The Nobler Legend...

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 15 of 15 known posts recovered

Tim McTigue · Feb 25, 2004 06:49 AM

I was reading a back-issue of SN last evening, from 2001, and it contained a fascinating account from GMA about the genesis of his Nobler. He described the thoughts that went into creating it, and how he flew it to fourth place at the 1951 Nats. I remember seeing a reference here at SSW to GMA winning the 1957 Nats, again with the Nobler. Can some of the "seasoned" fliers here perhaps supply some details of the Nobler story and legend? Like what went on between '51 and '57? I'm sure the newer fliers here could benefit...

Tim

MAAC 65703

Bill Little · Feb 25, 2004 07:46 AM

#1 source

Tim,
Other than a change in the amount of wing panel assymetry and a slight adjustment in wingspan from the published '51 plans, there were some minor other changes. I remember George telling how he drew the first plans and the Top Flite Green Box plans from "memory" as he didn't have a plane with him when he drew the plans. The Brodak Nobler is a copy of the "original" plane that was crashed and rebuilt by George.
The Green Box is still one of my top favorite planes. (along with all the variants that were built from it)
Ok, guys, what did I miss?? hahaha
Bill <><

Just an Old Advanced flyer.

LNeumann · Feb 25, 2004 08:54 AM

#2 source

>Tim,
>Other than a change in the amount of wing panel assymetry
>and a slight adjustment in wingspan from the published '51
>plans, there were some minor other changes. I remember
>George telling how he drew the first plans and the Top Flite
>Green Box plans from "memory" as he didn't have a plane with
>him when he drew the plans. The Brodak Nobler is a copy of
>the "original" plane that was crashed and rebuilt by George.
>The Green Box is still one of my top favorite planes. (along
>with all the variants that were built from it)
>Ok, guys, what did I miss?? hahaha
>Bill <><
>
>Just an Old Advanced flyer.

The MAN plans were drawn from memory, also, without having the plane in front of him. Now, I wonder, how many of us can draw plans from memory and get them right? For that matter, how many of us actually build from plans and get them exact? Since George apparently didn't have plans to begin with (If he did, why not use them?) it amazes me how accurate he was in drawing both the MAN plans from memory and the kit plans and how close they both are to each other and to the original. I have a copy of the plans that George himself drew after he dismantled his crashed plane and took accurate measurements and they are close.

So, the MAN plans and the later published "accurate" plans are both OT legal because they were built or published prior to the cut off date. But the Green Box plans are not OT legal even though they are as close to accurate as were the MAN plans. And, the truth be told, you will probably not be able to tell a bit of difference in flying ability between either of the three choices.

Leonard Neumann

ty marcucci · Feb 25, 2004 03:11 PM

#3 source

One year he "threw" one together overnight using "Pliobond" rubber glue. It eventually fell apart. He did have a sense of humnor.

gcb · Feb 25, 2004 04:03 PM

#4 source

Ty,
If you can, get ahold of the Robin's View Productions (Bob Hunt) video titled "George Aldrich, The Father Of Modern Stunt". You will find that George won some Nats during the early 50's, ran stunt at some of the Nats, and essentially created the pattern still used today.
The video also shows his shop and engine reworking equipment. The video is excellent, I've watched mine several times. The only down side is realizing that he is no longer with us.

George

Tim McTigue · Feb 25, 2004 05:15 PM

#5 source

"You will find that George won some Nats during the early 50's,..."

Thanks, guys, for the replies so far. What I'm really interested in is knowing about some of the chronology not so much of the development of the plane, but more like stories of it in competition - i.e. accounts of which years it was flown at the Nats (i.e., continuously from '51 thru '57, or were there years it was not), which year(s) he won with it, etc. Not too tall an order, eh? I guess I'm just thinking if those who were there (or who've heard stories passed down) were to post them up here, it'd make interesting and enlightening reading. I never got to know George, and I was on some of the same message boards as he was before he passed, but I don't really remember reading much from him, although I was just starting out, and not ready to absorb a whole lot at the time. I think it's a good thing to try to keep legends like that alive, so I'm kind of hoping a few people will remember some cool things to post here...

Tim

MAAC 65703

De Hill · Feb 25, 2004 07:12 PM

#6 source

Larry Scarinzi tells an interesting GMA story. Larry and Red Reinhardt were sitting watching stunt at the 1951 Plymouth Internats that was held on Belle Isle in Detroit Michigan.

They were watching a hotshot fly that had amost won stunt at the Nats. The guy started his airplane (which looked like a team racer) and took off. Red remarked, "poor guy, he got a rich run". The airplane putted around the circle, and attempted the wingover. Red and Larry thought that it would crash, but it completed the wingover, and the pattern , and also won the contest!

The airplane was the Nobler, and the pilot was George Aldrich.

De Hill

Jake · Feb 25, 2004 07:14 PM

#7 source

George was a heck of a guy- you don't get many like him to the pound.
Nobler #1 went through several transmutations and was finally smashed to bits when one of the lines let go (I think at a VSC).
Charlie Bruce rebuilt it and it is now in the AMA Museum- a masterful restoration which boggled my mind when I saw photos of it. If anybody could do this, CB could.

Jake

"It'll probably feel real good again, once it quits hurting".

LNeumann · Feb 25, 2004 11:40 PM

#8 source

>George was a heck of a guy- you don't get many like him to
>the pound.
>Nobler #1 went through several transmutations and was
>finally smashed to bits when one of the lines let go (I
>think at a VSC). (snip)
>Jake

Did the lines let go, or did it just come in on him. George told me on several occasions that he refused to back up for an airplane. I think that cost him a couple of planes.

Leonard Neumann

Steve Fitton · Feb 26, 2004 07:59 AM

#9 source

I think a late 1966(?) Model Airplane News Nats issue chronicled the demise of the Nobler #1. It said George was flying a warmup flight for the judges when a line broke and the plane piled in. The MAN article said the plane was in a million pieces. This would seem to agree with Aldrich's commentary in the Brodak Nobler description about wrecking #1 due to a line failure.

LNeumann · Feb 26, 2004 08:43 AM

#10 source

>I think a late 1966(?) Model Airplane News Nats issue
>chronicled the demise of the Nobler #1. It said George was
>flying a warmup flight for the judges when a line broke and
>the plane piled in. The MAN article said the plane was in a
>million pieces. This would seem to agree with Aldrich's
>commentary in the Brodak Nobler description about wrecking
>#1 due to a line failure.

I wonder what that did for the judges. "OK, Larry, how did you score that maneuver?"

Perhaps the one I was thinking of was at VSC. It was more recent for sure. I can understand his desire that the plane stay out on the lines and that you work to trim it properly so that it (most of the time) will. However, there are "situations" that arise when the lines can go slack. And if that ever happens, then it is time to run. George was one, I think, who would just stand there and watch it and then say, "Well, it was your own fault."

Leonard Neumann

ty marcucci · Feb 26, 2004 01:53 PM

#12 source

Steve, in the film about GMA, he shows the brown paper bag full of Nobler # 1 parts and mentioned that one of these days he might rebuild it. Well, it did get rebuilt, but after his passing. My understanding is he left the #1 with someone in the area of the contest circa 51, and had to do the drawings for MAN from memory, as he did not have the model with him at the time. I believe he was off in college then.

ty marcucci · Feb 26, 2004 01:56 PM

#13 source

Tim, in some of the old issues of MAN, there are photos of one Nobler with an open cockpit and painted bronze and green. Also in one photo used by Top Flight, he is holding two, one is white. I think he mentioned in a tape that he actually built 7 of them and a couple got painted diffeerent colors over their life span. Some one has to bring out a full story of his life and his planes. He was very much into free flight and speed too.

ty marcucci · Feb 26, 2004 01:49 PM

#11 source

Hi George, I got that tape last year, neat. I have been going through a lot of my older magazines from the 50's up through the 70's and have been reading articles by and about GMA. Sure wish I could have met him. I remember he mentioned that the hour glass was supposed to be a vertical square eight, but got changed by AMA. I make it a point to at least talk for a few minutes with the reamining giants in this hobby at VSC and at Brodaks, and at other contests. All have been great guys, just like most of us, only much better fliers , grin.

Jim Pollock · Feb 26, 2004 02:09 PM

#14 source

LAST EDITED ON Feb-26-04 AT 02:10 PM (CDT)

I had the pleasure of talking to George a lot at the '97 and '98 Nats and Brodak's in '99. He was an interesting fellow if ever there was one. He had a few comments regarding some of the patterns flown by some recent and experienced Nats competitors. He truly was his own person, but a likeable one!

Jim Pollock