A bit more re the F-82 Hollow Log Scientific model. I had a medical issue in either '07 or '08 (afib). so my F-82 was proxy flown at the Kalamazoo Musciano Meet of that year. It won Speed at 66 mph. This may be a Musciano Meet record. The closest second place was 63 mph. Getting a single engine Scientific Hollow Log (they are all single, except the Twin Mustang) over 60 mph on a two port Cox Black Widow, Fox 049, a hot OK Cub, or any other eligible engine, is pretty good. The NVCL club used Proto rules, measuring 10 laps from a standing start, where Kalamazoo measured after two laps in the air, thereby giving you a higher mph figure. I would build all the Hollow Log models as light as possible (10 grams for an extremely hollowed out log fuselage, including the firewall), and under 10 grams for the wing (I was quite anal about this, weighing things constantly during the building process). Through this process, you could reduce the weight vs a stock Scientific kit by 2/3rds or more. It transformed the flying ability, both for Speed and for Stunt. These models would accelerate like crazy under the standing start rules. You could have an engine run that was slightly off a competitor's, rpm wise, and still win, due to the advantage in getting off the ground faster.
Curtiss, my memories of your F-82 contest results are hazy now, but I believe your F-82 was first in Concours at NVCL one year. It did not fly, due to problems with the Cox engines. You did a more scale-like job on the F-82 than I. Mine was built purely for speed, so I did not have landing gear, radio antenna, etc. I think you had rockets or maybe a wing tankon your wing, too, but I will have to check on that.
Musciano Meets were fun. If you chose the right model, such as the Bullet, and built lightly, they would wingover, lazy eight, loop, fly inverted, and maybe some other daring-for-Hollow-Log maneuvers, with ease. I did come in second in Stunt one year, and it was all about choosing the right airplane, not the pilot.
I went Musciano crazy for a few years. Built four racing ME-109, and I think I won once, and came in second, in a few meets. One year, a NVCL Twin Mustang blew me away, which prompted me to build one.
One year, when flying Team Race, I completed the two pit 70 lap Final for second place. Two laps later, the Cox Black Widow pulled completely off the blackplate! Talk about luck. Boy, those races were fun...
Scott, now that I am in Va, maybe I can rejoin NVCL. I owe a bunch of back dues!
Enough rambling for a while...Currell