RC Modeling Bio

Bob Pastorello, AMA46373

Contact Info;  Email , Phone , Snail Mail

Newest Update 09/23/2006

I started in RC in 1976 in Denver, Colorado while stationed there in the US Air Force.  A friend at work who instructed with me had purchased a "Mambo" and a Heathkit KIT R/C outfit.  He built it alone and had learned to fly alone using streets in a unbuilt housing area.

    One afternoon, he talked me into going.  Funny, but to this day, I recall so clearly the sensations of that first "control" of an R/C airplane.

    Well - it wasn't long until I had my own trainer, then first low-winger, then the aerobatics bug bit.  The "Mile High R/C" club was the resident of the flying area on a deserted, old B-17 runway at Lowry AFB.  It was quite easy to drop over in the afternoons and flog my trainers, while watching these "experts" flying Pattern.

    Those were some days, let me tell you.  Don Atwood and I struck up a friendship that has endured to this day, and he started coaching me on Novice Pattern.  Greg Corliss and I met about the same time.  Compensators, Mach One's, Tiger Tails, etc.  were the RAGE back then, and the Kraft Signature that actually had ADJUSTABLE travels was on the market!!  Of course, Giezendanner pot wipers were ALSO the rage and the "must have" for those TERRIBLE Kraft KPS-15's....anyone recall those puppies?

    I flew a Top Flite Contender 60 with a ST 60 Blue Head for ONE season.  Stalled it in at my FIRST contest in Colorado Springs.  Couldn't rebuild, then had career and family obligations that took me away from RC until I moved to Oklahoma in 1978.

    That started my "scale" time, and I became acquainted with the guys at WestSide RC in Oklahoma City.  Still see some of those guys these days...that club has been around a long time.  Anyway, I got into the .60 glow warbird thing, then the Bipe thing, building a Jack Stafford EAA bipe, then a Sig Skybolt....ah, those were "priceless"...then, in 1987, I actually BUILT a Sterling PT 17.   Yes.  I BUILT IT.  And flew it with a Enya 90 four stroke.  If you don't know, the Sterling RC kits were "craftsman" kits, and were really quite scale.  Until just a couple years ago, I had not been able to FIND **ANYONE** who had ever built AND flown one those PT 17s.  What an awful kit!

    Next in line was a Bucker Jungmeister (told you I liked bipes), and I flew it until I met this guy at the hobby shop that flew "pattern"....the spark was rekindled, the Bucker went away, and I bought my friends' backup Joe Bridi "Escape" with a Webra 60 RE, tuned pipe.  My god, that was a horrible motor.  But this was 1989, and I won the first contest I entered in Sportsman class.  I was hooked !!

    The next several years saw a rapid progression through the classes and various airplanes.  The LA 1, the LA-2, Summit, Fresh Aire....at one time, I burned 29 gallons through a OS Hanno Special; that was the year I got 6th in Advanced at the Nats, I think.

    All during this time, I was flying with the guys in Oklahoma City, and the local hobby shop owner, Mike McMurtry, and I became good friends.  He had this son, and they were enjoying Sean just getting into RC.  I remember his solo day...we worked together for several years.  I practiced with him, and we coached each other through the various things we had to learn.  In 1997, he won the FAI Nats, and I reached a point where I couldn't help him further, except as a set of eyes.  What an experience those years were!

    In 1997, I was flying a Hanson EMC 2, and I really love that design.  Kept at it, built several, did all the ST 2300 work (much with his help, I might add) and somewhere in there decided I needed the Bolly Desafio.  That was an interesting project, let me tell you.  Back to the EMC, this time with mods, and it flew terrifically.  Won the regional championship in FAI in 1999.

    In 2000, I had a Zimpro Viper 202, which is a squashed/stretched Giles 202 with pattern moments/airfoils.  It is a solid design, although not a "wide body", the current trend in precision aerobatics in 2005. [SOLD]

    I also have had a subliminal interest in IMAC for years;  in OKC, there were a couple of IMAC events through the years, where I flew Goldberg Extra's or Sukhois  (they sure weren't very good), but never did the big stuff until last year, when I flew an Aeroworks 29% Edge.  What a plane!  Was going to compete with it, and it got killed by a lack of maintenance. [CRASHED]

    It was replaced with a Hanson 30% Dalotel, 90" wing, powered with a ZDZ 60 on his canister exhaust.  What a sweet-sounding motor.  Unfortunately, this proved too large for my logistics. [SOLD]

    August, 2002 - I have Great Planes 1/3 Pitts with Taurus 52 on board,[SOLD] and a Dave Patrick Extra 330L, also with a Taurus 52 [CRASHED].  Both were FINE airplanes.

    November, 2002....the DP p.o.s. went in, so thankfully, I no longer need to fear whether it's going to flutter itself into oblivion.  It happened.  Moving on...got the GP Patty Wagstaff Extra 300S, and it is sweet.  Decided it had to have a motor to match, so I got a ZDZ 50 and Bisson muffler.  This is a beautiful airplane, and performance is superb.

    February, 2003 - Wildhare Giles 202 at 35%, ARF.  Man, what a wonderful pre-completed airplane.  This completes my stable, and will let me build skills for the larger models.  I have to admit, at 51 years young, the reflexes are just a little enhanced with the 35% airframes and flight speeds.  Waiting for winter to go, so I can start learning. [SOLD]

    May, 2003 - After playing with the Giles (what a sweet airplane), it finally dawned on me that my workshop size, logistics of transporting, and assembly headaches were reducing the fun I could have, so I made the decision to let the "biggie" move on....sold the Giles, bought Dick Hanson's gas-powered 2M Pattern plane, the "Petrel", only to learn that it had TOO much power, so doing a glow conversion to the OS 1.60. [SOLD]

    June, 2003 - Sean McMurtry and his dad stopped by the weekend before the team trials, and practiced here...it was really great to see them and watch Sean do his thing with his Millenium design.  Helped me realize what I missed about pattern, so I ordered a Zimpro "Viper" 2M - FAI version, fixed gear, and a Mintor 1.40....that should be here in July, giving me some months of fun this summer!   Flying the Masters sequence with the Petrel convinced me that at heart, deep down , I love the pattern sequences, style, flow, and airplanes more than anything else I've done.  So it makes sense to have the stuff that I can have the most fun with for the time I have available.  I've missed my friends anyway, so now perhaps I can renew old friendships, and make new ones! [SOLD]

    January, 2004 - As always, I've been someone to try new stuff, and the quality of Chinese ARF imports has risen dramatically.  Found an ARF designed by a reputable person called the "Arresti III", and just had to have it.  Outfitted with the OS 1.60, dual digital elevator servos, it was a great ship, taking me to five Masters' firsts in 2004.  [SOLD]

 Unfortunately, the ongoing development of the model didn't meet my expectations so it moved on at the end of the season.  Also in 2004, I had the pleasure of working with Chris White, who became the National Intermediate Champion in 2004.

    February, 2005 - Current developments included some "project" airplanes, namely the Sportsman Aviation "Excelleron 90" and the Planes Plus "Dream 110", both VERY good airplanes.

The Excelleron was great, and proved that the CAD design parameters for pattern/3D airplanes has really become more sophisticated.  Great airplane, decided it needed LOTS of power, so installed a ST 2300 on a canister muffler.  Yee Ha!!  [SOLD]

The Dream is really a VERY exceptional airplane, and has permitted me to refine and test some new motor setups, namely the GMS 1.20 on a Perry Pump, using my Aeroslave pipe setup.  All up weight of the Dream in this configuration is 8 lbs 8 oz, and it flies JUST TERRIFICALLY!!!!!  Really a VERY good pattern airplane.  May use it in contests in '05, unless I get overly-pessimistic about the "size bias" in the judging of pattern.

    May, 2005 - To ensure I have a "real" airplane, I built an Ultra RC "Icepoint", and outfitted with the OS 160, Perry, and Aeroslave, dual rear elevator digital servos, it is one fine airplane.  It's a full 2M, so we'll see how that goes this season.  So far, weather and work have conspired to leave nearly NO flying time for me, but I'm hopeful!!

    September, 2005 - Fading out of pattern interest, I decided to give "gas" another go, and found that the "new" gas world of ARF's and 3D has some pretty amazing stuff out there.  I started with a TOC 30% Yak 54, powered by a BME 50 to re-inaugurate my world of giant scale.  Unfortunately, that plane was destined a SHORT life, and was lost in a radio mishap when it was still young.  I had it long enough, however, to jump into the new gas-ARF world with BOTH feet.

    Then came the Ultimate from Great Planes, and a 'replacement' for the TOC Yak with a BME Aircraft 30% Yak, which is alive today, many flights later (September, 2006).  The Ultimate had a Brison 3.2 and was a sweet airplane, right up until December 26th, 2006, when I had a crosswind, low-altitude deadstick in a stiff breeze.  It pancaked and killed itself in a ditch.

    Next came a Wildhare Extra 300S, and although not the lightest airplane by any stretch, it looked pretty good - but it's 20 second life was also prematurely-shortened by a radio-death....it went in in a spectacular, high-speed, medium throttle right knife edge, about 75' from the pits at show center.  Spectacular wreckage, and mangled the motor pretty good.

    Not to be defeated, I got another Ultimate, and played with it a bit more, doing "motor testing"..... it has had a Fuji 54 (don't bother), a Brison 3.2 (that was pretty dang good), and now a Brillelli 46, which is a wonderful, lightweight powerplant of great value to the buyer.

    THIS September, the project will be a TOC Aviation Models "30% Extra 260", and I have to tell you it represents a whole new level in giant scale ARF skill.  VERY nicely done, it will be powered with a Brillelli 60 cc, as is the current BME Yak 30%.  The Brillelli is really a VERY good motor, and the 60cc makes these 17lb arfs REALLY perform.