Hossfly
Posts: 5647
Score: 453
Joined: 12/3/2001
Last Login: 6/19/2013
From: New Caney,
TX, USA
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Many Thanks to all of you that went back and brought forward these memorial postings. They certainly do bring back those days when model airplanes were really FUN!
I just have to digest this posting of Lou Melancon:
quote:
Reading these posts about Rat Racing in Louisiana and Texas in the 60's brings back a lot of memories. In those years contests were a couple of weeks apart and they were held in Longview, Texas, Houston, Dallas, Lake Jackson, Shreveport, Louisiana, Alexandria, New Orleans, and other places, but those are the areas we went too. I was a teenager and built my combat planes and rat racers. My dad set up the engines. We mixed our own fuel in those days and used chemicals that today are known carcinogens (nitro benzine). If I remember correctly we ran 40% nitromethane, UCONN synthetic oil, and 8X9 Top Flite Power Props.
I came to the Houston area (actually raised some 60 miles north) in late 1956 at age 20, just out of Aviation Cadets, stationed at Ellington field. I knew almost nothing about organized competition. Got into a Pasadena CL Club. Loved it. Anyone remember a name Fundeburk? He could finish a Stunter, looked like plastic, in no time. He helped me a lot. There was a quarterly event for area clubs, and I remember taking a couple combat profiles with a then relatively new engine, OS 35, to the party. Out comes the stubblefields with a truck load of flying wings and a large trunk full of K&B Greenhead .35s. I knew right then that I was well outclassed. 
18 months at Ellington, and USAF said, Boy, you going to SAC, B-47s. That pretty well stomped on my competition, but have you ever seen a Lieutenant flying a Stunter between two rows of Alert B-47s, all loaded with thermonukes, and ready to head for action? That is where I learned to be a fair Stunt flier. 
Some 5 years later I wound up in Laredo, TX as a Flight Instructor in the T-33, and modeling again really came to town. I also instructed in the T-38.
I made several trips to Lake Jackson for CL Stunt and Free Flight. On one trip I took the Base Commander's son (I had gotten him fairly well trained) and he won several trophies. Guee what! About 6 weeks later, we had a nice Asphalt circle for up to 70 ft lines, fenced and with bleachers. 
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The airplanes in the early sixties were based on the Harter's speed pan but a profile design out of Houston used by Ron Eastman and John Locke pretty much took over in 64 or 65. We used variations on that design for a couple of years before returning to pan based racers and cowling the engines.
We used Super Tigre G-21 35s in combat and ringed 40s in Rat Race. The ringed engine would re-start much better than the lapped engines. I can remember going to contest in an un-airconditioned car with 4 others, 2 in the front, three in the back in the middle of night trying to get to the contest a just about day break. One of the guys in the back was usually doping a combat plane or doing repairs.
In Houston we flew against John and Ron, plus Dickie Ritch, Sherwood Buckstaff, all three of the Stubbefiels, Monica Garrison, Pat Willcox, Bill Estill and many others. In Baton Rouge we had my dad, Jim Bethea, Brian Froisy, Howard Williams, and Bill Stevens active in racing for several years.
Mr. Melecon, I know not where you are now, but I am here in New Caney (retired 16 years from United Air Lines) just north edge of Houston, trying to get back into some CL.
FYI, Pat Wilcox is the President of Jetero RC Club, www.jetero.com, just east of Huffman. His son Mike was a world champion CL Combat flier a few years ago. Rumor is that he is now a hard working father and husband. 
Dicky Ritch's son, Randy, owns a Hobby Shop NW Houston area, just north of beltway and is a local AMA Associate Vice Pres.
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The speeds of the racers, their line pull and the physical demands of racing led to a shortage of able pilots. Sometines a pilot would fly his own plane and that of several others in a day. There were times when the finalists could fly off because they were using the same pilot.
Those years, contests, airplanes, and people were very important to me growing up and I treasure the memories.
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Waco Brotherhood Member #110
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Thanks much for these memories. Look at the Jetero web site for names and numbers. Ya'll come see us. BTW there is a very nice set of circles at a model airplane field (RC and CL) in Scobbe Field (Park) west side of Houston, off Westheimer just west of route 6.
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Horrace Cain AMA L-93
“Peace is the brief glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading." T. Jefferson
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RE: Rat Racing Plane kits - 
RE: Rat Racing Plane kits - 
RE: Rat Racing Plane kits - 
