Control Line: Speed
NEW INFORMATION, ideas, or products for this column are sometimes hard to come by, but I keep trying. If you have any suggestions or requests, please write and let me know. More on Robart's Snake Oil: I mentioned this product in my last pre-Nats column, and now have additional info and some test results. Robart has several compounds that contain the low-friction additive in addition to the fuel additive that you may want to try.
Control Line: Speed
IF I WAS ASKED what impressed me about the 1993 Nats, I would say: "Heat, watermelons, old friends, and fun!" The airfield at Lawrenceville sits on the Wabash river flood plain-one of the best melon-raising areas of the country-so truckloads of delicious watermelons, muskmelons, and other fruit were seen everywhere. It is flat and hot! Almost any central or southern part of the U.S. is hot in mid-July, and the first couple of days this year were almost meltdowns. It didn't stop the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the Speed fliers, however, and it's great to greet old friends once again.
Control Line: Speed
PAY ATTENTION! Whether you fly Speed, RC, free flight, Stunt, or Scale, listen to what I'm saying. If you fly engine-powered models from a concrete, tarmac, or other hard-surfaced field, you should never leave your airplanes sitting on the runway between flights! Put them on a box, stand, table, or anything that will get them off the ground. This is to protect your engine from the dust, trash, and grit that the wind picks up and bounces along the surface. The slightest breeze will stir up this dust and it bounces along-most dense near the ground, of course, but also several inches above the surface.
Control Line: Speed
The Golden Elixir, the latest Speed secret! Sounds great, doesn't it? Is it true? Is there such a thing? Stay tuned, and I'll tell you about it. Many a time I heard the story from the old days, (the late '40s and early '50s!), when a guy comes running up to his speedying buddies and says: "Look what I got, a new, super fuel." His buddy grabs the can and shakes it, and the first guy yells: "Don't shake it, it'll explode!"
Control Line: Speed
IF YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING building a new .21 Sport Speed airplane, you might check out Nick Arpino's new magnesium pan. Even the heavy-bodied Rossi engine will easily drop into this pan with a minimum of metal removal. I have used Nick's longer Class A pan before, but had to add metal lumps to the outside to prevent grinding through the wall when fitting the massive crankcase lugs inside. I found a welder who had a magnesium welding rod, and he just piled up the metal where I told him to. These irregular lumps were ground to shape with my Dremel tool, and then filed, sanded, and polished with the rest of the pan.
