Ruffy

[Bill Mandakis]

I have wanted to build a Ruffy for almost 50 years. I never did. However, I have an opportunity to get a kit. What are some opinions of the Ruffy? I am highly competitive; so I would be looking for a plane that would be competitive.

[Dave_Trible]

The Ruffy is one of my all time favorite airplanes.  It can fly an outstanding classic pattern.  In recent history Ted Fancher has cleaned up on the contest circuit with his.  The one I now have is my fourth. The first one was my first full fuselage stunter with which I finished learning the pattern in the late sixties.  It was silk covered and Fox .35 powered.  The second I jet-styled with a forward canopy,  engine pod wheel pants and a Navy paint scheme.  This I flew in Junior at the ‘68 Nats.  This last one a built last year from a Sterling kit.  All the last three used McCoy .35s.  The kit wood can be real heavy.  I used the wing ribs, spars, fuselage formers and the shapes edges for the stab and rudder but replaced the rest with light wood.  This one is around 42 ounces.

Dave

[peabody]

Go for it....
I understand that they fly pretty well......
Windy once remarked that he left Ruffy's all over New Jersey as he was learning to fly...

[Dave_Trible]

...

[Will Hinton]

Always been one of my favorites, too.  I built the kit right after it came out, and, like Dave T., finished learning the pattern with it.  I scratch built another in the '80's that came out very light, flew fine, (better than me) and it now is in John Brodak's hands for his museum.  It includes a picture of Lew and me holding it at the nats right after he signed it!  I've tried to find that piscture on my computer, but no joy at this time.
Go for it, you won't be disappointed.

[Lyle Spiegel]

How do Ruffy & Dolphin compare? I have Dolphin replica kit I got from Penn Valley Hobby, never built a Ruffy.

[Dave_Trible]

I think they handle quite a bit alike although i haven’t flown mine back to back or even in the same year.  My Dolphin is especially ‘dainty’ on the lines which takes a little getting used to but will fly with about anything.  The Ruffy is a little bigger and builds some heavier with its tapered wing and wing mounted landing gear on a torsion spar arraignment so pulls a little more solidly.  Both good performers.  Lew IMHO was a little ahead of his time with all his machines.  The Shark with the right power can be an airplane to be reconded with even today.

Dave

[Gary Mondry]

Bill,

Ted commented at length on getting his Ruffy trimmed and its flight characteristics in this thread:  https://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/old-stunters-vs-new-ones/msg120887/#msg120887 , reply #14.

[Allan Perret]

Any of the "Cottage Kitters" ever did the Ruffy.

[Gary Mondry]

RSM: https://www.rsmdistribution.com/kit-detail.php?pn=ruff&src=kits-classic.php

[Brett Buck]

Bill,

Ted commented at length on getting his Ruffy trimmed and its flight characteristics in this thread:  https://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/old-stunters-vs-new-ones/msg120887/#msg120887 , reply #14.

   The takeaway from that is the amazing amount of power it was able to suck up due to the induced drag of the low-aspect ratio wing. I would guess that the Dolphin (which is like a blown-up Shark 15) is likely the better flier of the two.

     I flew a couple of very good flights on Ted's Ruffy (because there was $10 on the line...) in ideal conditions, but you have to be *very* easy on it even with a very effective engine, or it just gets slower and slower and slower as the maneuver wears on. If someone wants to know where the "cliff" is as you reduce the aspect ratio (below which it is disproportionately ineffective), it's somewhere between the Ruffy and the Nobler. Plan on using a very effective engine like an Aero-Tiger 36, and learn energy management.

   Brett

[Chris McMillin]

Ted Fancher and I pitted for one another a couple of days a few VSC's back and he was flying his Ruffy. I was very impressed with it, he was running a Rustler 40 engine and Ian Russell was even in attendance.
Chris...