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Electric Stunt => Gettin all AMP'ed up! => Topic started by: John Cralley on May 23, 2009, 09:23:59 PM
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Just a quick update on how my electrics faired at this year's Ringmaster Roundup. I'm flying BIGINNER still (at age 76) so that should tell you something!! Friday I put up my first test flight with my old RM converted to electric (this plane had been crashed at least 8 times). All was going well when I felt something restricting my feet -- it rapidly got to the point that I could not move because my feet were "tied" together. Someone had left a stooge line across the middle of the circle and I had not noticed it. At this point I was reduced to flying figure eights and loops hoping that the timer would shut down soon. A couple of fellows realized that I was in trouble and ran out to help. Instead of releaving me of the handle they started trying to untangle my feet. Distracted I wiped out. Rebuild #9 followed!!! mw~
After lots of epoxy and super glue, Joe Gilbert test flew it and announced that it had plenty of power but was build like a brick (I knew that).
Today I flew in the rain and failed to wipe the lines dry before takeoff. They were really stiff and I wiped out in the third inside loop.
Anyway, I believe I generated some interest in electric control line. Some photos are posted over at the Brotherhood of the Ring forum album. There are a couple of Joe test flying my old E RM before I wiped it out. He put up a pretty impressive flight.
I now need to do rebuild #10. HB~>
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I’m back home in Central Illinois after a 1000-mile drive from Texas. The Ringmaster Roundup was a ball and some of you other electric folks need to electrify an RM and join us next year. I was entered in the beginner stunt and finished sixth – course there were only seven entries and one of them scratched. LOL
As I said above I crashed my original electric RM flying in the rain. I was really reluctant to commit my electric RSM for a second attempt. Anyway Joe Gilbert helped me trim it some and he made a test flight. Joe allowed as how it was competitive and I should do a second flight with it. Later Saturday it cleared up and I put up that second flight. I was on track to score well until I bottomed the outside of the second figure eight. Oops. I now have two Electric RMs to rebuild. The bad part is that the crash snapped the shaft of my Scorpion 3014 – 22 motor. It broke right at the front edge of the collet and I had chopped the shaft flush with the rear of the X mount. A new shaft is necessary but the motor otherwise appears undamaged. I was trying a Master AirScrew 10-5, 3 blade prop and it seemed to be working good. Looked nice too.
Sunday was an event called “Team Stunt.” Teams of 4 or 5 members flew (mostly for bragging rights) in four events. One team member was assigned to fly one of the following (one attempt only) Old Time, AMA pattern or Unknown Pattern. The unknown pattern was handed out shortly before the event and had some tough maneuvers such as Square Overhead 4 Leaf Clover and Vertical Hourglass!! Finally, an event called Pursuit Combat was flown last. In the Pursuit Combat two team members flew RMs each with a streamer. One member flew as the “drone” and was NOT allowed to make any cutting maneuvers. The other member pursued the drone and attempted to cut its streamer. If the drone streamer was completely cut the pursuer could then try to have the drone cut his streamer by maneuvering in front of the drone. I flew the drone (donated by Steve Holt) and Dale Gleason (a combat man from way back) flew pursuit for our team. The score was 50 points a cut and Dale cleaned the drone streamer in two cuts. He then proceeded to have my drone cut his streamer again in two cuts. Dale then went for the knot on the drone and called it a mite close – taking the tail off of the drone and the outboard wing from his plane. Dale’s four cuts were not enough and we finished second. There were four teams and three ended with mangled Ringmasters (one before a single cut was made). Joe Gilbert flew pursuit for his team but they had unequal line lengths so, though he made numerous passes, he only got a couple of “cuts” (with his wing I think). At least their two RMs survived the competition.
For me maybe the best part was prizes awarded at the end. My old electric Ringmaster was voted the “ugliest” and I won 20 bucks (I was insulted but I took the money. LOL) and then I scored another 20 bucks for having the heaviest RM at 44 oz!! The old one again and I think they must have weighed it wrong --- it couldn’t be THAT heavy.
Check out this site to see some photos of the meet:
http://picasaweb.google.com/golfrice1/RoundupFridayAndSunday#
Hope to see some of yoall (that’s Texas talk) next year at the Roundup. Dee Rice (organizer and spark plug for the meet) promised longer strings and streamers next year!!
John
PS. Photo # 21 is my old Electric RM --- it is not That ugly is it???
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Hi John
Sounds like you are doing just what you are supposed to do - HAVE FUN - thats what its all about. I can relate to how you feel being a flyer for a long time but still just starting out. I built and flew planes on and off for years in the back yard but knew nothing about competition or the different patterns. Now I'm trying to get up to the intermediate level but don't get near enough time to fly. It seems the closer I get to it the fewer planes I have to work with. The RM thing sounds like a great time and I'd like to get back down to Tx again. Keep on flyin!!!
Dalton H.
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I’m right there in the center fourth from the left with one of my $20 bills that I won. Electric pays off!!!
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Hi John
Sounds like you are doing just what you are supposed to do - HAVE FUN - thats what its all about. ..... Keep on flyin!!!
Dalton H.
John:
I'll SECOND what Dalton said. Sounds like you and the rest of the crew had a great time - although the "body count" sounds a little high! Thanks for the great report and hope you cna get your RM's airborne again...
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Hey John
What can you tell us about that Super RM in the picture other than it certainly isn't a Sterling 42" job ????
Dalton H.
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Dalton,
That is Bill (G-Man) Gruby's SDR (Super Dooper Ringmaster) a work in progress. One of his goals was to build the "World's Largest Control Line" model. He has been working (off and on) on it for about a year. He has several thousand invested in it and had hoped to have it ready to fly at the Roundup. The wings and tail detach for transport. I think that he may bring it to the Brodak meet to show it off there. It is covered with Polyspan and I forget what the twin motor is (not electric for sure). He promises next year to fly it at the 4th Annual Ringmaster Roundup. It will be a sight to behold and we may need to chain him to a stake to keep him from doing a fly away. LOL
John
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Bill has mounted a Saito 1.8 twin on the SDR and will include Clancy Arnold's throttle control
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That would be something to see fly. A Giant Flt Streak is demo'ed every year at Brodaks that flys very well and I've seen the Sweeper fly. I hope he gets the first flites on that one on tape. The big planes on C/L are impressive.
Dalton H.
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Here is a spectacular photo of Dale Gleason trying for the "knot" of my "drone." (lifted without permission from SS forum). LOL
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An interesting note on the "broken" shaft on my Scorpion 3014 motor. The new shaft arrived today along with a new prop adapter. I pulled the motor out of the storage bag and behold the motor shaft is just fine. The prop adapter shaft sheared right where the collet meets the prop shaft. I put a small puller on the collet and presto collet popped off and there was nothing at all wrong with the motor shaft just a broken prop adapter. Anyway, I now have an spare motor shaft. LOL
Next time I will look a little closer before I go off half cocked.
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John,
I have spare shafts and bearings...just in case. Glad to see you're building up your spares too! :D
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Hi guys;
I know this is not electric, but it was mentioned here. This will back John up and let you know the 85 inch Ringmaster does exhist. LOL
"Billy G" VD~ VD~ VD~ VD~
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Dee Rice (designer of the "Oriental" and the original "spark plug" for the Roundup) has posted photos from the 3rd Annual Ringmaster Roundup. They are some he took plus others from Linda Gleason and David Russum. You can see them at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/golfrice1/RoundupFridayAndSunday#
and http://picasaweb.google.com/golfrice1/2009Roundup#
I'm actually featured in a few but I'm not proud of them. LOL You can see my Scorpion 3014 - 22 powered RM in #123 of the first batch of photos and "Old Ugly" is in photo #87 of the same set.