57-inch span built-up balsa wing. Jim flew one of these prototype Chipmunks at the 1967 Nats in California. A picture of Jim's Chipmunk at the Nats appeared in the November 1967 Model Airplane News.

Jim had a young protégé on the Midwest stunt circuit named Mike Stott from Mankato, Minnesota. Jim and Mike had known each other for several years, ever since Mike had first appeared on the contest circuit as a Junior age flier in the early 1960s. By 1967, Mike Stott was fast becoming an accomplished stunt flier in his own right. Along with his father Arnold Stott, he owned and operated a part-time hobby shop and foam wing cutting business called Foam-Flite. Foam-Flite was the first business of its kind, producing completely finished foam core wings for C/L stunt. Foam-Flite wings were used by some of the biggest names in stunt from the mid-60s to mid-70s (Bob Lampione, Bill Simon, Gene Schaffer, Jim Silhavy, and Dawn Cosmillio, to name a few).

After seeing Jim Van Loo's Chipmunk during the summer of 1967, Mike Stott decided that he had to build one for himself. During the winter of '67-'68, Jim and Mike got together to build two new identical Chipmunks, using Foam-Flite foam wings with a 55-1/2 inch total wingspan. Working as a team, Jim cut out the fuselage parts and tail surfaces while Mike made the foam wings for both models. Both guys assembled, sanded, covered and painted their own airplanes. Mike painted his Chipmunk in the original Hal Krier airshow paint scheme, like Jim had used on his first two Chipmunks. Keeping up with Hal Krier?s latest change, Jim added checkerboard to the top of the wings and stab/elevator of his new Chipmunk. They powered their models with Super Tigre .40 G-21 series engines. Jim and Mike competed with their new Chipmunks during the 1968 contest season, including both of them flying their Chipmunks at the ?68 Nats in Olathe, Kansas.

Mike Stott continued to campaign his original 55-1/2 inch span foam-wing Chipmunk in 1969. Mike took first place in Senior Stunt at the '69 Nats with this model.

Dear Mike,

Thanks for the great info on the Chipmunk series. I surely wish the Super Chipmunk was Classic legal, I'd bring out one on my originals.

Anyway, My first Nats as a junior was 1975 at Lake Charles. I flew a purple monokoted Sig Banshee with a Fox 35. I took second behind Joe Musumucci, who was a Bob Gieseke protoge.

1976 was my last year as a junior, and my first year with the Sig Super Chipmunk, OS 35S. The plane was mostly stock and flew very well. The cronology you gave was correct as far as I can remember. So, yes I did win as a junior, with the Chipmunk.

Starting in 1977 I flew it every year I flew Senior, and won every time. In 1980, I finished the walker cup (top 5) only about 5 pts behind Bill Werwage. A really big advance in our Chipmunk flying came when Jim McClellan took the OS 35 out, and put in a ST46. Wow, it was on steroids, and unstoppable. Jim won every time he flew with this combination.

I listened to my dad when I got bumped to Open. He said the Chipmunk was a kid's plane and I should get a serious plane. Well that mistake cost me a few years of development. I should have stuck with the Chipmunk.

Mike, my E-mail is: [email protected]

Thanks again, Dave

>Talk to
>Joe Dill about them occasionally,
>and according to Joe, they
>were not related to the
>Van Loo or SIG designs,
>closer to scale.

The one I saw Don fly was a dead ringer for the Sig Chip, but that doesn't mean it was aerodynamically similar.

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-02 AT 03:17 AM (CST)

Steve,

You are right about the Challenger's wing. The original used a wing kit from the Super Chipmunk, kit #CL-19, which is different than the wing from the Chipmunk, kit # CL-3, according Mike's Chipmunk history document, which also resides on my home system.

>Dear Mike,
>>I listened to my dad when
>I got bumped to Open.
>He said the Chipmunk was
>a kid's plane and I
>should get a serious plane.
>Well that mistake cost me
>a few years of development.
>I should have stuck with
>the Chipmunk.
>
>Mike, my E-mail is: [email protected]
>
>Thanks again, Dave

David,

It's not too late to make up the lost time. I'm sure the kits are still available. If you'd like, I could pick one up for you.

Ted,

Maybe Dave wants to begin using the Sig Magnum kit now and turn it into a P-51B with a super secret airfoil design! Oh, and probably use a Saito .56 or .71 for power instead of the ever scarce OS .46 SF. Hmmmm, come to think of it, that combination airframe and motor if kept around 57 ounce could be quite a good combination. If I could only get another Magnum kit for $50.00 like the other one? And, someone to will be one of the Saitos from their estate or something -

> I read somewhere that
>the Dick Sarapolous Challenger profile
>job used the same wing
>as the Chipmunk, if thats
>the case the Challenger plans
>show a simpler wing construction
>and all the rib outlines,
>if I have any complaint
>about the wing kit from
>Sig it is that they
>are a bit heavier than
>I would like( that and
>my LHS loves charging lots
>of money for them!!).
> I'd love to see
>more people build those old
>Chipmunk designs...

I built and flew Sarpoulus's Challenger from his C/L book. Never even had a full set of plans - just scaled everything up from the book plans. Powered by a stock FP 40. I took his advice and ordered the Sig Super Chip (CL-19) wing kit.

Mine was all gray and sported Navy insignia. Flew it in one Skyraider contest. The airplane was capable of flying much better than I was. John Thompson showed the plane and me in one of the Flying Model issues (around 1993 or so) but credited it to Dave Royer (sigh).

I've also acquired a set of foam cores for a C/L Chipmunk (don't know which one) and intended building another Challenger but am really looking at the van Loo Chip instead.

Dave,
Looks like the world is begging you to come up with a NEW modern Chipmunk! You and Ted are about due for a new design aren't you? Might even be a candidate for a new kit!.
Also, in the days that I was away from C.L. stunt I was hanging out with an aerobatic crowd. I have some slides of Harold Krier with the Ranger Powered Krier Chipmunk, and then with the later mods that he made to create the "Super" version with the flat engine and new rudder. To my knowledge this was the aircraft that influenced Art Scholl to build his.

Mike Gretz: Thanks for the Chipmunk history, very interesting. I first met Mike Stott at the 1969 Team Trials in St. Louis, when I was one of the judges. The December 1969 Model Airplane News covered the Trials very well. (M.A.N. used to cover all model airplanes) The text stated that Mike flew a Super Tigre .40 powered, 54", 51 oz, Chipmunk and had engine difficulties. It is also interesting that the picture of Mike in the same article said "Number of semi-scale planes in stunt. Mike Stott with his 57" span Chipmunk, S/T .46 powered." So much for accurate reporting!!
Can you talk Mike into flying again?... he is one fine person.
Tom N.

>Anyway, My first Nats as a
>junior was 1975 at Lake
>Charles. I flew a purple
>monokoted Sig Banshee with a
>Fox 35. I took second
>behind Joe Musumucci, who was
>a Bob Gieseke protoge.

Got any pictures? I'd like to see the Banshee.

In 1970 I was an 18 year old contest rookie in Mike Stott's old club in Mankato, MN. Mike had just designed the Banshee for SIG and his Dad Arnold, who ran Mike's old backyard hobby shop, gave me one of the first Banshee kits as a high school graduation present. Arnold and Mike talked me into getting it built right away and flying it in Senior stunt at the '70 Nats, which were going to be held in Glenview, IL. Mike knew I had just done my first complete pattern about a week before (the first guy in that club to get through a whole pattern since Mike had left the year before - I guess that's why they picked me). Me and another club buddy were talking about going anyway to see our first Nats and fly a little Goodyear. So I got the airplane built, learned the pattern and went to the Nats, where I got my a*s royally kicked by Dennis Adamison, Tommy Morgan, Mike Thompson, and a good group of young fliers who I was totally in awe of (there were 15 entries in Senior - I only managed to beat 3 of 'em - but I was hooked on the Nats experience!). Model Airplane News ran a picture of my Banshee in its Nats coverage. Not because of my performance by any means, but Mike Stott had twisted the writer's arm to get some coverage of the latest new SIG kit. I was kinda embarrassed by the coverage - 12th in Sr. stunt usually doesn't warrant a magazine picture

For the record, my stock Banshee had perfect engine runs every time (once I got the needle dialed in the first time) with a stock Fox 35S and a Veco T21E suction tank.
How about yours?

From some of the things I read on the net about Fox 35s and profile stunters, I don't know how I did it (Whoa! Before anyone jumps in with a rebutal, please, I'm not trying to start another thread about Fox "burps" and such things, I'm just stating what happened on that Banshee and the two others I eventually had.)
>
>1976 was my last year as
>a junior, and my first
>year with the Sig Super
>Chipmunk, OS 35S. The plane
>was mostly stock and flew
>very well. The cronology you
>gave was correct as far
>as I can remember. So,
>yes I did win as
>a junior, with the Chipmunk.
>
I'm sure I remember seeing you and your Dad there in Dayton and taking your picture for SIG. I just returned home from my first overseas Scale WC and was flying in the scale event. In fact (the cobwebs are swirling in my head), I believe I talked to you over near the scale circles. That was one of the greatest, and sadly last, of the "old style" Nats!
>
>I listened to my dad when
>I got bumped to Open.
>He said the Chipmunk was
>a kid's plane and I
>should get a serious plane.
>Well that mistake cost me
>a few years of development.
>I should have stuck with
>the Chipmunk.

LOL! I understand what he was saying, but 5 pts. behind Bill Werwage isn't too bad for a "kid's plane"!

Best wishes for a super WC!! Take care of my young friend Todd, another one of our SIG family of stunt fliers.

> Also, in
>the days that I was
>away from C.L. stunt I
>was hanging out with an
>aerobatic crowd. I have some
>slides of Harold Krier with
>the Ranger Powered Krier Chipmunk,
>and then with the later
>mods that he made to
>create the "Super" version with
>the flat engine and new
>rudder. To my knowledge this
>was the aircraft that influenced
>Art Scholl to build his.

Tom,
I'd like to see some of your pics of Hal Krier someday. He's a part of my first Nats experience. In another post on this thread I mention going to my first Nats in Glenview in 1970. On the drive from Mankato to Glenview, me and my buddy stopped at an airshow in Milwaukee for a couple hours. As we stood at the flight line behind a rope fence, I spotted Hal's Chipmunk parked out front in the grass. Being young and unafraid, we stepped over the fence (like we were somebody) and headed right over to the Chipmunk. I was busy snapping pictures when I heard a voice behind me say; "Can I help you boys with something?". It was Hal himself! We introduced ourselves and told him (talking a mile a minute) about our Nats trip. He was sooo great! Let us take more pictures. Answered all our stupid questions. What a great memory. I was crushed when I heard he was killed in an airplane crash (the next summer wasn't it?).

At that time, his Chipmunk was sporting some new paint lines. Sunburst on top of the wing, scallops on the front of the cowl where checkers had been, and the new rudder shape. Here's one of the pictures:
[photo not recovered: Krier1970.jpg]
That's Hal walking around the front of the plane. Notice he's already got the new rudder. I believe he changed to the opposed engine (fat cowl) that next winter. I thought that Art Scholl, who got the modified Chipmunk idea from Hal, actually went to the bigger engine and new rudder first, and that Hal then changed his. Now you've got me wondering about that. I could be wrong. Got any more info?
In this picture he is obviously only part done with the mods. He's got the new rudder but hasn't changed engine yet.
>
>I first met Mike Stott at the
>1969 Team Trials in St.
>Louis, when I was one
>of the judges. The December
>1969 Model Airplane News covered
>the Trials very well. (M.A.N.
>used to cover all model
>airplanes) The text stated that
>Mike flew a Super Tigre
>.40 powered, 54", 51 oz,
>Chipmunk and had engine difficulties.
>It is also interesting that
>the picture of Mike in
>the same article said "Number
>of semi-scale planes in stunt.
>Mike Stott with his 57"
>span Chipmunk, S/T .46 powered."
> So much for accurate
>reporting!!
> Can you
>talk Mike into flying again?...
>he is one fine person.

I've seen that picture and noticed the inaccuracies. According to my precise measurements of that actual airplane, the span was actually 55-1/2". And it had the G21-40 in it (and I have that actual engine, Mike's Nats winning ST40, in my collection - I talked him out of it in a weak moment - it's going in an exact reproduction of his Nats winner someday!)

I see Mike Stott a couple times every year. He still builds and flies, but R/C electric right now. He said the only way he'd get back into stunt is if I'd move back to Mankato and we'd fly/coach each other. He knows you can't get all the way to the top without a good coach. His Dad Arnold was a great coach!

Better quit this nostalgia kick for tonight.

Mike,

I don't know if I mentioned this to you before, but Mike Thompson's old AMA number now rides on my planes. I had AMA issue it to me since Mike wouldn't be using it anymore. So in a surreal way, Mike still flies!

>Mike,
>
>I don't know if I mentioned
>this to you before, but
>Mike Thompson's old AMA number
>now rides on my planes.
>I had AMA issue it
>to me since Mike wouldn't
>be using it anymore.
>So in a surreal way,
>Mike still flies!
>
>Jim Pollock

Jim-
I wish we could read the AMA number on this ship. I'm pretty sure it's Mike Thompson's airplane that he flew in Senior stunt in 1970. That's his Dad on the left. Is it a Mystere or a Thompson original?
Mike G.
[photo not recovered: MikeThompson70.jpg]

Here's a pic of a gorgeous (IMHO) Sig Chipmunk that also flew in Senior stunt at the 1970 Nats. I can't remember the contestant's exact name - but that's his shoes in the corner of the pic His last name might have been Ehlen. Anybody know him or the airplane?
[photo not recovered: SrChipmunk70.jpg]

This is model has what I call the second Hal Krier paint job. Basically the same as his first (like on the SIG CL-3 kit box), but he's added blue checkers to the top of the wing and stab. Jim Van Loo had this scheme on one of his Chipmunks. Hal Krier eventually removed the checkers and replaced them with a sunburst pattern (see my Hal Krier pic elsewhere in this thread).

All the same airplane - same N number.

Mike,
You could be correct about the timing of the Scholl and Krier mods.
I met Hal at the last Rockford EAA fly-in. I flew a "Breezy" that year!
One of my wife, Linda, and I closest friends was Dorothea "Kitt" Heacock. Kitt had taken advanced aerobatic instruction from Hal, and she introduced me to Hal. Kitt took the pictures of Hal's airplane that I mentioned. (The picture that you posted is better than the ones that I have.) I also met Bill Lumley who had a Chipmunk. We all went to the aerobatic competition at Fond du lac. One of the new names that everyone talked about was Leo "loud & clear" Loudenslager, who I got to know a few years later when I moved back to N.J. and flew out of Sussex airport.
The rest of the story is still hard for me to think about. Kit flew airshows with a highly modified, clipped wing Stitts Playboy, Her husband, Gene, was a brilliant engineer with the Army offices in St Louis. Their base was a small grass strip in Jerseyville, Illinois. Among the modifications to the Playboy was to use a symetrical airfoil with coupled stunt flaps. The airplane also had a bubble canopy. This made an excellent aerobatic machine.
After we lost Hal, when his parachute failed to open in a flight test accident, Linda and I were visiting Gene & Kit and they showed us the new airplane that Gene had designed and had started building. At one end of the basement work shop was a crate containing a Chipmunk canopy that was going to be used on the new airplane. Gene had gotten the canopy from Hal Krier, and he pointed out that the address on the plywood crate was from one dead man to another... From Skip Volk to Harold Krier. A few years later we lost Kitt when she lost power on takeoff and had no where to go.

Mike,

Mike Thompson did have a Mystere that was slightly under the size of the original. It had a 52" wingspan but Mike flew his planes counterclockwise. It does look somewhat like the one Mike had though, could the picture have been printed in reverse somehow?. He did take it with him one year as a back-up airplane, it could have been in 1970! In 1970, I believe mike was flying a Gieseke Nobler. He did fly the downsized Mystere in 1968 or 1969 when he was still a junior though. Here are the planes that I know Mike flew at the Nats, 1. 68 and maybe 69 the Mystere, 2. 1970 Gieseke Nobler, 3. 1971 Silhavy Large Gypsy. All three planes still exsist and are maintained at his dads house. As a side note, the paint scheme on the Gypsy was desinged by his mother who was the Art department chairman of a local high school. In 72-73 Mike quit flying to concentrate on pistol shooting competitions. His main vocational interest was in Police work. He graduated from Cal State U in Woodland and went into the local Sherrif's Office. He then began his pilot training and later became a helo pilot for the U.S. Forrest service. He was returning from a late night mission in the Sierra Nevada mountains when his vehicle went off the road and he was unfortunately killed. Next time I am out there, i'll go by and take some pictures of his old planes.

Jim-
You're right. I can see now that the picture of Mike's Mystere is printed backwards. The muffler and leadouts are both on the wrong side. It was a color slide and I evidently put it in the slide scanner backwards. I'll flip it back around in photoshop.

I dug out the April 1971 issue of Model Airplane News which had an article written by John Blum titled "Stunt Scene at '70 Nats". The 2nd page has a picture of Mike T. holding the Mystere.
[photo not recovered: MANapril71pg2.jpg]

Mike,

Yes! that is Mike and Mike's Mystere - no question about it, that's now my AMA number on his wing. I guess my memory is getting foggy around the edges. I guess he flew the Nobler at the 71 Nats. and the Gypsy at the 72 Nats. I know he was always getting whoped by the Adamisin's every time. What year did Dennis Adamisin win the walker cup as a Senior - I think he was the last one to do that wasn't he? Mike, please send me a copy of that file picture to my work E-Mail address at [email protected]. My home computer doesn't handle graphic E-Mail attachments to well.

Thanks, Jim Pollock

Mike,

Also since you do represent Sig, in the Sept/Oct 1997 Stunt news, you can see a picture of my Super Magnum in the Nats coverage. That was my first contest flying in Advanced class. I managed to struggle all the way to 9th place - with a handle that had a loose cross bar that I didn't know about until after the Nats were over!

Regards, keep up the good work for Sig and hopefully somday you can update the design on the Magnum. It's a good plane, I still have mine stored away. I might even resurrect it for this years Nats.

I believe that he beat Al Rabe and the Sea Fury in its initial Walker Cup Flyoff.

What a nice gesture Ted. Almost as nice as buying Bart a new bowling ball and paying for his lessons!

>What a nice gesture Ted. Almost
>as nice as buying Bart
>a new bowling ball and
>paying for his lessons!

Ted's too smart for that. He know's that Bart might figure out a way to mount an engine and fly it in competition. It's best to keep him supplied with really heavy die smashed Ringmaster kits. even then you've got to watch him.

Love this thread about the Chipmunk design. I'm still a little confused on the lineage. Jim Van Loo's original Chipmunk was kitted by Sig, the CL-3 kit? Then is the CL-3 kit Classic legal like Van Loo's original? Finally, Van Loo's original MAN plans show an airfoiled stab...was this an error? Thanks for any help!

Bill-
I'm working on putting the CHIPMUNK history on my web site. It's about 90% done, I just want to dig out a few more old pictures.
Here's the link:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/mdgretz/Chipmunk1.htm

Bill-
The answer to your question is yes, the SIG CL-3 would be classic legal. It reached the dealers (hobby shops) shelves in March/April of 1968, just like Jim Van Loo's magazine article in Model Airplane News.

Mike,

Excellent Site. I can't wait for the additional pictures you intend to post.

A few years ago you sent me one of the first drafts of your history document. I still refer to it often, especially the table of specifications. I think that this documentation might be interesting and useful to others as well. Do you intend to add it to the site?

I agree with your sentiments at the bottom of the first page.

KEEP THE CHIPMUNKS FLYING!

Awesome web page for the chipmunk!!!!

Mike,
Great Chipmunk Site!
I found my old Hal Krier slides... I'll scan them.
I still think Fitz needs a new Chipmunk!
Tom N.

Hey! where'd the website go???

Tom is right Dave, that StarGazer just does'nt seem to cut it anymore

Hey Larry,

I've got a deal for you. I'll build a classic Chipmunk if you watch the kids for about 4 months...Its actually a good idea.

Dear Mike,

I don't know about pictures from that 1975 Nats, I'll look. I've still got the Banshee, the Monokote has aged a bit. I'll at least take some pictures of it now and try to post them here. It may take a week or so.

Mike,

I don't have a web site to post the pictures to with a URL link. I have 2 pictures of my 1975 Banshee, and 3 of the Nats at Riverside in 1977 with my Chipmunk and Dan McClellan's.

If you know how to post pictures directly on the message board, send me an E-mail at [email protected], and I'll try. Or, I can E-mail them directly to you at as high a resolution as you would like.

Dave Fitzgerald

Dear Mike,
I'll try to post the pictures here. It'll have to be in several messages due to the size limit. Any lower resolution or compression doesn't look good. The first is my Sig Banshee when it was built in late 1974. Stock Fox 35 from Duke himself, with Tatone Peace-pipe strap on muffler, Veco 4 oz. wedge tank.

Yes it had a mean Fox burp. Rev-Up 10-6W

[photo not recovered: 3c65baa72c43b1ab.jpg]

I basically learned the pattern on a Sterling Mustang with another Fox 35. I planted it more times than I can remember. Yellow Tornado Nylon 10-6. After learning on the Mustang, I put it all together and flew the Banshee at the Nats in 1975.

[photo not recovered: 3c65bb112ca1247b.jpg]

I'll post pictures of the 1977 Chipmunk in another reply.

Dear Mike,

This is the 1976 Sig Super Chipmunk. I flew it in Jr. in Dayton 1976, and Sr. 1977 before it had a Hot Rock handle cable break while flyhing with Jeff Anderson in Lodi in Late 1977.

The other Chipmunk is Dan McClellan's. He flew junior that year. Both planes has OS 35S with Rev-Up 10-6W, Big Art Mufflers, on about 64 ft lines. That is also about the time Zinger props came out. What an improvement over the Rev-Ups. I switched to Zinger right after that, 10-6.

The first picture is with my dad in front of the score board, I think the first year Arlie Prezler ran the new format on the Walker Cup.

[photo not recovered: 3c65c238336c5fa7.jpg]

The second picture is with Dan. A few years ago. Dan is flying for American now and has big boy toys, cars, sail boats, lake, real planes, ect. Living in Dallas near Gary.

[photo not recovered: 3c65c2f4342501f4.jpg]

The last shot is a better picture of both planes. Dan went on to compete many time in Sr, and his little brother Jim, now works and lives in Denver, as a UAL as 767 F/O. Jim won many times very effectively with his Chipmunks and a ST 46. Jim is married and has 2 kids, and delusions that he will have time to build a pro-stunter with a PA61, and have time for the kids....

[photo not recovered: 3c65c39c34b3d2ea.jpg]

Dave-
I'm blown away by the great old pics and Nats stories! I love 'em!!

I wasn't aware of Dan McClellan. I didn't go to the '77 Nats. And like I said earlier, I didn't get much time to watch stunt in that period, what with flying C/L Scale and R/C Pattern and Scale.

I remember hearing about Jim McClellan - A LOT! I can't imagine how that Chipmunk must have performed with a ST46. Did you fly it? And if you had it to do over again, would you put one in your Super Chipmunk? Do you know what prop he was using? In the old picture that we have at SIG, it looks like a Rev-Up.

If you don't mind, I'd like to put a couple of these pics on the web page(s) I've posted on the Chipmunk. Here's a link to the site:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/mdgretz/Chipmunk.htm

Thanks for taking the time to look up those pics.

Sorry about that. Got to changing a few things and changed the name of the first page and BINGO - the link doesn't work anymore. (You know what they say about computers: "Stupid in, stupid out!". My fault. Sorry.
Here's the new link:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/mdgretz/Chipmunk.htm

Dear Mike,

No problem, go ahead and use the pics. I've got more if you are interested. I'd have to check and see what years. Let me know.

I think Jim was using the standard Rev-Up for the ST46 set up. I believe it was a 11 x 5W. Yes, I'd put a 46 in it. That OS 35S was great, but it was really working hard if the wind came up, can you remember Lincoln Nats?

Yes, I have flown Jim's plane--awsome. Just before I got back into being serious, I put a 46 in one of mine. It should be the best engine for the job. Just loafing around, and plenty of power. You don't have to squeeze every ounce of power to do a normal pattern. That makes the ST much more reliable when you are not pushing it so hard.

When I build your classic, it will have a ST46, probably. Maybe an Aero ThunderTiger 36--Bill Werwage engine. Now you've got me thinking...