1966 and 1970 US Spacemodeling Teams

Note: these teams participated in unofficial International Competitions, rather than the FAI-sanctioned events of later teams. In 1966, this was simply because the FAI had just adopted provisional rules for Spacemodeling. In 1970, a full team was to participate in what should have been the 1st World Spacemodeling Championships; however, not enough countries entered by the deadline, and the event lost its World Championship status. Nonetheless, the competition was held as scheduled, concurrent with the Yugoslav National Championships, with 3 representatives from the US.

1966 Team

2nd Dubnica May (May) Competition, May, 1966, Dubnica, Czechoslovakia

    Events flown: S1, S2, S3, S4 (motor classes unknown)

Team Members/Participants

    Gleda Estes, Vern Estes, A. W. "Pinky" Guill, Talley Guill, Jim "Casey" Kukowski, Betty Piester, Leroy Piester, G. Harry Stine.

Individual Medals

    Talley Guill 1st Place, Payload

Notes

    This was the beginning of "world" class competition. According to the 1974 WSMC Program Book (written by Czechoslovaks in Dubnica) the 1966 Dubnica Maj contest had teams from the US, Poland, German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hungary, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia. G. Harry Stine, in the 1980 WSMC Program Book lists US, Poland, GDR, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Both sources agree on the events flown.

 

1970 Team

6th Yugoslavian National Championships, September, 1970, Vrsac, Yugoslavia

    Events flown: S3 (5 N-s), S4 (5 N-s), S7

Team Members/Participants

    George Pantalos (S3, S4, S7) and Gerald Gregorek (S3, S4), Bryant Thompson (S3; did not fly).

    Original team members were: Paul Conner (S3), Gerald Gregorek (S3, S4), Al Kirchner, Jr. (S7), Jim "Casey" Kukowski (S4), Scott Layne (S7), George Pantalos (S3, S4), Mike Poss (S7) and Bryant Thompson (S3).

Notes

    Bryant Thompson was delayed in the Azores and arrived too late for competition flights.

    The article in the February, 1971 Model Rocketry magazine describing this contest inspired a young Bob Biedron to get involved in FAI competition.

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