Memories of Wooten

I sent this very same Email to Lone Star but haven't recieved a reply as yet.
When I was 12 back in 1960 I attended my first contest as a spectator. It was in Union NJ, just a couple of hours from Long Island where I grew up.
I was in total awe!!!!!
A older ( for me that meant anyone over 15) guy was about to throw away a crashed plane I asked if I could have it. His answer was yes and I became the proud owner of a Riley Wooten Whatzit
I didnt find that out until many years later, and recently have aquired the plans for his original Whatzit and I'm constructing one to be powered with a Fox 36X.

Thats a real nice story. I have given away many kits/planes over the years and have never regretted it. Some are never built and end up junk somewhere....but once in awhile the "magic" hits. Thanks for the memory.

>I sent this very same Email to Lone Star but haven't received a reply
>as yet.

Phone him instead. He has computers, but doesn't use them himself - at least TTBOMK.

>I was 12 back in 1960 I attended my first contest as a spectator. It
>was in Union NJ, just a couple of hours from Long Island where I grew
>up. I was in total awe!!!!!

>A older ( for me that meant anyone over 15) guy was about to throw
>away a crashed plane I asked if I could have it. His answer was yes
>and I became the proud owner of a Riley Wooten Whatzit.

>I didnt find that out until many years later, and recently have
>aquired the plans for his original Whatzit and I'm constructing one
>to be powered with a Fox 36X.
>
I got my own first purpose-designed combat plane about the same way, but from Don Still, and it was 5 or 6 years prior to your experience. The Nobody I dissected was too damaged to repair, but it served well for patterns.

Riley was at Tucson for Top Gun, and told me he was staying over for VSC the following weekend. We had a couple of long conversations while activity was in lulls. I think you might want to try to locate a small-case Johnson 35 for your model, which I'm pretty sure was Riley's own choice when he flew the Whatizit.

.
Kiwi