Long lines?

[Robert McHam]

I was just wondering about how have any of you have flown your planes?
Also is there some record of the longest lines used (successfully) for a control line plane? Of course a record holder probably was a special plane.

Robert

[phil c]

There were several articles back in the 60's about using 100ft lines woth conventional controls.  If I remember right, Dale Kirn flew something Monoline on 150ft+ lines.

You'd run into problems getting enough centrifugal force to keep the lines tight enough.  Otherwise you'd get severe problems from the line sag.

[john e. holliday]

That is one of the reasons he flew mono line for sport and stunt.  In speed it was less line drag.  DOC Holliday

[john e. holliday]

Hey Ty, it was not the amount of balsa, it was the cost of coverring the thing.  Still need to add a layer of heavy weight silkspan to give mine some rigidity.  Anything under 5.3 laps and the plane disappears.  As long as you keep giving controls for loops and eights it is no problem.  Guess I need to post a picture of it sometime.  DOC Holliday

[Jim Kraft]

I built a Coasby Taurus about 10 years ago, and on the plans it states that John flew that plane with 100' lines with a McCoy 60. I fly mine on 67' with an Anderson Spitfire, or a Fox 59.

[George]

In the late fifties or early sixties someone built a plane with one engine for thrust and one on the outer wingtip at 45 degrees for line tension. I think they were 1/2A engines and used 200' lines, but it's been so long I can't remember for sure.

George

[James C. Johnson]

Strato-Liner. Carl Risteen, MAN Feb 57. Small, but big flaps, "near-conventional configuration" except this has a second motor on the outboard tip at 65-degree offset for line tension. Article stated you can fly on 200 foot lines.

I was reading about a stunter flying on 100 ft lines ..  in the UK  in the early 1950s, I think is was the Taurus..

And I think this one flew on long lines also.. Charger. Jim Mayfield, American Aircraft Modeler, Oct 70. This is a profile. Swept back wing. Engine is in the leading edge of outboard wing with the thrust line through the CG. (similar to Charles Mackey's Red Wing and Monster designs in Flying Models) Only about 170 sq in. 

I once hooked up my last ME109 profile to 70 ft lines by mistake.. hadn't flown in a long time.. it sure looked good out there and then I tried a loop... and it turned in on me and was lost to the the Balsa Gods... I was wondering why line tension was kinda weak.

Jim