RE: 1/2a speed pan
mylamo's description of launching his plane in the 50's gave me a vague recollection of having a photo of just such a hand launch of a speed plane.
taken from the 1955 Air Trails Annual of a picture from the 1954 US NAT's where Bob Groth of Clevland launchs a McCoy .60 powered speedster flown by Al Stagens.
Must have been a real kick launching or throwing a plane like that with a growling .60 engine at full bore; talk about grabbing a tiger by the tail!
cheers, Graham