Free Flight: Old-Timers
By Bill Baker
1902 Peter Pan Norman, OK 73072
The banner news for this column is the return of George Aldrich to the model engine business. In addition to continuing importing and custom rework for high-performance engines as before, he'll be restoring and reworking Old-Timer ignition engines. George says:
"What we can offer now is the ability to restore worn cylinder assemblies with cast-iron pistons to at least as good as new compression. Additional benefits include longer life due to the piston hardening, and the salvaging of some cylinders that had become unusable. This process can be applied not only to out-of-production engines but to new or used engines for Free Flight, Control Line and RC."
He relates extensive recent experience testing, retrofitting and retesting various ignition engines such as the Super Cyclone, Anderson Spitfire, Orwick, O&R, etc. While leaving these engines in their original plan form, the increased performance from the retrofitting has been more than gratifying. Engines with blind cylinders (Bantam, O&R, OK, etc.) are much harder to work on. Ohlsson & Rice engines are the most difficult because the cylinder is permanently attached to the case.
Restoration services and findings
- Restoration of worn cylinder assemblies with cast-iron pistons to at least new compression.
- Piston hardening for longer life and salvaging otherwise unusable cylinders.
- Work applicable to out-of-production and current engines for Free Flight, Control Line and RC.
- Retrofitting experience with Super Cyclone, Anderson Spitfire, Orwick, O&R, etc.
- Special techniques in development for engines with blind cylinders and permanently attached cylinders (e.g., Ohlsson & Rice).
George also shared findings on fuel and oil. After much testing and research, he concluded that the reason many engines from the 1930s and 1940s remain in excellent condition is simply good old 70-weight oil. According to George, many engines that will overheat in 30 seconds on 25% castor oil will run out a whole tank on the 25% 70-weight stuff.
Gasolines differ by region. A particular brand of unleaded gas sold in Texas may be quite different from the same brand sold in another area, and the difference may be significant enough to affect performance. Also, gasoline-alcohol mixtures may damage plastic gas tanks.
Contact George Aldrich for prices and estimates; he will gladly make custom estimates. Send a SASE for a price list.
- George Aldrich Models
12822 Tarrytown, San Antonio, TX 78233 Tel: 512/656-2021 Please do not call after 10 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Old-Timer Control Line Stunt newsletter
Though best known for his many fine Control Line designs (including the Nobler and the Flite Streak), George has extensive Free Flight experience as well. Because he has tried pretty much everything in modeling, some Free Flight (and RC) types might be interested in a newsletter dealing with Old-Timer Control Line Stunt.
- Contact: Mike Keville
6109 E. Ivyglen, Mesa, AZ 85205 Tel: 602/985-3363
When writing to any newsletter editor such as Mike, enclose several stamps and ask for some back issues.
Half-A news / 1/2A Texaco and new event
Recently there's been some interest in Free Flight 1/2A Texaco, but this event is impractical for small fields and windy weather, both of which seem ubiquitous. Harry Murphy tells me that the Central Indiana Aeromodelers plans to try out a new event for its 1991 Old-Timer and Nostalgia Gas contest, to be held July 27-28 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
The 1/2A 30-Second Antique event is intended for any SAM-approved pre-1939 non-pylon model powered with a reed-valve .050 glow engine (no diesels). Scaling up or down is fine, as long as the model weighs at least 12 ounces and construction closely follows the original. The planes are flown ROG with a 30-second engine run, and, as in most Free Flight events, the score is the total of three official flights. Individual contest directors are to set engine run and maximum flight times according to local conditions.
This event should help get folks into Old-Timers without the considerable cost of a competitive ignition engine. It's worth a trip to Dayton, especially since you can tour the Air Force Museum while you're there. Contact Harry Murphy for details, questions and Zeek plans (he has the B/C version at long last).
- Harry Murphy
3824 Oakwood Blvd., Anderson, IN 46011
Please send me photos if you attend.
Laminating techniques and tips
I expect everyone is familiar with the technique often described by Walt Mooney and others for laminating wing tips, rudder outlines, etc., from several thin strips of wood using aliphatic resin (Tite Bond, Sig-Bond, etc.). This technique produces prettier, more warp-resistant, and probably lighter and stronger tip shapes than the jigsaw-puzzle type shown on many Old-Timer plans. I like to use it for curved trailing edges and, for that matter, on leading edges. But why not use it elsewhere—say, on fuselage longerons, spars, even curved leading and trailing edges?
In many vintage models the longerons have quite a lot of curve. Bending 3/16-in. firm balsa to that shape and then expecting it to stay that way can be trying. Instead, laminate three pieces of 1/8-in. wood to get your 3/8-in. stock.
I once made the cabin version of the Playboy Senior, which really has a curve in the top longeron. The plans called for 3/8-in. longerons. After talking to other fliers that the cabin version of the Playboy tends to be quite nose-heavy, I decided to use spruce for the longerons, keeping them 3/8 sq. for the sake of appearance.
I got some 7/32 x 3/8 spruce from Sig and laminated those up easily. They held their shape just fine when dry, so the fuselage sides had no built-in internal stresses just waiting to go wrong.
Sometimes it's hard to find a readily straight piece for a leading edge or spar. Laminate it. You might even consider making the outer parts hard, the inner parts softer and lighter. In place of a solid spruce spar, thin top and bottom laminations of spruce with balsa in the middle might be lighter and practically as strong. How about a trailing edge with hard balsa where the ribs touch, hard balsa or even spruce on the extreme trailing edge, and strips of softer and lighter wood sandwiched between? Bulkheads, too, can sometimes be laminated out of balsa; if the grains are oriented to form an X, they'll be more resistant to cracking.
For laminating sheets, epoxy or CA adhesives work best. When laminating strips, I much prefer to soak them in the bathtub a few minutes, then put them together with aliphatic resin. It doesn't take a lot of glue, and the results are easier to sand. Let the pieces dry thoroughly before attaching them to the rest of the structure; the wood will swell due to the moisture and then contract to final dimensions.
Cottage Industry list
The March Old-Timers column put in a good word for Jim O'Reilly's Cottage Industry list—without giving his address. So here goes:
- Jim O'Reilly
4760 N. Battin, Wichita, KS 67220
Send Jim a dollar and a SASE for his valuable listing of all the garage/basement part-time makers of things Free Flight folk need.
In closing, I'd appreciate your feedback about what topics you find most helpful in this column. Tell me what you'd like to see more of.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
