My Twister

[Bruce Guertin]

This Twister is last model I built in early eighties before I stopped modeling to go drag racing. My race career is now over. Time to get serious about modelling again. The Twister was given back to me last Thursday by the modeler I gave it to. He flew it some and replaced the Fox 35 with an Enya 35.

I'd forgotten how I built it. It's red PolyU Pactra with Dove grey Monokote. I had added two inches to the span, two inches to the stab, and changed the rudder shape. The flaps, stab, and elevators were of a geodetic rib construction. It has a 3/8" cheek doubler. Because I worked in the City sign shop at the time the landing gear is made from tempered aluminum from a scrap street sign. It's in great condition. He tells me I added the name, and the numbers are his AMA one.

The little girl in the photo just turned 50 years old this last February. The next photo is of it hanging in my son's garage. I have no idea how I'll get home. Drive back to Michigan, I guess.

 

[Paul Taylor]

Nice Twister!
Like the color combo.

[HemiGTX]

Very nice Twister; it’s going to be a lot of fun.  What are you planning for your next build?

You have done very well drag racing!  Are you going to still dabble in racing or have you hung it up for good?  I retired a couple years ago and I’m finally getting caught up enough to get back into flying and drag racing.  I’m doing better at getting out to the flying circle than the drag strip, but I hope to even things out soon.

[wwwarbird]

  I've always thought the Twister is about the best "bang-for-the buck" C/L Stunt design. Built light and straight they're excellent performers.

 It's interesting to learn that I'm not the only one here taking a C/L break after getting back into drag racing. I've been lucky enough to be the pilot of "Past Gas" the past couple seasons now, a 1000hp blown alcohol Nostalgia Dragster. Personal best pass to date is a 7.79 @ 181mph. We just added a launch control this morning that should save me another half second.

[HemiGTX]

Wow, what a ride Wwarbird.  I have a nostalgia racer, too.  It’s a 68 Super Stock Barracuda with a cross-rammed 426 Hemi and a 4 spd. 

Sorry that we slightly hijacked your thread, Bruce.  We’d love to hear about your ‘79 Ford.

[M Spencer]

THATS not a Twister .

' What makes a Duster a twister?
The Twister's appearance package included special side stripes that mimicked the Duster 340 Wedge stripes, a matte-black hood, and the 340's special shark-tooth grille. "

this IS A tWISTER ! .



GUESS THEY NAMED IT AFTER THE BEST CAR ! .



Just in case theres any doubt . Guess you could use the decale . 

[Steve Dwyer]

Your Twister looks somewhat Fancherized but I'm not sure when Ted created his design, I'm thinking it was well after the 80s. Extending the fuse 2" was part of the modification, I wonder if Ted got the thought form the general trend at the time to lengthen the airframe?
Steve

[john e. holliday]

Twister looks great for its age.  When you get to fly it let us know.  My self I tried drag racing,  a 64 289  2barrel Ford 2 door hard top Fairlane.   At the time they wouldn't give me a 4 barrel with the 4 speed tyransmission.  Also tried a 450 Honda motorcycle.   The airplanes were never hung up as I was flying them also  at the time.

[Bruce Guertin]

Very nice Twister; it’s going to be a lot of fun.  What are you planning for your next build?

You have done very well drag racing!  Are you going to still dabble in racing or have you hung it up for good?  I retired a couple years ago and I’m finally getting caught up enough to get back into flying and drag racing.  I’m doing better at getting out to the flying circle than the drag strip, but I hope to even things out soon.

I evolved into a throttle stop 10.90 guy. To get it right the planets had to line up. Mostly Divisional races with a few National events thrown in. I raced that Gatornationls twice and the Southern Nationals in Atlanta once.

I've been collecting C/L stuff for a bit. I've got a couple of twister kits, a green box Nobler, a Sig Magnum, a Midwest Me-109, and a Walter Umland Sakitume. I got some new and used engines, too. Bob Hunt cut me a wing for another Flying Red Horse a while back.



 

[Steve Dwyer]

Bruce,

You need to stay away from the gas pumps and spend more time at the work bench. Any one of those kits could be finished before summer's end and think what you'll be saving on not buying the 90-octane stuff.

Steve

[HemiGTX]

Bruce, you have some very nice kits.  What is your next project?  Keep us posted on your Twister.

[Bruce Guertin]

Thought I'd build another Twister. Grey wings, blue fuse. This time Fancherized. Nothing fancy. I haven't had a handle in my hand in 40 years.

Speaking of which: how to power it, what lines to use, what handle?

You know I even got a handful of RevUp props back when I got the airplane.

[Motorman]

Power would be an OS FP40, LA40, LA46. Lines .015" stranded stainless steel, 60 feet long. Handle you want something with a 4" spacing. You got any 11-4, 11-5 Rev Ups?

MM

[Ken Culbertson]

OR:

Cobra 2820/12 or BadAss 2820-780, Castle Talon 35 ESC, FM-9 timer and at least 4 2300-2800 4s Batteries.  11-5, 11-6 pusher prop, 60' 80lb Spectra lines, light weight hardpoint handle with minimum 4" spacing and a battery charger.

I was out 30 years and this is what I used to get back into the groove with my Twister.  Fantastic little plane if you Fancherize it.  Still great if you don't.

Ken

[Bruce Guertin]

Power would be an OS FP40, LA40, LA46. Lines .015" stranded stainless steel, 60 feet long. Handle you want something with a 4" spacing. You got any 11-4, 11-5 Rev Ups?

MM

I don't have any 11" RevUps. Engine wise, I have 4 Tower .40s, one new, two used and one that looks to be modified at one of the liner ports. I've got an OS LA .46, an FP .40, looks pretty new, an OS LA .40 used and an OS FP-S that the box says modified by Dixson but, nothing on the engine says that. A Fox .36X I bought a Garner sleeve, piston, and rod. Looks like it has a bushing in front with a bearing in the back. This one really interests me.

[Bruce Guertin]

  I've always thought the Twister is about the best "bang-for-the buck" C/L Stunt design. Built light and straight they're excellent performers.

 It's interesting to learn that I'm not the only one here taking a C/L break after getting back into drag racing. I've been lucky enough to be the pilot of "Past Gas" the past couple seasons now, a 1000hp blown alcohol Nostalgia Dragster. Personal best pass to date is a 7.79 @ 181mph. We just added a launch control this morning that should save me another half second.

That looks like a fun ride. And you got your own BUG, too!

[Ken Culbertson]

OR:

Cobra 2820/12 or BadAss 2820-780, Castle Talon 35 ESC, FM-9 timer and at least 4 2300-2800 4s Batteries.  11-5, 11-6 pusher prop, 60' 80lb Spectra lines, light weight hardpoint handle with minimum 4" spacing and a battery charger.

I was out 30 years and this is what I used to get back into the groove with my Twister.  Fantastic little plane if you Fancherize it.  Still great if you don't.

Ken

Although my preference would be electric you do have a stable of usable motors, save one.  I don't know much about the FP's but the LA's are both a good fit.  The LA 40 is a completely different motor from the 46 even though they share a lot of parts.  The 40 is the logical choice since the plane was designed for a Fox 35 but the LA46 offers exceptional 4 stroke performance which will tame it enough for the Twister.  The only one I would not use is the Fox 36x.

Ken

[Motorman]

The Tower 40 ABC would be my choice. I have an LA46 on mine and had to strenthen the empinage to balance the plane, it's stiff and powerful, flys great but you have to plan for the extra weight during building. The LA40 is heavier. The Fox 36x would be good on a vintage combat plane.   

[Richard Fleming]

Nice looking twister. I love the F.E.D.s old school rules in drag racing!