Airplanes without an engine

[Peter Nevai]

Well I am back from Korea, I was pretty cool working at Osan AFB and the Yongsan Garrison (Yongsan has a neat war museum) It was particularly interesting watching the U2 take off on it's routine missions. They have this blue 2000 or s Chevy camaro as a chase car, it tears down the runway after the plane on take offs and landings. I have no idea as to what purpose but it is rather amusing to watch. Weird hearing a jet engine roaring and equating that to the U2 flying so slowly. Anyway, I was thinking about getting a strega ARC and then engine choices available.

I quickly came to the conclusion that here is a ARF/ARC without a indended engine. I mean the supply of new ST60 engines has certainly diminished since the days Windy flew the original at FMP. I distinctly remember the day when he pancaked it in when his bottoms seem to be getting ever increasingly closer to the ground.

I know there are many engines to choose from if you spend $$$$ but the thought of putting a $300+ RO or PA engine into a $150.00 ARC just seems wrong. It makes me question why this plane was brought out as a ARF/ARC when there is no reasonably priced, easily available engine to power it.

Too bad Sig no longer sell the Magnum, with foam wings it is not that much longer a build than a ARC and flys just fine with an ST51, pretty close in looks to the Strega as well. I suppose I'll just wait to see what new ARC's appear on the horizon. The Job right now has me away from Home (Florida) and all my tools and work space. (currently renting a small hobbit hole apt in Bohemia N.Y) so an ARC or Foamy is about all I want to tackle. I suppose I should not be so picky as currently I am plane less and would have to purchase the whole shebang (Lines, handle etc) from scratch. As I am may be going to Okinawa for a extended 1 to 2 year period I don't want to spend upwards of $500 for a plane engine combo right now.

Arrrrgh I am frustrating myself, I should just order up a ARF cardinal or something but cant stand not having one of the slickest looking planes at the field. I do miss my Magnum, anyone producing a foamy kit of similar dimensions? Or perhaps a ARC in the works along those lines? Something where the engine does not have to be 3X the price of the plane? Or should I just bite the bullet and Get one of Richard Olivers Jewels, which I'll have to get sooner or later. For right now I live vicariously through y'all from the hobbit hole in of all places Bohemia.

[Bill Little]

I feel pretty sure that there is a Brodak 60 in the works.  That would give the requsite engine for the ARF/ARC Strega.  Always a DS, Rustler/Merco, etc., also.

[Gary Anderson]

Hi guys, how about the K&B 61 control line engine? Isn't it still about one hundred dollars? They seem to run well, probably doesn't compare to the high dollar motor but for what they cost, not bad. Have a nice day, Gary

[Bill Little]

Hi guys, how about the K&B 61 control line engine? Isn't it still about one hundred dollars? They seem to run well, probably doesn't compare to the high dollar motor but for what they cost, not bad. Have a nice day, Gary

I didn't realize those were still available new!  If so, that would definitely work in a Strega.

Bill <><

[phil c]

The K&B 61 seems to work very well.  Tom Hampshire showed up at the Hamburg swap meet and we went flying for most of the afternoon.  He had a brand new plane(Super Chief) with his freebie K&B 61.  The only mod he knew about was a nylon venturi.  Looked to be about .285 or so ID.  He had, I believe, a 13/6 prop on it.  Ran like a top with plenty of power.

I guess is does weigh an ounce more than the ST, but RJL has them on hand, and also has parts.

[Bill Little]

Willis Swindell has one (K&B 61) in his ARC Strega.  He's happy so far.

[Paul Smith]

I've never seen it myself, but legend has it that the U-2 had no wingtip skids and the pickup truck  was there to keep the tips from scraping the runway.

[don Burke]

The Camaro "pace cars" were used to give the pilot help on his altitude when landing. They were in radio contact with the pilot and talked him down the last few feet.    The U-2s were (are) very difficult to get landed. I've seen them at Edwards in the summertime use almost the whole runway length to get slowed down and on the ground.  They used pickups trucks to recover the drop off wingtip wheels on takeoff.

[Bill Gruby]

I deleted the other post cause you are much closer than I was. I knew they were Camaros because I was farmed out to the plant where they were built at the time. Thank-you for the great post and the correction.

"Billy G" 

[Marvin Denny]

  Ther new Fox 60 might be a good one. I hear that it runs about like the old ST  60.

  Bigiron

[Peter Nevai]

Thank you for the replies, That expains alot. I knew about the pick up truck and the tip wheels. I could not figure out what the blue 02 Chevy Camaro was doing zooming about out there. Our office in Korea is right under the flight path of the runway so we get a treat daily of the various aircraft flown from the base.

Although it is no fun when you have the F-18's doing full burner take offs in the middle of the night to get their montly quota of sorties in. I am home now because all of the bases in the pacific are on one sort of theater wide exwrsize or another and access to facilities is difficult during these periods.

[Steve Helmick]

Clarence Lee advertised custom setup K&B .61's in one of the latest Model Aviation issues. As I recall, they're conventional ringed (not Dykes ringed), and all setup, for $127. I am sure he could setup one for stunt, being a real good old time engine guy (original designer of the engine). A .290" venturi should be just fine for a starting point, with a .156" spraybar. The stock RJL venturi is real big (.345"), and fuel economy unacceptable. I just measured one that's in my shop that belongs to Kraut (Rod Claus). It has a single, conventional, piston ring. The stock venturi is being replaced. It needs to be smaller diameter and a longer.    Steve