Rat Racing kits were few in the 60's, but the fun was massive. Goldberg made one with motor mounts that ran the length of the plane for strength, but way too heavy. I cut my teeth with that and then quickly built a racer around the Harter speed pans.

I remember the Johnson Combat Special was the best engine except we blew the engine head off at the exhaust port on two motors (need more than a gasket to fix that!) They ran like the dickens AND restarted fast until they blew. Could it be the high nitro we ran? We settled on the K&B .35 for Rat Racing because they started hot!

Dooling .29 was a speed mortor that had piston rings and although it ran very fast (set some records) it would not restart hot! Had a Fox .29X in my proto speed on a monoline that took second place at a Kankakee, Il. meet. Put it in a 'B' speed plane but never got a good run. Once it did not release from the dolly and the result was the end of that plane. We flew mostly combat with the needle bearing Fox Combat Special, K&B .35 or the Johnson (till it blew). Nelson engines dominated speed. Back to Rat Racing

Picture four flyers in a 60ft. circle with .29 to .36 engined planes capable of 115mph plus in a 140 lap race with two pit stops required. That was REAL fun and plenty dangerous! There were the alert and the hurt, with no end to the exciting stories told on the way home after a meet. Burns, cuts and fuel in open wounds was standard, including the fuel-in-the-grass fires that were invisible on a hot day.

Now it is so civilized. Two planes in a "race" or simply time trials that are called a rat race. I know the 'rat racers' in 1980 could exceed 160mph, what I do not know is what happened that tamed the event SOOOO much?

Want to build one; try basswood wing, metal pan, an engine that runs like the dickens and starts HOT with one flip and a fuel tank that gets 50 to 60 laps.

Now tell me how out of date my thinking is. We REALLY had fun.

Leonard Evans-Chicago in the 60's and highiron999 in Ca. today a train nut!