Evening star., 1951-08-27
Arlington Boys
Model Aircraft
Thrills Detroit
12-Yeor-oId's Entry
Gives 500 Others
Run for Their Money
By Harry Lever
Star Staff CoFTespondenf

BY hoFFY Lever
Star Staff Correspondent
DETROIT, Aug. 27.-A IL
year-old Washington area boy is
giving the 500 contestants a real
run for their money in the cur
rent International Model Airplane
meet.
Lloyd j. Thompson, jr., Of 855
South Frederick street, Arlington,
Va, also is providing the thou
sands Of spectators with an ac-
tion-packed exhibition Of "car-
rier" landings and combat" fly
ing by the fast little craft. And
last night it looked as if young
Thompson might take second
place in the carrier event in which
he is the youngest contestant. He
expertly landed his model air.
plane on the "deck" of the Navy's
wooden carrier, closely Stimulating
the landings of real aircraft.
Streamers Are Targets.
In the combat flying class, Lloyd
held the crowds attention as his
tiny fighter Snarled at the tail of
another only a few feet above the
ground.
In this event colored streamers
are attached to the tails of the
planes. The pilots" who stand
in the center Of a ring guiding
their ships with control lines, try
to chop off opponents streamers
with the whirling propellers. Sew
eral points were awarded to Lloyd
for his skill in attacking, his
evaSiVe maneuvering and for the
length of streamer left on his
plane when time was called.
Although the event is a difficult
one, Lloyd maneuvered his little
craft well enough to keep it from
crashing to- the ground. This
actually happened to him in prac-
tice before the event, but he made
quick repairs with the aid of his
father, 1t. Comdr. Lloyd j..
Thompson, who is assigned to the
Bureau Of Naval Personnel at
Arlington Annex. Mrs. Thomp-
son also is in Detroit watching her
young son perform.
The boy shortly will start in
the seventh grade at Thomas JEFF
ferson High School in Arlington.
He is a first-class Scout with
Troop 164 and also patrol leader.
Others From Area.
Lloyd'S apparent surge to the
front in the carrier landing class
matches the successful efforts OF
David B. Weisman, II, and Ray
mond L. WeiSman, Is, Of 1892
Kanawha street NV, who appear
to be placing high In rree flight
gas contests.
Other Washington area contest
ants in the Plymouth Motor Co. S
international meet are Roger L.
Barron, Is, Of Springfield, Va;
Alan c. Walker, IA, Of 5905 Euclid
street, Cheverly, Md, and Donald
Struttman, 18, OF 1913 Halleck
street, District Heights. The six
boys were sent to the Detroit
finals by the Washington Metro
politan Area Chrysler dealers, on4
the basis Of their high perform
ance at the sixth annual National
Capital model air show, which
was held at Andrews Air Force
Base, Md, July %.
The National Capital show was
sponsored by the Chrysler dealers,
The Star, National Airport Club
and Veterans Of Foreign Wars.
HaSty Repair Job.
Young Struttman had bad luck
yesterday. He had spent three
months building his airplane for
entry in the speed class, and on
the first fight, it crashed and
was so badly damaged it could
not be repaired.
The Washington boys got g.
special thrill yesterday when they
saw the worlds speed record forI
heaVy-type model jet planes shat
tered by Pfc. Thomas P. Baker. %.
who was sent to Detroit from his
Military Air Transport service
station at Wheelus Field, Libya,
to participate.
On a circular course of one
kilometer, his fast-moving craft.
weight about two pounds, was
clicked at 1908 miles an hour.
The old record Of 111.466 miles
an hour was made on June 4,
1850, behind the Iron Curtain by
M. Georges Benedek of Budapest.
Polite TabOOS.
AS in past years, the Detroit
hotels have issued polite sugges-
tionS as to what shall not be done
by the 500 "redblooded American
boys" participating in the meet.
These include taboos against blow
ing ink from squirt-guns at other |
guests, sailing model gliders, with
flrecrackers attached, out of win
dowS, and flying jet planes in the |
corridors.
The meet ends tonight with a
banquet on Bob-Io Island, On
tario, Canada, at which the win
ners will be announced. The
awards will include 104 trophies,
and $4,725 in savings bonds.