Free Flight: Duration

Free Flight: Duration

Bob Meuser

Tranquilizer for up-tight coverings

Paul McIlrath presents this tip:

Lightweight wing and tail frames covered with undoped tissue or condenser paper often start to warp uncontrollably weeks or months after they are built. The warps are caused by the gradual shrinkage of the paper, which seems to go on forever. The next time that your usual straightening methods don't work, and you're faced with a tedious recovering job, try this trick first.

Mix one part glycerine with about eight to 10 parts water. Spray the tight tissue lightly with the mixture and allow to dry. As the water evaporates, the small amount of glycerine will remain in the tissue and relax it a little. If the covering is still too tight, spray it again. You may have to do it several times. Eventually the paper will slacken, and the frame will go back to its natural shape.

While you're spraying, shield the parts of the ship that you don't want to slacken. For some reason, a baggy fuselage looks a lot baggier than a baggy wing.

NFFS 1970 Symposium reprints

A very few copies are available. These have been xerographically reproduced, with loving care, from a copy including all the authors' corrections, printed on both sides of the sheets. Photos came out OK, but not terrific. A few copies have the original covers, spirited away from the printer a decade ago, in the dark of night. (The additional charge for the original covers will go to the NFFS, as by rights, the NFFS owns them.)

Prices:

• With ersatz covers: $9 postpaid, book rate, in U.S. and Canada.
• For original covers: add $2.
• Outside the U.S. and Canada: add $2.

Order from Bob Meuser (address at end of column).

What's new in Old-Timers?

Simplex miniature engines, that's what. I don't suppose it's all that new to card-carrying Old-Timer (OT) freaks, but it's new to me, so that makes it, by definition, new. It all started with Louis Garami's Simplex .25, coupled with the Old-Timer movement, spark-plugged (if you'll pardon the expression) by John Pond. And somehow, for many—young and old—the Old-Timer movement got to the guts—the very bowels—of what Free Flight was all about. So I guess, by rights, the Old-Timer movement should be thought of as a bowel movement.

The Simplex .25 Mark II ignition engine, produced by John Morrill's company, is a development of one designed by Louis Garami and published as a construction article in 1947. But as originally presented, the engine lacked power compared to its contemporaries. John hotted it up a bit and made other extensive changes while retaining the flavor of the original. The result is a hand-made, bar-stock engine that is truly a work of art. Eighty or so have been sold.

Also in the works for production this year is the Simplex Hornet .19, based on Paul Lindberg's Hornet "A," published in Popular Aviation as a construction article. But don't expect to get either of these limited-production engines at bargain-basement prices. If you're interested, write John Morrill, 143 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 or phone (213) 322-7858.

Free-Flight supplies directory

It's that time again! Where is a pure-bred, card-carrying Free Flighter going to find some of the obscure necessities of the pursuit of the sport, if his local hobby shop can't help? Check with your local hobby shop first, of course, and perhaps after 15 people ask him if he carries A-2 Glider tailbooms, maybe he'll get the drift that he can make a buck selling A-2 Glider tailbooms, plus the other goodies you might buy while you're there. If that fails, check our directory.

By far, most of the listings are one-person, part-time activities, operating out of their basements or bedrooms. Free Flight could scarcely exist without them. I've listed a few big-time outfits that are not directly related to the model aviation industry, but who have items of interest to Free Flighters; you might not otherwise be aware of them. (I don't think you need me to tell you about biggies like Sig and Williams Brothers.)

A similar directory was published in the April '80 issue. I intended to update it occasionally, but there have been so many changes and additions during the past year that an entire new directory seemed more appropriate. Many of the added listings have been in the area of Old-Timer modeling, which got short-changed—not by intent—in the earlier listing. There are now over 100 basic listings, nearly 200 including cross-references. I have included a few listings even though I have received no response from them to my recent questionnaire. If I had reason to believe they were still in business, I dropped a few who failed to respond twice in a row, even though I know darned well they are in business. (If they aren't sharp enough to avail themselves of a free plug, how do you suppose they would respond to your order?)

I'll try to publish changes, additions, or corrections as I become aware of them. Inevitably, however, the deadwood won't get culled out; no one is going to write to tell me he is no longer in business! I most certainly will not undertake a complete new survey and directory for some years; too darned much work, and too expensive. (The cost came out of my pocket, not Model Aviation's.) If you know of anyone who should be listed but who is not, let them know, and let me know; we'll try to catch them with an update.

Catalogs: Something in parentheses at the end of a listing indicates the price of the catalog or price sheet. Fr. = free; SASE = stamped self-addressed envelope; the price in parentheses followed by rnd means that the catalog price is refunded with the first order; the price followed by smpl means that a sample—usually a plan or photo—is included.

FF Product Directory

Directory notes:

• Indexing: Company names, including the full name of the proprietor, are indexed according to the family name; you'll find Jim Crockett Replicas in the Cs, not the Js. Company names starting with a number are indexed with the number spelled out.
• Cross reference: Many listings are in multiple places, as: Willoughby, Dale: see Scale Model Research Photos. The person listed may not be currently associated with the company. If you remember that Marty Thompson used to peddle tailbooms, but can't remember the company name, you can still find it under Thompson, even though Manny Andrade now runs the office down at NFFS Supplies.
• Phone numbers: Where the information was known, I put dy after the number if it applied Monday through Friday from approximately 8 to 5; ev to indicate evenings and weekends. Some were too complicated to do that way, but I tried to make a reasonable approximation.

• AME: see Aero Modeling Enterprises

• Aero-Dyne (Heinrich, Allen), 3154 Falcon, Pomona, CA 91767, (714) 593-5789 ev.
• Fuels, stock and custom: glow, diesel, ignition. Nitrate dope. GT sparkplugs.

• Aero Modeling Enterprises (Gewein, Matt and Gail), P.O. Box 11, Cerritos, CA 90701, (213) 865-4576 ev.
• Ex-Mathis HL glider kits. Flash, Bo-Weeve!, Polly, U.S. Kid, Sweepette 19, Mini-Flash, Polly-DT (Fr).

• Air Accessories, 3600 Pittman Rd., Independence, MO 64052, (816) 353-1206 dy.
• Gas tanks for Old-Timer engines (Sasse).

• Air Pix: see Classic Models

• Aldrich, George (Aldrich Models), 128 Austin Blvd., Edinburg, TX 78539, (512) 383-0327.
• Engine rework with factory-quality equipment. OT only, in exchange for engines, parts.

• Andrade, Manuel (Manny): see NFFS Supplies.

• Astro Flight Inc. (Boucher, Robert), 13377 Beach Ave., Venice, CA 90291, (213) 821-6242 dy.
• Electric propulsion flight and ground support systems, supplies, kits.

• BHP Publications: see Modernistic Models.

• Baldridge, William, 1464 S. Lafayette St., Denver, CO 80210.
• Aluminum Wakefield motor tubes, $1.80 pqd. Misc. custom parts.

• Bauer, Ken, 627 E. Monroe, Orange, CA 92867.
• Electronic DT timer for Nordic towline gliders.

• Bernhardt, Otto: see Seventy-Seven Products.

• Bell's Mail Order Hobby, 503 W. Astor, Lee's Summit, MO 64063, (816) 524-1634 dy.
• V and O props. Mfg. (Sase).

• Blue Ridge Models (Hartman, Phil), P.O. Box 429, Skyland, NC 28776.
• Competition and sport rubber-power and HL glider kits. Misc. supplies. Coupe, P-30 ($3.15).

• Boucher, Rob: see Astro Flight Inc.

• Brookstone Company, 127 Vose Farm Rd., Peterborough, NH 03458.
• Small hand tools, misc.

• Brown (Junior Motors) (Brown, Bill), P.O. Box 77, Pima Grove Mills, PA 16868, (814) 237-7504 dy.
• CO2 engines, single, twin, new tiny Campus A-23 (Sase).

• Buehler, John: see Modernistic Models.

• Burks, William E., 14351 Olympic Dr., Dallas, TX 75234, (214) 241-4308.
• Everything: trophies, badges, etc. Discounts to AMA-chartered clubs.

• Buzzer Model Airplane Co. (Toner, E.J., Jr.), P.O. Box 124, Howell, NJ 07731, (201) 363-0845 ev.
• Diesel, free flight. Some Old-Timer Brown CO2 engines, incl. new tiny Campus A-23 (Sase).

• CPM Products (Lucky Woody), 722 Lennon St., Yreka, CA 96097, (916) 842-4075 dy, ev.
• Old-Timer kits: 30" Soaring Glider, $4.98 pqd. 30" Pacific Ace, ok for P-30, $5.95 pqd.

• Cal Aero: see J and R Models.

• Cameron Precision Engineering, 19401 Rawhide Rd., Sonora, CA 95370, (209) 532-7201 dy, (209) 532-9226 ev.
• Old-Timer glow and ignition engines (Sase).

• Campbell's Custom Kits (Campbell, Lee and Shirley), P.O. Box 5996, Lake Worth, FL 33461, (305) 968-1045 ev.
• Kits for HL glider, P-30 rubber power. Payload dummies (stamp).

• Carlson, Karl L.: see Replica Engines.

• Castle Graphics (Seely, Vic), P.O. Box AD, Greenbank, WA 98253, (206) 362-5170 dy, (206) 221-7509 ev.
• Aircraft photos, incl. 50,000 neg. Pete Bowers collection. Three-views, extensive list (Fr).

• Champion Model Products (Schroeder, George), 880 Carmen Court, La Verne, CA 91750, (714) 599-3348.
• Fuel; rubber; Wake kits; P-30 and scale items.

• Chandler Engineering Co., 7889 Farallon Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304, (213) 340-7695 ev.
• Black Knight ignition engines, OT engine parts and rework, OT tools, accessories (Sase).

• Che Hobbies (Sandoni, Hugh), 10900 Eastwood Ave., Inglewood, CA 90304, (213) 673-1756 dy, ev.
• Kits and supplies.

• Classic Air Models (Stager, John), 355 Grand Blvd., Bedford, OH 44146, (216) 232-5790 dy.
• Rubber-powered and scale models, parts, plans (Fr).

• Classic Models (Thomas, Gene), P.O. Box 681, Melville, NY 11747, (516) 549-5896 dy.
• Scale plans, kits. Parts, vac-formed parts. Documentation, photos, posters ($1 list).

• Clemcraft (Clem, James), 10 E 31 Pl., Sand Springs, OK 74063.
• Gas tanks and plans: OK Bird 1st, 79 USFF Champs. Country Boy, White Hawk (list). 79 Notc. (Fr).

• Cleveland Model and Supply Co. (Packard, E.T.), 10307 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, OH 44102, (216) 961-3600 dy, ev.
• Hundreds of plans, some old, some new of Flying Scale aircraft.

• Clukey, Herb: see Flyline Models.

• Codding, Gordon, 3724 John L. Avenue, Kingman, AZ 86401, (602) 757-4746.
• Sets of original factory drawings of WWI aircraft and others. Hundreds of 3-views. Old-Timer, scale-model plans ($2).

• Collins, Fred T., 29 Stewart Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15227.
• Old-Timer engine parts, tanks, rework. Conversion engines (Sase).

• Crockett, Jim (Jim Crockett Replicas), P.O. Box 12600, Fresno, CA 93778, (209) 237-4414 dy, ev.
• Waxed paper kits for scale models, rubber and balsa strippers; wicks. Mail order, 3 other tools. Rubber winder ($1).

• Crouse, Ted: see Tac Aero Engineering.

• Diedelot, Victor, 4410 Lorna Lane, Erie, PA 16508, (814) 834-3623.
• Old-Timer engine parts. OT and scale plans, photos, documentation.

• Custom Craftsmanship: see Kustom Kraftsmanship.

• Dials, David, P.O. Box 107, Woodville, OH 43469.
• Dieter scale plans ($1, smpl).

• Dolly, Ed: see FAI Model Supply.

• Dubois (Gene Dubois Models), P.O. Box C, Acushnet, MA 02743, (617) 995-7609 ev.
• Kits, plans, supplies for scale and sport. Rubber power, CO2, electric, scale. Balsa stripper, $1.

• Dye, Glen R.: see Performance Model Parts.

• Eastern Diesel Supply (Kulick, Al), 259 Outwater Lane, Saddle Brook, NJ 07662.
• Diesel engines and supplies, extensive, various motors. Kits, OT and sport. ($6.00, frd).

• Easy Built Models (Wilson, Don and Ron), 116 Main, East Grimsby, Ontario, Canada L3M 1N8, (416) 945-5647.
• Kits, plans; all classes. Scale documentation, misc. supplies. 250,000 plans (Fr).

Contact (column author)

Bob Meuser, 4200 Gregory St., Oakland, CA 94619.

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