MX240

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I would like to know more about this person as I liked his designs. He had two aircraft in the late fifties.
The first I believe was the midwing Ascender that I started to build but never finished and sold. The other plane was the Low Ender that I had full size plans, but can't find them now. Both planes had spoilers that raised up out of the wing to control lift.
I think Dale was from Oakland Calif.
Is he still alive?
Thanks
Jim

RFJ

Jim,

You may get some answers on the Classic Pattern forum - we just love these old aerobatic designs over there

Ray

MX240

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I'll be darn....thats the plans alright.....and all the way from Ireland.
You guys amaze me.
I will copy and past it on Classic Pattern.
Thanks Jim

HighPlains

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Do you want the magazine article?

Joe Nagy

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Hi Everyone;

Greetings from the sunny and hot 'Valley of the Sun'.

Good Thread! For Ray and HighPlains: what is the date of the article? I have quite a large magazine archives, and may be able to find it. Many thanx and best regards from Glendale, Arizona,

Joe Nagy.

MX240

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High Plains in the Sunflower State
Come up to the Grand island Modelers Big Bird Funfly June 19-21
I have the magazine article....and the plans stuck somewhere in the basement rafters.
American Modeler
March 1959

HighPlains

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Joe,
It was published in the march 1959 issue of American Modeler.

Root flew it with an 8 channel Orbit reed set and the square box Bonner servos (so the receiver used relays to operate the servos). Flew with both a K&B .35 or a Spitfire 60. One of the interesting points in the article is that directional control was by the rudder for the most part. In fact, it is suggested to use rudder/elevator/throttle control if one did not have an advanced radio.

This article was written only a couple years after 5 channel reed radios were the norm. Those radios controlled two servos for rudder and elevator with the fifth channel to operate an escapement for motor control. The escapement either operated a crude carburator (like a Bramco) or the very crude two needle valve engines, where the escapement opened an air vent to a tee in the fuel line to one of the needle valves. Thus giving two speed operation, as in leaned out making power, or slobbering rich so the model would desend to a "controlled landing".

The spoilers were incorporated because Root flew from a field that had a 5 degree slope. Landing down hill without the spoilers was difficult, since the ground decended slightly more than the model did. The spoilers were driven by a Bonner SN escapement.

I believe that Dale Root ran a hobby shop in Oakland back then. If he is alive today, he would be 87 or 88 years old.

mightyhorn

Greetings:
Most of this is from memory and what my dad told me, as he was in R/C with the Sunnyvale, CA Pioneer Club.

Dale Root owned "Root's Hobbies" in Oakland. My dad bought his first radio from Dale, so I am assuming that he was in the hobby before my dad. I would guess that this was the mid 50's as I saw pictures of planes that my dad had from before I was born in 1955.

My dad flew an Ascender and it was a great plane. I have the plans and as soon as I am a good enough flyer, I will try to get it kitted and build it. I don't remember the Low Ender, however. I was pretty young (7) when my dad was getting out of the hobby due to work schedules, and a number of other things.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

mightyhorn

Joe Nagy

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Hi HighPlains and MX240;

Many thanx for the info, and alas, I checked my AAM magazine archives, and I am missing both March and April '59; got all the rest, + a whole bunch of '56, 57s amd 58s, so now am leafing through them all. Gosh, these old mags are great, the designs and gizmos' they came up with in order to fly just boggles my mind, especially the rc guys. I first saw rc models flown at an Air Force Base Open House at Aylmer, Ontario Canada in June '56, at age 12 or so. At the time, I was trying to fly 1/2A controlline, + free Flights, etc., lots of fun, it took another 13 years before I got into RC, been into it ever since, and loved every minute of it. Will close for now, & thanx for opening up yet another box of memories; got to get back into my late 50s mags, best regards from Glendale, Arizona,

Joe Nagy.

HighPlains

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MX240,

I would like to come up to your event, but we have one on that date too.

Mightyhorn,

I belonged to the Pioneer RC club back in the 80's, when it was about the largest club in the country with over 400 members. But as Silicon Valley grew, flying fields were lost over and over. The Pioneer's ended up with tons of money and no flying site.

Joe,

I agree about old magazines. Not much published in the last 20 years has much content, just endless articles about opening the box and gluing wing halves together to finish the arf. Articles from 50 years ago are so much more interesting.

RFJ

Jim,

This is the article from American Modeler, March 1959. Not much response in the pattern forum - sorry about that []

Ray

MX240

My Feedback: (4)

No problem Ray with the other site.
Do you have the date of the magazine that Dale Root published for his other plane "Ascender"
Jim

RFJ

Jim,

The Ascender, L/H shot below, was published in the August 1957 issue of American (Aircraft) Modeler. He had at least one other design published (1954 Air Trails Annual) called a Little Freak 27. I don't have the Ascender article unfortunately.


Ray

mightyhorn

Although it was trashed, when we cleared out my parent's house (after my mother passed) we found one of the signs that my dad painted for the Pioneers.

I know what you mean about flying sites. Shortly before my dad passed, we all went up to see him. I took my family to see the ol' flying field and.......it was gone, except for the dump. Like a lot of things in Sunnyvale, even the ones that they said "would never be torn down for historical reasons," the field is gone, along with the Cherry Chase golf course, swimming pool and bowling alley.
We didn't even recognize the city as being Sunnyvale. Our son, who was 8 yrs. at the time didn't even like how the town looked.

mightyhorn

Michaelj2k

Both the Ascender and Low Ender plans are available from AMA.

tri-pacer

Hey Ray,

You ought to put the Little Freak on the 1/2a fourm. Neat little airplane!

Chuck

pimmnz

And what about the 'Rootang' Ray? I seem to remember one of those little three views in an old RCM&E...
Evan.

RFJ

I'd forgotton about that one Evan. RCM&E August 1962. Original source is described as E.B.R.C Data Sheet - I have no idea what that is.

Ray

HighPlains

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E.B.R.C.

East Bay RC club. Still in existance in Fremont Ca. I was a member there after the Pioneer club folded.

RFJ

Thanks HighPlains. I learn something new every day - and forget twice as much [&o]

Ray

mightyhorn

My family & I used to up there for fly-ins. I remember seeing Jerry Nelson there a few times. It was a "scant" 46 or so years ago!
mightyhorn

mightyhorn

I wouldn't remember how many members there were when I was a kid. I went to the meetings for the doughnuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since I saw your comment I went to the AMA website and.... the Pioneer club still seems to be active, just has different members flying at different clubs' sites.

We have several clubs out here in Idaho that are close to me- one in Nampa and the Treasure Valley club. I've heard good things about both. I'm finishing up the trainer and want to make sure I get trained RIGHT cause I don't have the $$ to do it wrong and start over. I'd like to build an Ascender from scratch-I know a company that will kit it for me. THAT would be wild. I'd probably paint it in the colors used by my dad-maroon & yellow.

Since it seems you've "been around" the dogs found the wing from my dad's Sultan. There are holes but more importantly the plane was built in 1962. My questions are:

1) Should I strip the wing and re-cover with mono-coat or patch?
2) I believe the hinges were either heavy fabric or nylon. Should those be re-done also?
3) The Super Tiger is already in place and has never been used. Should it still work?

mightyhorn

HighPlains

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I was a member of the Pioneer club from the early 80's till they lost their last field which became a postage stamp wedged between a mental hospital, golf course, and the rest of the rapidly expanding "Silicon Valley". They went from over 400 members to very few in a couple of years. The flying restrictions kept increasing until no flying at all. It was a very rich club with a treasury flush with cash but no active field for normal RC activities. It's been about 10 years since I left the valley, so perhaps with the advent of park fliers, who knows?

The most well known member was Ken Willard whose RC column in RCM was always interesting. Ken was a big fan of small RC models. I remember in the late 60's or early 70's he predicted in RCM that a 4 channel RC system would eventually be available at a weight of 1 or 2 oz. At the time, radios weighed about 9-12 oz, just a few years after they weighed 24 to 30. I think his timeline for ultra light was around the year 2000, but he didn't project below an ounce. I think the AR6400 system would blow his mind at about a 1/4 oz.

MX240

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Yes, Ken Willard. That was another person that I had built models from in that part of time.
I built his Traveler that he made to fit in a airline suitcase. I had a big Cox 049 and my first transisterized receiver in it working on 3V's. Two pencells in a metal battery box. I can't remember the name of the receiver, but still have it. I remember I had to hand launch the little plane with my transmitter OFF or I would "swamp" the receiver and somehow shut it off.
Jim

otrcman

A while back someone on this thread wondered if Dale Root was still alive. The answer is no, he passed away sometime around 1980. This morning I ran into an old friend at the flying field who knew Dale, and remembering this post I asked if he could add to our knowledge. My friend Jim said he met Dale in the early 1940's when Jim was still in high school. Dale mentored Jim through such things as running engines, prop carving, and silk covering. Dale routinely took Jim along with him to the flying field in his Model A Ford. After closing down Root's Hobby Hut, Dale went to work for Lawrence Livermore Labs.

Unfortunately, Dale was a lifelong diabetic and Jim speculated the diabetes had brought an early end to a very productive and generous life. Jim is very high in his praise of Mr. Root both as a kind friend and an excellent modeler.

Sounds like the kind of person we all wish we had known.

Dick Fischer