Model Record

The mechanical-minded young and not-so-young who fly model airplanes in tethered circles have a new mark to fly at. Last week Sherman Holt, 14, of Fayetteville, N.C. kept a model plane in the air for 8 hrs. 31 min. and 50 sec., leaving his nearest competitor more than seven hours behind.

Farm Boy Holt built his first (5-c-) model at the age of six. Since then he has been working toward bigger projects. A few weeks ago he had the idea of refueling his latest model through a plastic tube running up the control wire. With help from older fans, he fitted the model with an extra gas tank and rigged the plastic tube.

First trial, which was at night, lasted for 3 hrs. 43 min., but was cut off after a counteroffensive by kept-awake neighbors. A good part of Fayetteville was on hand during Sherman's next flight". Every seven minutes or so, he pumped fresh gasoline into the tank. The flight would have lasted even longer if the extra gas tank had not vibrated loose. If the model had been flying in a straight line, it would have covered 257 air miles.

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