Control Line Model Airplanes: June 2005

Something with a Voodoo Wing

Joe's Twister

Joe was looking good. His Twister was performing well. Finally got it together. OS FP 40 power. Plenty of maneuvers. Looking good. Then without warning-the Hun in the Sun attacked. The Twister dove straight down full bore onto the concrete takeoff strip. Presidential explosive disassembly! The best crash I have ever seen! Actually created a divot in the concrete. Spinner exploded into innumerable small pieces. Mounting bolts sheared off. Backplate blew out. Plane in so many small poieces that it had to be carried away in a plastic grocery bag. Beware the Hun in the Sun!

In Memoriam-Smashed Twister

Super Ringmaster

Streak

Shoestring

Myrt

Jerkline Special

Shoestring Fires Up!

Alexander's P-63

Alexander (6 yrs.old) flew this P-63 at least three times! With a little help from his Dad.

Crew Chief-Maintenance Between Missions

Combat Wombat

Charlie's Flying Clown and Jr. Magician

Bub's Profile Cardinal

Tim's Bi-Slob

Tim got in a few really good flights . This plane flies like nothing else I have seen. It can loop by just rotating on the lines. It can turn on a dime. It is slow as can be. But it stays out on the end of the lines even in the wind. An amazing phenomenon. (Fox 35 power.)

Tim's Bi-Slob

SLOW Club-Sunday Flying Session

Managed to get a few pictures this time. Posting them this morning. Good turnout at the field. Flying action from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Great weather. Blue skies and light winds.

Jerkline Special-APC 9x5

Flying Session-Last Sunday-Recovery

Foretunately, I had a spare plane in my pickup. The Jerkline Special. A 1962 combat design by Wild Bill Netzeband. The first few flights on the Jerkline Special just consisted of getting the needle set. It was flying O.K., but... So I decided to try a different prop. Tried an APC 9x5 on the MVVS 21.. What a difference! The engine finally came alive. I was able to get in a total of six flights on the plane. And the engine is really running sweet at last. When the nose picks up the engine actually surges even though it is already running in a rich two cycle. What a neat feeling to see it zoom up. Inside and outside loops, wingovers and inverted flight. I am taking the Jerkline Special out again next Sunday. It is so much fun now I just have to keep on flying it. This is the third prop I have tried on this engine. First was a Master Airscrew 9x4. Dissapointing-not enough thrust. Second was a Bolly Sport 9.5x5. Better, but not quite right-just a little too much prop. The APC 9x5 is really great.

Busted, Crashed and Dirty-4

Busted, Crashed and Dirty-3

Busted, Crashed and Dirty-2

Busted, Crashed and Dirty-1

Flying Session-Last Sunday-Crash!

Lesson learned. When rebuilding a very old Ringmaster, replace the old cloth hinges on the elevator. First flight of the day. Need for speed. Fired up the GMS 32 on the rebuilt Ringmaster. Took off. Did a couple pf loops. All of a sudden the plane was drifting up and down without any input from me. Then something flew off the rear of the plane. Then I had absolutely no control. Then the plane pancaked in at full speed. Oh, well... Wonder what happened... All I really know is that the elevator was separated from the plane in two pieces. And the split was at the former location of the old plywood control horn. I do not really know what happened, but I am guessing the old cloth hinges gave out first. Then the force of the air flow ripped the elevator at the old plywood control horn.
In any case, now I get to rebuild the S1 again.
The pictures posted are of the results of the crash. The plane is just as I brought it home from the field without any cleanup.
The Polycover wing covering passed with flying colors. I only have to recover one panel between two ribs. You cannot even see the split in the pictures.
I have since removed the engine and cleaned it. I had to remove the backplate, glowplug, and head. Then I had to swish it around in WD-40. Then I washed it in a bucket of soap and water. Then I flushed it under a faucet. Then I dried it, oiled it, reassembled it, and oiled it again. Hopefully it will still run well.

Sporthawk

Sporthawk Under Construction

Can't seem to stop building C/L model airplanes! Trying a laser-cut kit. The Sporthawk design by Larry Kruse. Kitted by Dare Design. My first ever laser-cut kit. Laser cutting is great! The parts are perfect. A brave new world. Goodbye to die crunching. And contest weight balsa too!