Most unusual stunters ever

[Shorts,David]

Hi all, I've written several pieces titled "From the History Books" for the Pampa newsletter. This time I'm doing my research on stunt hanger. I'm looking for some photos and/or information on unusual planes that COMPETED in stunt events. If you have a photo, I'll give you credit if you give permission to publish it.

Example - Windy's Sweeper 1200
Paul's b-17. I could use a photo with permission

What's the smallest plane someone has entered a contest with?

Thanks
David

[Mike Scholtes]

How's this for wild? Pusher canard electric flapped stunter, that actually competed in a well-known West Coast event and beat out conventional stunters!

[Paul Wescott]

Bob Harness electric Push-me-Pull-me “Two Bits”

May 2013
Knights of the Round Circle club
Whittier Narrows field
Bob Palmer Memorial CL Stunt Contest

David I can email a link to the Flickr album with a dozen full-size photos IF it’s unusual enough.

Paul

[Ken Culbertson]

Was to have competed last week in the 2023 Gieseke Open but family issues prevented it.  Will fly in 2023 Southwesterns.  Not even close to the most unusual, just unusual.

Ken

[Paul Wescott]

Smallest: Warren Walker’s Cox Tee Dee .010 powered Ringmaster.  Pat King sells a kit that is advertised to have a 17” wingspan, but as you can see from the wineglass (for scale Lol!) the one in the picture is much smaller than 17”.

Paul

[Matt Colan]

Looked through Elwyn Aid’s facebook pictures he posted over there years and found these. Here are a couple unusual ones. The first one is a Flying Star designed by Don Yearout. Second one is an Air Trails flying wing

[Arlan McKee]

Was to have competed last week in the 2013 Gieseke Open but family issues prevented it.  Will fly in 2013 Southwesterns.  Not even close to the most unusual, just unusual.

Ken

Ken,
When you're finished with the time machine can I borrow it? There's a couple of contests in the 90's that I would like to go to.

[Ken Culbertson]

Ken,
When you're finished with the time machine can I borrow it? There's a couple of contests in the 90's that I would like to go to.

They wanted unusual, gotta admit that is unusual.   

Ken

[Perry Rose]

You will never beat Jim Sumner's creations.

[Robert Zambelli]

You will never beat Jim Sumner's creations.

How true - only proving that there's a fine line between genius and insanity!!!!

[Gerald Arana]

Smallest: Warren Walker’s Cox Tee Dee .010 powered Ringmaster.  Pat King sells a kit that is advertised to have a 17” wingspan, but as you can see from the wineglass (for scale Lol!) the one in the picture is much smaller than 17”.

Paul

Maybe that is a Dean Martin  wine glass and the WS is actually 42"! 

Jerry

[Robert Zambelli]

Around twenty years ago, I acquired and restored the Sweeper.
Anyone want to see some photos?

Bob Z.

[John Skukalek]

I would appreciate seeing a picture Bob.

Thanks

[Robert Zambelli]

OK, here's the story.
When I was given the Sweeper, it just needed some TLC, not really a restoration.
The plane was rescued from a basement. It was totally covered in about an eighth of an inch of dirt and grime.
Took me a few hours just to clean it.
The engine was seized, due to a piece of metal wedged between the piston and liner. I installed a new engine that I just happened to have.
The tires were totally deteriorated - the rubber was all rotted.
It had no tank.
Some of the hinges were loose.
So, I made everything right and we test flew it. Although a handful, performed beautifully.
Here are a few photos.
The young fellow holding it is John and Buzz's late grandson, Alex.
The Sweeper is hanging on my kitchen wall - compare it to the Nobler!
Comments welcome.

Bob Z.

[bill bischoff]

Didn't one of the Adamisin's fly a stunter with a canard and conventional tail at the '86 NATS? Seems like it was yellow..... Also, didn't people try a freewheeling counter-rotating behind the "regular" prop?

[Trostle]

..... Also, didn't people try a freewheeling counter-rotating behind the "regular" prop?

Well, one person did.  I would have to go Stunt News to find the year Randy Smith did that.  Could have been 1994 or earlier.

Keith

[PerttiMe]

Didn't one of the Adamisin's fly a stunter with a canard and conventional tail at the '86 NATS? Seems like it was yellow.....

I seem to recall an unusual Adamisin design.... Quite likely, there's photos in some old thread here.

[John Carrodus]

The contenders so far, above, are indeed curious and fascinating. Here is an unusual stunter ( Courtesy of Keith Trostle) that I think deserves a place amongst them from LittleOle NZ . It won at the NATS in 1952. It is called a Vampire. Looks like it would hang off the prop pretty much anywhere in the dome. Powered by a Frog 500 ( can't remember if it's 1 or 2 g's)

[Ken Culbertson]

The contenders so far, above, are indeed curious and fascinating. Here is an unusual stunter ( Courtesy of Keith Trostle) that I think deserves a place amongst them from LittleOle NZ . It won at the NATS in 1952. It is called a Vampire. Looks like it would hang off the prop pretty much anywhere in the dome. Powered by a Frog 500 ( can't remember if it's 1 or 2 g's)

Is that a pully elevator horn?

Ken

[Shorts,David]

Bob Harness electric Push-me-Pull-me “Two Bits”

May 2013
Knights of the Round Circle club
Whittier Narrows field
Bob Palmer Memorial CL Stunt Contest

David I can email a link to the Flickr album with a dozen full-size photos IF it’s unusual enough.

Paul

Two bits is a great one. A good photo would be nice.

[Shorts,David]

Looked through Elwyn Aid’s facebook pictures he posted over there years and found these. Here are a couple unusual ones. The first one is a Flying Star designed by Don Yearout. Second one is an Air Trails flying wing

That's right. I forgot about the flying star. He brought it to vsc one year before I started. The other one I don't know.

[Shorts,David]

You will never beat Jim Sumner's creations.

Okay, I'm not familiar with Jim summers creations. Any pics or detail?

[Shorts,David]

I have a couple...

The first photo shows the prototype Occam's Razor canard. It was a smallish electric powered sub-version of my moderately successful Klingon canard. More may follow...

The second photo is of my Second Wind twin. Not a too unusual layout, but it had the distinction of being one of the first two electric powered, retract-equipped twins to ever fly at the Nats. Buddy Wieder's Ryan's Evil Twin ship was the other one, and that one is now in the AMA museum! A year later Rick Huff flew a Pathfinder Profile electric twin that was also fitted with retracts.

Later - Bob Hunt

That Klingon canard looks great.

[Shorts,David]

OK, here's the story.
When I was given the Sweeper, it just needed some TLC, not really a restoration.
The plane was rescued from a basement. It was totally covered in about an eighth of an inch of dirt and grime.
Took me a few hours just to clean it.
The engine was seized, due to a piece of metal wedged between the piston and liner. I installed a new engine that I just happened to have.
The tires were totally deteriorated - the rubber was all rotted.
It had no tank.
Some of the hinges were loose.
So, I made everything right and we test flew it. Although a handful, performed beautifully.
Here are a few photos.
The young fellow holding it is John and Buzz's late grandson, Alex.
The Sweeper is hanging on my kitchen wall - compare it to the Nobler!
Comments welcome.

Bob Z.

Thank you, what I love most about the sweeper is it isn't just gigantic, but it is gorgeous too.

[Shorts,David]

The contenders so far, above, are indeed curious and fascinating. Here is an unusual stunter ( Courtesy of Keith Trostle) that I think deserves a place amongst them from LittleOle NZ . It won at the NATS in 1952. It is called a Vampire. Looks like it would hang off the prop pretty much anywhere in the dome. Powered by a Frog 500 ( can't remember if it's 1 or 2 g's)

Perfect. Any itrr detail, like designer pilot? Etc?

[Shorts,David]

How's this for wild? Pusher canard electric flapped stunter, that actually competed in a well-known West Coast event and beat out conventional stunters!

As I recall, that poor guy only brought one battery to that contest and forgot the rest at home. But he did take second in advanced at the NW regionals with the same plane.

[Robert Zambelli]

Keith: I believe Air Ministry has pans for the Vampire.
I hope so because I have a brand new spark ignition Frog 500 and if I get the plans, I'll build the Vampire.

Bob Z.

[John Carrodus]

Ken -
YES .
John

[Trostle]

The contenders so far, above, are indeed curious and fascinating. Here is an unusual stunter ( Courtesy of Keith Trostle) that I think deserves a place amongst them from LittleOle NZ . It won at the NATS in 1952. It is called a Vampire. Looks like it would hang off the prop pretty much anywhere in the dome. Powered by a Frog 500 ( can't remember if it's 1 or 2 g's)

That design called the Vampire won the 1952  New Zealand Nationals.  It was published in the August 1953 issue of Aeeromodeller.  Had pully actuated elevators and flaps.  Sort of a "ducted wing" format where the prop/air stream was directed through the middle of the wing.  Had a hint of a "lifting surface" (my description) inside that wing duct so that the airstream would help maintain line tension.

Been tempted to build it for years just to see if it flies.  Other projects get in the way.

Keith

[PerttiMe]

Found a thread on Arch Adamisin's Tri-Canard:
https://stunthanger.com/smf/stunt-design/arch-adamisin%27s-tri-canard/

[Scott Richlen]

Don't forget Walt Musciano's Martian Invader...

[Scott Richlen]

And...

[fred cesquim]

few years ago i have spend a week to cut and build this oddity, called Nucleus, found on Outerzone.
Stunt? hardly stays on the air LOL
we had a meeting with a "race" challenge, and the late Marcos ( he was very well known here on SH and active) was bragging he would win the challenge. so i wanted to tease him and said i would come with a secret weapon to crush his plans....
he doubt i would pull a plane within a week. When i arrived he was in disbelief and i was acting like a "champion". He was worried until the thing got airborne
Nightmarish fligts but a hell of fun

[Scott Richlen]

few years ago i have spend a week to cut and build this oddity, called Nucleus, found on Outerzone.
Stunt? hardly stays on the air LOL

But it's purdy!!  And purdy covers a host of sins....

[fred cesquim]

But it's purdy!!  And purdy covers a host of sins....

talking about sin....folks here nicknamed the plane "nossa senhora"
if you look at the shape, you can´t unsee this anymore

[John Carrodus]

RE VAMPIRE PLANS
               Anyone interested in building this weird bat like Vampire, the plans are on Outerzone free download plans.
               I must say it does look like a load of fun. I think it would turn on a pin.

[John Carrodus]

Mr Bob Hunt
           Does your Clingon have the MRK I 'Gripper' Cloaking device or the MRK II 'Sucker"?
 

[Douglas Bykoff]

Bill Netzeband's Fierce Arrow

[Shorts,David]

Smallest: Warren Walker’s Cox Tee Dee .010 powered Ringmaster.  Pat King sells a kit that is advertised to have a 17” wingspan, but as you can see from the wineglass (for scale Lol!) the one in the picture is much smaller than 17”.

Paul

I've seen a few planes with teedee 020 and 010, but has one eer entered a contest and finished a pattern?

[Shorts,David]

Don't forget Walt Musciano's Martian Invader...

Any one ever compete with one?

[Shorts,David]

Bill Netzeband's Fierce Arrow

That's a definite one to mention. There's a 1200 sq in flying wing too. Can't recall the name.

[Scott Richlen]

Any one ever compete with one?

I flew it in our "Musciano Unlimited" event years ago.  It's a bit of a wild ride until you get it balanced correctly.  Pretty easy to do loops, inverted, eights.  Squares?  Not so much.

[Dennis Leonhardi]

Several examples of Harold Reinhardt's Flying Wing Stunt showed up in the stunt circles in Minnesota contests in the mid-'50s.  Usually powered by a Fox .35 Stunt engine of course.

Performance aside, they looked like they belonged in the combat circles ...

Dennis

[M Spencer]

Flew Flights  again yesterday . 3 flights . Now full span flaps . maybe it's tenth flight . ( in 20 years  ) Wasnt going to bad .



Put the Royal .46 in it . in a SF case . Seemed to run better in its original Royal C' case .

[PerttiMe]

What do you say about Bob Baron's flapless 'Humbug'?
(I've only found a couple of small pictures)

[Dennis Toth]

Maybe one of the first flying wing stunters with the extended center section (this was used later by Larry S and Red) was the Drone Diesel powered Flip Flop by Ray Borden. The Drone's ran a fat, thick, wide blade 11x10 prop turning at a whopping 5800 - 6000 rpm. The Drone is a very long stroked engine basically the stroke of a 60 and bore of a 15. It was very quiet. Back in the days of no mufflers running 60's my uncle and friends flew in a school yard across the street from his house. When the neighbors call the cops, they wound swap ships and fly the Drone, cops wound say OK. Then when they left out came the Atwood 60's again. Today we pull out the electric's!!

Best,    DennisT



           

[Dave_Trible]

What do you say about Bob Baron's flapless 'Humbug'?
(I've only found a couple of small pictures)

That one was interesting to watch fly.  Most outstanding feature was 'it' and Bob did the roundest round maneuvers I've ever seen.  Could have been something of an illusion too.  Flaps change the angle of attack of the fuselage side view some.  Without the flap the visuals were different.  Maybe suffered some in the corners.

Dave

[john e. holliday]

I think my version of the Stunt Wing is hanging in the shop/  First flight pratice at VSC.  Got it down in one piece.  At Aunt Betty's I put a heavy hub on with  bigger spinner.  Was very happy with it.  It got me a third place in St Louis that year.  I have the BMJR kit I hope to get built.

[Robert Zambelli]

Dave - I saw Bob flying a different version of the Humbug in the early seventies in upstate, NY.
Powered by a VECO 19 running screaming lean, the flying was amazing.
I believe Bob and Bill Netzeband worked together on the Humbug development.

Bob Z.

That one was interesting to watch fly.  Most outstanding feature was 'it' and Bob did the roundest round maneuvers I've ever seen.  Could have been something of an illusion too.  Flaps change the angle of attack of the fuselage side view some.  Without the flap the visuals were different.  Maybe suffered some in the corners.

Dave

[Dennis Toth]

DOC,
One of the tricks with the Stunt Wing (and the El Diablo too) is if you are using a standard 3" Veco bellcrank drill a new pushrod hole about 3/4 of the way between the mount bolt and the inner existing one. This slows the control and acts similar to a 4" for leverage (BTW if you use a 4" also put the pushrod hole about the distance that the VECO standard inner hole is to get similar slow controls. Other option is a longer than normal tail horn, you don't need more than 20 deg up/down.

Best,    DennisT