Free Flight: Old-Timers
Clarence Haught
GREAT balls of fire! The recent publication of a picture of Clarence Bull's Free Flight version of the legendary American Junior Fireball prompted Frank Macy (A-J Aircraft Co., P.O. Box 63132, Portland, OR 97268) to write the following:
"Several years ago, Mr. Bull was visiting with me one day, as he often does when he's in the area. I was busy working on the plans for the Fireball that particular day, and knowing of his love for Free Flight, decided to bounce a good one on him. Clarence, did you know the Fireball was built for Free Flight, too? If you know Clarence, you'll know the kind of response that question evoked. He has a certain laughter that says, 'Yeah, sure Frank, what else ya gonna tell me?' He was still laughing when I said, 'It's true, Clarence, here's the story.'
"During WWII, the A-J Fireball was built for aerial target practice as a drone free-flying target. They were painted bright orange or yellow and launched from the side of ships at sea. How many were actually built for that purpose is not known, but from the stories told by several of the old-timers that built them for the Navy, the number was in the thousands.
"I have letters in my file from fellows who built the A-J Fireball specifically for Free Flight. Gordon Codding was one of them. Gordon, as you know, is quite the innovator and imagineer. In 1946, he built one for FF (lightweight) and flew it with a Madewell Mite .14 engine successfully, yet I have a photo of the plane. Joe Wagner (of Veco fame, among other things) also wrote describing the FF Fireball built and flown by a friend of his. It was ultralightweight, with an Arden .09 on glow plug, well under 16 oz. Joe witnessed this personally in 1948. There are about four others who have written about their FF Fireball, each with varying degrees of success.
"The funniest stories, though, come from the guys that had no intention of Free Flight for their Fireball. One model, powered by a Bunch Tiger Aero, broke the control lines and headed straight away in the prettiest flight he ever saw. Over houses, barns, trees and fences, landing perfectly some two miles away, undamaged, with 40 feet of lines still attached.
"Whether Clarence ever believed these stories or not, I don't know. But a little over a year ago, my doorbell rang, and there stood Clarence with a 36-in. wide grin, holding his beautiful blue and yellow Free Flight Fireball. To my knowledge, it's most likely the only one in the world now. I'd sure like to know. Incidentally, he has pictures of it in (free) flight... says it's fast.
"That's the story behind the control-line model pictured in the Free Flight column. I thought it might be of interest. Remember, though, the only 'Bull' about this story is the guy that built it!"
Anyone wishing to contribute further Fireball lore is encouraged to contact Frank Macy.
Free Flight: Old-Timers
Gettig has forwarded a sample of a new version of their miniature coil having a new high-temperature insulation in the primary windings. The new coil is designed for prolonged engine runs typical of RC assist in order to cope with higher temperature build-up due to longer-than-usual engine runs.
I have been using Gettig coils since their introduction for Free Flight applications and have not experienced any problems whatsoever, but engine runs have seldom exceeded 20 seconds, counting ground adjustment time. If you are concerned with temperature build-up in long engine runs, you will be able to purchase the new coil by fall. Gettig ignition components are a godsend for small Free Flight models where weight is critical. RC fliers will also find them helpful in reducing all-up weight of the radio-laden model.
Martin is now considering manufacturing a twin coil if enough people are interested. If this is good news to you, let Martin know, as it will help him decide if a market exists. Free flighters have expressed interest.
American Aircraft Modeler ran an article by avid Free Flighter Dick Mathis in July 1972. Dick's research and experimentation identified new problems and provided some solutions as well. The possibility of new and exciting designs is endless. Other "name brand" Free Flighters are adamantly opposed to RC Duration, but it should be understood that the advocates of the new event are not proposing to change any existing events but, rather, to provide an alternative.
Here in the Northwest, we still have a few good Free Flight sites left, and I doubt if yours truly will be building an RC Duration model. However, any modeling activity is good activity. We have few enough aeromodelers as it is without discouraging the creation of any new concepts. Those of us who have maintained a strong interest in Pure Free Flight are currently benefiting from products and advances of the art brought about by other than Free Flight phases of the hobby. We owe it to model airplanes to support any and all forms of model flying.
If this brief dissertation has sparked your interest in the possibilities of RC Duration, I would encourage you to write to Glenn at the address given above.
Compression ignition
SAM Speaks, the official publication of the Society of Antique Modelers, recently published a list of "legal" diesel engines for Old-Timer use. Interestingly enough, they are all foreign manufactured! Diesel just hasn't enjoyed the popularity here in the U.S. that it has elsewhere. Many of us have not tried diesel at all. Perhaps we're intimidated by the different adjustments (i.e., compression) required of most diesels. My own experience with an OK Cub .049 diesel in a Curtiss Robin has been an enlightening experience. The range of speed control via adjustments and the wide variety of usable propeller sizes are a very usable additional characteristic for a scale model. I find that I can use a 9-4 prop turning at a much lower RPM and thus attain a more scale-like performance than I ever could with the typical glow .049. Fuel economy is another advantage of diesel engines. Why not try one of the many available diesels for your next Old-Timer scale model? You'll be in for a store of new experiences!
Clarence Haught 3226 Honeysuckle Dr. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
