New Addition: Cumulus RC Sailplane

Concrete runways are hard on sailplanes.  Barbara K. Henon learned this fact at  Mile Square in Southern CA while flying her Graupner Cumulus RC Sailplane during the national League of Silent Flight contest in 1972.   Barbara won the contest, but the Cumulus ended it beat up and dirty, although that doesn’t matter when you can take home both the Duration Winner trophy and the Overall Winner trophy.

The 111" wingspan towers Barbara as she holds the model against her shoulder.
Barbara K. Henon poses with the Cumulus before sending it to the museum in late 2015.
The Graupner Cumulous 2800 has a bright yellow box that sets off the trophies made out of wire to look like sailplanes.
The wire sculpture trophies that were awarded to winners of the 1972 League of Silent Flight contest are very unique.

The Cumulus sailplane, its original radio equipment, and winning trophies have all been donated to the collection by Barbara K. Henon & Richard Shilling, with the assistance of:  Fred Weaver, SoaringUSA, Keith Finkenbiner, Manuel Barba Ortiz.  Thank you, all, for helping to grow the museum’s collection!

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