Author Topic: STUNT FLYING IN THE SNOW PICTURES? (Read 3681 times)

Shultzie · « **on:** November 27, 2006, 12:56:16 PM »

Just took a photo this mor.
ANYONE HAVE A GOOD "FLYING IN THE SNOW STORIES?"

Bob Zambelli · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2006, 01:18:14 PM »

Here's my Oriental ready to go - all I need is snow (not that I want it!!!)
Bob Z.

Jim Oliver · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2006, 01:23:29 PM »

Man!! That's neat---"cool", too.

Glad I don't need 'em.

Jim

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2006, 02:50:38 PM »

This was several years ago, had just finished the TwistMaster and just had to fly it. The night before we had an ice storm, that isn't snow it's ice. We sprinkled the center of the circle with kitty litter so we wouldn's slip and fall.

Lee Thiel · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2006, 03:44:32 PM »

Hey Bob, that just can't be you out there in the ice! Where's the parka and the big ole fire?

Lee TGD

Martin Quartim · « **Reply #5 on:** November 27, 2006, 04:53:25 PM »

Bob,

that is way too cool!

But that ain't look like a 4 Stroker hehehehe

Martin

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2006, 04:56:57 PM »

Ya thats me, it was just after I got back into CL, the excitement of the moment was enough to overcome my natural aversion to anything below 60. Can't remember but think Elwin was the only other brave soul to show up.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2006, 06:48:04 PM »

So, if the snow was soft could you make a guess at how big the skies should be? I was thinking of some aluminum for my Flite Streak, about 2 by 12 inches. One ski.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2006, 06:48:40 PM »

By the way, I really like yours.

Keith Spriggs · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2006, 10:34:33 PM »

I never flew in the snow, but one time out of boredom I made up a contraption that consisted of a couple of aluminum skies and a 1/2A engine. No control system of any kind. Sorta like a "free ski" model. It went like the blazes but you never knew where it was going to go. Occasional it would circle around and try to bite the hand that fed it.

Boredom is a terrible thing to waste.

Elwyn Aud · « **Reply #10 on:** November 27, 2006, 10:38:49 PM »

Quote from: Bob Reeves on November 27, 2006, 04:56:57 PM

Ya thats me, it was just after I got back into CL, the excitement of the moment was enough to overcome my natural aversion to anything below 60. Can't remember but think Elwin was the only other brave soul to show up.

If I remember correctly it looked a lot colder than it was. I think the sun came out and warmed it up to around 60 degress.

Bob Zambelli · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2006, 06:29:55 AM »

Although I have no set dimensions for the skis, I normally make them one wing chord long by 1 1/2" wide. This seems to work in all but the very softest snow.

I form them over a curved piece of styrofoam, usually around 3 or 4 layers of 1/64th plywood.

The skis are free to pivot approximately 3 degrees positive angle of attack and 10 degrees negative. They are cable restricted and maintained in flight at the positive angle of attack by small springs.

Bob Z.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2006, 02:41:44 PM »

Hey Don, is that all the snow you got?

About 6" on the ridge at my house. Fun drive into work today. Wheeeeee!!!

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2006, 03:22:09 PM »

Donnie...here's a picture of our group in Pullman about '59. Can you pick me out? The Berkley Guardian had a McCoy Super Stunt

.36 for power. I never saw it with the cowl, but was impressed with the takeoffs and landings. It didn't do anything else very well. OTOH, none of us flew very well, either! I guess I'd been flying for a year or two, at that time. It was 0ºF when we got home (on foot, nobody had a car). The guy second from the right about froze his keester off. He fell on hard times and became a machinist and Free Flighter.

We never bothered with skiis on the models. The snow trampled down ok for takeoffs. Landings were flipovers, but hey, it was snow, what could it hurt?

Steve

Elwyn Aud · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2006, 06:48:38 PM »

Neat photo! Try finding 7 young folks getting together to fly control-line planes today and you might be searching for a good bit.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #15 on:** November 28, 2006, 08:47:15 PM »

Bob, thanks for the dimensions. There is no use trying to invent what someone has already figured out. I have 5 inches on the ground and it is cooling down, so wheels aren't really much use for a while. So, skies, here I come.

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #16 on:** November 28, 2006, 08:48:50 PM »

Eight, actually. My brother took the picture, developed and printed it. The oldest guy there was a Jr. or Sr. in HS. I was the youngest, and was in Jr. High. Leather coats aren't very warm, and I didn't have a hat or gloves. The jeans might have had flannel lining, tho. I think the WSC Field House had the doors locked because it was during winter break, or we would have flown indoors.

It's 23.5ºF here right now...just went out for the mail. That's enough of that!

Tucson doesn't look all that bad, after all!

Steve

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2006, 11:32:48 PM »

Steve, its below 0 tonight here in pullman. wanna come fly? Im sure the ice in the parking lot at the High school would be well trampled by now! Man who needs this stuff, sheesh, back to the building board

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #18 on:** November 29, 2006, 08:37:32 AM »

God love Oklahoma, Right now it's close to 70 but by 3:00 this afternoon it's supose to drop into the 30's, high tomorrow in the 20's. Looks like winter is here..

Garf · « **Reply #19 on:** November 29, 2006, 11:55:38 AM »

I won't bore you with a Miami weather report. Wind is the problem here. Winter is always windy in Miami.

Shultzie · « **Reply #20 on:** November 29, 2006, 01:08:48 PM »

Quote from: Randy on November 28, 2006, 02:41:44 PM

Hey Don, is that all the snow you got?

About 6" on the ridge at my house. Fun drive into work today. Wheeeeee!!!

Naw...same ol' same old ice..the kids were sledding on the hill yesterday until after dark.
My wife left for work this morning at REI in Sumner...things are improving.
Stay warm...and hey..RANDY
POST SOME OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL MODELS...HUH?

Shultzie · « **Reply #21 on:** November 29, 2006, 01:14:42 PM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on November 28, 2006, 03:22:09 PM

Donnie...here's a picture of our group in Pullman about '59. Can you pick me out? The Berkley Guardian had a McCoy Super Stunt .36 for power. I never saw it with the cowl, but was impressed with the takeoffs and landings. It didn't do anything else very well. OTOH, none of us flew very well, either! I guess I'd been flying for a year or two, at that time. It was 0ºF when we got home (on foot, nobody had a car). The guy second from the right about froze his keester off. He fell on hard times and became a machinist and Free Flighter.

We never bothered with skiis on the models. The snow trampled down ok for takeoffs. Landings were flipovers, but hey, it was snow, what could it hurt?
Steve

--------------------------------STEVE IS THAT U-FREEZIN YOUR KEESTER OFF?--------------------
STEVE...
I DID FIND AN OLD PHOTO OF YOUR "WEEEEL-WHEEL-BORROW'

What a great buggy to transport all those large oversized planes and flyin' equipment.
Where did U find such a fine mode of transportation?

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #22 on:** December 01, 2006, 06:18:30 PM »

It was bright and sunny and 32 this afternoon and I couldn't stand it. The airplane isn't much and the ski is a piece of K&S aluminum, but the thing FLEW. Great advantage to the wide ski is that the plane didn't fall over. On take off anyhow, it went head over tail on landing.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #23 on:** December 01, 2006, 06:45:14 PM »

Actually, I was pretty amazed. I warmed the engine with a blow dryer before heading to the park, used Superfuel 5%, and got really good engine runs. Take offs were fine, landings were all flipovers, but this thing doesn't land well anyhow. I have a Flite Streak almost done, it looks like it will get its first flights with a ski. A plane that actually flies should do better. Will let you know in a few weeks.

bluemax · « **Reply #24 on:** December 02, 2006, 09:22:04 PM »

Ah, flying in the snow - something we usually had to do 7 months of the year, assuming we wanted to fly at all. That was back in the 70's in Anchorage. Other than my Skylark, my best snow-fliers were my P-63 King Cobra and the old Cosmic Wind (pics below). During the winter, especially January-March we had to use propane torches to warm the engines enough to fire - temp was regularly -20 to -40.

I remember one time that we used my VW camper for the guys to stay warm in while someone was flying. Snow was 3' deep and we hand-shoveled the circle so the planes could take-off and land. Alaska snow is very dry and powdery, the planes were sinking into it all the way to the fuselage.

Dave

Terry Bolin · « **Reply #25 on:** December 04, 2006, 06:56:26 AM »

Never flew inthe actual snow but I have been out when we had to hold the engines under the car heater to warm them up, run to the lines and crank 'em before they got tooooooo cold.
Also, it hurts a lot more when the prop wacks ya at 20-30 degrees.
Terry

Ward Van Duzer · « **Reply #26 on:** December 04, 2006, 01:44:24 PM »

1954! In the mountains of Pennsylvania.

Airplane was a Sky Box. Modified the wing (no it didn't get that way from a nose first landing) Fox .35. After we painted the red stripes on the wing we renamed it The Pep Box! We'd squirt Powermaster on the cylinder head and light it! That warmed it up gooooooood.

the original Steve Smith · « **Reply #27 on:** December 14, 2006, 07:50:08 PM »

Don't know if this qualifies but here are a couple of pics from our session here in St. Louis on December 9th shortly after the big ICE storm we had here.

First pic is John Garrett with his well worn Ringmaster. Second pic is our proof that Steve Smith and Bill Marvel qualified for their first time as all season (Year Round) fliers on that day.