Control Line: Racing
ALTERNATIVE magnesium speed pan: For many years, Formula "40" enthusiasts as well as the entire CL Racing community have utilized the Harter's magnesium/aluminum pan for their aircraft. In the past this pan has been an excellent unit, but over the years the size of the engine crankcases and the front shaft housings have grown, necessitating a large amount of grinding to remove metal so that the engine will fit satisfactorily into the mounting lugs of the pan. In most cases the newer engines require removing so much metal from the pan that the front structure of the pan is weakened, especially since the landing gear is also generally installed as a one-wheel unit with two 1/8-in. holes drilled through one side of the pan, further weakening it just to the rear of the engine's mounting lugs. It is virtually impossible to satisfactorily mount an OS .40 or a Picco .40 in a Harter's pan without seriously weakening the front portion of the unit.
Control Line: Racing
HALON fire extinguishers: I have received several letters requesting information on the Halon-filled fire extinguishers which are being used very successfully to put out alcohol fires in the pits-fires which plague almost all CL Racing events, but most notably in Slow Rat and Sport Race. I am enclosing a couple of photos of one Halon unit which is about 6 in. high and 2 in. thick and has a plastic hook which can be easily attached to a modeler's belt. There are no pins to pull out or handles to grab when you need to use it. You merely press the top button to activate it. The button is protected by a plastic housing such that inadvertent discharge of the unit is virtually impossible. The unit shown was one of several used at the 1988 Tidewater Nats.
AMA Nats: CL Racing
THE FINEST flying surface I've ever seen for Control Line models. That's my opinion of the site of the 1988 Tidewater Nats. The texture and flatness of the area which was used for CL Racing as well as Stunt was not from antiquity; instead, it was a tabletop-smooth, active runway. With the extreme drought in the Midwest area this summer, I had visions of the skies finally opening up and raining for the entire Nats week. My fears were unjustified, in that the only serious rain occurred on the interstate as we approached the Chesapeake, VA area. During the week of Racing competition, there were a few threatening thunderstorms, but they did not interrupt the Racing schedule. Early morning temperatures were in the low eighties, and from noon on, the low nineties were the norm.
Control Line: Racing
LITTLE QUICKIE construction: I have had numerous requests for information and visual aids relating to the construction of Scale Racers. At the majority of our Midwestern events, Scale Racing profits from the largest entry level. Larry Dziak has shared some of his proven construction techniques with me, and I will share them with you. One of the photos shows the primary construction of the 3/8-in.-thick fuselage. Things to note are the extremely large motor mounts (3/4 × 3/8 in.) with the bottom mount extending back beyond the wing and giving the fuselage extra strength. To avoid having the tail break off during hard landings, Larry puts two spruce spars in the fuselage: one directly under the wing (which you can see), and one right over the lower hardwood mount which runs all the way on either side of the elevator mount. Larry then lightens the hard wood by drilling trees so that the strength is maintained, but the additional weight is removed. You can also note a tank-mounting recess right below the wing so that the tank can be securely attached to the hardwood mount (which is recessed under the balsa top sheeting).
Control Line: Racing
TEXAS QUICKIE RAT: I have received photographs and contest flyers from hotbeds of Racing activity throughout the U.S. which have now included Quickie Rat. Honestly speaking, the event was developed by the Texas Racing contingent which has been flying and refining the event for some years. Regular readers of my column might remember that we had an unofficial Quickie Rat event at the 1986 Nats, and it attracted upwards of 20 entries, as I indicated in my Nats roundup column that year. One of the most successful and easy-to-fly versions of these Quickie Rats is the Barracuda, designed by Bill Bischoff. I sent a complete set of plans to my Model Aviation editors. The plans include all the necessary information concerning construction.
