WCB

A pal I fly RC with gave me a new in the box Sterling Ringmaster C/L kit. It is old I can tell by the box. It looks like maybe 1960's ish. Should I build it and fly it or hang onto it?

Thanks
WCB

gcb

WCB,
The Sterling S1 Ringmaster kit was available prior to Dec 1952, which makes it eligible for entering Old Time Stunt (OTS) contests. Sterling released an "improved" version, I believe it was early or mid 1960's. This kit was designated S1-A. The most noticeable difference was that the later one has a sheeted leading edge and the early one does not.
The Sterling design was bought by Estes.
You might do a search on ebay to see what its value is.
Mine is an Estes S1, manufactured just after they bought Sterling. I built mine with adjustable leadouts and tip weight.

George

WCB

George,
Mine is a Sterling S1. I looked at the plans and you are right. It does not have a sheeted leading edge.

WCB

Jim Thomerson

RSM has a very nice (I am told) Ringmaster kit of the early version. My advice would be to put your kit on ebay and buy an RSM kit if you really want a Ringmaster.

Jim

WCB

Thanks Jim I checked that out. Thanks for the tip.

jbdismukes

My Feedback: (2)

My first "stick-built" was a Ringmaster, in 1956. My mentor got it up on it's maiden flight and after two laps, lost his grip on the handle as it started a loop. The ring mastered that one. I went on to an "Ugly Stik" w/McCoy .29 Redhead. Just getting the hang of it when my mentor and I (both "Army Brats") went our separate ways and I finished highschool and entered the Navy.

That "Stik" had a lot to do with my choice of the GP Big Stik w/O.S .65LA as my first RC ARF. Lots of fun building it and it has allowed me to solo within a few weeks. Much yet to learn, but am having a ball.

Jack Dismukes

WCB

Great story Jack. Thanks. I had a GP Big Stik with an Evolution .61 NT on it. What a nice flying plane it was. It flew like it was on rails. I took a radio hit one day and it augered in from about 200' up. Not much left.

WCB

gcb

Tell us more about the CL Ugly Stick. The first Ugly Stik I remember was a .40 size RC version published in a mag (RCM?) in the early 70's (I think). It was later kitted.

George

jbdismukes

My Feedback: (2)

I believe it was the Sterling kit, sheeted fuse with silkspan sheeting on the wings and pulled by a McCoy .19. Four coats of Tester's dope but the color ( sorta dark hot pink) was the result of mixing leftovers of several different colors - we lived in Germany at the time, and dope was hard to come by. I can't remember how many nights I spent in the attic shop, but that was my first real flying model. All my previous experience had been plastic static warbirds, and I was sure proud of it. Looked much like the Big Stik I'm flying now, without the scolloped trailing edges. I'm pretty sure it was the inspiration for today's "Stick's".

jbdismukes

My Feedback: (2)

My dumb. I described the Ringmaster, when you asked about the "Stik". What I said about the inspiration for current "Stik's" does apply. I don't remember who made the kit. My mentor got it to make up for losing the Ringmaster. It was a light blue fuse with red wings. All painting was done by hand, so the red stripe on the fuse sides was less than perfect. Pulled by a McCoy .29 Redhead, it was a screamer, and I never got to be too aggressive with it before I packed it away to go to college (Alabama Polytechnic Institute back then but the name changed shortly thereafter to Auburn - WAAAAR EAGLE!!) Unfortunately, when my folks came back from Germany, it was in a crate that never made it, and I never had the time, nor shop space to get involved again. Until... my brother-in-law introduced me to RC ARF's. Actually, he snuck up on me with RealFlight simulator, and one thing led to another. My wife now has another reason not to get along with her brother.

Already, I'm cogitating about "TNO" (The Next One). Probably the GP Super Stearman 120 ARF with a Saito 150, although I hear a lot of folks saying the Saito 180 (with practical throttle management) might be a second option. That, of course, will be after I make my next million.

gcb

How 'bout a nice CL ship? Both the Flite Streak and the Nobler are available as ARF's from Tower. You can even use an RC engine with the throttle wired open.

George

O2AFAC67

Hey George, one of the engines I got on Ebay is a "New In Box" series 21 McCoy 35 with the Perry Carburetor, meaning it is an R/C engine, darn it. Usable for C/L? What do I need to do to it to try it on one of the Ringmasters? BTW, I agree with you on the RSM kit, that laser cutting is great. I am hard-headedly building one of the early ones anyway just for the nostalgia of it. and mainly because you know I paid too darn much for it. LOL.

I traded a Brodak Nobler kit for a Tucker Special by RSM so that's how I verified how nice the laser cutting and select balsa happens to be. Even though I had built a "Super Ringmaster" full fuselage kit as a kid, I think I'll hold off on building the Tucker until I see how I do with the regular Ringmasters. Prudence, I'm sure. Later...

Ron

gcb

Ron,
The Series 21's are pretty heavy because of the massive crankcase. You may have to add tail weight to balance it.
I have two .19's but they are CL. How does the Perry carb fit to the crankcase? If it is a modified carb and the engine has the bell shaped intake, a normal CL needle assembly may fit.
I hesitate to recommend using the Perry carb wired open because the plastic body in a side mounted installation may be easy to break.
Personally, I'd save the McCoy .35 for use in an RC plane and pick up a used .20-.35 CL engine.
When you do run the McCoy remember it is a Dykes ringed engine and not an ABC. It will require a little break-in.
Good luck whatever you decide.

George

kdheath

Don't make the same mistake I did when I re-started in CL. I bought an Estes "19" size Ringmaster and put an OS FP 20 in it. It was a pig. A fast pig to be sure, but a pig, still. Flies much better with a good 15.

It may have been the prototype of the RSM RM, but one very nice one flew in SoCal for a while, powered by a Veco 19. Another nice example has a small 4-stroke, maybe a Saito 30. A Fox 35 is also a decent choice, light weight and available for pretty cheap. But build it light and go easy on the weight of your engine.

gcb

I have an Enya .09 on mine.
When the Ringmaster Junior was redesigned with the sheeted LE, they did not retain the old design like they did with the full-size Ringmaster. They show a schnuerle Fox .25 on the box and on the plans. My GUESS is that they were contemplating some kind of racing event. The original Ringmaster Jr. was designed for a .15 when the ones available were the OK Cub, Cameron, K&B Green head, etc.
By the way, if you build the wings on top of the plans you can add extra wingspan by building them as one entire assembly. If you follow the instructions, you build two separate halves and join them.
Another .15 size kit that is easily modified for longer wings is the SIG Akromaster. Just don't trim off the extra LE and TE stock and make extra ribs, new bellcrank mount, etc. Adds about four inches of wingspan.

George

Fix-it

My Feedback: (3)

George,
Why do you need a new belcrank mount? Can I just cut new slots for the center ribs ( R2 )to maintain the original center spacing? It puts R2 kinda close to the first R3, and the tip ribs close to the next to last ones, but with 20+ extra square inchs of area should carry 4 extra ribs without knowing they are there. Or maybe just move the last rib to the tip posistion and only add the 2 new R3s next to the center section.

I have the kit in front of me, I even scanned all the parts with a ruler in the frame for reproduction accuracy. If anybody wants the JPEG files let me know and I'll e-mail em to ya. Should be able to print them out, go to a copier and adjust the enlargement + - until it matches the ruler and run off some templates. That was the plan anyway, ready templates for rebuilding after a crash but I never got past the scanning part, kit is still waiting for me to build it.

gcb

When I built mine that way I found that the original position would put the pushrod "way out" on the wing and the new center section was a different spacing. I opted to change the bellcrank mount.
I like your way better. Never thought of adding the extra ribs and keep the original spacing. Where were you when I was building it?

BTW, my older Akromaster has a slant plug Fox .15 and the new modified one has a TT .10 for power.

George

Fix-it

My Feedback: (3)

Where was I when you built it? that depends on when you did the building, 7 yrs ago - MPLS. MN - freezing my butt off, 10 yrs ago Detroit MI-freezing my butt off, 15 yrs ago Theif River Falls, MN - Really freezing my butt off! Now I'm in Florida, its warm and nice- and all that butt I froze off has regrown, with a belly to match! But Oct- May is great flying down here!
I have a Slant plug .15 for mine too, just have to get to building, or help my 10year old build it.

gcb

Built the modified one about two months ago. If it loaded correctly, a picture showing the original with the modified one above it should show.

George

Edit: Sorry, can't seem to include pics any more.

Fix-it

My Feedback: (3)

I know what you mean, I tried to post a jpeg of the scanned parts and they didn't show up.