From Bjorn Lehnhardt:

The plane Prettner tried unsuccessfully to enter in the TOC was a biplane, a Skybolt I think. That was mid '80's? [1984]

The Dalotel he won with was at the 5th TOC in 1978. I have a Feb. 1979 M.A.N. with him on the cover along with the plane. Huge for its day, and still not tiny compared to today's TOC planes. Here's mine which is about the same size, but with 60cc more than Hanno had. <http://home.att.net/~rmimac2001/cphotos/DSCN0400.jpg>.

The other planes that year used mostly .90 size glow motors and would look rather small next to a modern 2m pattern plane.

I also found an interesting site about Hanno Prettner, including a picture of the Dalotel. That was a watershed moment since it was the first big airplane to fly at the TOC. It was bigger by a long shot and could be seen as the birth of the TOC as we know it today. If you translate the web pages through Google it makes for pretty interesting reading. It does cover the controversial biplane a bit, too.

<http://translate.google.com/translate> (just paste in the url you want translated)
<http://www.prop.at/fame/prettner.html>
<http://www.prop.at/fame/prettner_gal.html>

From Bill Glaze:

Some years ago, when there was a biplane bonus, 3 flyers entered Steen Skybolts in the TOC. One of them was the fellow from Oklahoma, whose name escapes me; the 3rd person, I never heard his name.

The judging committee was looking these over, and remarked that Prettner's airplane didn't look scale enough to them to qualify. somebody on the committee said: Well, Steen himself is here; let's show him the planes and see what he says." The others agreed it was a great idea.

They put all three planes together in a room, and asked Steen to comment. He looked at the first version. He commented: "Gee, that looks just like my airplane, paint and all, just like it was shrunk."

Looking at the second airplane: "Boy, that's a perfect version; paint looks just like (Joe Blow's.)

Looking at the third airplane, (Prettner's): "That sure is a pretty model; what's it supposed to be a model of?"

They sent Prettner home.

Later a model magazine in Germany made a big stink about the whole deal. The article was shown to Bill Bennett, who blew his stack, and threatened right then and there to cancel all future T.O.C.'s. Shortly after, Prettner wrote to the magazines saying that, in essence, he had tried to get away with a non-scale airplane, and bore no ill will for his rejection. End of story.

Prettner, of course, went on to win other T.O.C's [1988]. One thing about living in Las Vegas, (as I did for many years) you are privy to the "poop from group." I thought you might be interested.

From Gordon Price:

I think the last contest I was judging was when Hanno claimed he had a 'scale skybolt' ..........(you had to be a thinking contortionist to agree.)

I still admire Hanno for his skills. I have great memories of TOC and would love to go back be involved in some way and see all the friends we made there. Those are real good memories. Chip was a novice then....glad I could help him climb the ladder.

From Mike McConville:

As a point of interest, the two other guys with Skybolts were John Britt and Dean Koger. Both were flying the Dave Skully designed model. That took place at the 1984 TOC, which Steve Rojecki won.

FWIW, there was no 1986 TOC. The next one after that deal was in 1988, which Prettner won (with a Skybolt) and was his last TOC.

From Jon Britt, Grain Valley, MO (near Kansas City):

Mike McConville's commentary about the biplanes at the 1984 TOC is correct. In 1984, Dean Koger and I each flew a Skybolt designed by Dave Scully (Dayton, OH). Hanno Prettner's was disqualified.

From Jon Britt, Grain Valley, MO (near Kansas City):

In 1988 I placed 7th in the aerobatics competition with a heavily improved version of the 1984 Skybolt. This model won the TOC "Best Model" award. Dean Koger flew a Weeks Solution that year designed and built by Wayne Ulery (Springfield, OH). Dean was 10th that year I think.

From Jon Britt, Grain Valley, MO (near Kansas City):

In 1990 I again flew a Skybolt, now called Super Skybolt, but mostly based on the original Dave Scully design. This aircraft again won the "Best Model" award.

The 1990 TOC was the last tournament this part of the competition was held. I placed 11th that year flying. This model was the basis for the Great Planes Super Skybolt kit. By the way, both the 1988 and 1990 TOC Skybolts still exist in my work shop. (The 1984 version was rebuilt into the 1988 model.)