I would like to show my grand kids what I did in the 1950's . I needed a way to teach them to fly U control. It has an 18" wing span and 14" long weight before nose weight 3oz. I added about 1.5 oz. to the nose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjrl5jmPiaM

How long are thoses lines?

6' seemed to work best.

Joe, lots of fun!

If the kids get the hang of it on those short lines, they'll never get dizzy with a power model...

I notice you tried a fishing pole, too. If they can grasp the idea of pointing it a bit ahead of the model and leading it firmly with the tip guide, lines can go out to triple or more than they're using here. We used to call it whip-control, and it sure is a ball. Longer lines are a lot nicer to use. Slower spinning, more time to think, more chance for the model to actually fly, and more height to use.

On those short lines, they don't get a chance to make small corrections at the handle - they're too busy trying to turn and stay on their feet. I noticed the young man staggering a bit after one flight... Don't try this too soon after lunch...

Even a 3ft dowel about 1/4 to 3/8" diameter, with some sort of eyelet for the lines to pass through, can give enough 'whipping' authority for steadier flight. The handle can be anything, even a trigger to pull or pay out one line while the other is fastened to the 'whip.'

Enjoy!

I remember getting a tennis racket with the webbing cut out, and about 6" of the base left. The lines were put in the outer holes and used as a handle. It was a "speed" handle. I think it was used on a regular plane to whip it a bit faster. I got it with a few other things in a box.

I too learned to fly CL in the 50s with a Jim Walker whip control model. I used my dad's fishing rod for a pole and probably around 15 to 20 feet of carpet thread tied to a piece of broom stick for a handle.
I'd fly until I got so dizzy I'd fall down. It was lots of fun, cheap and good training too.

This reminds me of another flying toy I built as a kid in the days of no TV and video games. It was the classic thread-spool nailed loosely to the end of a piece of broomstick. A prop fashioned from tin-can stock had two small holes at the center which keyed into two decapitated small nails inserted into the top of the spool. Load this system up, wrap a string around the spool and give a hearty pull and the Helicopter (prop) would soar to incredible heights. However, you had to be careful aiming the unit otherwise the prop might give you the shortest crew cut ever... or maybe worse!

Orv.

Well before this thread gets buried down a few pages, there is also two and 4 line kites too. Some of them are pretty slick.

That looks great, sounds like you're having a lot of fun.

Suuurely thats not your garden? Plenty of space wherever it is

We have 30 acres 1/2 mile long and 500 feet wide. No other houses on the square mile. I built every thing you see with my own 2 hands.

Hats of to you, Sir

Very envious

Great stuff! I had a plastic PT-19 trainer with a Cox .049 on it as a kid but I shortened the lines and spent a lot more time doing unpowered U control. Great memories.

https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/vi...4u&age=0&&tt=b This is hopefully the Air Yo. Looks kind of lame to me. $25