Airborne Restarts
TODAY, JULY 18, 1976, was to my son and me a red-letter day. We have just completed and tested a prototype model aircraft. Now you may ask "What could be new and unusual about any model aircraft these days?" Originally, the plane was an ordinary Falcon 56, and the engine an O.S. 20. The plane was built to train this old free-flighter to fly RC. Two months ago a new purpose was begun for this plane. At that time, we (my son Bill and I) were pondering over the idea of how nice it would be if we could stop an engine in flight and allow the plane to glide for a while and then restart it by RC. If you have not guessed yet, today was the day we did just that. We successfully restarted the engine not just once, but several times.
Pegasus
BIGGER is better! At least that's what they say. But for what? We've seen FAI RC soaring models getting smaller and smaller, year by year, and the most recent crop is clearly "better" at speed, distance and even duration. So, bigger is not necessarily better. What matters is the flier's objectives for any given design, as well as the rules for an event he may wish to enter. Finally, a person may wish to build a soaring model which will suit his own ideas of what is best, and let the "rules" be for those who wish to be bound by them.
