First at Last!
THE BATTLE of Britain, Spitfires, Hurricanes and the famous No. 71 Eagle Squadron of the Royal Air Force are all part of the heritage of America's first ace of World War II, William R. Dunn. At age 61 he has given up flying fighters and is now an active radio-control modeler, AMA 82765. A member of the Pikes Peak RC Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he is content with designing, building and flying RC models and acting as a judge at club contests in between numerous other activities and interests. Retired from the United States Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel, he is a veteran of 38 years of military service during which he served in the armed forces of three countries, fought in three wars and found himself wounded four times. Quite a record!
An Easy Prop Mod
NEED THAT little extra in performance? Try this procedure for reworking props and I can guarantee you that the effort expended will more than satisfy you in improved aircraft and engine performance. No need to go to the high-nitro fuels and burn up expensive engines trying to get that last little bit out of them. I've been using this system for the past few years and have become a believer in the fact that the prop can, and does, add immeasurably to the overall performance of the airplane and engine combination. This procedure does not require a fancy pitch machine and can be done in about 20 minutes with no special tools. You will notice anywhere from a 200 to 600 rpm gain on the ground but the real proof of the pudding is in the air where the engine can unload and allow the prop to work as it should. I have tried stock props which would just about get my RC pattern airplane in the air and then fly them rather sluggishly. A switch to the reworked prop, with no other changes, improved the overall performance of the airplane immensely. Give it a try and I am sure that you will be convinced.
Spirit of the Springs
WANT a sport airplane, a quarter-midget racer, an airplane that'll perk up club activities? Try a Spirit of the Springs! Over the years it has earned an admirable reputation here in the Rocky Mountain area. Over 25 planes have been built locally and all flew "off the board." We fly at altitudes of over 6,000 feet and not one negative report! The Spirit was originally presented in the May 1972 issue of R/C Modeler and then put in kit form by Fibre Foam. Not quite satisfied with the construction and performance, I started making changes to the original while still keeping the general outline. The first of what would be a series of modified planes was flown in late 1972 and with subsequent years came more alterations and better performance.
