I'm trying to resist posting much, since I really don't know what the @#$% I'm doing.

But -- I had to.  Here's my S1, with the bellcrank reinforced enough for a 60 pound pull, a Tower 40 in place, and the wing repaired from the first time I tried pulling that much.  The only Bad Noises during the pull test were from the bucket full of random car parts I'm using for a weight, and from me! 

The existing fuel tank even fits.  I'm waiting on a 40FP with a carb from da Bay.  I need to mount radio, cover, put the tail back on, and figure out a hook.

I've got 021 line on order, if it's not here by the time the plane is ready I'll use 018 for practice.

My latest tribulation is that the eBay 40FP I just received has a dual-needle carb on it, and I have no "stock" air bleed carb.  I'm trying to decide if I want to buy an infinite number of engines on eBay searching for the one magic one with an original carb.

I would say that if the rules require an "FP 40 with the factory carb & muffler", any of the several factory carbs would be legal.

The rules say it has to be the carb with which the engine was originally equipped, not just any old OS carburetor.  To my knowledge those engines only came with air-bleed carbs.  There was a rules proposal on this subject, which was voted down, that basically went "you can't make an FP go faster with a different carb, let's just use whatever".

At any rate, it looks like there's going to be a carburetor in my mail box soon, so I should be all set.

Some pictures.  In order:

Battery box top -- I covered the front half of one bay with 1/16" balsa.  I made two mistakes: first, I used some 6-pound balsa I had lying on my bench when I had some much nicer (for the purpose) 12 pound balsa; second, I only covered one bay -- in retrospect, jamming everything into one bay is a bit tight.

Box bottom, without the whole thing covered, and with the whole thing covered, ready for a screw-on lid in the back section.  Servo and switch will be hanging out in the breeze (and getting slimed, no doubt).  I'm not expecting this plane to have a long second life.

Finished linkage.  It works!  For you non-RC guys, the engine end sports a DuBro "Micro Ball Link for .047 pushrods" (and a .047" pushrod), and the servo end features a DuBro "Mini E/Z Connector 3/16" Length 1/8" Dia".

Finally, I posted this here, but here's how to plug an RC servo with a JR connector into the receiver, which has a Futaba-style connector.  JR connectors are more common, and you can plug them into a Futaba-style socket, but the socket can't enforce polarity -- so you have to pay attention to color coding.

Oh, right -- carrier planes have tail hooks.  I almost forgot.  That would have had an arresting effect on my competition career, had I shown up without a tailhook.  Maybe even a scandal.

I do not know what I'm doing here -- I'm just putting pads of plywood on either side of the fuse, the hook pivot will ride on a screw that goes through the fuse and I'll just put in a wood screw for a down-stop.  I think there's supposed to be a rubber band involved, and maybe even a clever mechanism having to do with the elevator linkage -- I'll worry about that later.

The hook is modeled after this picture of a carrier plane found on Flying Lines.  Sorta.  Kinda.  From memory.

The hook.  Experienced guys please comment.  I have no idea if this is good, bad, or in between.  I don't know if it's all correct, all wrong, or has some good things and some bad things.  All I know is that it doesn't limit elevator travel, it releases on full down, it has a down stop, and it has a positive "down" (the black rubber band, which is actually a piece of bicycle inner tube -- they last longer than office rubber bands).  It lends a very slight bias toward neutral on the elevator, which I can fix if I need to.

What does it weigh?  Probably a pretty fast Ringmaster.

What does it weigh?  Probably a pretty fast Ringmaster.

Around 42 ounces.  I haven't weighed it in it's exact current configuration.

I would think that a release on full up might be more prudent,, and make sur eyou can get to full up with the handle,, also another suggestion, the hook can be up to 1/3 the length of the fuse as I recall, giving you a better range of capture I would suspect,, to make it release on up, just turn your release trigger around on the pushrod,,

I could not find one definitive "Carrier for Dummies" site, but what I have found seems to have you using full "down" to actuate the hook (and flaps, if you have them).  I see people make the airplane go jiggity-jog up and then down again -- presumably the hook and flaps get actuated on the "jog".

I would think that a release on full up might be more prudent,, and make sur eyou can get to full up with the handle,, also another suggestion, the hook can be up to 1/3 the length of the fuse as I recall, giving you a better range of capture I would suspect,, to make it release on up, just turn your release trigger around on the pushrod,,

The hook is probably a bit short -- but that's the easiest thing to fix.  I am NOT trying to go win the world championships with this plane!  I'm just handing out one point each for the cumulative score to whoever places.

Everyone I know uses full down for hook drop - you reach out and jerk the down line by hand, not by down elevator on the handle.  You are already at low speed with the nose up and the down jerk is just a blip.  Hey, if I can do it?

OK.  Now I'm scared.  'cause I'll be hanging onto a transmitter in my right hand (handle in my left).  I may see if I can do it with the handle, or with the antenna of the transmitter.  Or something.  Hope I don't crash.

     First of all, you should never be using "full" up or "full" down to deploy anything on a carrier plane. Second, you shouldn't be grabbing the down or up line and "jerking" it to deploy anything on any carrier plane. This is why a person should learn a little and then try a little in practice and do it over and over (it doesn't take all that long), you wont get yourself in a lot of trouble and your plane (in the case of carrier) will last a long time with few repairs. In stunt, I can see where you could lose a plane or 2+ learning reverse wingovers, inverted square maneuvers, and low bottoms. You wont be doing any flying like that at all. In carrier you will take off, fly level, and land. The practice part is in refining these 3 maneuvers to work well in the carrier event.
     I didn't realize that your radio was held in your right hand for throttle and your left (weaker brain connection) hand was holding the control handle. I have several friends that fly that way and they cant imagine doing it any other way so I know it work just fine. I'm left handed and my right is used very little with the exception of turning the wheel to release the line slider on my AMA carrier planes.
     So about this releasing the hook. As Mark said, up is maybe better because you use up during the LS portion of the event and I use up on several of my carrier planes. Down is not used very much at all in carrier so I have set up several of my planes to release on around 7 degrees down elevator (NOT full down) and is done through the control handle very easily. The catch with down for me is picking up the handle and if not careful releasing the hook by mistake, this can also happen if your release is on up elevator.  Eric

     Sure, you can use the second channel. On several of my AMA carrier planes I use the steering wheel to release the slider and on the NWS40 you could use it to release the hook. Remember, every ounce cuts into your HS so is it lighter to use a servo or could you save by using the elevator push rod. I use a surface transmitter (car) and it is mounted on top of my control handle which in my case is in my left hand so all I have to do is reach up with my right hand and turn the steering wheel to the left and bingo.

So, looking at the work involved in putting the hook on a servo, vs. the fact that I need to get paying work done.

So what do y'all think -- should I just launch with the hook down?  Try to make a combination tailskid/hook, or try to learn the "wiggle down for hook" while I'm flying the contest next weekend?

The tailskid/hook is pretty simple.  I have two planes with that arrangement but I have to admit I haven't had the opportunity to try them on a deck.  However, they are copied/stolen from Eric Conley who does know what he is doing.  I'm planning to be at Delta Park on Friday morning and through the rest of the weekend if you want to see what I am doing.  The offer to fly my Joe Just Wildcat still stands, also. 

     Just looking at your tail hook arrangement and I cant see a lot wrong with it as long as it is easy to deploy. I do think that the rubber band could be improved a little. The distance between where the band is fastened to the hook shaft and where the other end is fastened to the fuselage is 6.5" on my planes. The rubber band is the one that comes on my morning paper, 2.5" long by 1/8" wide. This band gives enough pull to bring the hook down to the stop and can also let the hook go back even with the plane tail skid easily. That way the hook is held down firm enough so that it will not skip along the deck while trapping the arresting cable and will let the tail settle easily to the deck when the plane stops. Go to the contest and look at the other S40 planes, ask lots of questions, the more BS the better. Don't worry about a big long line of guys waiting to fly, you will have plenty of time to make several flights, don't make an official until you feel like it, the other guys will be very patient and as helpful as they can.  Eric

I just took first in Sport 40 Profile, by listening to all the advise here (including Eric's, to practice).

Thanks guys.

It was great weather up to about 1:00 today, and then it got windy -- which is part of why I won, because Mike Potter waited until everyone else had a chance to fly before he put up the 2nd-place flight.  He was also flying an untried plane.  Had it been less windy, and a plane he was familiar with, I suspect he would have trounced me.

Now you've got a first place, congrats.   This now means you will have to work harder.  By the way did you run muffler pressure?

I'm putting it down as a fluke.

Yes, NW Sport 40 allows muffler pressure, and I used it.  I think most people do.

Put a rubber band on the trigger to keep it at high speed and hang the transmitter around your neck.  Then you can fly high speed 2-handed.   Then you slip the rubber band off for low speed.

I was totally amazed!  I wanted to talk with Tim, but I was in so much pain I could hardly walk to the car with my equipment.   I rested all lst night and took it easy driving home (270+ miles one way)  I do have a picture and will add more as I fully recover. Here's the picture.  More tomorrow.
Joe

Well, to start with, I didn't announce their lack.  And in the end, no one else did either.

If it consoles you, I put a 1935-ish star-with-meatball on it yesterday.  Hand-cut, because there's not much available out there that I could easily find.

In a small meet who cares about insignia if it is not a scale model.  It's only 10 points.

Well....

NW Sport 40 you're supposed to have insignia, period.  I figured that red white & blue paint would be enough if no one complained.

After loosing half of my right leg in 84ish (so says the WA State L & I)  And trying for 13 years to walk and fish and fly using a cane I gave it up (Crutches, I don't need any crutches!)  Actually I flew Carrier in Chickapee and in Indiana as well as in Pasco in both 89 and 95' with my faithful cane at my side..  This past month things seem to re reverting to those glorious days of yesteryear, A lot of pain in both legs and the inability to really have a good time and talk with the guys at the Tune up this past weekend.  Or just maybe I am trying to hide my lousy equipment and planes. Never the less I was really impressed with Tim's Ringmaster and his flying ability.  Keep it up Tim, but don't get so involved with minutia and you will have a great 2nd event to share with us more earthly guys.
Joe

Well....

NW Sport 40 you're supposed to have insignia, period.  I figured that red white & blue paint would be enough if no one complained.

heck anybody can see that its the early Thunderbird livery from when they flew ringmasters,,

     Tim, tell us about the tail hook and how you used it at the contest. I have talked to Mike P and he said you cut the throttle, the engine died and you landed, on the first landing he thought it was a fluke so when you did it again you found out that it was the way that was working best for you?

You wish to embarrass me?

Anyway, there's really two parts to this.  One is the hook, and the other is the technique:

First: this thing won't idle low enough to land reliably, at least not without giving it down elevator and crashing into the deck.

Second: right or wrong, I couldn't get myself to do the "elevator down & crash into the deck" that a lot of folks do.  Maybe with practice...

Third: Several years ago, at the second-to-last Eugene Regionals, a guy from California told me that the way he does Carrier landings is to approach the deck at a constant altitude and low speed, then cut the throttle.  He practices so that he knows how far the plane will travel from that throttle cut to landing.  For this plane, prop, and engine, the plane takes around 8 feet to land from dead-slow and 5 feet altitude.  So that's what I did -- I come in at the lowest speed where I can hold the plane at five feet ('cuz I'm a stunt guy), and when I'm about six feet short of the deck I cut the throttle completely.  This has worked for me every single time that I have landed on a carrier deck (that's a lot less impressive when you realize that adds up to two landings).

Fourth: I had that fancy "blip down" hook mechanism (pictured) which didn't work for me.  I don't know if I don't have it adjusted correctly to sense "down" when I blip it, or if it's just fine and I don't do the "blip" correctly or what, but I couldn't get it to deploy.

Fifth: Every single time I've ever landed on a carrier deck the hook has caught a line while it was up -- note that it hangs down just a bit.  The first flight was practice.  The second flight was the official, and when I realized that the hook didn't deploy I just figured "Oh to heck with it -- it worked the first time" and landed.

So, I don't know if the hook is more reliable than most, or if the technique is super-wonderful, or if I just got lucky.  I do think that I'm going to keep using the technique because it seems to be reliable, but I'm going to try a fixed hook, like the hook pictured in Eric's 2015 Flying Lines column.  After I know more I'll either change things or not.