The Eugene Prop Spinners Club is based in Eugene, Ore., and flies regularly at Eugene Airport. E-mail for information about flying activities and access to the flying site.
Club
officersMike Denlis, president
(photo at left)
John Thompson, vice president, safety
officer, treasurer
Tom Kopriva, secretary
Jim Corbett, newsletter editor
Interested in joining the Prop Spinners? Annual dues are $25, and membership in the Academy of Model Aeronautics is required. Being a Prop Spinners member gets you access to one of the Northwest's finest flying fields. For information on joining the club, E-mail the Prop Spinners.
For news of radio control flying in the Eugene area, see the Eugene RC Aeronauts web site.
The Prop Spinners enhanced the Eugene flying site on May 3, 2009, with the addition of a bench and picnic table. The bench eventually will carry an engraved plaque in memory of departed notable Prop Spinners, starting with the late Morrie Gilbert and Oba St. Clair. The picnic table will be available on site as a work and lunch table. The work party to assemble the furniture included (from left) Floyd Carter, Gene Pape, Mike Denlis and John Thompson. A barbecue inaugurated the table! Carole Pape photo.
Recently at the Eugene flying field: Mike Massey brought this new Magician out to the Eugene Airport on Nov. 22, 2008, for its maiden flight. The plane is powered by a Fox .35 Stunt. At right, just a typical sunny winter flying session! Dec. 6, 2008, brought a good turnout of fliers and lots of planes to the field. Jim Corbett photos.
See Prop Spinners first half 2008
flying photo gallery
Floyd ups the anteFloyd Carter of Eugene saw others in the Northwest coming out with twin-engine planes during the past year, and was not to be outdone. Possibly the most prolific model builder in the region, Floyd whipped up a twin and made it electric, just to add a little innovation. The first electric twin in the area as far as we know. But the twin (featured here a couple of weeks ago) was a little underpowered on its first trip to the Eugene flying field. No problem! A couple of weeks later, Floyd returned to the Eugene field with the same plane -- now a trimotor! A third motor, slightly more powerful, was added to the back of the fuselage pod.
The trimotor version has plenty of horsepower and the plane stunts very well and gets a long-enough run for the stunt pattern. We're hoping Floyd will write us an article with details of the project.
Oh,
and while waiting for the paint to dry on the trimotor, Floyd whipped up
a very nice profile stunter called the Grand Poo Bah, at left. We'll show
a larger picture later.
Can't wait to see what Floyd brings out to the field next week! Flying Lines photos.
At the club meeting on Feb. 17, 2008, the Eugene Prop Spinners paid special tribute to Morrie Gilbert, a member of the club since the late 1940s, who recently stepped down from the job of treasurer after nearly three decades. Morrie has been a continuous member of the club and a mentor and inspiration to many fliers. Former Prop Spinner Gene Pape attended the meeting and recalled meeting Morrie at a CL competition in the 1960s, which led to Gene's long involvement in the hobby. Morrie also was a member of the Prop Spinners team that set the still-standing endurance record in 1957 (See NW CL History page). Morrie remains an active member of the Prop Spinners and often attends the regular weekend flying sessions. He organized the club's demonstration for stroke victims in the fall of 2007. The award was presented by longtime Prop Spinner Mel Marcum. Jim Corbett printed up a four-page article describing some of Morrie's activities with the club. The tribute took place in the Prop Spinners' "rolling meeting hall," Mel's motor home, at the flying field. Visible in the picture are (from left) Gene Pape, John Thompson, Morrie, Floyd Carter and Mel Marcum. Jim Corbett photo.
Eugene Prop Spinners members reinstalled the former wind sock pole in fresh concrete on April 29, 2007, and the sock was put atop the tall pole for the following week's flying. Now fliers all over the field can see which way the wind is blowing. From left, workers are Morrie Gilbert, Mike Denlis, Mel Marcum, Tom Kopriva. Club members also did quite a bit of field maintenance work that same weekend. Fresh circles were painted on the asphalt on April 27. Flying Lines photo.
The Eugene Airport flying field was foggy and wet when the Eugene Prop Spinners arrived on Saturday morning, Jan. 28, but it soon cleared off and the sun started making steam from the water on the asphalt. Left photo, Tom Kopriva flying, surrounded by the mist; right photo, Tom's Cardinal passes the steamy pit area. Steam wasn't much help finding wind direction: At times it seemed to be moving in all directions at once! Weather eventually cleared completely for a lovely flying day. Flying Lines photos.
The Eugene Airport flying field was foggy and wet when the Eugene Prop Spinners arrived on Saturday morning, Jan. 28, but it soon cleared off and the sun started making steam from the water on the asphalt. Left photo, Tom Kopriva flying, surrounded by the mist; right photo, Tom's Cardinal passes the steamy pit area. Steam wasn't much help finding wind direction: At times it seemed to be moving in all directions at once! Weather eventually cleared completely for a lovely flying day. Flying Lines photos.
Oregon CL fliers gathered under sunny skies on Feb. 19 at the site of the upcoming Northwest Regionals. Full story.
The Prop Spinners used plans provided by fliers in Cook County, Ill., to set up a "monoline" mower, which automatically trims down the grass circles while the club members are flying on the adjacent asphalt. The system allows EPS members to work and fly at the same time!
The mower is a self-propelled mower that is tethered to a spool staked down in the center of the circle. The mower unwinds as it mows, and runs out of gas as the circle dimension hits 75 feet. The system's design and some photos of the Illinois setup were provided to the Prop Spinners by Bill Dahlgren of Glenview, Ill., and the Eugene system was built by longtime Prop Spinner Morrie Gilbert (shown in the left photo as the automated mower chugs past). The right photo shows the mower unwinding from its spool.
The mower system was tested for the first time at the June 11, 2006 flying session. More information about the automated mowing system can be obtained from John Thompson or from Bill Dahlgren.
Floyd Carter brought
his new Wildman 60 to the Eugene flying field on Feb. 12. It features an
Anderson Spitfire .65, spark ignition (see front end detail). Flying
Lines photos.
Tom Kopriva, John Thompson and Floyd Carter got out to the Eugene flying field, home of the upcoming Northwest Regionals, on Jan. 15.
Floyd Carter prepares
his Bob Palmer Venus; John Thompson's Vector 40 waits for another flight.
Left photo: Tom Kopriva flying his ARF Cardinal. Right: Floyd with the Bob Palmer Venus, bound for Tucson and the VSC in March. Flying Lines photos.
This page was upated June 26, 2009