Free Flight: Duration
Harry Murphy 3824 Oakwood Blvd. Anderson, IN 46011
Gollywocks Galore
Alabama resident Tom Hepler sent a photo of the "Gollywock Gang" taken at last summer's MACH (Model Airplane Club of Huntsville) meet. The event was run as a mass flyoff, with the winner being O. C. Stewart. Carl Loehle sponsored the event with some nice merchandise obtained from Midwest Products Co., which once produced the fine Wally Simmers design in kit form. Check the photo caption for the names of the Gang members. The site for this particular contest was the old Huntsville, AL, airport, but future events are to be relocated to the larger Old Courtland Air Base, about 55 miles distant.
One-design contests using small, vintage rubber-type models are becoming less uncommon as flying fields in some areas diminish in size and availability. We have had similar notifications involving the Comet Sparky, the Jimmy Allen Racer, the Pacific Ace, as well as those nostalgic 1/2A Scales.
Well, what-the-hay? The theme is still "Duration," and that is what it's all about. Our area contest site is 110 miles from this typewriter. For the future, Free Flighters are most grateful. Even so, there are sometimes new problems and unforeseen obstacles to cope with, but we continue to make the best of it.
Returning on the Interstate after our last contest, a car passed me with the most appropriate bumper sticker affixed to its rear: "A bad day of flying is still better than a good day at work." I guess that is one way to look at it.
NFFS note
Sal Fruciano reminds us that the best support of Free Flight, now and for the future, is a strong NFFS (National Free Flight Society). Send $15 to the NFFS, c/o Sal Fruciano, 6146 E. Cactus Wren Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85253. That will make you a member of the organization; dues include a subscription to Free Flight Digest. Do it now — get involved and put your bucks on the line toward support of an NFFS-sponsored National Free Flight Champs.
Fiftieth Moffet meet
Canadian Peter Mann writes of an upcoming Fiftieth Anniversary Roy Nelder Replica Meet. At the eleventh AMA Nats held in Detroit, Ray Nelder won the Moffet International Trophy with a flight of 5:17, using the model which had flown 10:37 in the eliminations. Plans for the model were published in the December 1938 issue of Air Trails magazine and more recently in the August 1975 issue of Model Builder magazine.
The 1988 reenactment is to take place on Saturday, September 17, at the thirty-third annual Eastern Canada Open in Gananoque, Ontario. If the event goes well, plans will proceed with other fiftieth-anniversary contests such as a replica contest for Fred Bowers' 1939 second-place Wakefield winner and Roy Nelder's 1940 Moffet winner in 1989. For additional information, write to Peter Mann, 36 Sydenham St., Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 2W4.
Model Supplies
Ken Sykora's mail-order hobby shop, Old-Timer Model Supply, is offering a new 1988 catalog. Ken specializes in plans for rubber-powered scale and endurance models of yesteryear, plus wood, dope, rubber, and other accessories. Send $2 to Old-Timer Model Supply, P.O. Box 7334, Van Nuys, CA 91409 and you'll get a catalog in return mail.
No Free-Flighter should be without the Hobby Horn mail-order catalog. For $3 you will receive the 1988 75-page booklet that includes an extensive listing of plans, kits, and supplies. Address Hobby Horn, P.O. Box 2212, Westminster, CA 92684.
Correction: I was mistakenly credited with attributing the design of the Satellite series of Power FF models to Sal Taibi. That was a mix-up (partly due to my overzealous editing). Obviously that isn't true. On June 20, shortly after the August issue of MA arrived, Bob Hunter called about the matter. In any case, Jack Moreland makes kits for the Satellites.
Modern Bombshell revisited
I promised Bob Larson I'd correct a miscue from my March 1985 column describing his 1949 and 1951 Modern Bombshell designs. I erroneously stated that both versions were powered by glow-equipped Forsters. That was not true. The 1949 version used an ignition Forster; only the 1951 version was glow-powered.
This distinction matters for the rules of the new Nostalgia Gas Ignition event, which state that only designs that show or specify ignition engines on the plans (or in accompanying descriptions) are eligible. I now publicly admit the error so that the '49 Modern Bombshell may be officially labeled as an ignition-powered model.
FF trim manual
Terry Rimert has published a collection of model trim information titled The Florida Modelers Association Fly-By-Night Trimming Manual, reportedly published by The Fly By Night Press. It contains previously published model-trimming articles for glider and rubber and includes valuable plans.
Terry will send you one for $2 postage if you purchase a four-year subscription to the FMA Newsletter at $4 per year (that's $16 plus the $2 postage). If you prefer, you can get only the manual for $8 plus $2 postage. The address is Terry Rimert, 367 Orange Ave., Baldwin, FL 32234.
Prop mods for 1/2A Gas
Want more performance out of your 1/2A gas ship? Propeller modifications are a common route. The typical 1/2A model uses a Cox TeeDee .049 and a Cox gray plastic prop, most often the Cox 6x3. Trimming the prop—usually by clipping the tips to produce a diameter between 5½ and 5¾ inches—can increase engine rpm and sometimes improve climb. However, higher rpm doesn't guarantee better performance; model size and weight are major factors. Lighter models (around 5–5½ oz.) may benefit from a faster-turning prop, while heavier models (7–8 oz.) may need more blade area.
Basic tools for prop modification include a sharp knife, hand file, sandpaper, and a prop-balancing rig. A simple balancer can be made by setting two double-edged razor blades side-by-side about an inch apart in a balance block, inserting a length of brass tubing into the prop hole as an axle, and letting the prop teeter on the blades. The heavy side will settle lower, showing where material must be removed. Exercise caution with exposed razor blades.
My own practice has been clipping the tips of the Cox 6x3 to obtain a 5½ x 3; this has worked well on models like my Lunar-Tite and Half-Whirl (240 sq. in.). The clipped 6x3 with essentially the original outline seems effective, though other configurations may also work.
Gil Morris prefers a narrower, lower-pitch prop and uses a more involved modification: shave roughly 1/16 in. from the trailing edge and file the bottom of each blade until the trailing edge is sharp and the back of the blade is flat. Taking 1/16 in. off each tip yields a prop about 5½ in. in diameter with a 2½ in. pitch. Gil warns that both halves must be treated exactly the same to avoid vibration; he says the reduced helix of the propwash makes his 1/2A models easier to trim and they gain altitude.
Joe Clawson's more drastic mod (from the Brainbuster Newsletter) produces an altered prop that looks almost like a warped Popsicle stick. I had initial problems with this approach, but after corresponding with Abram Van Dover (who sent a sample and template), it's something I'm curious to try. Expect interesting — and possibly noisy — results.
Going to the dogs
Nat Comfort wrote about my offhand comment in June regarding model retrieval by "radios, firearms, or Golden Retrievers." Nat reports a young fellow in California who throws hand-launched gliders and has a Border Collie that stays under the glider until it lands. The dog never touches the glider; it sits beside it, marking the spot until the owner returns. Nat saw this happen in a foot-deep alfalfa field and the dog never lost the model. I haven't heard one this good since Gib Robbins claimed to have a personal flock of trained barn swallows which picked thermals for him. Can you top this?
SAM note
I usually leave SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) business to Bill Baker, but since I'm becoming involved in a possible SAM event proposal, here's the gist.
Jim Adams, editor of SAM Speaks, addressed a new event concept in the Nov/Dec 1987 issue: an event that would emphasize uniqueness of design, workmanship, fine finish, and nostalgic pride in doing it yourself. He noted that SAM trends seem to be producing fewer unique Old-Timers designs from the Thirties and Forties and more clones of winning designs.
I wrote Jim expressing interest in an ignition-powered event permitting design freedom, provided certain restrictions were observed: no horsepower restrictions of 1/100 (length of model squared, divided by 100, giving maximum fuselage cross section), ROG (rise-off-ground) provisions, and a 3 oz./sq. ft. wing area loading. The aim is to encourage all-new original designs under constraints similar to those faced by designers of Zippers, Rangers, Playboys, etc.
Bob Olsen reminded me that he originally proposed an "Old Ruler" event some years ago. The idea isn't new, but it may now be gaining appeal as OT contest fliers build additional examples to honor competitors. Bud McGowan sent a photo of his orange-and-white silkspan-covered, original-design "Old Ruler" creation; several members of his SCAMPS club have built Old Rulers, so if the idea catches on it could develop into a sizable event.
Les DeWitt suggested that restrictions, if any, should be aimed at engines rather than design—arguing that real performance improvements after 1942 came from more powerful engines (e.g., McCoy .60 vs. Ohlsson .60). Personally, I welcome design creativity. What do you think?
Newsletter spotlight
The Brainbuster Newsletter (Brainbuster Free Flight Club, Hampton Roads, VA) is worth noting. Editor Abram Van Dover is also serving as club president in 1988, taking over from Hewitt Phillips. The VP is Ed Sullivan and the new secretary is Joe Boyle. The club covers Indoor to Outdoor free flight and publishes monthly. Subscription is $7/year. Contact Reid Hull, 65 Cavalier Rd., Hampton, VA 23669. Tell them "Duration" sent you!
Thermal poles
Rick Pangell advises he has a limited supply of 21-ft. collapsible thermal-streamer poles available again. Price: $30 plus $3.50 for UPS delivery (no P.O. box delivery). Order from RGOA Thermal Poles, 936 Halm Dr., Littleton, CO 80124.
Broken promise
In my last column I said we'd continue this time with Part II of the "Zeek Chronicles," but we won't — simply because I've used up my space allotment for this issue. We will do it next time.
See ya downwind!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
