Written & Submitted by GP (11/2006); Edited by JS (09/2006, 11/2006, 02/2022), Reformatted by JS (11/2009); Updated by JS (01/2022)
Career
- Won first place in Radio Control events 15 times at the National Aeromodeling Championships (Nats) held in the U.S. (See spreadsheet at the end of this biography)
- 4 time U.S. F4C Scale Team Member
- District VI Associate Vice President starting in 1995
- Numerous model designs kitted by model manufacturers
- Involved in Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) research, design and training for the U.S. Military
Honors
- 1999: Model Aviation Hall of Fame inductee
- Top Gun Gray Eagle Award
- Hal’s A6M2 Zero model is housed at the AMA’s National Model Aviation Museum The following biography and above bulleted notes were written and submitted by Gary Parenti in November of 2006. [The National Aeromodeling Championships and AVP bullets above were updated by AMA History Project staff in 2022.]
For as long as he can remember, Hal Parenti has been fascinated with the idea of flying. At the young age of six or seven, he purchased a 10-cent Comet Models kit and pestered his mother to help him build it. By the age of 10, he was able to build a Phantom Flash and fly it in front of his house on the streets of Chicago.
As his skills advanced, he moved up to the 25- and 50-cent models. He spent many days at the Comet factory staring at all the models hanging from the ceiling.
At age 13, Hal purchased his first gas engine, a GHQ kit costing $4.95. He never did get it to run, but eventually purchased a Marvin .19, which he put in a Goldberg Zipper Free Flight model. At age 17, he built a Comet Clipper, but soon after graduating from high school in 1944, he entered the military. Modeling was put on hold for a few years. Hal remembers taking target practice against Radio Control drones while in the army, but says that no one was able to hit them.
After his discharge from the Army in 1946, Hal began building and flying Control Line models in addition to Free Flight. He flew Control Line Stunt for a while, then in the early 1950s switched to Control Line Speed. Around 1955, he acquired a single-channel Citizenship radio and moved permanently into Radio Control.
When reed systems were introduced, Hal began flying Radio Control Aerobatics using famous designs like the Smog Hog, Astro Hog, Orion, and Taurus. His quest for a better performing airplane inspired him to design his own aircraft. He created many versions of his Canoli pattern design, which he successfully used in competitions all throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Hal also competed successfully in Radio Control Pylon, but in the 1970s, he discovered the form of competition that best fit his building and flying skills, Radio Control Scale. Hal started designing and competing in Scale events at a national level in 1975, and won many awards at contests like the Nationals, Top Gun, Scale Masters, Toledo, and the Mint Julep Scale Meet. Hal has been National Champion 12 times. Models designed and flown by Hal include: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
1975 – Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero 1982 – Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat 1984 – Bell P-39D Airacobra 1986 – Savoia Marchetti SM79 Sparviero 1989 – Ryan FR-1 Fireball 1990 – Cessna 336 Skymaster 1993 – Piper PA-39 Twin Comanche (Canadian Nationals) 1996 – Ryan FR-1 Fireball 1997 – Cessna 336 Skymaster 1998 – North American B-25J Mitchell 2004 – Ryan FR-1 Fireball 2005 – North American T-28B Trojan 2006 – Ryan FR-1 Fireball
In addition, Hal won the Highest Flight and Best Four-Stroke Performance awards at Top Gun, and the Engineering Achievement award at Scale Masters for his mixed propulsion Ryan Fireball. He won Pilots’ Choice and Best of Show awards at numerous events. Hal represented the United States four times in F4C FAI World competitions, with a best individual placing of seventh and a best team placing of third. Hal competed in the 1980 (Canada), 2000 (Switzerland), 2002 (Canada) and 2006 (Sweden) World Championships. Model manufacturers kitted many of his designs:
Top Flite models kits
- Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat
- Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero
- Holy Smoke
- Elder Biplane
Wing Manufacturing
- Douglas A-26 Invader
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning
- HP 200
- North American B-25J Mitchell
Jack Stafford Models ▪
HP 300 Electric
In addition to his competition and design achievements, Hal also worked on Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) designs for the U.S. Military. Working with Ralph Andre of Wing Manufacturing, Hal created an experimental stainless steel folding roll-up wing design for the Navy. He also designed two target RPVs for the Navy and a video surveillance RPV for the military. Hal trained Navy personnel in the maintenance and handling of the aircraft and provided flight instruction.
Hal also performed personal research on delta winged model aircraft, designing and flying pusher, ducted fan, electric and even sailplane versions of deltas.
Since 1995, Hal has served as an Associate Vice President for AMA District VI and was inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 1999.
Hal with some of his early Free Flight Models
‘ 2002: Hal’s design of the Ryan Fireball at the F4C World Championships
Hal’s turbine powered F9F Panther jet.
Hal’s B-25J Mitchell was kitted by Wing Manufacturing.
2006: Hal flew this T-28B Trojan at the F4C World Championships in Sweden.
Harold Parenti
“Hal Parenti, 72, has enjoyed more than 50 years of aeromodeling experiences. He has been a successful competition flier in virtually all areas of aeromodeling.
Beginning with rubber-powered and other Free Flight models, he moved on to Control Line, and finally Radio Control in 1964. Radio Control Pattern and Pylon (Formula One, Quarter Midget, Open) occupied his attention from 1964 until the mid 1970s. Early in the 1970s, he began flying Scale and has concentrated his efforts in that arena since then.
Hal is a nine-time Nats champion in various Radio Control Scale events, beginning in 1975 and continuing to the present. In addition, he has many second- and third-place finishes in various Nats.
Other prestigious events such as Top Gun, U.S. Scale Masters and the Mint Julep have produced many wins. On the international scene, he has been a member of World Championships teams and is a strong supporter of the FAI program.
Hal builds and flies his own designs in competitions as well as sport flying. He has designed or consulted for several aircraft kit manufacturers. His designs include the F8F-2 Bearcat, A6M2 Zero, Holy Smoke and Elder Biplane for Top Flite. Wing Manufacturing has featured his A-26 Invader, P-38 Lighting, HP 200, and B-25 Mitchell. Many individuals have successfully built and flown these models in competition.
Research in Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) design for the U.S. military has occupied his attention as well. This has included tow-target RPVs, a video-surveillance aircraft, and an experimental wing design for the Navy. He trained Navy personnel in the flying and maintenance of these aircraft. Delta-wing designs are a part of his ongoing personal research. Hal has been a founding member of several clubs and serves as an AVP for District VI.”
Nats Year
Nats Event, Class/Division, or other contest/plane information
Place
Time/score
Source
1975
RC Sport Scale, Jr./Sr./Open [Plane: Zero]
184.5 points
Model Aviation, 11/1975, pgs. 61-65
1978
RC Sport Scale, Open [Plane: P-39]
176 points
Model Aviation, 11/1978, pgs. 78-81
1979
RC Sport Scale, Open [Plane: FBF-2 Bearcat]
175.7 points
Model Aviation, 11/1979, p.90-93
1982
RC Sport Scale-Expert, Open
180.88 points
Model Aviation, 11/1982
1983
RC Sport Scale-Expert, Overall Standings
177.667 points
Model Aviation, 11/1983
1984
RC Sport Scale-Expert, overall standings
164.59 points
Model Aviation, 12/1984 1984
RC Precision Scale, Overall Standings (FAI)
818.5 points
Model Aviation, 12/1984
1986
RC FAI Scale, Overall Standings
3347 points
Model Aviation, 11/1986
1989
RC Expert Sport Scale, Ages Combined
183.17 points
Model Aviation, 11/1989
1990
RC Expert Sport Scale, ages combined
186.18 points
Model Aviation, 11/1990
1990
RC FAI Scale, ages combined
3527.78 points
Model Aviation, 11/1990
1991
RC Precision Scale, Jr./Sr./Open
719.33 points
Model Aviation, 11/1991
1996
515 RC AMA Precision, ages combined
180.91
Model Aviation, 12/1996
1996
512 RC Expert Sport Scale, ages combined
183.75
Model Aviation, 12/1996
1997
515 RC AMA Designer Scale, ages combined
Model Aviation, 12/1997
1998
515 RC Designer Scale, Open
186.542
AMA Competition website
1999
515 RC Designer Scale, Open
182.25
AMA Competition website
2000
516 F4C RC Scale, Open
2249.25
AMA Competition website, accessed 03/2015
2000
515 RC Designer Scale, Open
180.88
AMA Competition website, accessed 03/2015
2001
516 F4C RC Scale, Open
2300.5
AMA Competition website, accessed 03/2016
2003
515 RC Designer Scale, Open
189.875
AMA Competition website, accessed 03/2015
2004
516 F4C RC Scale, Open
Not reported
AMA Competition website, accessed 04/2015
2005
516 F4C RC Scale, Open
Not reported
AMA Competition website, accessed 05/2015
2006
515 RC Designer Scale, Open
193.25
AMA Competition website, accessed 05/2015
2007
515 RC Designer, Open
190.5
AMA Competition website, accessed 05/2015
2008
515 RC Designer, Open
AMA Competition website, accessed 05/2015 2009
515 RC Designer, Open
162.375
AMA Competition website, accessed 06/2015
2010
515 RC Designer, Open
182.375
AMA Competition website, accessed 06/2015
2011
520 RC Fun Scale Open
94.5
AMA Competition website, accessed 06/2015
2012
515 RC Designer, Open
191.125
AMA Competition website, accessed 09/2015
2013
515 RC Designer, Open
190.88
AMA Competition website, accessed 03/2016
2014
515 RC Designer, Open
AMA Competition website, accessed 09/2015
2015
515 RC Designer, Open
132.375
AMA Competition website, accessed 09/2015
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