It's always the good airplanes that this happens to :(

[Doug Moon]

I have several Ted handles and on one of my Bears it made it an instant Killer on the hunt.  It felt like I had my hand on the BC and it would go anywhere I wanted without any back talking.  It was insane how awesome it was.

But on the models I currently fly I cant get them to work right.  Oh and believe me it isnt from lack of trying. I have one on the paint stand right now and it will get trimmed out with a Ted handle to see if it is a better deal than the bar. 

With the current ship on a Ted handle I cant hit my angles at all.

I would definitely try it out.  It may be just the thing you need to really take it to the next level.  But if for some reason it doesnt come around pretty quick dont fret just go back to what you know and get some solid practice in.  That contest is not nearly as attended as the nats and you will have plenty of time to try it out but at the same time dont spend all your time trying to retrim for the new item.

[Matt Colan]

I have several Ted handles and on one of my Bears it made it an instant Killer on the hunt.  It felt like I had my hand on the BC and it would go anywhere I wanted without any back talking.  It was insane how awesome it was.

But on the models I currently fly I cant get them to work right.  Oh and believe me it isnt from lack of trying. I have one on the paint stand right now and it will get trimmed out with a Ted handle to see if it is a better deal than the bar. 

With the current ship on a Ted handle I cant hit my angles at all.

I would definitely try it out.  It may be just the thing you need to really take it to the next level.  But if for some reason it doesnt come around pretty quick dont fret just go back to what you know and get some solid practice in.  That contest is not nearly as attended as the nats and you will have plenty of time to try it out but at the same time dont spend all your time trying to retrim for the new item.

Last year I went from a Brodak bar handle to Windy's type of handle after I was having trouble with the airplane in the wind.  The handle gave me power steering and the airplane became much easier to fly, and flew better!  After flying that plane for a couple months, I decided to fly my Ares with the bar handle, and I thought I was going to crash it.  After adding tail weight, and moving the bar in as close to my hands as possible, it made the difference so I could fly the plane without having to fly it all day just to get used to the amount of stick pressure again.  I don't fly bar handles at all anymore!

With everything that's been said on this thread, it seems like a Ted handle would be the next step up in performance with handles.

[Ted Fancher]

Hi Matt,

While I'm a big fan of my hard point handles and encourage you to try one out, I also have to agree with Doug about using what works best for you.  There are people who are proponents of a large variety of handles and, although the Ted handles have a substantial and successful following, getting the one that allows you to fly your airplane to your best advantage is a significant part of the winning equation.  I'm surprised at Doug's experience but, knowing his skills and dedication to finding that winning formula, respect his input.

By the way, after promising to send you a kit with Brett I almost panicked because I couldn't find the box of Handle kits that Carl provided back when he took over the production and sale of them.  Shareen convinced my to rummage around in my cluttered office and, although I didn't find the ones from Carl, I did come up with a small batch of the wood parts and one complete set of hardware.  Ergo, my promise is still good and you'll see both the kit and the purple Nats winning handle when Brett gets to Muncie.

Anxious to hear your evaluation of the handle and wishing you great luck at the Trials.

Ted

[Matt Colan]

Thanks Ted,

I have yet to fly the plane because of bad weather. Today was gorgeous but very windy. Tomorrow looks like I'll be able to fly it again, and I'll give a report on it. I expect it to fly like I had it when I had all the nose weight out of it, because the new rudder is a bit heavier than the old one.

[Matt Colan]

I flew the Trivial Pursuit today, and there's good news and bad news.

The good news: It still flies

The bad news: THE MOTOR RUN SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!  The first flight I was flying at 5.8 and I could do most of the pattern with it. The 2nd flight, I cranked the needle in and it didn't sound right. I flew it, and was at 5.2 with a terrible sounding four-cycle. I ran out of fuel in the overheads and did get it to land (I didn't do any extra laps anywhere).  The motor now drinks gas like an old buick and I can only get about 5 1/2 minutes run time on a full tank of 6 ounces (It used to be 6:30 every time). Also, when I flip the prop, it doesn't spin free like it used to, it flips back to the compression and then stops, it doesn't keep bouncing back and forth.  I checked to see where I had the needle valve and it was over a full turn richer than where I had it last week when it went in.  And lastly, the noise. It doesn't sound like a huge ST 60 on a pipe like it did sound like.  It just sounds....off.

I probably bent something when it crashed because it stopped at TDC and my grandfather said he had an awful hard time getting it to get it turn over again.

Now I HAVE to get that Oriental Plus trimmed out to fly decent, and I'm starting off by shortening the lines a foot, then going from there.

[EddyR]

Matt    I dought you hurt your motor with a upside down pancake landing on grass. Pull the motor and tank, needle valve and spray bar and check them all very caefull. Then remove the head and backplate and check the motor. The motor should turn over smooth except at the pinch at the top of the stroke. Run the motor on a test stand and let us know what it does. Those type of landings many times damage the tank.
Ed

[Matt Colan]

Matt    I dought you hurt your motor with a upside down pancake landing on grass. Pull the motor and tank, needle valve and spray bar and check them all very caefull. Then remove the head and backplate and check the motor. The motor should turn over smooth except at the pinch at the top of the stroke. Run the motor on a test stand and let us know what it does. Those type of landings many times damage the tank.
Ed

We did that. I'm going to bring it to the team trials and have Richard Oliver look at it and see if he can figure anything out

[Randy Powell]

Sounds like crunched bearings to me. I had my RO-Jett 65 swallow a wrist pin retainer. Needed a new cylinder, piston and rod. It ran like you are suggesting.

[Matt Colan]

Sounds like crunched bearings to me. I had my RO-Jett 65 swallow a wrist pin retainer. Needed a new cylinder, piston and rod. It ran like you are suggesting.

If that's the case, I could get those parts from RO and replace them Over here, but I still would want him to look at the motor to make sure that would be the case

[Randy Powell]

Absolutely.

[Bruce Perry]

Ted,

Yer a classy guy!  Mind you I already knew that.

B