Hi There!
I hope you enjoy my web site!.
I am Tommy Gray. AMA 17063, SAM 136, VR/CS 635, and IMAA
12827.
I currently living again in North
Central Louisiana where I grew up. I have been flying powered models since about
1954. I started out flying U-Control (Currently called "Control line"). I
flew Combat, Rat Racing, Stunt, Speed, and Scale, winning and
placing in many of them. I first joined the AMA
around 1955 or so. At that time we had a great model club in my home town
called the "Jonesboro-Hodge Sky Knights". Most of us were into U-Control,
but we did have a few "Ground Breakers" who flew single channel (Rudder
Only) and dual channel R/C (Rudder and Throttle). I had one RC plane
back then, a Live Wire "Kitten" (My newly built Kitten made
from the original 1953 plans is in the photo gallery) and an old single channel "Orbit" Radio. I still have a few
parts left from the Kitten, and stuff from some of the old models that I will include in the
gallery for those who might be interested. I also have the old Orbit
brand single channel transmitter left.
After joining the
Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)
I started entering contests. I have several trophies won in Scale, Rat
racing, and Combat. My first nationals was the 1960 Nats in Dallas,
Texas. I flew a highly modified Top Flite "Flite Streak" with a modified ("Souped
up") Johnson .35 Combat Special in the Nats. I have drifted in and out of
the hobby over the years, but am solidly in it right now, having flown R/C
almost exclusively for the past 30 years or so but with the resurgence of
U-Control, I have dug out a few choice planes from the "Archives"
and my son and I are doing a little with them. My primary interest
these days however is "Antiques, Old Timers" and "Vintage" R/C aircraft.
We are even delving into Free Flight and Rubber Power a little but space around here is
almost non-existent FF use.
I have been a member of
several great clubs down through the years. There were the
"American Turf Flyers"
whose field was a really great side strip of a turf farm, (the turf made
for great runways!)
but who now have moved to their new location with more great stuff, located in the
Tulsa, Oklahoma area. When I was a member, the field was in south Broken Arrow
(in the early
80's). I was also member of a great club in Port Lavaca, Texas (Mid Coast R/C Flyers)
in the 90's, where I wrote the club newsletter. I am currently Webmaster/Newsletter Editor, and Secretary for the
"Hangar RC Club" of Jonesboro, La., my local flying club.
I'm also President and Webmaster for the Northeast Louisiana Society of Antique Modelers
SAM Chapter 15, and the former Webmaster for the VR/CS
Vintage R/C Society, a organization comprised of R/C flyers who build
and fly Vintage Radio Controlled Airplanes. I am also an AMA Contest
Director. This past year I was elected to serve as Secretary of The
Society of Antique Modelers International
(SAM), and am currently
serving in that capacity.
My modeling interests are
mostly for scratch-built (95%) and kit bashed planes (5%) (NO ARF'S!). I currently
fly about 80% Gas, and 20% electric. In the
photo gallery
you can a few of my planes, both current and past. I still have
almost every plane I've ever owned, and a great engine collection too!
If
you have a picture of something you think I might be interested in, please
let me know and I'll try to get it posted here and credit you with it. I also plan to include some tech articles I wrote for club papers
and other journals down through the years and post them here soon, as well as some by
well known modelers across the nation and around the world.
Come Back Soon and Thanks
for Stopping By!
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