Remembering my 1st Ringmaster!

[John Cralley]

Since my article in Model Aviation came out in the Sept. 2015 issue I have received a number of requests for plans from fliers that say their first model or first "good" model was a Ringmaster.

Then I got the following email from Bill Bickel.

It occurred to me that others might enjoy reading about early Ringmaster experiences so I am starting this thread with Bill's story.

I hope others will take a minute to share their early Ringmaster experiences with us as well!!

On 8/31/2015 11:00 PM, WILLIAM BICKEL wrote:
Hi John:

I really enjoyed your Ringmaster article in the September MA.

Looking at your photo I can see that from your point of view
at 73 I'm just a kid.

In the mid to late 1960's I was growing up in Gallup, NM which
had a population of about 14,500 at the time. To say that Ringmasters were popular at the time was an understatement.

Ed Shibata, the owner of Tom's Variety Store, which was also the local hobby shop,
would order Ringmaster kits from his distributor in Phoenix, AZ in case lots..

Since happiness is  defined as "a Fox .35 and a Ringmaster"  What could
better?      Two Fox .35's and a Ringmaster of course.

I had a tremendous amount of fun with  it because the sound of two howling
Foxes drifting in and out of sync would really bring the spectators to the
Gallup Inter Tribal Indian Ceremonial parking lot that we had permission to use
for a flying field when it was not being used for event parking.

Frankly, the thing was a lousy flyer because I did not consider the obvious and
shorten the noses  a bit when I built it.    It was so nose heavy that I had all I could
do to pull off a loop without running out of altitude.  My attempts at a loop often
resulted in only a sloppy wingover.

The end of the ship was  due to the inboard engine quitting when the plane was
nearly overhead in one of these wingovers. When the line pull was lost, the power
from the still running outboard engine  caused the plane to start rotating around it's
vertical axis and literally  "chase it's tail(s) into the ground.

At this point I should mention that it is possible to break Sterling's reinforced
with plywood joint where the two LE pieces  come together.

It had another trick that was never explained.  This happened at least once every
3 or 4 flights.   One engine would abruptly stop running. (or so we thought)  Only the
sound of one engine could be heard and the plane would slow down.  However, the
prop would not stop turning.   Then, one or two laps later the dead engine would pick
and run just like it had been doing earlier in the flight.  No spurts here, the bad engine
was either on or off...no in between. 

Thanks again for the great article about a great plane.

Best regards, Bill Bickel
 

[Motorman]

Back in 1960 we lived in an old farm house in the swamps of south jersey that had coal fired heat. In the basement dad had a little work bench and he helped me built an S1 Ringmaster with Fox 29 power. On an autumn day in a mowed down corn field he held me up with his left arm and with his right hand over mine we flew it. I was 4 years old.

Currently building my second one.


MM

[Mike Anderson]

OK - my first Ringmaster was a Ringmaster Jr.  Crappy kit, crappy flyer, didn't last long.  That was about 1975.  It was also my last Ringmaster.  Sorry I don't share the sentiment for this plane, but that's just me.  Hope you fellows enjoy yours.