List of Nats Winners and their Airplanes

Anyone happen to have a list of Nats winners (C/L Stunt) in the classic era ('53-'69) along with the airplanes that they flew?

Thanks!
Paul R.

Paul,
There is a list on the PAMPA site under resources.

Dave Cook

Thanks Dave!

Reviewing the list of Walker Cup winners I see that Bill Werwage was the winner in '59. Does that mean that Bob Palmer winning '59 Thunderbird was in senior and Werwage beat him as a junior? I seem to recall something to that effect.

I wonder if there is a list of senior/open winners somewhere in addition to the Walker cup winners listed on the PAMPA site?

>Thanks Dave!
>
> Reviewing the list of Walker Cup winners I see that Bill
>Werwage was the winner in '59. Does that mean that Bob
>Palmer winning '59 Thunderbird was in senior and Werwage
>beat him as a junior? I seem to recall something to that
>effect.
>
> I wonder if there is a list of senior/open winners
>somewhere in addition to the Walker cup winners listed on
>the PAMPA site?

Bob Palmer won the Open division & Billy Werwage won the Senior division as well as the Walker Trophy.

>Thanks Dave!
>
> I wonder if there is a list of senior/open winners
>somewhere in addition to the Walker cup winners listed on
>the PAMPA site?



This is not a complete list of what you asked for, but here are the people who won the Walker Cup (National Stunt Champion) as Junior or Senior flyers meaning that they won over the Open Precision Aerobatics Champion).

Dennis Adamisin (Sr) 1972
George Aldrich (Sr) 1952
Gerry Cipra (Jr) 1962
William Cummings (Sr) 1956
Don Ferguson (Sr) 1951
Hill Hutchins (Sr) 1954
Art Pawloski (Sr) 1958
Davis Slagle (Jr) 1946, 1947, 1948
Bill Werwage (Sr) 1959

What's Dennis Adamisin doing these days?

>What's Dennis Adamisin doing these days?
>

Dennis flew in Expert at Brodaks this year along with several other family members.

>What's Dennis Adamisin doing these days?
>

Heard he's deep in the skunk works. Not flying enough, but burning up electrons, motors and ESC's just the same, an Electronista-in-Training...

Keith,

Didn't Jim Silhavy win the walker cup as a senior in 1960 or thereabouts?

Jim Pollock

As far I know, Jim Silhavey only competed in Open.


1960 - 1st & Walker Cup
1961 - Place unknown
1962 - 2nd
1963 - did not compete
1964 - 1st & Walker Cup
1965 - did not compete
1966 - 6th
1967 - 6th
1968 - did not compete
1969 - 5th
1970 - 10th
1971 - 8th
1972 - 9th

Keith,

I didn't get around to comparing ages with Jim when I visited with him in 2005 at the Brodak fly-in, but it didn't seem to me that he was much older than myself. In 1960 I was 15, so, I'll wager he was a Senior in 1960.


Jim Pollock

>Keith,
>
>I didn't get around to comparing ages with Jim when I visited
>with him in 2005 at the Brodak fly-in, but it didn't seem to
>me that he was much older than myself. In 1960 I was 15, so,
>I'll wager he was a Senior in 1960.
>
>
>Jim Pollock

Jim,
Although my info is "human memory based" rather than digital, that was sort of my "era" for following that stuff pretty closely. I'm reasonably certain that Jim never won the Walker Trophy as other than an Open flyer.

Keith is seldom wrong on this stuff and if you ever visit is library of "stunt stuff" you'll see why. The only guys whose collection is superior when it comes to stunt would be PAMPA Historian Wynn Paul.

Ted

p.s. One thing worth knowing about Jim Silhavy is that if there had been Concours awards at the nats while he was active he would probably be in second place behind Windy for pretty props on the wall. A magnificent craftsman who even polished the "inside" of his cowl and tank compartments. If my memory isn't once again suffering from old timers, I think he may have won the rough equivalent of that award known as the Testors Best Finish Award at one nats. Bet Keith has that info, as well.

A wonderful guy, the late Rene "Mother" Mechin once took his prized possession off the wall when I visited on a New York layover; Jim's magnificent red Gypsy. I was a pretty good builder/painter in those days and I was frankly awe struck by the attention to detail. There are several guys nowadays in the same league but at the time I had never seen anything quite like it.

>Keith,
>
>I didn't get around to comparing ages with Jim when I visited
>with him in 2005 at the Brodak fly-in, but it didn't seem to
>me that he was much older than myself. In 1960 I was 15, so,
>I'll wager he was a Senior in 1960.
>
>
>Jim Pollock

The 1960 Nats were held at the Dallas Naval Air Station. From the 1961 American Modeler Annual, ages and years modeling of those placing in various events were listed. The winners in the Control Line Aerobatics event were:

Junior: Jim Vornholt from Indinapolis (14/3)

Senior: Artie Meyers from West Hempstead, New Youk (16/3)

Open: Jim Silhavy from Clevland (29/15)

Keith,
You are correct about the 1960 Dallas Nats.

Artie Meyers flew his "New Yorker" for the win.

I have Artie's pencil drawings and pictures of the airplane. It will become a "Classic" article in the future. Unfortunately Artie passed away about 14 years ago, he was only 51. He was one of many Seniors during the 60's that consistantly beat the Open fliers.

Interestly enough, John D'Ottavio showed his sense of humour by answering Artie's airplane with John's "Jerseyan" which we published in Model Aviation a few years ago.

I think Jim Vornholt flew his Charles Mackey designed "Carousel" that year.

Well, Jim Silhavy certainly is well preserved for his age. If he was 29 in 1960 that would make him about 78 today!

Jim Pollock [photo not recovered: shocked.gif]

I believe John Lenderman won NATS Open Stunt in the early '50's with a Still Stuka/Fox .35. George Aldrich gave me the model/engine data by email. Lenderman also placed high at a California NATS around '60 or '61, with a Nobler/Fox .35. Knowing John, it was probably the same engine! Steve

Steve Helmick
Renton, Washington
USA