"No Substitute for Cubes"

EB H Towers IT NEVER FAILS Anytime get serious discussion about motor racing some clown sure announce Theres no substitute cubic inches Youd think hed just discovered unassailable principle Jam ridiculously large engine otherwise well designed race car race planeor anything else intended speedand end up much faster machine simply loves its newfound muscles reality substitute cubic inches streamlining direct route performance especially airplanes reduce size vehicle increase its power Since power required drive airplane increases cube increase speed increasing speed modest amount requires tremendous quantities extra horsepower Take cute little yellow Piper J-3 Cub truly classic airplane designs time meant fun low-cost training transportation no serious thought given speed efficiency Still can used illustrate concept power vs speed its standard 65 hp Cub can manage about 90 mph best increase its top speed 150 mph youd need whopping 300 hp make matters worse bigger engine would weigh need lot fuel making improved Cub substantially heavier would require larger wing adding still weight drag turn would cut speed demand another increase horsepower Clearly vicious circle clever folks Piper apparently aware never tried soup up wonderful little Cub Super Cub came along later reached speeds up 150 mph offered greater takeoff performance could carry heavier loadhence its popularity glider tug Piper company wanted build faster Cub redesigning streamlining would have made lot sense Theres catch though thinner airfoil retractable landing gear cantilevered wing tail pressure cowl pointy spinner 68 Model Aviation Left Bill Turners reproduction Gee Bee Z Lowell Bayles flew victory 1931 Thompson Trophy race Jimmy Doolittle won race Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster following year first Goodyear midget racers decade away Right Vounkin brothers built replica Travelair Mystery Doug Davis won first Thompson Trophy race 1929 UUO ve given credence dictum engine size sur est way racing speed efficiency may come surprise learn streamlining cubic inches key Left highly modified P-51 D Rolls Royce Griffon V-i 2 contraprops Whittington brothers #09 Precious Metal has yet make its mark competition epitomizes genre Right Jim Vilets Chasm Rainbows Steve Wittman-designed V-Witt Formula V racing sloping windshield Cub would have Cub no longer time makes sense add lot power jack up airplanes speed insurmountable barriers reducing drag existsay after possible streamlining has done example modifying World War II fighters Unlimited class racers overall lightening clipping filling smoothing wings lowering canopy making metal panels fit closelyand superslick paint job just beginning crack championship status airplanes still need power engine can tweaked much double its original horsepower can replaced much larger engine Less airplane terms drag power equals speed weve done job better rivals may have winner want take bigger step forward well need whole new airplaneone designed specifically racing combat Starting scratch can create smaller lighter airframe thereby keeping power requirement moderate enough design can pushed its limits risk engine failure can get away less power still achieve goal No matter imposing looks streaking around racecourse 450 mph top-notch Unlimited class racer invariably compromise Drag cant reduced ideal means power used instead pure racing efficiency Unlimited class planes surprisingly far down list typical racing P-s 1 Mustang 3000 hp needs 6 hp produce mile-per-hour old-time counterpart souped up P-5 1that splendidly sexy Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster Jimmy Doolittle won 1932 Thompson Trophy Race 253 mphgot considerably speed its power around 800 hp needed little over 3 hp mile-per-hour lot less airplane first Goodyear 500-lb midget racers Steve Wittmans 1947 Goodyear Trophy-winning Buster won 166 mph just 85 hp works out almost two miles-per-hour hp 12 times efficiency todays top Unlimiteds After four decades development have airplanes same class tearing around three-mile pylon course 240 mph estimated 135 hp put forth engines designed produce just 100 hp used machines works out about 1 Y4 mph hp figure reflects modem racers higher speed range fact purest 1990 machines exemplify true racing efficiency seen before latest advances aerodynamics structural design have used produce airframes far less drag could have imagined Doolittles day So far no Unlimited racer can match Jim Millers winning Formula Pushy Cat see B H Towerss Pushy Cat August 1991 Model Aviation has flown full heat race 244 mph three-mile course probably could equal Doolittles 253 mph five-mile courseon one-sixteenth power Todays champions racing efficiency little Formula Vs best can clock 170 mph around two-mile course getting 65 hp stock 1600cc air-cooled Volkswagen car engines Thats better 2 mph hp straightaway Formula Vs has official record 185 mph close 3 mph hp Formula Ones Formula Vs about small race planes can get still carry engine pilot reasonable safety Modest improvements speeds both classes can certainly expected coming years experiments materials shapes progress now theyre simply efficient racing machines yet createdand probably efficient engine-driven man-carrying vehicles well 9 AM-6 PM SATURDAY 10 AM5 PM SUNDAY WESTERN WASHINGTON FAIRGROUNDS PUYALLUP WASHINGTON RADIO CONTROLLED MODELS OVER 80 MANUFACTURERSSWAP SHOPHUNDREDS OF MODELSCONCESSIONS AIRCRAFTBOATSCARS RAILROADS INDOOROUTDOOR R/C CAR RACINGBOAT DEMONSTRATIONS IN OUTDOOR POOL CONTROL LINE DEMONSTRATIONSR/C HELICOPTER DEMONSTRATIONS ELECTRIC R/C PLANE DEMONSTRATIONS L L ADULTS $400 CHILDREN 6-12 e c Socc4SENIOR CITIZENS $200 u/adult $200 January 1992 69