GREG DOE

A.B. Nice to hear from you. I was in NC back in early October to help at the FAI pylon team trials in Liberty. Then I stopped in Asheville to help Carter Pounders Jr. go through his dad's model stuff, most of which he took to the Winston Salem swap meet in early Nov.
Retired for 10 years, and closing in on 72, I still do a little Quickie, and EF-1 racing, and a little ultralight flying.
It's nice to know the number of people out there who have fond memories of the old timers like DC May, Tommy Baker Jim Whitley (Daddy Rabbit) Harold Coleson Blake Honneycut, and so many more. Merry Christmas to everyone out there.

TangoBravo

Thanks to Ustik for reviving this thread.
I just stumbled on it and have enjoyed the comments and history of this R/C icon. I tried to generate some interest on this subject on another forum but there were few responses. I'm glad to discover there are others like me who have fond memories of this plane. It is an ageless design that I predict will be with the R/C community for as long as there is one. I'm certain that any flyer who has owned and flown an Ugly Stick, especially the original balsa kit version from the early days will have a story or two to tell.

Below are two photos of me and an original Jenson version that I built in 1973. The black and white photo was taken by a Miami Herald photographer at an air show in 1974. Our club used to put on an annual show with R/C and full scale flying. The color picture was taken just last month here in Denver at our club's field. Yes, it is the same plane. It and I have aged a little and both showing the ravages of time. Hanger rash and other ills but the plane and I are still flying. In the first picture the engine is a Fox 78, twin glow plug mule that I used for towing gliders and banners. The current engine is a Saito 91 that looks right at home on the Stick's nose.

The transparent blue Monokote on the wings is the original covering that I applied in 73 when the plane was built. There are a few patches and the Monokote is getting brittle, me too after 42 years, and maybe someday I'll recover the wings. The fuselage is polyester resin over balsa and silver enamel. The sea gull on the vertical fin is still there.

Thanks for looking and thanks again for this thread. One of the best I've read.

Tom

lflf

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xx

spaceworm

RIP 2012. Will build another.

Desertlakesflying

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How about JATO on a Hangar 9 Ultra Stick. Heat tape covered the bottom after this adventure. Used an Estes E-9 motor mounted in line with the centerline, and right on the CG and it was perfect.

UStik

Thanks to all from me as well for all those great pictures. I'm amazed how many variations on the Ugly Stik theme are possible. Especially every paint scheme is different and each fits the Stik very well.

Otherwise there are several taildraggers instead of trike gear, several straight wings without dihedral, and some have the engine mounted at an angle instead of horizontal cylinder like in the plan. I never saw a picture with the "original Phil Kraft" backplate mount though, only metal or plastic engine mounts.

One detail especially intrigues me: the ailerons not going out to the wingtips but their outer part cut off and glued to the wingtips. At Outerzone, TomSolinski advises to do this to prevent flutter. (Obviously, it's not TangoBravo but you Tom have this modification on your beautiful blue/silver Stik.)

While I believe to understand the other variations, I wonder about this flutter issue.

Well, actually I'm wondering about the engine attitude as well. Just following suit or individual decision for a reason?

And Tom, is that Jonathan Seagull on the fin?

ge3740

Ustik

I have never had a flutter on the 60 Stick ever, and had a Jenson kit, and three built from a scrap box of wood. if there is a space from trailing edge of wing to the ail, also small push rods from servo to control horn on ail. your are asking for flutter..as for the engine mount, mine were mounted like Phil had his at a 45 degree angle. also the muffler does not touch. i have two at this time both with a Webra 61 black head, with floats on one. and as you well know modelers will change anything and everyone else is not correct, but what ever works for you, i am Happy...i have also built a 40 size with a flat wing for pylon racing, at that speed i did glue the tip 4 inches back from the tip.

snap rolls,
A.B.

lflf

My Feedback: (1)

xx

ge3740

ge3740

IfIf

just the wrong click... this is one that i built in the late 68 or 69, he past away and his son gave it back, this photo was the first of the summer this year..

A.B.

lflf

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A.B., that's one Pretty Stik. Love the use of the lozenges and the vintage wheels. Great idea there.

ge3740

lflf

as you can see i ran short of 64 inch plywood, so rear of fuse is sticks..sure am glade to meet someone that builds.

the vintage r/c society is a nice group of builders...

lflf

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I didn't notice that at first-very impressive. Reminds me a bit of the Top Flite Elder rear fuse treatment.

ge3740

lflf

i was looking at the Proctors Antic Biplane at the time..

A.B.

TangoBravo

Yep, that's Jonathon. That free hand drawing was taken from an illustration in a Richard Bach book. I actually got to meet the author about the same time when I happened upon him at Opa-Locka Airport in Miami after the book was made into a movie. You'd have to research "Trans Creature Airlines" for a better understanding.

I have some interesting stories and memories associated with that old 'Ugly Stick'. I took it from Florida to Georgia one time and put on an impromptu R/C air show for some folks in a small town there. During the preparations for a flight I was distracted by a lot of questions from people waiting to see it fly and forgot a critical step. After take off I noticed the plane was acting weird and I could see the wings actually separating from the fuselage. I managed to get the plane back down without a mishap and discovered that I had put only one rubber band on each side of the wing instead of the six I usually installed. Fortunately both had held and saved the day for me and the 'Stick'.

The plane had been hanging from the ceiling of my basement for almost twenty years this past June when I decided to give it another chance at life. I installed my new radio and one of my favored Saito 4 stroke engines and took the venerable old plane out to our field. On its first flight it took off and flew perfectly with absolutely no trim needed. Since then I've put about twenty flights on it. It's probably my favorite plane today.

The story of how I came to build this plane is another piece of history I'll share if there is any interest.

It would be interesting to know how many hours that old 'Stick' has flown. I can only guess.

Tom

UStik

Wow, that brought aunt Google to her limits, but one source showed up. Found TCA and maybe a reason for the "celestial blue and silver" Stik. The story of this plane would be interesting of course.

Thanks to all for the interesting explanations. I have to admit that last time I used a glow engine was 1969 (and without muffler). After a 30 years hiatus (flying full-size, with some encouragement by Richard Bach's books) I re-started electric and with ARFs. Sorry A.B., but at least they are all wood and retro style. Your Stik is a gem, never saw something like that. Especially like the clear-doped wooden and stick-built fuselage.

Just acted out my enthusiasm for vintage models, and especially the Stik as the first one, in the simulator. Here's how a Stik would look if built and (opaque) painted according to the Grid Leaks plan but with more forward vertical tail like the prototypes. By the way, the simulator isn't realistic regarding the two rubber bands. ;-) So much for "building". My favorite for flying in the simulator is indeed a straight-wing version with a strong engine slanted 45 degrees for its dynamic look and flying.

ge3740

Ustik

as you can see hangar rash just gets there...when i was with Kentucky Fried Chicken, the guys call me the chicken man, got the rooster from a Spad and put it on the fuse. and i used wing bolts, the fuse i covered in hobby poxy only, K & B epoxy paint. cut the land gear out for looks.

A.B.

ge3740

well the photo would be nice...

TangoBravo

This thread is FUN! Thanks ge3740 and others for the photos of your 'sticks'. They are all unique and perfect examples of the way people feel about this plane. It could be built as it came from the box or with an unlimited number of personalized additions and modifications. I hope more flyers will find this thread and submit photos of their planes and maybe some stories about them. My guess is there are a lot out there. A plane that has been around as long as Das Ugly Stick has certainly has generated some fascinating history. Let's see and hear some more.

Tom

gene6029

Here are some pictures of Beppe Fasciones Stik. He is the current historian for the Vintage RC Society. I am posting for him since he is currently not able to do so. This model has won concours at several VRCS events and is very accurate. I thought it would fit I here on this thread......Gene

BobHH

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As per Gene's request here are some pictures of Beppe Fascione's Ugly Stick from the Glory Days VRCS flying. This is the closest or should I say most exact reproduction of Phil Kraft's Ugly Stick I've seen. Note the vertical tail location. Even flies it with a Kraft gold anodized case transmitter!!

Bob Harris

TangoBravo

I'm not familiar with the vertical fin position change seen on this plane. What was the reason for it?

While thinking about some Ugly Stick history I recalled that it was not uncommon for the horizontal stabilizer to separate from the fuselage during flight. Of course this usually meant the loss of the plane. However, it was discovered by a fellow club member/flyer that if the stab came off and you reacted quick enough, and you had enough altitude, you could roll inverted and use engine power to control altitude enough to get the plane back on the ground in one piece. This of course required that you'd land inverted but if done right the damage was minimal especially compared to the alternative of a nose dive. I actually saw this maneuver used once and the plane was indeed landed and it was flying again the next day. No joke.

Tom

HighPlains

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I've used that rolling inverted technique once with a quickie that lost the entire tail. It will work with a semi-symmetrical airfoil due to the pitching moment inherent with that type of airfoil. I'm doubtful how well it will work with a symmetrical airfoil, though perhaps since more of the prop blast will be on one side and the drag of the fuselage and wheels may help. It would certainly help to be fairly tail heavy, but then losing a stab is a lot of weight.

gene6029

TangoBravo, here is a picture of one of the first Stiks. Note the rudder position.....Gene

ge3740

i would like to know, just how many different changes was done to this airplane...the plans i have are from the Grid Leaks, it shows 3/8 inch from elevator hinge to rudder hinge is forward, and the Jenson kit was the same. the ones i built were tail-draggers, and the rudder was squared and rounded at the corners..