BiSlob: The rest of the story!

[Tom Niebuhr]

Ty has shown pictures of Jimmy Mitchell's incredible "Illusion"

I did not want to Hijack that important thread. So here is the connection to the BiSlob:

Ron Pavelor had disappeared from the New York scene.  On a trip to Tampa, I checked out a hobby shop as I always did. The shop owner told me that when he opened for business a guy gave a demo in the parking lot with a biplane that did crazy things. I said "that had to be Ron Pavloer!" and I would love to get in touch with him.

The shop owner then dialed a number and handed me the phone. It was Jim Mitchel. Jim told me that Ronnie was living in Daytona and he gave me the telephone number.

Since most of us who flew in the New York, New Jersey area had seen the "BiSlob" fly many times, I asked Ronnie if I could build one. He told me that he did not have any formal plans. I told him that I didn't care if the sketches were on toilet paper, I would ink a set of plans for him. Those were the plans that were published in the June 1992 Flying Models article.

My son Craig and I quickly built two "BiSlobs".  John Kelly also built one, and interesting enough, John also had the BiSlob's predecessor that we referred to as the "Big Slob" The "Big Slob was a larger high wing airplane, that has a similar fuselage.

When we flew our "Slobs" at the end of a Garden State  Circle Burner contest two things happened. 1) Dan Banjock wanted to build one. 2) Bob Hunt wanted to publish it in FM.

I asked Ron if he was willing to publish the "Bi Slob" and he said sure. The article was written and Bob Hunt arranged for a flying photo session at his local flying field in Pennsylvania. That day we had about 20 mph winds and it was only about 18 degrees! It took about a half hour after that to warm up!

The article was written and went to press in a matter of a few weeks! Bob Hunt later told me that it was the largest selling plan for FM up to that time.

Later on, Dan Banjock and I had a ball flying "double Slob".

That led to spreading the international virus called "BiSlob"

Picture 1) Son Craig and me with the first Slobs built from the noted drawings.
Picture 2) John Kelly, Me and Craig with our "BiSlobs". The "Big Slob" is at out feet.

[Jim Kraft]

Control line has never been the same since you published that plan. The BiSlob is the Red Green of control line. That is why I have two. A red one and a green one. I may build a super slob with an Anderson Spitfire.

[Tom Niebuhr]

..And Shug has taken it to another level with his Unicycle!

In my "Vagabond" thread we talked about stagger and I mentioned the "Stagger-Bi"

Here is a picture of the "Stagger-Bi" and a note to me from Ron Pavloer about it. It was a good looking airplane.

[wwwarbird]

 Neat story. Does the Big Slob perform the same way a BiSlob does?

[Tom Niebuhr]

Wayne,
No. the BiSlob is exponentially better.

[john e. holliday]

Well I have two in the shop.  The latest was built for Melvin Schuette, but I messed up and was supposed to put landing gear on top side. 

[Scott Richlen]

That Stagger-Slob looks terrific!  The note says that it doesn't fly as well as a regular Bi-Slob.  Do you know if the difference is marginal or major?

Scott

[Tom Niebuhr]

Scott,

I don't know anymore about the Stagger-Bi.. Just the note from Ron Pavloer to me. It sure is interesting. I hope you build one and let us all know the results.

[Jim Mitchell]

..And Shug has taken it to another level with his Unicycle!

In my "Vagabond" thread we talked about stagger and I mentioned the "Stagger-Bi"

Here is a picture of the "Stagger-Bi" and a note to me from Ron Pavloer about it. It was a good looking airplane.

[Jim Mitchell]

Hi Tom   That pink plane in the background was my Plane the Pink Panther
it won the 1994 king orange.    Jimmy Mitchell

[john e. holliday]

The Beech Staggerwing was a plane you had to fly.  It would turn better one way than the other.  So I would guess the Stagger Slob was the same. 

[Tom Niebuhr]

Jimmy,
Great to hear from you!

I sent you a private message

[Tom Niebuhr]

Here are more pictures of Ronnie with some of his BiSlobs. Todd Lee and Jim Mitchell informed me that the man with Ron is Ken Bessimer, who passed away last year. We have not been able to contact Ronnie, so we don't know his status.

Todd can tell us more stories about the BiSlobs.