Written by MA staff (12/2010); Reformatted by JS (12/2010)
Larry Renger was born in 1942 near Richmond, Virginia. His first models were stick-and-tissue airplanes, made from cardstock and hardwood because of World War II material shortages. “When painted with house paint, the planes were, of course, unflyable,” he wrote. “But I was hooked.”
The next few years took Larry from gliders and rubber models to self-designed Jet-X aircraft and stick-and-tissue HLGs. “Modeling hit me big-time when I moved to California and fell in with a group of control-line fliers,” he wrote. “We ended up forming two clubs, the ‘Cratermakers’ at Jack O’Blennis’ hobby shop in Hermosa Beach, and the ‘Screamin’ Deamons’ at Mira Costa High School, our home field.”
Larry joined the Tech Model Aircrafters at MIT when he left for college. Legendary Indoor Free Flight modeler, Ray Harlan, who held numerous national records, had returned to school for his Master’s degree and became Larry’s flying tutor. They flew in the school’s Armory, a Category II-rated site, and as a result, Larry picked up several records of his own including Indoor A-ROG records in Senior class, Indoor Stick, and Indoor HLG.
Larry saw a notice for Estes Industries’ monthly model rocket design contest. He designed the Skyslash rocket boost glider.
“Up until that time, all BG [boost glider] models looked pretty much like rockets with big fins,” he wrote. “Skyslash looked like a conventional aircraft with the engine above the nose.” The model was made to appeal to Larry’s concept of rocketeers, but its performance bested previous records and the configuration is used in competition today. Estes modified the design and it became the Astron Falcon.
Larry graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering, began a career in aerospace, and hated it. When he was laid off in 1969, he revived his aeromodeling interest, which eventually led to a job with Estes.
“Joy unbounded,” Larry wrote. “I was free forever from the aerospace industry!” In his aeromodeling career, Larry has worked with Estes, Fox, Cox, Mattel, Model Builder, and 2 companies that specialized in fast-food and cereal-box toys. He has had more than 20 designs published including Free Flight, Control Line, and Radio Control aircraft.
Larry has written a number of technical help and how-to articles that appeared in magazines including Flying Models, Model Airplane News, and Model Aviation. He has reviewed a number of kits for various publications and authored a column in Model Builder from 1976 through 1982.
Larry’s many kits, ARFs, and RTFs were manufactured through M&P Models, RSM, Estes, and Cox among other companies. His engines include the Black Widow, QRC, Killer Bee, Tee Dee R/C 05, Tee Dee R/C 09, and Venom.
Currently, Larry flies competition Control Line Aerobatics with the Knights of the Round Circle and the Valley Circle Burners clubs near Los Angeles, as well as the occasional park flyer and Indoor Radio Control model.
This page is a text transcription of the original document, made automatically and may contain errors. .