Welcome to Club SAITO !
01-29-2019, 04:05 AM
Nice looking plane, has a lot of possibilities. How about clipping that wing a bunch, build another and make a biplane?
"Spark-O-Matic" ??? Too funny!
Spark-O-Matic® made a lot of rustomatic, chrome plated "hot-rod" parts back in the 60s. They even made an el-cheapo floor shifter setup. A $20 alternative to the Hurst. Seems every bag yanking dairy farmer in Marlette MI had one in their Ford-rarri pick-it-up truck back in the day, that and a straight pipe loud exhaust. They even displayed a "Spark-O-Matic" sticker on their window, right next to the obligatory, "STP" ® sticker. A bit like a pre-emptive excuse for that missed first to second shift as you pulled away.
Make it LOUD so the plane can live up to the Spark-O-Matic legend
Last edited by Jesse Open; 01-29-2019 at 04:11 AM.
01-29-2019, 04:23 AM
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I had one in a 1960 Falcon with 85 hp, the shifter raised it up to 200 hp, I also had one of those blue bullet shaped glass packs on it, (Continental) I think. A bunch of guys in Buffalo, NY all pointed laughing and one of them shouted, "it sounds like a Bumble Bee". Cheap fun and good times back then."Spark-O-Matic" ??? Too funny! I was there for my FCC exam.
Gary, do you have any "sparky" glow engines. I know that you're dead against some things we do but they're all fun.
Gary, do you have any "sparky" glow engines. I know that you're dead against some things we do but they're all fun.
01-29-2019, 05:06 AM
Dave,
Yep, The shifter is good for 115HP and loud mufflers another 50HP!
Not "dead against" so much. I went through a big "everything sparked" phase back in the middle 1980s. Made home brew breaker point setups for Super Tigres and a couple of Tartans, bought very early C&H ignitions and even made a few of my own. Still have a little bottle full of Tungsten contacts that I used with the blue, spring steel homemade breaker points.
Back then my "field box" weighed about 45 pounds as I wanted everything at my fingertips at the flight line. At some point I decided to go for the less is more and simplify. I actually like the way spark engines run, especially on methanol but I realistically refrain from over-rating it as some do,by bashing glow or diesel ignition. It is all good and has a place. I don't really care for the added "stuff", the weight, the fuss and the helter skelter wires, especially on the smaller planes that I typically fly. Preferring to simplify the airborne elements.
Still worthwhile to point out some of finer points of methanol fueled sparkys. Been very clear that my dislike for gasoline fuel is a personal choice but based on real reasons. All the lawn equipment at our house is battery-electric, the mower, edger, weedwhacker, chainsaw etc; all electric. All personal choices, I don't bash others for those choices nearly as much as I often take a beating for my choices. No problem there!
We certainly have a lot more in common than differences. That's why I stick around
Yep, The shifter is good for 115HP and loud mufflers another 50HP!
Not "dead against" so much. I went through a big "everything sparked" phase back in the middle 1980s. Made home brew breaker point setups for Super Tigres and a couple of Tartans, bought very early C&H ignitions and even made a few of my own. Still have a little bottle full of Tungsten contacts that I used with the blue, spring steel homemade breaker points.
Back then my "field box" weighed about 45 pounds as I wanted everything at my fingertips at the flight line. At some point I decided to go for the less is more and simplify. I actually like the way spark engines run, especially on methanol but I realistically refrain from over-rating it as some do,by bashing glow or diesel ignition. It is all good and has a place. I don't really care for the added "stuff", the weight, the fuss and the helter skelter wires, especially on the smaller planes that I typically fly. Preferring to simplify the airborne elements.
Still worthwhile to point out some of finer points of methanol fueled sparkys. Been very clear that my dislike for gasoline fuel is a personal choice but based on real reasons. All the lawn equipment at our house is battery-electric, the mower, edger, weedwhacker, chainsaw etc; all electric. All personal choices, I don't bash others for those choices nearly as much as I often take a beating for my choices. No problem there!
We certainly have a lot more in common than differences. That's why I stick around
01-29-2019, 05:17 AM
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I still have a barely run Tartan 1.34 two ring engine, I lost part of the ignition system when I had a Davis Diesel head on it. I would like to sell or trade it but with a part missing that's a no go. All the lawn equipment here is gasoline powered. A variety of Stihl, Briggs, Kohler
Last edited by Hobbsy; 01-29-2019 at 05:18 AM. Reason: Correct spelling
01-29-2019, 05:29 AM
That Tartan would run great with a C&H conversion. They can be pretty scary on glow where a backfire at low throttle can result in a reverse spinning engine! Running on glow, you may find that the engine runs a LOT stronger backwards , even with the prop flipped.
I used to make an aluminum reed block that put the reed anchor 180° from original location. Picked up 400 RPM over the stock setup.
My wife does all the yard work and she is very pleased with her electric powered yard equipment. No muss, no fuss. Plenty of power without the vibration, stink, noise or potential level of fire risks. Win, win win .
I like it too, far less maintenance for me.
I used to make an aluminum reed block that put the reed anchor 180° from original location. Picked up 400 RPM over the stock setup.
My wife does all the yard work and she is very pleased with her electric powered yard equipment. No muss, no fuss. Plenty of power without the vibration, stink, noise or potential level of fire risks. Win, win win .
I like it too, far less maintenance for me.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 01-29-2019 at 07:03 AM.
01-29-2019, 11:31 AM
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I had cherry booms on both my Novas and after going thew 2 Hurst H shifters I went with a Mr, Gasket Inline shifter, it was not as smooth as my friend's Inline Hurst, but it was very strong.
Gary, I like biplanes, but not this large, I had a .40 size D7, and I loved it because I did not have to take it a part to fit in my 4-Runner, bought it for $50 complete with the old Tx, Rx and servos, I flew it for like 3 years then sold it for $7 to a friend after I crashed it, I still have the engine thO, that TT 40GP.
as for names, I am going to name my bashed 4-Star 60 "Howling Matilda", I will put a big number 6 on her right behind the pilot. she will sport my Saito 100T thanks to my good friend Dave..
humm, maybe I should name it in honer of Dave for that good trade he gave me, I could call it something like "Dare Devil Dave" or just "Devil Dave" I like those names too.
I have the Tartan 44cc Twin (glow), I was going to put it in my NIB Pacific Areomodels GeeBee Y (82" span), but I have decided to stick with the .60 size planes and sell it, I have a guy that says he is going to buy it, I have sold to him before, but I have not heard from him since Thursday, any one that wants it I will take $400 for the plane, it comes with Robart spring struts, shipping is on the buyer
Jim
Gary, I like biplanes, but not this large, I had a .40 size D7, and I loved it because I did not have to take it a part to fit in my 4-Runner, bought it for $50 complete with the old Tx, Rx and servos, I flew it for like 3 years then sold it for $7 to a friend after I crashed it, I still have the engine thO, that TT 40GP.
as for names, I am going to name my bashed 4-Star 60 "Howling Matilda", I will put a big number 6 on her right behind the pilot. she will sport my Saito 100T thanks to my good friend Dave..
humm, maybe I should name it in honer of Dave for that good trade he gave me, I could call it something like "Dare Devil Dave" or just "Devil Dave"
I like those names too.I have the Tartan 44cc Twin (glow), I was going to put it in my NIB Pacific Areomodels GeeBee Y (82" span), but I have decided to stick with the .60 size planes and sell it, I have a guy that says he is going to buy it, I have sold to him before, but I have not heard from him since Thursday, any one that wants it I will take $400 for the plane, it comes with Robart spring struts, shipping is on the buyer
Jim
Last edited by the Wasp; 01-29-2019 at 11:37 AM.
01-29-2019, 01:57 PM
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Do you remember "FireBall Rolled a 7" from when Glenn Fireball Roberts rolled his Ford NASCAR car?. Devil Dave huhh, Geri would love that. I still need to run this 90-T, I think it will go nice and strong.
Last edited by Hobbsy; 01-30-2019 at 03:53 AM. Reason: Add content
01-29-2019, 03:46 PM
Jim,
I have a not so bad, Seagull Fly Baby that I would love to give you! Too bad you live so far away.It was a fine flyer with a Saito 82. GPS clocked at 94 mph downwind with a stiff tailwind.
The Spark-O-Matic stuff surely wasn't all that bad. I may have been exaggerating a bit for the sake of humor
The cheapo version of the Hurst was called the "Mystery Shifter" and they were no where near as good as the good Hurst shifters.
Dave, my second car, the 1940 Chevy originally had a 216 cubic inch 6 that was also 85 HP, which was also its top speed, 85 MPH.
Glenn "Fireball" Roberts was my favorite NASCAR driver in the 1950s, saw him driving at the old 1/2 mile dirt track, Michigan State Fair racetrack, 1958. Very hurt when he died, I think that was 1965 or thereabouts.
I have a not so bad, Seagull Fly Baby that I would love to give you! Too bad you live so far away.It was a fine flyer with a Saito 82. GPS clocked at 94 mph downwind with a stiff tailwind.
The Spark-O-Matic stuff surely wasn't all that bad. I may have been exaggerating a bit for the sake of humor
The cheapo version of the Hurst was called the "Mystery Shifter" and they were no where near as good as the good Hurst shifters.
Dave, my second car, the 1940 Chevy originally had a 216 cubic inch 6 that was also 85 HP, which was also its top speed, 85 MPH.
Glenn "Fireball" Roberts was my favorite NASCAR driver in the 1950s, saw him driving at the old 1/2 mile dirt track, Michigan State Fair racetrack, 1958. Very hurt when he died, I think that was 1965 or thereabouts.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 01-29-2019 at 04:38 PM. Reason: To-too
01-29-2019, 05:42 PM
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Gary, thank you for the nice thoughts on the Fly Baby, and I have a Saito 82 thank's to Dave. BTW, I checked the numbers on the Hog. I thought it would be longer than the 4-Star, but it's 6" shorter, so chopping the wing down to a total of 66" or 67" should work out knowing that wing has so much lift, and the K&B 100 only weighs like 1/2oz more than my OS 61Fx (both with stock mufflers)
and the other thing to do with the Hog is to take out some of the dihedral
jim
and the other thing to do with the Hog is to take out some of the dihedral
jim
01-29-2019, 10:20 PM
Looks like a mooney dave,that rear window is usually where the small stowage door was and looks the same shape.Well,it seems assumptions can be misleading.I had gary down for a 'tim the toolman' kinda guy with a hotted up v8 lawnmower and maybe you as his genial check shirt wearing offsider but that's blown that idea out the back shed window nearly as fast as a big propped saito bench running engine at full throttle sucking up floor carpet squares.
ps jim you can't have the matilda name,it's an important national song over here,ya know...waltzing matilda.Why not stick with something like 'ol' sparky' it reminds me of the griswold's holiday movies with chevy chase,and a karked it grandma in a rocking chair on the station wagon roof heading for vegas.
but that's blown that idea out the back shed window nearly as fast as a big propped saito bench running engine at full throttle sucking up floor carpet squares.ps jim you can't have the matilda name,it's an important national song over here,ya know...waltzing matilda.Why not stick with something like 'ol' sparky' it reminds me of the griswold's holiday movies with chevy chase,and a karked it grandma in a rocking chair on the station wagon roof heading for vegas.
01-30-2019, 03:55 AM
Hey now!
Tim, The Tool Man, Allen lived about 10 miles from here. He was often hopping stuff up, looking for more power. I often soften the tuning looking for broader, friendlier power.
That electric stuff does have plenty of oomph! The 2.5HP electric motor on my hydraulic log splitter will easily outwork a straining 5HP Honda gasper engine. Flip the switch, pull the lever, split the log. No muss no fuss.
And yes, that plane looks like it is a Mooney. My high school buddy had a Mooney "Executive". He sold that to buy a Beech Baron. Later on ,after a few tens of thousands in up keep and repairs, he dumped the Beech and got back to the quick and efficient Mooney. Quite a plane that.
Tim, The Tool Man, Allen lived about 10 miles from here. He was often hopping stuff up, looking for more power. I often soften the tuning looking for broader, friendlier power.
That electric stuff does have plenty of oomph! The 2.5HP electric motor on my hydraulic log splitter will easily outwork a straining 5HP Honda gasper engine. Flip the switch, pull the lever, split the log. No muss no fuss.
And yes, that plane looks like it is a Mooney. My high school buddy had a Mooney "Executive". He sold that to buy a Beech Baron. Later on ,after a few tens of thousands in up keep and repairs, he dumped the Beech and got back to the quick and efficient Mooney. Quite a plane that.
Last edited by Jesse Open; 01-30-2019 at 03:58 AM.
01-30-2019, 04:06 AM
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I too settled on the Mooney, the roof line and fancy dash and door trim, give it away. The Eureka 40 kit would be a nice build. 170 bucks though for the full,kit. There appears to be a Saito in it.
Dave Dudley sang the Fireball Rolled a 7 song supposedly in honor of Fireball, most of his race cars were number 22, occasionally a number 11.
Last edited by Hobbsy; 01-30-2019 at 04:09 AM.
01-30-2019, 04:21 AM
I think Fred Lorenzen took Glenn Roberts place in the Ford NASCAR lineup. Number 28 IIRC.
"Fireball" sure proved to be an unfortunate nickname. Worked fine when he was throwing fastball but really sucked for race car driving.
Eight Days On the Road......
"Fireball" sure proved to be an unfortunate nickname. Worked fine when he was throwing fastball but really sucked for race car driving.
Eight Days On the Road......
01-30-2019, 09:51 AM
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ps jim you can't have the matilda name,it's an important national song over here,ya know...waltzing matilda.Why not stick with something like 'ol' sparky' it reminds me of the griswold's holiday movies with chevy chase,and a karked it grandma in a rocking chair on the station wagon roof heading for vegas.
as for Sparky, didn't Clark Griswold bring forth Sparky's demise, that would not be a good omen for a plane
Jim
Saito Engines, fact is, 2 Saitos in the bush are worth more than a Magnum in the hand !! because you can retrieve the 2 Saitos and sell the Magnum, it's a win, win and win thing
Last edited by the Wasp; 01-30-2019 at 09:55 AM.
01-30-2019, 01:52 PM
Gary, thank you for the nice thoughts on the Fly Baby, and I have a Saito 82 thank's to Dave. BTW, I checked the numbers on the Hog. I thought it would be longer than the 4-Star, but it's 6" shorter, so chopping the wing down to a total of 66" or 67" should work out knowing that wing has so much lift, and the K&B 100 only weighs like 1/2oz more than my OS 61Fx (both with stock mufflers)
and the other thing to do with the Hog is to take out some of the dihedral
jim
and the other thing to do with the Hog is to take out some of the dihedral
jim
I think there is also a spare wing pair and horizontal stab.
Got a lot of stuff to get rid of and time is getting short
Last edited by Jesse Open; 01-30-2019 at 02:07 PM.
01-30-2019, 11:37 PM
The weekly 3D heli club meeting...their motto to all plane pilots at the field is 'death before courtesy'
Jim thank you so much for posting that vid,a perfect example of people who should NEVER be left unattended near ANY saito engine.
01-31-2019, 06:17 AM
Jim, thanks for the video. The guy has a nice hanger too bad he has so many ARFs. And to waste space of Cars when he could put airplanes there! 
