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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/6/2002 5:59:23 AM   
ajcoholic



Posts: 4033
Joined: 6/22/2002
From: Kirkland Lake, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		You know, just today I was digging through my RCM collection, going back into the 70s, and even into the 80's. Back then, allmost every issue had something on 1/2A, like racing, a published design and construction article, or something like that. SO many neat 1/2A designs, you couldnt possibly build all of them. With today's nice reliable and lightweight mini and micro radio gear, and good reliable throttled 1/2A engines, you could buy the plans and build most of these planes for less than $20 in Balsa, CA and Monokote. A decent 1/2A kit today costs what, maybe $40 to $60 US? Buy some plans from RCM - most of them are less than $7 or $8 for the single sheet 1/2A designs. SOme great planes out there, waiting to be rebuilt!

Why do I have to do this to myself, I mean I have too many planes allready and just looking at the old books is enough to start building MORE planes. Ughhh!! I allready have some plans that need building/finishing, like the RCM scooter (pusher design from Dec. 75) and the corky II, a seaplane I have the wing built for but nothing else done...

AJC


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Andrew J. Coholic
Engine reviewer for FLY RC Magazine - andrewc@flyrc.com
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hahaha - 12/6/2002 6:34:17 AM   
matchlessaero



Posts: 1288
Joined: 1/6/2002
From: Cordova, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Thats how I felt when I started going through the AMA article archive.
Too many designs too little time!!!!!!!!!

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Go fast turn left-----3D is life-----Fly S.M.A.L.L. I'm having an RC identity crisis!!!!!!!!!

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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 12:52:10 AM   
2fast4u



Posts: 917
Joined: 3/2/2002
From: LITTLE ROCK, AR, USA
Status: offline 		And so it is with us all, the sickness has now been made public. Admitting it is always the first step, but I don't want the cure!!


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FLY IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!

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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 4:03:10 AM   
R/Ckrazy


 

Posts: 85
Joined: 5/12/2002
From: usa
Status: offline 		Its interesting how things have changed over the last 30 years.....1/2 used to be VERY popular along with control line. both have seemed to die out a bit. They used to be the rage!

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       Post #: 4

You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 4:08:59 AM   
ajcoholic



Posts: 4033
Joined: 6/22/2002
From: Kirkland Lake, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		I dunno! I think there is a reason for the resurgence of 1/2A kits (look at ace for instance) and that is due to events that get great publicity like S.M.A.L.L and the fact that today we have such good lightweight radio gear and also great engines!

I have seen 1/2A grow a lot in the last few years and it probably will grow a lot more in the next few.

Andrew


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Andrew J. Coholic
Engine reviewer for FLY RC Magazine - andrewc@flyrc.com

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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 5:11:15 AM   
DICKEYBIRD



Posts: 2663
Joined: 4/8/2002
From: Collierville, TN, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by R/Ckrazy
1/2 used to be VERY popular along with control line. both have seemed to die out a bit.[/QUOTE]
If you put 1/2A and u/control together along with some fellas with a competitive spirit you can have a GREAT time! A bunch of us local guys had some reed valve sport races a few years ago and had more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

We specified only Sig Deweybirds or Skyrays with integral tank reed valve .049/.051's and had 50 lap heats (1 pit stop mandatory) with a 100 lap final (3 pit stops mandatory) Talk about a hoot! You had guys running around the circle retrieving planes to fuel and restart, the pilots in the center crawling all over each other, dizzy pilots....what a blast!

There was a serious side as well. Unlike r/c pylon races with pilot flying style making a big difference each lap, the u/c course is always the same so the results of a prop, compression, fuel or engine change could immediately be measured in 10 laps or so with a stop watch. Of course it died out when the same 'ol guys were eventually able to tweak their stuff and whup up on everybody else.

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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 5:18:25 AM   
ajcoholic



Posts: 4033
Joined: 6/22/2002
From: Kirkland Lake, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		Dickeybird,
I know this is "RC" Universe but a little "CL" talk wont hurt now would it?

I am the only CL flier active in my RC club. I have finally gotten a small group of youngsters together that are interested in modelling, and we are building rubber stick and tissue models now. Hopefully in the spring I will bebuilding some trainer CL models and I have plenty of good cox reed engines to hand out. I plan to get some CL action going as soon as the spring hits! There is a good coroplast trainer I have plans for that is nearly indesctructable.

One of the kids allready has intentions of RC, and allthough he is starting with a 40 size trainer (a kit, I wont let him buy an ARF!) he will surely get into 1/2A once he gets the hang of flying.

And so another generation of modelers begins... (untill they discover girls when they hit highschool!)

Andrew


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Andrew J. Coholic
Engine reviewer for FLY RC Magazine - andrewc@flyrc.com

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Building - 12/7/2002 5:49:39 AM   
fastlash


 

Posts: 679
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Eatoville, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Well people that don,t build usually spend there time in front of the idiot box ( TV )and then complain that they don't have time to build or fly ( my neighbor )I take my old planes and motors and give them to the newbies in the club for cheap so I have room for the new stuff, no tv is the way I find time for my kid and the hobby? I think that the 1/2a stuff has taken off be cause of the user friendly norvel and the low cost to get in to it, also when I was in Cailf. fields were disappearing at about 3-4 a year, and the parks Dept wouldn,t even hear of those areas being used, so only school fields were becoming available, plus alot of us in our fifties are coming back to the hobby after our boyhood experiences in the hobby,which were mosly Cox 1/2a

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       Post #: 8

control line = simple fun - 12/7/2002 6:07:15 AM   
matchlessaero



Posts: 1288
Joined: 1/6/2002
From: Cordova, TN, USA
Status: offline 		10 points to the first person who can identify my plane (Dickeybird is not eligible to win- hehe)

This is my little all sheet, td.051 powered control line semi-stunter I built for a control line fly in last spring.

Attachments
Click to see fullsize image.
Click for fullsize


_____________________________

Go fast turn left-----3D is life-----Fly S.M.A.L.L. I'm having an RC identity crisis!!!!!!!!!

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       Post #: 9

Guess - 12/7/2002 6:49:15 AM   
fastlash


 

Posts: 679
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Eatoville, WA, USA
Status: offline 		The best I can do is one of the golden era racers

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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 6:54:40 AM   
ajcoholic



Posts: 4033
Joined: 6/22/2002
From: Kirkland Lake, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		Is it a Caudron?

Andrew

< Message edited by ajcoholic -- Dec 7 2002 3:13AM >


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Andrew J. Coholic
Engine reviewer for FLY RC Magazine - andrewc@flyrc.com

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Hmmmmm... lets see.. - 12/7/2002 7:36:50 AM   
Nitro-Nut



Posts: 32
Joined: 11/5/2002
From: Ga.
Status: offline 		It's a 1936 Caudron C-460

Equipped with wing flaps, retractable landing gear and a variable pitch prop.The revolutionary French built Caudron won the Thompson race in 1936.

Bellcranks and line guides were an option I guess...

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       Post #: 12

yeah! - 12/7/2002 8:14:16 AM   
matchlessaero



Posts: 1288
Joined: 1/6/2002
From: Cordova, TN, USA
Status: offline 		Pretty good AJ!

Right on Nitro Nut. (and yes Fastlash, it is definitely golden!)

Always has been one of my favorites. I have built an .020 RC version, pistacios, peanuts, and I have a long wing Q-midget fuse mold and wing cores waiting for the right time to finish up!

_____________________________

Go fast turn left-----3D is life-----Fly S.M.A.L.L. I'm having an RC identity crisis!!!!!!!!!

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       Post #: 13

Sterling Beginners Eindecker... - 12/7/2002 8:18:38 AM   
Nitro-Nut



Posts: 32
Joined: 11/5/2002
From: Ga.
Status: offline 		Here's my latest effort for the kids.

The Baby Bee on the front was my first "Bee" back in the late 60's It runs as good now as it did then...

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You know... (about 1/2A designs) - 12/7/2002 8:46:09 AM