O'Toole Special

[John Bocksnick]

Does anyone have a picture of Ron O'Toole's "O'Toole Special", and specifications?

Thanks,

John Bocksnick

[Alan Resinger]

John,
The plans are available from PAMPA.  I've attached a PDF of the plans that I drew a few years back. 
Alan Resinger

[Garf]

Never heard of this one. What does it look like?

[tom brightbill]

Some info-

http://stunthanger.com/smf/classic-planes/tucker-special-question

Mine is in process , about half done.  RoJett 40 power.

[Avaiojet]

Here ya go!

[tom brightbill]

The Tucker in the picture above (Don McClave's) is the Tucker Special, like the RSM kit.  The O'Toole Tucker is as the print attached and discussed by Alan, in reply 5.  They are not the same plane, as Alan noted. It's easy to get the two confessed as Don built the one style as shown in the above photo, and he and Alan also did the plans for the other (O'Toole) version.

[Tom Niebuhr]

Ron O'Toole was among several St Louis fliers that built the original "Tucker Special" They were built with wing gears and fuselage gears. Some of these airplanes were hanging in Shaefer's Hobby Shop in St Louis and still might be in the new shop. Sparky would know.

As stated by Tom above, Ron O'toole also built his newer version that is a completely different airplane. Pampa has the plans.

[EddyR]

   Here is mine built in 2002. Merco Rustler/40. I still fly it and it is in good shape. It was one of the early RSM kits with 2" wing offset.
EddyR

[Alan Resinger]

To clarify the Tucker linage I'll try to set the record straight.  I grew up in the St. Louis area and flew at Buder Park in the 60's.  The original Tucker (designed by Bob Tucker) had a fuselage mounted LG and had either a 3/4" or 1" assymetrical wing.  The model was loosely based on the Italian Macchi seaplane racer, the MC-72.  The model had the distinctive Macchi vertical stab with the tail wheel mounted in the sub fin.  The original had a very deep sub rudder.  Later models reduced the sub rudder.  These were pre 1960 models.  In the early 60's the newer versions started to sport wing mounted LG.  By the time the published version came out in 63, the wing asymmetry got to a full 2".  My thinking is that this change came about because of Bill Werwage's Ares success.  The O'Toole Tucker was a modification of the original Tucker to look more like the Supermarine racer of the same vintage as the Macchi racers.  I think Ron O'Toole told me that the O'Toole version was built for the Dallas Nats in the early 60's.   

[Tom Niebuhr]

Alan,
I am surprised that we never met. I was in the St Louis area from the fall of 1964 until 1973.

You supported what I said about Tucker with both fuselage and wing gears.  I was surprised about the asymmetry. I always wondered it the Tucker would be even better with only 1" difference in the wings. It is still  a very could Classic choice with 2" difference.

I wonder is there is anyone left that could substantiate the 1" versions. I know that there are only a few of us left from the old St Louis Yellow Jackets club.

[Alan Resinger]

Tom,
I lived down in the Festus/Crystal City area so didn't fly all that much at Buder. Left the area in 65 when I went into the service.   I think Ron told me about the differences in asymmetry when Don McClave and I were doing the article for the O'Toole Tucker for Stunt News.  Don had a picture of George Aldrich doing appearance judging at the Dallas Nats and wanted to know if I knew anything about the model.  I had a vague rememberance of seeing it back in the early 60's.  I called Ron and talked to him about it and about the Tucker 4 that Gary Zeller flew.  As I recall Ron was not wild about Gary's model.  I have attached a PDF of the Original Tucker with the deep sub rudder.
Alan