Author: Dave Brown
Edition: Model Aviation - 2001/04
Page Numbers: 130,131,132
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CONTROL LINE RACING - 2001/04

Dave McDonald Box 384, Daleville IN 47334 E-mail: DMcD143@aol.com

The flying season is underway in some parts of the country, and others are anxiously waiting. I thought this would be a good time to let you know about a new event for the 2001 Nationals.

As you may be aware, Fast Rat has not been flown for the past couple years. Although most people have an opinion on the merits of flying it or not flying it, I think most will agree that we need an event that has the thrill of fast, open, innovative competition.

During the winter, a committee looked at the future of Fast Rat. It questioned if the event should be held or adjusted to try and promote competition. The result is a .21 Rat event that maintains most of Fast Rat with a few exceptions, including the engine size and line sizes.

The hope is that the event will feature fairly high speed while making the airplanes lighter and easier to fly.

I have included the new event rules, and I certainly hope you will participate in it at the 2001 Nationals. It will be held Thursday following the Quickie Rat event, and it will be a National Control Line Racing Association (NCLRA) Supplemental Event.

Event Rules (.21 Rat)

1. Applicability

  1. All rules from the Unified Control Line Racing rules apply to this event except as modified, appended, or specified here.

2. Model Specifications

  1. If the model is of cast pan construction (two or more parts held together by screws or bolts), it must be, in the Contest Director’s opinion, as strong as the methods suggested in the CL Speed section.
  2. Only constant-diameter exhaust extensions are allowed. Such extensions shall be no more than 5-1/4 inches in length as measured along the center line from the center of the piston bore to the end of the pipe.

3. Engine Specifications

  1. The maximum engine shall be a .21.
  2. There shall be no restrictions on the type, size, or location of the needle valve assembly.

4. Races

  1. Each contestant shall be allowed two (2) qualifying heats of 70 laps in length. One (1) refueling stop is mandatory in each heat.
  2. Final races shall be 140 laps in length with three (3) mandatory refueling stops.

5. Flying Regulations

  1. All flying shall be done between six (6) and twenty (20) feet altitude.

6. Field Layout

  1. The Inner Circle shall be 68-foot radius.
  2. The Outer Circle shall be 76-foot radius.

7. Lines

  1. For the .21 size engine, lines shall be .016 solid. For the .15 engine, lines are to be .014 solid. Any engine over the .15 size must run the .016 size lines.
  2. Lines shall be 60' ± 6".

Equipment and Suppliers

Now that you have reviewed the rules, it is important to know where you can obtain equipment for the event. Below are suppliers and products noted by competitors and committee members.

  • Henry Nelson has a good .21 on the market. The engine may be obtained with a minipipe and ready to race. Henry’s .21 is lightweight and provides ample horsepower to be competitive right out of the box.
  • Steve Wilk (Eliminator propellers) provides Eliminator propellers that will work in the event and is currently making a variety of fiberglass tops to fit the DARP pan. He provides tops and bottoms for those who don’t want to utilize a full pan. Steve is also making a fiberglass pan with engine mounts molded into the fiberglass shell.
  • Barry Tippett has a full line of DARP pans available. If you do not have the ability to drill and tap, send him your engine and he will fit it to the pan.
  • Allen Worley of Planet Hobbies has the NovaRossi .21 available. This is a rugged, extremely well-built engine.
  • Regardless of whether you are building a .21 Rat or something else, you may want to check out the bellcranks that Ned Morris is making. He sent me one of his two-inch models; additional sizes are available. It features pulley connectors made from 1/4-inch-thick tool steel, which will handle wire as thick as .024 inch in diameter.
  • The bellcranks are made from .040 chrome-moly and have been laser-cut.
  • The bellcrank is designed to be mounted on a 1/8-inch-diameter pin and will take a standard Du-Bro solder-link quick connector.

For more information on parts, contact the suppliers listed in the Sources section below.

Design Notes and Suggestions

The verdict is still out on what the best airplane size and configuration will be. A .21 Sport Speed model may provide a good starting point for size, but it will probably need a larger elevator/stabilizer for better control. A .40-size Rat model reduced by 35–40% may provide a good-size airplane.

Others may want to consider upright mounting engines on standard pans and building a smaller cowl for the engine, or inverted designs. I think inverted designs are generally faster.

This event should provide ample opportunity for experimentation and development, so build a couple different airplanes to see what works best for you.

Recent Contest Report (Florida)

Racers in Florida held a contest featuring many events, including Mouse I, Mouse II, Quickie Rat, and NCLRA Fox Racing. Turnout was very good, as was the action.

  • Mouse I
  1. Wayne Trivin — 4:30.85 (homemade reed-valve engine)
  2. Gabe Manfredi — 5:12
  3. Vic Garner — 5:44
  • Mouse II
  1. Wayne Trivin — 7:44 (homemade engine)
  2. Vic Garner — 7:50
  3. Gabe Manfredi — 8:38
  • Quickie Rat
  1. Gabe Manfredi — 6:50
  2. Vic Garner — 7:04
  3. Wayne Trivin — 7:07
  • Note: Wayne and Vic experienced start/pit problems while Gabe showed good speed and steady performance.
  • NCLRA Fox Racing
  1. Gabe Manfredi — 6:16 (2000 NCLRA Points Champion)
  2. Wayne Trivin — 6:29
  3. Dave Hallas (Florida) — 7:07

The fliers in Florida not only provide a good contest but are extremely nice people. Make plans to attend at least one of the many events held in Central Florida.

Upcoming Event

Bob Cordle of Rome, Georgia, and others will be holding a big contest the first weekend in June. The event will include all the Racing events: Scale Racing, Slow Rat, Mouse I, Mouse II, Fox Racing, Quickie Rat, .21 Rat, and Fédération Aéronautique Internationale International Team Race. The contest will also feature all the Speed classes, Carrier, and Stunt. Check the event schedule; there may be more classes scheduled.

Plan on attending one of the biggest contests in the United States. For information, contact:

  • Bob Cordle

4993 Big Texas Valley Rd. Rome, GA 30165 E-mail: rfs@roman.net

NCLRA Membership

Are you an NCLRA member? Support the Special Interest Group that helps keep Racing alive and well. Send your dues — $10 in the US and $12 outside the US — to:

  • Dick Lambert

4651 Ridgewood Ave. Port Orange, FL 32127

As always, your comments are appreciated and solicited.

MA

Sources

  • Henry Nelson

121 Pebble Creek Ln. Zelienople, PA 19047 (724) 538-5282

  • Steve Wilk

Eliminator Propellers 3257 Welcome Ave. S. Crystal, MN 55422 (612) 531-0604

  • Ned Morris

9044 Rushmore Blvd. S. Indianapolis, IN 46234

  • Barry Tippett

DARP Pans 31052 Mason St. Livonia, MI 48154 (734) 266-7290

  • Allen Worley

NovaRossi 7477 Woodrail Cove Memphis, TN 38119 (901) 755-4363

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.