Larry Cunningham's last plane

[Robertc]

This is Larry's Special Effects.  Piped PA 51.  Larry started on this in the late 90's and was in the painting stage, but he never finished it.
Health issues put this on the back burner.  Got a little hanger rash through the years, so when I got it, patches to install, a lot of sanding to
get a couple layers of paint off, but it's finally done. Strange for Larry, as he never drew plans for this one, but it's somewhat similar to his
Mo'Beast that he designed which was a full fuse Mo'Best. 

[Randy Ryan]

WOW, that's really Gladiatoresque, very pretty except I'd have to change the rudder shape.

[Steve Helmick]

WOW, that's really Gladiatoresque, very pretty except I'd have to change the rudder shape.

It does resemble the Gladiator...and also resembles Norm Whittle's "Eagle" series. The fin/rudder isn't all that bad, IMO.
I'm sure it would please Larry to know that it's finally finished, and very nicely, too. I hope it gets flown a few times, 'cause I think Larry would like that, too.  Steve

[john e. holliday]

I like it and Mr. C was an innovator.   Hope plans can be developed.

[MarcusCordeiro]

That's a nice looking ship...

Marcus

[Serge_Krauss]

Robert-

Thanks for finishing Larry's plane and sharing it with us. I know you and he were good friends before your move, and he often referred to you in our contacts. He used that plane to explain to me the various newer construction techniques, and I think its structure evolved even after his start on construction. I had not realized he'd gotten so far, since his pictures he shared were usually offered to illustrate structures. Will you fly it?

SK

[Jerry Higgins]

Robert,

Nice looking design.  What did you use for finish?

[Robertc]

As soon as the winds calm, I will be flying it.  Larry started using automotive paint on it, but the paint that I got
didn't match, so I sanded off as much as I could and sprayed dope.  
One more thing I had to do, really the first thing, was to cut out the Expocrank Larry had made for this plane.
He made a few, and someone tried it in their plane, and the pull test showed that it wasn't strong enough.
I think that's one reason Larry put it on the back burner so to speak.  It took a lot of thinking to get it out,
install a new bellcrank floor, new leadouts and new bellcrank, but it worked out very well.  Only cut the canopy off
right at the fillet line, fixed the bellcrank issue and glued the canopy back on.  Minimal fix to the exterior.
Having gone over what plans there are for the MoBeast, I can say that this plane is larger, mostly in the fuse length,
slightly revised rudder shape, and other details.  The MoBeast is pretty much a full fuse MoBest.

[john e. holliday]

Sounds like you could come up with plans for a full size version and list yourself as co-designer.

[Robertc]

John, Thanks for kinds words, but the only input I had on the plane was the name.  Larry was trying new techniques on this plane.  A lot of molding of top and bottom of the fuse.
He made several different removable bottoms for the pipe tunnel before he was satisfied - at least for a short time.  With Larry, no design was ever done as he always strived
to improve.  Some things worked, some didn't, but he was always trying.  I have box full of proto types that he was working on, wheel pants, wing tips and noses for the MoBest.
None were made to use, but just to test ideas. 
Special Effects would be a very labor intensive plane to build as Larry did, and changing it to simplify just doesn't fit Larry's "Cowboy" way.

[Steve Helmick]

I do miss "The Cowboy Way", tho I never got to meet Larry.  Steve