GSCB Vintage Combat festival 9-22-19

[Andre Ming]

Here 'ya go. Straight off the jug.


Andre

[Al Ferraro]

Recommended by FOX 

[Andre Ming]

Blast = 50% Nitro.

Blast was great stuff. I used the very last can of it in existence at Fox Mfg during the summer of 1970. (I would save it, and use it sparingly, for a timed run.)

Also in the early 1970s Fox Mfg released "Fox 40-40". I think I recall it was 40% nitro, 40% methanol, and 20% oil. It was "legal" for FAI as I recall. It was pretty darn good fuel. I burned a lot of 40-40 during that time.

However, my sentimental favorite is good old "Missile Mist". As a kid I loved the name, loved the purple can, loved the mysterious* purple color, and as I recall, Riley won a National using a Missile Mist powered 36XBB... that was good enough for me!

* That purple color: Upon hiring out at Fox, imagine my disappointment to learn that the purple color was nothing more than dark indigo dye, and had NOTHING to do with what surely must be "secret ingredients" as I supposed. In fact, it wasn't even added for "pizazz". Nope, it was added so it would be easy to tell it apart from Fox Superfuel there at the plant!  FWIW: We used Missile Mist as run-in fuel in ALL engines, even Stunt 35's!

A "Blast" legend.

(Disclaimer: This alleged incident was NOT told to me by Duke.)

When Duke introduced "Blast" (early 1960s, I think?), his combat series of engines were about the only engines capable of using it without undue wear/damage. Story goes that the Fox rep at the time went about the combat practice circles at a particular National, offering free (1/2 pint?) sample cans of "Blast". Yup, it was a "Blast" alright... several of the chaps blew rods and even cases in their Torps, Johnson's, etc. That's one way to tilt the odds of getting a Fox powered winner! If I'm not mistaken, this alleged incident was the origin of Larry Scrarinzi's "Blast Trophy" that he presented to Duke that contained one of his blown engine's (Torp? can't remember) on a pedestal along with parts glued to the trophy base. There was also a lop-sided wood propeller mounted on the blown engine with the hand-written tag "Genuine Bill James balanced prop." The "Blast Trophy" sat proudly in the front office on one of the award shelves for the entire time I was associated with Fox Mfg. It disappeared sometime during the mid-90s or so.

Andre

[Al Ferraro]

* That purple color: Upon hiring out at Fox, imagine my disappointment to learn that the purple color was nothing more than dark indigo dye, and had NOTHING to do with what surely must be "secret ingredients" as I supposed. In fact, it wasn't even added for "pizazz". Nope, it was added so it would be easy to tell it apart from Fox Superfuel there at the plant!  FWIW: We used Missile Mist as run-in fuel in ALL engines, even Stunt 35's!


Andre

  Hi Andre,
              I'm not surprised that you used Missile Mist as break in fuel. I had a couple of tight engines that would sag and lose RPM during break in.  I tried Missile Mist and then the engine would run ok. I thought it had something to due with the purple dye acting like a friction reducer, because the piston and inside the case (and everything else it touched) would be coated purple from using the fuel .
Al

[Andre Ming]

Nope. Nothing special about the purple... simply dye. The purple look you witnesses was likely just residue.

Missile Mist received a lot of bad-mouthing because of it having only 18% castor (as I recall)... but it really was good fuel. Duke DID use very high quality products in his fuel. I don't recall a failure using it.

On a sad note: I ended up with a nearly PERFECT empty gallon can of Missile Mist. (My last gallon that I burned decades ago.) Kept that can for a long time. When we moved here I stored it up in the attic. Many years ago I was up in the attic and noticed the heat/cold had caused it to implode. I was SO sick upon seeing that.     (And mad at myself!  ) No way to reasonably replace it.  Had it dawned on me that it would do that, all I would have needed to do to prevent it was uncap it and lay the cap on the top of the can. So stupid.

All fer now.

Andre

[Al Ferraro]

  I still have a old quart bottle with the formula 
Al

[Al Ferraro]

 I also still have a pint of the original purple brew 
Al

[Al Ferraro]

 My favorite fuel cans 
Al

[Andre Ming]

Al:

You're breaking my heart with those cans. I had those, too. (And a really old Missile Mist pint.) Still have the Blast can... but you read the sad story about my gallon MM can. The purple gallon can was my favorite of all.

I also have a bit less than 1/2 gallon of MM left in the plastic jug. Haven't a clue if it's still usable. (The jugs sometimes deteriorated.)

Andre

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Old fuel is most often good.  The alcohol does evaporate, a bit, making the nitro and oil content higher.

[Andre Ming]

Peter:

Your sentiment echoes Duke's about older fuel. He always said it was better fuel after it sat a while.

I've used fuel that's decades old and still seems to perform fine.

Andre

[Tom Luciano]

motorman,
  I don't have a set to let go but there's a clean 36x on ebay for .99 cents right now.

Tom

[peabody]

It's funny what people want and when.....Ward had about a half dozen empty, but never filled, FOX fuel cans, including Missile Mist. I put them on the board for, like, $5.00. No takers.
Gave two to a couple RC guys and pitched the rest....

[Andre Ming]

How long ago was that Peabody?

I absolutely do not recall seeing them here. I never check the "for sale" board, though, so if you didn't mention it here or at the Combat forum... it would have slipped by me. I would have purchased one. Oh well!

Andre

[peabody]

Andre
About 15 months ago

[Andre Ming]

Well darn.

Good price. Would have been a no-brainer for me.

Andre

[Tom Luciano]

Just an FYI, I'm already working on next years stuff! If interested, I started a foam VooDoo build thread in the Combat section. Cores are supplied by The Corehouse.

Tom