TIFTON — A Martian Spaceship was all Tifton resident Gene Senkbeil and his Donalsonville friend Chuck Orrick needed to win Best In Show at the Southeast Electric Flight Festival held the first week of this month. Senkbeil and Orrick’s Martian Spaceship competed against over 400 other contestants at the largest remote-control electric fly-in in the world held at Hodges Field in Andersonville, S.C.
“There was nothing else there that was even similar,” Senkbeil said. The unusual -looking aircraft is a 1954 free flight design that was re-engineered and enlarged for radio flight in 1991. Last year, Senkbeil and Orrick modified the design for electric flight.
“The spaceship is about five feet long,” Senkbeil said. “It is about 20 inches in diameter and the tail fins come up about two feet off the ground. It doesn’t have wings. It lifts like a space shuttle.”
Senkbeil said they flew the spaceship just one time before entering it in the contest. “We took it to Sylvester late one Sunday afternoon,” he said. “We flew it for about 35 to 40 seconds.”
Senkbeil said of the SEFF event, “They had never seen anything like this. It flew and it flew impressively.” He said the craft is very light, only about 2 1/2 pounds, and was facing 18 to 25 mph winds. It is made of carbon fiber and balsa wood.
“I worked on it for six weeks, every day,” Senkbeil said. Senkbeil constructed the main structure and Orrick spent another two weeks attaching the strakes and building the wire landing gear.
Building models has been a lifelong hobby for Senkbeil, who said he has been doing it for some 44 years. “Lately I’ve gotten to be a builder,” he said. “And there are very few of us left.” He said taking a box of sticks and converting it into an aircraft is “an art that is being lost.”
“I was so excited!” Senkbeil said of the Best In Show win. Senkbeil and Orrick received a plaque and five $100 gift certificates from event sponsors. “That was totally unexpected,” Senkbeil said. The event staff picked the top six planes to nominate for the Best In Show award. The entire staff voted on the top six nominations and the winner was announced at the awards ceremony.
Orrick said, “Flying the fast and unusual design was difficult in the wind but Gene had done a great job building the main structure and I could not let him down in front of all those people!” The festival was attended by over 3,000 spectators. People came from all over the southeastern United States to attend the annual event.
Both Orrick and Senkbeil are members of Country Flyers RC Club. They have a Web site at www.countryflyers.com.
To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.
Local News
Related Photos
‘Martian Spaceship’ proves a winner
- Local News
-
-
Man's Best Friend
An Atlanta man who was diagnosed as having stage four cancer has befriended a black Labrador retriever, which was given to him by Regenia Wells, director of the local Tifton-Tift County Animal Shelter.
-
Mark York to run for post
Chief Magistrate Judge James M. (Mark) York announced Friday his candidacy in the July Primary for the office of magistrate of Tift County.
-
$5M investment to find tax cheats proposed
In a rough economy, Georgia’s leaders are looking to collect every nickel owed to the state.
A budget proposal from Republican Gov. Nathan Deal would spend roughly $5 million annually on a first-of-its-kind database meant to identify people who steal the identities of others and use that information to falsely claim tax rebates from Georgia authorities. The budget plan, which received initial approval from House lawmakers, is now under review by the state Senate.
“If everyone pays what they rightfully owe, we can all pay less,” said Republican Rep. Larry O’Neal, the House majority leader and a proponent of tightening tax enforcement. -
Dennis Reese considering run at Tift County Sheriff
Lt. Dennis Reese with the Tift County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that he’s considering throwing his hat into the race for sheriff.
Reese, with over 20 years of experience in law enforcement, stated, “I’ve been employed with the TCSO for nearly 25 years and have been in a leadership position for the last 18 years. Since that time, I’ve grown to love it with a deep passion. I was once told that you get into this business for one of two reasons: You either love it or you’re crazy. I guess I’m both.” -
Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies
Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.
Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.
- Colquitt inmates charged in contraband scheme
-
Ga. poll gives Gingrich big lead over Romney
Newt Gingrich has maintained a double-digit lead over his Republican rivals in Georgia with less than a month to go before the state's presidential primary, according to a poll released Saturday.
-
'Gee haw whoa back': ABAC rodeo March 2-3
Steer wrestling and bull riding return to the ABAC Rodeo Arena on March 2-3 when the popular “Gee Haw Whoa Back” rodeo will be back in the spotlight as part of this year’s Celebrate ABAC Alumni Weekend at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
- Authorities: Ga. man killed mistakenly killed wife
- Warm weather could lead to armies of mosquitoes
- More Local News Headlines
-
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Maine GOP Chairman Says Romney Wins Caucuses
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
