Control Line Scale - 2008/02
Frank Beatty’s new 1/2A Goodyear Speed event
Bill Boss [[email protected]]
At times CL Scale takes on a different look. Frank Beatty of Granite City, Illinois, has originated a new Scale-type event. He’s a modeler who is well known for his dedication and competition efforts in the CL Scale arena.
Frank has come up with rules for a new 1/2A Goodyear Speed event that the Lafayette Esquadrille Control Line Club of the St. Louis, Missouri, area introduced at its Old Time CL contest on October 21, 2007. For 11 years the club has had a 1/2A Thompson Trophy Racer event at the contest.
The group decided to try something new, and Frank took on the chore of assembling a set of rules for what is now a Goodyear midget racer event. The rules are as follows.
- Any Cox .049 reed-valve engine with standard (low-compression) glow head can be used. A Cox 5 x 3 propeller, unmodified except for balancing, must be used. The contest committee will provide fuel.
- The racer must be a model of a Goodyear-type midget racer. A photo or three-view of obscure types should be available for proof.
- The model’s minimum wingspan is 18 inches, and the minimum leadout length from the model’s centerline is 12 inches.
- The racer must look like the full-scale aircraft and must include proper color-and-markings. Its fuselage may be profile, scale built-up, or solid construction. Major components (fuselage and wings) must be the same scale. Horizontal tail surfaces and undercarriages are exempt from this provision. No Scale judging or Scale points will be awarded.
- Landing gear is required since all flights will be ROG (rise-off-ground).
- Three attempts will be allowed to make two official flights. The fastest of the two official flights will be used for scoring.
- The speed run will be timed for six laps (1/4 mile), beginning one lap after the pilot’s signal.
- Whipping, leading, or towing is prohibited.
- The contest committee will provide the control lines.
- Only one model per entrant is allowed.
- Proxy fliers are allowed.
The rules are set to accomplish several things, one of which is not to have the event ruined by technical whizzes with deep pockets whose models can overpower everyone else’s. Another goal is to include some of the older pilots who have equilibrium problems by allowing proxy fliers. Rule 4 insists that all major components be the same scale. However, it acknowledges that the full-scale racers’ tail surfaces and wheel locations may not be practical for our models; therefore, they can be modified. The contest committee’s providing the control lines assures that all contestants will be flying their models with the same line lengths. The committee will also supply fuel, therefore eliminating any advantage of one fuel over another. This event will challenge the modelers’ building and flying skills.
Frank has designed and built his own entry for the event: the Mike Argander Special, better known as the "Deerfly." The model has an 18-inch wingspan, weighs 8.3 ounces, and is powered with a Cox .049 Venom. The engine is mounted so that the cylinder head lies on its side and is enclosed in the model’s starboard cheek cowl. There is good air intake for engine cooling and a small opening to accommodate the glow-plug connection. Enclosing the engine should help provide better airflow over the model and contribute to its flight speed.
Fuselage construction is sheet balsa, the wing is covered with Polyspan, and tail surfaces are made from plywood. All color-and-markings are applied using Brodak dopes.
Frank reports that on October 21, 2007, the Esquadrille added the Goodyear event to its annual Old Time CL contest. The weather was uncooperative, with high winds, and the turnout was down from previous years. Frank had provided club members with roughly 10 Goodyear Racer three-views for the event, but only four entries completed successful flights.
Alan Van Artsdalen’s profile "Fang" won the event with a speed of 58.71 mph, and Tim Pansic’s Nemesis, with a built-up fuselage, placed second with 54.69 mph. Frank’s Deerfly trailed in third place with a speed of 46.39 mph. He noted that the new airplanes had some difficulty keeping level flight because of the wind conditions, which kept the speed down on all entries.
Although the event wasn't as successful as might have been expected, the Lafayette Esquadrille is to be complimented for its interest in holding a local event in which Scale building and flying are promoted. Perhaps next year there will be better flight conditions and a larger turnout.
Bob's Aircraft Documentation (Catalog announcement)
Bob's Aircraft Documentation (formerly known as Scale Model Research) has released the 233-page, 22nd edition catalog on CD. It lists more than 8,200 Foto-Paaks and 39,000 three-view drawings, and it includes Scale-related articles written by some top competitors and authorities in the Scale movement.
The Foto-Paaks contain full-color 3-1/2 x 5-inch photo prints that show details of color, markings, instruments, landing gear, etc. Photos can be ordered in the 4 x 6-inch format upon request. Most of the Foto-Paaks have three-view drawings available that will enable the Scale modeler to have complete documentation for a project.
You can obtain the latest edition of Bob's Aircraft Documentation (CD Catalog) for $5 postage-paid in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Other countries pay $8, which includes Air Post.
E-mail correction
In the October 2007 column I noted that Fran Gallaway was asking for some help with CL electric-powered flight. He said that he had enough land to make his own flying circle but did not want to use glow or gas engines because of the noise they generate.
Fran would appreciate any help someone might be able to provide. I would like to be copied in on any information provided for possible use in the column. Fran's correct e-mail address is [email protected]. (The character before the @ symbol is the number 1.)
In the next column I'll be featuring a 1/2A multiengine Profile CL Scale contest sponsored by the Cholla Choppers Model Airplane Club of Tucson, Arizona. This new event is the brainchild of Mike Keville, who is the founder of the Vintage Stunt Championships, which is approaching its 20th year.
Please send ideas, notice of upcoming CL Scale events, contest reports, and especially photos of CL Scale activity to me at the e-mail address at the top of this column. If you prefer regular mail, the address is:
77-06 269th St. New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Remember that 35mm photos are okay, but digital photos must be submitted on a disc.
Til next time, keep all your landings good ones. MA
Sources
- Bob's Aircraft Documentation
(714) 979-8058 www.bobsairdoc.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
