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Interview of Jerry Dunlap
Ronald Van Essen
Ronald:
As a kid, what did you play with? Was there already something
like r/c toys?
Jerry:
As far back as I can remember, I was always playing with some type of
model boat. My father worked in construction and brought home
scraps of lumber. I’d cut points on a piece of wood
and float it in a mud puddle. I’d drill a hole in
the middle of a 2X4 model boat, and stick in a mast with a
sail. My first powered models were electric
outboards. This was back in the mid 50s. I also
built free run .049 powered ski boats and hydroplanes. In the
mid 50s, unlimited hydroplane racing was huge in the
Northwest. I would cut plywood hydroplanes for the guys in
the neighborhood and we’d tow them behind our
bicycles. I also built static display model airplanes along
with flying u-control model airplanes. Hand launch gliders
were fun and I tried .049 powered free flight. I managed a
couple of successful free flight launches and recoveries, but destroyed
the model when it powered up and then powered back to earth.
Ronald: When
did you get interested in r/c boats? Was it always this hobby
as the one and only or did you have something else in between?
Jerry: I
designed and built my first model boat in 1965. It was a
28” ski boat, powered by a Veco 19, and controlled by a Kraft
3-channel reed system. A reed radio system worked by
“blipping” a control lever on the
transmitter. I wouldn’t imagine very many IW
members ever controlled a model using a reed
system. After getting started in r/c model boating,
I also dabbled in r/c cars, and began flying r/c airplanes.
I’m just now getting into EP model airplanes. I
have a 41” wing span Piper CubARF from Great
Planes.
Ronald: The
design you made is built many times. Was it already a WOF
concept? What was the reason to make these tunnel designs?
Jerry: Since
1976. I designed a whole bunch of tunnel boats. I have no
idea how many I’ve designed or built. I probably
build 8 - 10 tunnels a year so if you do the math that’s
something close to 300. The first model tunnel boats I
designed and built were frame construction. I started going
to WOF construction in the late 1980s because it took less time to
build a boat. Also, because you match the center section to
the sponsons it was easier to build a hull without a twist.
Ronald: Speaking
of tunnels, how many do you have? What has changed over the
years in tunnel design?
Jerry: At
this time, I have four 20 tunnels (2 WOFs and 2 TS2s) and two 40
tunnels (both are WOF). One is powered by a K&B 7.5
Pro and races in 40 Stock and the other has a Nelson 45 and runs in 40
Mod. One very noticeable difference in model tunnel design
during the last 30 years is appearance. Today’s
models are much sleeker appearing. Dimensionally, there have
also been changes. Tunnel widths are less. Sponson
running surfaces are not as wide and the sponson angle is
greater. Cowlings reflect the change from open cockpits to
canopies.
Ronald: Was
your family of any support and does the “legend”
continue (do you have kids who are in this hobby?)
Jerry: For
41 years, my wife, Maren, as been very supportive of my model boating
endeavors. When we were first married she raced in 20 and 40
vee classes. My son, Paul, began racing when he was six years
of age. He was, and still is, an excellent model boat
racer. In 1993, Paul was the APBA Hall of Champions winner
for r/c model boats. Paul and his wife, Amy, have a two year
old girl. My grand daughter, Helen, ran a r/c car on her
second birthday. As she gets older, I’m sure she
will be running a model boat when she comes up to visit Grandpa Jerry.
Ronald: Today
a lot of stuff is on the internet. Can you find your way on
the web and does that help you with finding what you want.
Jerry: I
can “wander myself” around the internet to find
information on products and events. Recently, I’ve
become interested in EP r/c model planes. Tower Hobbies does
an excellent job of presenting information on all the items they
sell. And when I need a self esteem boost I can go to the
AquaCraft Model Boat link and see myself in the TS2 ad. All
of the written reports and most of the communication I do for and with
AquaCraft are done via the internet.
Ronald: What’s
your biggest achievement so far? Any goals left for you?
Jerry: I
suppose being recognized for my contributions to r/c model boating
would be my biggest achievement. Knowing that model boaters
all over the world have run model boats I’ve designed is
rewarding. I still have a couple of goals in model
boating. One, I’d like to win another national
championship with one of my tunnel boats. Two, I’d
like to make accessing the hobby on model boating easier for
beginners. My relationship with AquaCraft Model Boats will
allow me the opportunity to realize goal number two easier than goal
number one. But, as the saying goes, “Winning never
gets old.” However, in my case I might just have to
settle for “gets old.”
Ronald: Did
your profession help you with your hobby?
Jerry: I
taught elementary school for 30 ½ years. The
teaching profession “allowed” me opportunities to
pursue my hobby more than “helped” me in the
hobby. However, writing and English classes I took in college
proved very beneficial when I began writing for model publications in
the mid-60s. My second career, which concluded in May of
2005, was working at a large recreation center. Part of that
job was driving a Zamboni, an ice resurfacing machine.
Driving the Zamboni didn’t help my hobby pursuits, but it
sure was fun.
Ronald: Peer
into a crystal ball. Where do you see this hobby/sport
going? What is going to be the next big thing? What
technology should we be on the lookout for?
Jerry: “Hobby/sport”
is two separate considerations. The hobby aspect of model
boating is definitely going more and more towards RTR (ready-to-run)
model boats. Today’s model customers, be it
airplanes, cars, or boats, are interested in
“doing” not
“building”. Take it out of a
box, install batteries and/or fuel, and run it. The Miss Elam
18 Sport Hydro is a good example. I designed the hull, radio
box, and running hardware to be “user
friendly.” In the near future, there will be
several other RTR models available from AquaCraft that I
designed. On all these new offerings, Mike “Grim
Racer” Zambrowski has assisted in development of the final
product. I associate the “sport” aspect of
model boating with racing. There are three main components of
r/c boat racing: nitro, gas, and electric. It is my
observation that in the last five years, nitro racing has leveled out,
while interest in gas and electric racing has
increased. The “Next Big Thing”
in model boating is going to be in EP powered r/c boats. Ten
years ago, Fast Electric, was almost a contradiction of
terms. That is no longer the case. The ultimate
speed record for a model boat is currently held by an EP powered
hydroplane. With environment concerns regarding noise
becoming greater, sites for running nitro and gas powered boats will
become scare in many locations. I don’t see nitro
and gas powered r/c boats “withering
away.” I just believe the technological advances in
EP powered model boats are going to exceed nitro/gas power.
JD with the next generation of Dunlap Model Boaters
2 year old Helen Dunlap
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