FREE FLIGHT: OLD-TIMERS
Bill Baker 1902 Peter Pan, Norman, OK 73072
I write this shortly before New Year's Day, and my resolution is to do more on engines in response to your requests. My original assumption was confirmed, however: nearly all who wrote have operated ignition engines in the past, and most mainly want to know where to get things like oil, spark plugs, and ignition components.
Engines and ignition parts
For parts and supplies, see Joe Klause's Kustom Kraftsmanship ad in this issue and get his catalog. He carries Klotz oil (which I recommend), and all the other items you need, including products to suppress the radio interference that an ignition system might cause.
Yes, this is a free flight column, but the vast majority of correspondents indicate they are now retired, want to dust off their old sparker, build a favorite Old-Timer one more time, and fly it at their club RC field. I now ask for help from anyone who has parts, services, replica engines, or other Old-Timer-related products: supply me with current information so I can get the word out. Don’t wait for me to discover you — keep me current. The same goes for sellers of plans and other Old-Timer items.
Replica diesel engines
Case in point: the photos of the replica diesels were sent to me by Dave Platt, the U.S. distributor for these replicas. They are made on modern equipment by the CS company. The engines are 2.5 cc (.15 cu. in.) displacement. The Elfin is SAM-legal for all Class A ignition events, and the Oliver Tiger is legal for the NFFS Nostalgia events.
Contact:
- Dave Platt
1306 Havre NW, Palm Bay, FL 32907 Tel: (407) 724-2144
Computer help and trimming references
Some time back I wrote about the many variables in matching a rubber motor to a propeller and plane. Computer enthusiasts might enjoy a program said to do much of this matching for you. For details send an SASE to:
- Fred H. Rash
4614 Mitchell Road, Kingsport, TN 37664
If you want a list of the "troubles" free flight models sometimes have with trim and performance, along with references that discuss the subject in detail, send an SASE to:
- William F. McCombs
2106 Siesta Drive, Dallas, TX 75224
I have confidence in McCombs' knowledge of free flight, both scale and duration models.
Recommended newsletter: El Torbellino
I get a lot of help from club newsletters and try to give credit to the best ones. A new one is by far the best I have seen from the U.S. on free flight in print. It is not Old-Timer oriented, but the free flight content is excellent, as you would expect from editors John Oldenkamp and John Davis. El Torbellino is the monthly newsletter of the San Diego Orbiteers.
Subscription:
- Nonmembers may subscribe for $12 per year.
El Torbellino, 3331 Adams Ave., San Diego, CA 92116
Recent content highlights:
- September: folding propeller hinge angles; plans for Randy Archer's World Championship FIC model; an indoor model; a Wakefield.
- October: four pages on modification of Tomy timers.
- November: two P-30 plans.
If I have sold you a subscription, tell them I sent you.
UHU glue stick for tissue covering
From the Capitol Area Antique Modelers Association newsletter (which has much useful Old-Timer content), I learned a neat idea for gluing tissue to small rubber models.
- Use a UHU glue stick (available at office supply stores) on all surfaces where the paper is to stick, including spars, undercambered ribs, and leading/trailing edges.
- The paper can be lifted off and reapplied if you don't get it right the first time.
- Apparently the bond becomes permanent after some time; if the covering will be water-shrunk and doped, a thin dope coat over the edges is recommended. For indoor use this is probably not needed.
- The product comes in a purple version that dries clear. The stick looks like a ChapStick.
Credit: Gerry Lafreniere via CAAMA editor Jim Coffin. Contact:
- Jim Coffin, 4604 Hillsbrook Drive, Annandale, VA 22003
CAAMA subscription: $10 per year.
Address change: A. Lidberg's Model Plans Service
A. Lidberg's Model Plans Service has a new address:
- 1008 E. Baseline Road, Suite 1074, Tempe, AZ 85283
He offers many great rubber scale plans and profile scales, plus some gas models — including a .020 replica version of the .09-powered Wahoo by Louis Garami. This pylon model should be a good alternative to the ubiquitous Stratostreak.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
