Bob Root – Induction into the AMA Hall of Fame

In November 2021 Comets president George Boston announced:

"Long time Comets member Bob Root to be inducted into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 2022.

Bob will be receiving from AMA headquarters a plaque, a Hall of Fame patch, lifetime membership in the AMA, with an induction letter into the Hall of Fame.

His name and accomplishments will added to the Hall of Fame exhibit in the National Model Aviation Museum and added to the perpetual plaque held at the AMA headquarters, located in Muncie Indiana. “

George wrote this letter in support of Bob Root’s nomination

Mr. Robert (Bob) Root has been a member of the AMA since 1949. His AMA number is GRANDPA. Bob has made so many contributions to the hobby of model aviation that it is difficult to select examples of his more significant accomplishments. I would like to begin with a short review of his involvement with modeling, and his professional background.

Bob grew up in the north west (Portland area) and began his modeling interests at an early age. He scratch built and kit built free flight, glider, control line, and early RC model airplanes. As a young modeler he joined virtually all the model airplane clubs in his community and participated in numerous club activities both building and flying his planes. His passion for building and flying has been a major part of his life, and remains so to this day. Bob joined our club, the Ventura County Comets in 1996.

Bob was awarded a BS degree in mechanical engineering with an aeronautical option from Oregon State University in 1960 (at that time no BS degrees were offered in aeronautical engineering). During his professional life he has been employed by two major aircraft corporations working on the design of commercial and defense aircraft. He was employed by the Northrop Grumman Aircraft Corporation from 1974 until his retirement in 1995. His work in Advanced Design included most of the Northrop stealth programs of that time including Tacit Blue and the B-2. He is one of a group known as the countries Pioneers of Stealth (look it up). In 1983 Bob obtained his general aviation pilots license and in the following years he owned and flew small planes.

Bob brings his technical knowledge to our model flying field everyday, and is sought after for his insight and recommendations to solving model design and building problems. Bob is a master builder and he possess a wide array of building skills from basic balsa construction, to the complex process of forming canopies, making fiberglass molds and foam wing cores. He competes in AMA Scale Masters and has won numerous competitions. He is a highly skilled pilot, and is always available to lend a helping hand to club members with their learning new maneuvers and fine tuning flying routines for upcoming competitions. Recently he placed 1st in static judging, and was awarded the Tom Wolf Memorial Craftsmanship Award at the US Scale Masters 2020 "Gunsmoke" competition held in Mesa Arizona. Bob is an AMA Certified Pilot Instructor and provides "buddy-box" instruction to potential/future club/AMA members that attend our sponsored Club events. Bob also holds certification as an AMA Contest Director.

Since joining the AMA Bob has belonged to many AMA clubs throughout the west coast. He has held virtually every elected office during his tenure with these clubs and served as the president of the Comets from 2005 through 2006. He works with a number of educators in our local community participating as a speaker at school sponsored science days. He possess the unique and envied skill of being able to communicate and relate to young children, capturing their interest with manned flight, tied to the building and flying of model aircraft. During his presentations he always brings along models under different phases of construction to facilitate a better understanding of model aircraft construction, and how it all contributes to create a flying airplane. He also brings along small electric (park) flyers to demonstrate RC flying and to give the children a chance to try their hand at flying themselves. He is sought after every year to speak at these events.

Our Club newsletter is the Comets Tale. For many years Bob served as our primary contributing writer of articles published in the Tale each month. His articles ran the gambit of model building addressing aeronautical design, model design, building techniques, and fabricating components used in the building process. As an example he wrote multiple articles on the fabrication of clear plastic canopies, and building plugs and molds to form fiberglass components, such as fuselages and engine cowls. He also served as our "number one reporter" of events held at our flying site, and at AMA sponsored events/competition held throughout the southwest. In his articles he loved to share his experience with competing in past events, and his early years growing up in the Portland area. Bob has the ability to take very technical subjects, and explain them in lay terms that are easily understood by everyone. His "Root's Rambling" served as the focal point of the Comets Tale.

Bob designed and built pylon racing planes and has competed in numerous AMA events throughout the west coast. He designed racing planes, fabricated kits, and promoted his designs through articles published in a number of early modeling magazines. In 1969 Bob and two others started an RC club called the "PROPS" (Pylon Racers Of Puget Sound). To the best of my knowledge the club is still operating in the Northwest area today. From 1972 through 1974 he participated in the Pylon Racing Nationals held in Chicago, Oshkosh, and Mexico City. In 1972 he won the Spokane International Pylon Races, and in 1979 he won the NMPRA Pylon Racing Nationals held in Las Vegas.

In 1974 Bob designed, built and raced a 0.15 cu.in. powered quarter midget P-39 King Cobra and won the Chula Vista Pylon Races in 1975. He was the Southern California Quarter Midget Racing champ in 1976,1977, and 1978. He made and sold over 300 kits of this airplane. Recently Bob designed and fabricated kits for a Quickie 500 size racer called the Firecracker, and made them available to members of our club. We now have more than 10 pilots flying Bob's Firecracker, with many more in the building phase. More details of the Firecracker are provided below with other examples of his published articles.

Here is an example of one of Bob's builds. He wrote this article for our newsletter in the fall of 2019:

"In the summer of 1951 I was 14 getting ready for high school in Portland Oregon. The Portland Stardusters club I belonged to held a free flight contest every year and this model was one I built to compete. I powered it with either a K&B .19 in AMA class A or with a K&B .23 to compete in class B. This model was always a favorite of mine although not as successful as other designs I competed with.

At the AMA show in November I found someone selling an original Carl Goldberg kit from this era for half the price they usually go for in this day and age. I couldn't pass it up so the second picture shows the results. It's been a long time since I built a kit with die cut (crunch) parts. The hobby has come a long way. It is R/C controlled (rudder, elevator, and motor) with electric power. It weighs a little under 27 ounces which I think is close to the glow powered free flight model weight in 1951. First flights show I have a great flying machine with good soaring potential (and it looks great)."

(Attached as Plate 1, Carl Goldberg Pics, are the pictures referenced in Bob's article)

In July 1974 an article written by Bob was published in American Aircraft Modeler titled "Phony Folkers". The article addresses the design, build and racing of an FA1 racer, used at the 1973 Oshkosh AMA NATS. The model incorporated a fiberglass fuselage made from a mold, and finished with high gloss paint. The wing was fabricated from a foam core. The article goes in to much detail on how to perform these building techniques. Detail drawings were included with specifics on fitting the engine, control surfaces and electronics. Also covered were flying characteristics and other considerations.

Another example of an article written by Bob was published in American Aircraft Modeler, January 1972 titled "FA1 Firecracker Racer". The model was based on the 1930's racer named the Keith Rider R-4, better known as the Firecracker. This model competed in the 1970 FA1 races held in the Northwest and served as Bob's first entry into Formula II / FA1 racing. He competed in the 1972 Chicago NATS with this model. The article addresses the building of the plane, with detail drawings and description for fabricating the landing gear and retracts. Bob's design calls for a built-up fuselage, foam wing core, and also included mechanical retracts. A good portion of the article goes into detail on how to fabricate the mechanical retracts with hand tools, and fitting them to the wing.

(Note; At the request of the judging committee, copies of the above referenced articles can be provided in JPEG format.)

Using his experience with the original design of the Firecracker, Bob recently finished scratch building a new version in 1/3 scale. Attached as Plate 2 are photos of the model. These photos provide a good example of Bob's outstanding building skills. The finished model flies great, and Bob plans to enter it into the US Scale Masters Competition as soon as the Covid19 pandemic is behind us.

Additional examples of Bob’s competition scale models are shown in Plate 3 a 1/4 scale 1931 Aeronca C-3 and plate 4 a 1/5 scale 2004 Waco YMF-5.

As stated in the guidelines for nominating candidates for induction into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame, "Selection is based on the individual’s contributions to model aviation, which may include competition, design, experimentation, leadership, education, organization, writing, publishing, manufacturing, or other related activities. Emphasis is on the accumulated contributions in one or more of these categories over an extended period of time". It is my opinion Bob has demonstrated a high level of accomplishment in virtually all of the elements contained in the aforementioned statement. Bob is a corner stone to the Comets and represents all the best traits of an AMA member, and a promoter of model aviation. I first met Bob in 2002 when I joined the Comets and began my involvement in RC model building and flying. He has been a mentor to me and many others in our club. I feel privileged to call Bob by friend, and my experience with this wonderful hobby is so much more enriched because of this friendship. I strongly recommend that Mr. Robert (Bob) Root be inducted into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame.

George Boston

AMA #790977

President,Ventura County Comets

AMA Charter #173