BBBBBUUUUUTEEEFUL...MARK!!!
Looks awesome...I really like the engineered cowling and wider fuselage sides to utilize those BIGGINS POWERPLANT up front.
Hummm?
Why does "SHOW ME THE BEEF"slogan keeps comes to mind?
) that reminds me when I think back in those days and how we used to try (often in vain) to squeeeeeeze every bit of power out of those old OS 35's and 40S's.
Most of the time in order to keep the weight down under 50 ounces and to keep ALIVE the look of a sleek skinny format to the fuselage.....IT WAS VITAL AND IMPORTANT that we would STRIVE (often in vain) to meet the weight goal.... Many times all we had to do was simply boost up a little extra nitro)
The idea being that it would boost not only the power of those small engines, but equally important....that doing so...it would keep us from increasing the fuel volume weight of a 3.5 ounce tank to a BIG WHOPPIN 4ounce?
Last of all...keeping the smaller sized 35 & 40s would ALLOW ME TO
USE LIGHTER WEIGHT .015 AND EQUALLY FAR AND AWAY MORE IMPORTANT...TO REDUCE THE OVER-ALL LINE DRAPE AND RESULTING AIR DRAG.
In the early 70's I took part on a 3 month study at the Wind Tunnel..with the avionics group who were conducting those loooooooooooooooooooooong thin wired communication and radio like antenna's that they would reel out for loooooooong distances behind those high flying "snoop-doggie" spy planes.
WHAT N' EYE BALL POPPIN AFFAIR THAT PROVED TO BE!!!
As model makers...
we were all blown away at just how much drag those thin wires...braces and struts actually EFFECTED the aerodynamics of those light weight fiberglass covered foam antenna that contained all kinds of strange electronic goodies and guts...that were encased inside.
From that point forward, I became aware and always strived to find as lightweight, thin, and small dia. wheels etc. that I could get away with....to avoid any kind of drag from wheels or wheel pants that HANG DOWN IN THE BREEZE ON THESE LIGHT WEIGH STUNT MODELS.
OK! NOW FOR THE K WORD...
After years of Kite flying competiton...you soon become FULLY AWARE just how important keeping line dia. and control line weight and dia. to A BARE MINIMUM...
ESPECIALLY on those 4 to 6 ounce light wind sportkites that are designed and built to fly in virtually 0 wind to a max of around 7 mph...on lighter weight 35 to 50 lb. spectra line and JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS to use as short a set of lines as possible in these light no wind conditions.
For example....You can turn the finest most carefully designed trimed and tweaked light weight no wind kite into a WORTHLESS DOG!
Simply by using over-sized standard 90lb. 125 ft. spectra....instead of the lighter weight and shorter 85 foot 35 to 50lb. line. (Line stretch is not a factor what so ever....if the sport kite...(OR STUNT MODEL WEIGHT IS KEPT IN CHECK!)
Mark and gang!
This drivil...doesn't amount to a hill of beanie-weenies...since today our worlds best CLPA flyers are going for THOSE POWERFUL LARGER SIZED ENGINES (with their large fuel loads and ELECTRIC MOTORS...with those lofty sized batteries) and if the CLPA planes are heavy enough....
Proof enough....that as long as we have enough sq. inches and enough power...SUCCESS IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE...IT IS A NEW CLPA FACT OF LIFE!
It still boggles my mind and britches....when I see just how beautifully these new breed of CLPA models fly the pattern...
SUCCESS I NOT ONLY POSSIBLE...BUT ASSURED~