Mark Nankivil <  > reports:

Just a short note to say that Tom Runge passed away on April 15th at 6 PM. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Mark Nankivil

Bill Hook <  > requests:

I am restoring an Ace pulse proportional transmitter, and am looking for schematic diagrams. My intent is to install the transmitter into a slightly larger case. The old stick assembly is shot. In the rebuilding process I will use a D&R Stick assembly and use the elevator function to vary pulse rate.

That is why I need the schematics: to modify the circuit. I also do not intend to use an encoder for the R-O/Escapement use. I have a couple of Controlaire 5 receivers and an O.S. and Citizenship escapement. I will use a momentary switch and my finger as the encoder. I will also add a switch to switch between the two modes.

I did a lot of experiments with pulse back in the good old days. I must say I had better luck with it than I did with my first analog proportional gear. Bill Hook

P.S. Would like to renew any old friendships. Anyone who thinks they may know me, please contact me by e-mail. I was active from the early fifties to early seventies in the San Diego area.

<  > wrote:

The Chester Jeep racer was the first model I ever built -- about 60 years ago. A rubber-powered dime model, of course, from Woolworth 5 & 10 cent store. I have loved that airplane design ever since.

I built dozens of those 10-cent models in my youth. Now I want to build a small, slow-flying R/C version of the Jeep. Several months ago I came across an Internet plans list that advertised a gas-powered Jeep free flight design by Dan Lutz. About 32" span.

Now I can`t find the site again, and I have spent hours searching. Does any one know the source of this plan or another one of good scale? I sure would appreciate the help.

Tom Arcoleo <  > wrote about "scrounging":

Why scrounge, you ask? Well the most important reason is serendipity. If you are really a model builder, it's on your mind almost all the time. So when you go out shellfish fishing, as I did today, you can't look a mussel in the face without seeing a possible streamlined housing for a protruding servo in the form of the animal's shell.

A while back, another answer to a problem appeared -- this one came blowing in the wind in the form of a large piece of polyethylene foam sheet (electronic packaging). It is extremely lightweight and provided the covering for about six planes until the wind again blew something in.

The second reason for scrounging is to obtain material that you know to be useful, and isn't easily obtained from conventional sources. Examples include kiln-dried grade A ash wood scrap from a local furniture manufacturer's dumpster, or ash cut from old baseball bats; Kevlar cloth from used auto airbags (free from body shops), cardboard (anywhere), free kraft paper and plastic bags from retailers, scrap aluminum or fiberglass insect screening, and free Coroplast from sign shops.

The third reason to saunter through junk shops, flea markets, scrap dealers, and the occasional industrial or recycle dumpster is to learn about stuff you didn't know existed. For example, we do know about the pink styrofoam sold at Home Depot, but a while back I discovered in a dumpster the higher-grade extruded white product made by Dow. The point is that this country is producing, consuming and discarding "stuff" at such an incredible rate that it is bursting at the seams. Do your part to clean up the planet and create something useful or beautiful to boot.

Kitty litter bags look like great material, but I haven't found the adhesive technology to secure it to wood frames. The free Wal Mart pretty blue bags are made of the same tough plastic, with the same hard-to-adhere problem. Large Tyvek envelopes are available inexpensively at Staples. Trust "Welder" brand glue (Wal Mart) to do a great job with this heat-shrinkable cover material.

Strengthening styrofoam can be done with insect screening (fiberglass or aluminum) using alcohol-thinned epoxy so as not to dissolve the foam. In Europe and in our club, brown Kraft paper will work with almost any glue. With or without spars, the reinforced styrofoam wing becomes strong because of the "exoskeleton" created. Fiberglass screening also makes great hinges.

You don't have to buy expensive hardware for control surfaces. Bamboo pushrods are the best and cheapest (especially if you eat a lot of Chinese). Rods longer that 12" can be made by coupling lengths together with thin-wall brass tubing salvaged from telescoping TV antennae. That brass or stainless stuff is good for fuel tank parts as well.

It pays to have a table saw so that you can (1) cut up old ash baseball bats, (2) cut nice grooves in styrofoam to glue in ash reinforcements, (3) resaw lightweight white cedar shakes (siding) as a substitute for balsa, (4) make parts you cannot make any other way. If there is one large power tool you should have, that's it. Tom Arcoleo

Jim Moseley <  > asks:

Anyone have a new, or as-new, Cox Medallion .049 with slit exhausts, at a price I can't refuse ???? Jim Moseley

Ed Stevens <  > provides welcome information:

I just wanted to let the SMALL group know that I can be e-mailed anytime at <  >. If you ever receive a package with damaged goods in it, as the one gentlemen did with some of our gaskets, you should contact the shipper for replacements.

A NORVEL .061 should haul a Cloud Ranger around with absolute authority, so if it's not doing that, you can be sure there is some problem. The range of possible problems is too long to cover in writing, and a dialogue with a qualified technician is the best way to resolve technical problems.

If your engine is defective, it has a 3-year warranty, so there is no reason to discard it. The NORVEL 3-year warranty is 2 years and 9 months longer than the last Cox warranty I read, so we are proud of our quality and stand behind it.

Justin at Sig is the NORVEL service rep. He can be reached between 8 AM and 3 PM (Central Time) at 641-623-0215. He is a *much* better engine man than I, and he cares a lot about his work. If there are ever any questions Justin hasn't been able to answer, or somebody would like to contact me directly, just email to <  >.

I travel frequently overseas, and sometimes I cannot answer in the same day. The more specific your question, the better I can answer it. My wife Robin has begun answering much of the NORVEL email, too.

I admit that we have had some shortages of parts over the last few months, which is unusual for us. I just pulled into our warehouse a gigantic parts order, and another one is coming next week. In a few months our parts inventory should be fully replenished.

Finally, I am probably going to regret saying this, but we have begun development of a new series of very small internal combustion motors. Thank you to all SMALLsters who helped us define the characteristics of the engines. We received over 50 responses, believe it or not, from that one time I asked on this email list.

We don't know how long the development cycle will be, but it could be very long because it involves some new technologies and a lot of requirements (quiet, powerful, light, cheap, safe, etc.). And please don't ask me what the new technologies are, because I'm not saying!

All NORVEL engines are Revlite and have been for maybe 2 years or so. "Revlite" is the trademark for our proprietary hard-anodized ceramic cylinder lining.

Thanks again to all of you for making us what we are today. Although our growth has pulled me away from the grass roots, I hope you understand that somebody has to make sure all those engines get made and delivered around the world. I do read every SMALLnet Posting still and plan to forever.

Best regards, Ed Stevens -- General Director, NORVEL, Ltd.

Frank Weaver <  > observes:

Originally the Norvel engines were the AME, which was the high-performance type; and the Big Mig, which was the sport version. The throttle on the high performance was nothing more than an on/off switch; yet the sport model worked well.

I replaced the pistons and sleeves of my AMEs for the BM ones, and changed to the Freedom plug with one gasket. Now they work great, even on 10% fuel. Also you can use the RJL head and a hot plug or a Cox 1703 plug. The porting on the new Revlite seems to reflect the advantages of the less radical sport version.

I found my Norvel 074 so tight at TDC that there was no way I could start it to break it in. The solution was to remove the head, load it with lots of fuel and use my 1/2A electric starter on it for about 10 seconds. I put the head back on and it started on the second flip. I now have about 100 flights on it; another great small engine.

I have a question. Is the MP Jet 061 to be discontinued? This is a wonderful small engine that I compare to a mini O.S. .61 FX.

Fly SMALL, have a BALL, Frank

George Edwards <  > queries:

I have a question. Have any of you tried the APC 4.2 X 2 composite sport props on your COX TD .02 or PEE WEE .02's?

I just got some and have not had a chance to try them. I e-mailed APC about the large hole in the prop hub, and they told me to make a bushing out of K&S tubing or fuel tubing to fit the hub and the Cox (#3-48) prop screw. The price is right at 6 props for $1.75, through Tower Hobbies -- against $2.39 for one black 4.5 X 2 Cox prop.

With the price of Cox parts going higher and higher, this might be a good alternative. Watch your fingers, though: these props look like real meat slicers. If you have used these props, let me know what you think of them. George Edwards

Roger Soliday <  > wrote:

Thanks for all the information posted here. It really helps me -- and also the people are so nice. I am hoping to get some more help. I thought I saw in a model magazine that there was a small .010-powered Rascal. I looked in all my magazines and can't find it. Does anyone know if there was a .010 Rascal -- and if so, where to get plans?

I have a Picco stick that I want to put a Lithium ion battery in, but don't know where to get one or what size to get. I heard that it will make the plane fly really long. Any information to help me?

Roger Soliday

Curt Hulett <  > has troubles:

I just returned from field testing my Playmate 25 built from plans. O.S. .15 FP, 3-channel (T,E,R), 2.5 pounds. The plane is not flyable, but I'm not sure what the trouble could be. Takeoff is prompt, but maintaining throttle-up after takeoff results in uncontrollable RIGHT turn.

When I reduce throttle to idle, plane returns to normal flight and I can fly it somewhat acceptably by nursing the throttle -- but any attempt to achieve normal flight speed results in a snap to right. Plane balances at spar; if anything it may be SLIGHTLY nose-heavy.

I swear that there is downthrust, and maybe 1 degree right thrust. Incidence LOOKS OK, but I loaned my meter to a guy who is on vacation. Anyone have pointers? I can't believe this thing didn't fly right off of the bench. Curt

Bob Keathley <  > asks:

I just read in the latest Flying Scale Models about an American, Kurt Bengston, who is planning some WWI and Golden Age kits (apparently for geared Speed 400), and lightweight WWI wheel kits.

Does anyone know of him or about his planes? Bob

Eric Clutton <  > insists:

JW is right about keeping inquisitive fingers away from models! Even a reasonable glowmotor will bite you if primed with diesel fuel and idly flipped (don't ask me how I know!). If you have a glowmotor (God forbid) and the battery is only capable of producing smoke from the plug and no glow, just prime it in the exhaust with diesel fuel. It will start and then continue to run on that evil- smelling glow fuel! I had to put that in. ERIC CLUTTON.

Dr. J. L. Campbell <  > submitted:

In a recent Posting, someone asked about a subject for a ducted fan model. As I recall, there was a plan published in MAN in the early 50's for a Fouga Magister (a French jet with a V-tail) which might fill the bill, especially with the electric ducted fan equipment available today. The original had an .049 with a "fan" cut from metal (boy! were we frisky and risky in those days!).

If anyone's interested, I'll try to find the article and provide specific bibliographical data. Libby Campbell

Larry McFarland <  > sent:

In Posting #416, "Blaine" asked about the old Wen Mac 'Flying Platform'. This was a sport-scale rendition in plastic of Hiller's experimental Army "soldier-mover". I had one as a youngster, and it definitely flew (hovered, etc.?).

The engine performed flawlessly, even for a young kid who didn't know engines very well! I don't know what ever happened to my copy, but I wish I still had it. It was one of those early plastic ARF's, and was quite well done by WenMac. The engine was of Atwood heritage.

And for Jim Smith, also in #416, I got a copy of Comet's old Pacemaker 1/2A FF plan from John Pond some years back. Given the questionable status of his service today, not sure about that avenue. You could try Allen Hunt <  > to see if this gentleman can help. Allen is also a definite source for Berkeley's ducted fan Skyray plan that Don Udey was asking about in #417. Allen has some plans that I have been beating the bushes for for years!!

For Larry in #416 who wondered about a motor/battery setup for Herr's 30" Cub, I would steer him (and others delving into these general subjects) to the Ezone discussion archives < http://www.ezonemag.com >. Once up there, select their "Discussion" link, and begin doing searches for the subject that interests you (e.g. - Herr Cub). Same for SP280 material.

There's TONS of dialogue available to keep one occupied for an eternity if you wish. Same goes for the question about capacitors across motor terminals. Do an Ezone search and you'll get some very good information, tested data that works.

Larry A. McFarland

Larry C. Vossbrink <  > inquires:

I'm looking for plans for a KWOD by Eric Clutton: plan # Pet 787X-5-61, from the May 1961 AeroModeller.

Larry C. Vossbrink

Dave Segal contributed:

The telephone number is 248-681-1007 and email is <  >

Dave Segal

Larry Marshall <  > amplifies further:

Don Udey wanted plans for the old Berkeley Skyray kit.

Larry Wolfe, of Jet Hangar Hobbies has done what Don's after. Not only does he have the original plans for sale, he's enlarged the drawings, framed the model and had an S300 fan in it the last time I saw him. You can see information on this and other EDF conversions of the Berkeley line at < http://www.jethangar.com/ >.

An even better solution than the Deans products for small model antennas is the M72 (tuned to 72 mHz) antenna from E-Cubed < http://www.azarr.com/ >. These antennae are lighter than the Deans, smaller too, and they range-test far better.

I tested them early on, and to the limits of my eyesight. I couldn't get one to glitch. George Steiner has tested them, and also found them better than the Deans: only 15% less effective than a full quarter-wave antenna. (This loss only matters if you want to control your model once it's out of sight :-)

BTW, I'm in no way associated with E-Cubed, but I have bought a bunch of their antennae. Cheers --- Larry

John Arbogast <  > wrote:

Many Speed 400-size pylon racer style R/C planes use a Deans' antenna. In my case, inside a Sokol, I just stick the antenna inside the fuselage and let it "rattle around" there. It is right next to the metal elevator pushrod, contrary to the directions. There is really no other way to do it, and it seems to work fine right up to out-of-sight range. Of course, that range is probably not terribly far with such a small aircraft and my old, tired eyes.

This is also in conjunction with a "rubber ducky" antenna on my Hitec transmitter. I have never experienced an occasion where I lost a model from insufficient range.

Another option is Azarr's M72 antenna which has worked perfectly for me -- but I have not tried one in a pylon racer type aircraft. In a "slow flyer" type, I have flown fairly large, 36-inch span planes, to the edge of visibility with a M72 antenna and have had no signal loss even with receivers such as a Feather or GWS which are described as "limited range" equipment. I would, however, advise against flying low to the ground at distances of 1000 feet with such a setup.

If you want to do a range check, fly upwind at about a 45 degree angle until you lose control or can't see the model. If you lose range, the motor will stop and you will drift back into control- lable range. That's just one of the advantages of electric power.

John Arbogast

Bob Davis <  > contributed:

If you have questions on diesel operation -- our system in particular, or need answers about applications -- please feel free to ask. We are celebrating our 27th year of production, so it is fair to say, "It works, or we would not be here."

Bob Davis

Fred Krueger <  > submitted:

I've been 'lurking about' on SMALLnet for some time and read each one with great interest. Recently, there have been some Postings regarding model diesel fuel. I fly a number of small PAW diesels (.09 to .19) in C/L sport/stunt applications. In the past I have always purchased my fuel from Eric Clutton and found his blends to work quite well.

Recently, I have acquired a supply of ether through some F2C competitors, plus some IPN from a former F2C'er. So, for now I blend my own.

I store my ether and blended fuel in MSR camping fuel bottles. These are deep-drawn aluminum bottles with a plastic screw-in top with an O-ring seal. These are available in various sizes from camping supply stores.

When I purchase a gallon of diesel fuel, I break it down into the 33-ounce bottles, and fill my 11-ounce field bottle from these. You can fly small diesels all day on 11 ounces of fuel!

I keep several fuel blends and mark the bottles accordingly. Storing it in smaller quantities assures minimal ether loss. On hot days, I carry my field bottle in a small 6-pack cooler.

Fred Krueger

Sam Brauer <  > wrote:

In a recent posting, you discussed the availability of small ducted fans. Recently, the product offerings have expanded. I'm no whiz at this, but I can give fellow SMALLsters my take on some of what's out there.

Smallest class: EDF 200, based on KP-00 motors or similar. Apparently very finicky -- suitable for airplanes with total flying weight under 8 ounces. Some success with A-10s: these units seem to work better in pairs. I have no direct experience.

Somewhat larger diameter: GWS EDF-50 fan; somewhat larger diameter & heavier. Seems to work OK with a 7-cell 300 mAh NiMH pack. Again, will fly aircraft under 8 ounces. Probably more efficient than the EDF 200 units. No direct experience.

Red Flame Blaster and Blue Flame Blaster: these are similar units. The lighter version is based around a Speed 300, while the heavier version is based on a Speed 400. Some folks have reported success using these fans in FF applications on far fewer cells than have been used for R/C purposes. Not surprising; R/C applications typically want more power and longer than 1-minute run times.

These units are made from injected molded thermoplastic, and are actually somewhat heavy. There have been a number of "hop up" modifications, including aluminum spinners, and slight duct reworking. (Apparently split fuel tube around the intake ring of the duct helps.) Using one of these units with a Speed 400 and some of the modifications, I was able to fly a 17-ounce A-7.

The airplane could roll readily, but was definitely marginal in power, and flights were pretty short. (Previously reported.)

Wemotec Micro Fan: suitable for Speed 300 size motors. Some issues with rotor balance. Should fly airplanes in the 12-14 ounce range. No direct experience; however, other products by this firm have used more sophisticated blade shape and ducting than Red Flame Blaster (RFB) units. Somewhat more expensive than the RFB units.

Vasa 55 fan. This fan has the highest price tag ($55 or so), but the most sophisticated design of the bunch. The fan uses carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic for the housing, and epoxy molded carbon fiber blades. Beautifully done unit. Surprisingly, it's made to work with a Speed 300 and a 7-cell 600 AE pack.

Attempts to use brushless motors and higher cell counts yield increased thrust, but the weight penalty may be too severe for the relatively small aircraft this unit can fly.

I'm fooling around with one in a 12.5 oounce Flying Styro (yech!) F-16 -- the new version of this airplane -- which at least is several ounces lighter than the older version, along with more wing area. My first launch ended in disaster, but I've Franken- steined the airplane back together.

It's clear that this unit has some more get up and go than the RFB unit. For R/C purposes, I think this fan makes the most sense. When total cost of the aircraft is calculated, the additional cost of this fan over the Blasters is insignificant.

To folks starting to play around with these units: intake ducting and exhaust ducting is critical. One unit -- a modified RFB -- could fly a 17-ounce airplane with adequate ducting, but failed miserably on a smaller, lighter airplane (15.5 ounces) -- clearly with ducting issues. One resource is the jets section of the E-zone -- < http://www.ezonemag.com >.

For FF use, I might be tempted to try the EDF-50. It's pretty cheap and might do OK on a 5-6 cell 50 mAh nicad pack. One of the problems with most of these units is that they've been tweaked for R/C use, which leads to lower ampere draw and higher cell counts. The Speed 300 does seem to be able to deliver useful power with much lower cell counts though.

Note: all of the above fans may fly an airplane, but don't expect jet-like performance. For that, you need to go to the next size larger fan (65 mm in diameter) such as the Wemotec Minifan or a Vasa 65 -- along with 300 watts plus of power. Expect to spend at least 3x the most expensive fan combination listed here.

Hope this helps all the folks kicking around the fans. Note: I am by no means an expert. I just thought I'd share my initial findings and maybe save SMALLsters some experimentation.

Oh yeah -- Bill Effinger used to put out plans in two sizes of the Berkeley Skyray -- a 24" and a 36" if I remember correctly. I think the 24" was designed for .049 power by the late Henry Struck. (I met Henry a couple of times when flying indoors. He was a character! I'm saddened by his passing.)

I think the 36" version was designed to use the Kress RK-20 fan. There is now a kit of the Skyray (RBC produced in the Netherlands) intended for the serious fan unit mentioned above. Needless to say, I think electrics have a lot more going for them in fans compared to glow, unless you're really a whiz at starting engines in confined spaces.

Cleaner duct flow can make up for the power/weight disadvantage as well. Sam Brauer, Stamford, Connecticut