I may have a find

[john e. holliday]

Got into a big box yesterday evening and was looking thru all the plans  in it.   Most are magazine full size plans and some I got from individuals.   I run across a set of the "Trophy Trainer" plans that had a picture and a written note to George.   Doesn't say which George and is signed off as Tom with the statement he ran out of room.   Just glimpsing at the note it looks like building and finishing notes.   I don't remember who or where I got them.   They are full size plans with the names of Tom Wardon and Lucky Pyatt in the corner. 

[Bill Little]

Hi Doc,

Looks like a set from Tom Warden his own self!   Great find!

Bill

[Brian Massey]

I still have the set Tom gave me so many years ago. However, I stored them poorly and the corner with the names has gotten brittle and disappeared. Glad yours are in better shape.

No clue who George is . . . unless it was the G.A.!!

Brian

[Larry Renger]

Funny you should mention that design, Andy Borgogna and I were out flying this morning, and he put up a couple of flights on his newly electrified Trophy Trainer!

[Brian Massey]

Funny you should mention that design, Andy Borgogna and I were out flying this morning, and he put up a couple of flights on his newly electrified Trophy Trainer!

How did it fly a an ETT . . . eTT . . . "e"tt? I'm flying one now with an LA 46. Love the way it flys.

Brian

[Larry Renger]

Plenty of power available, but some trim problems.  Andy is going to recheck all the alignments.  looks like the balance may be a bit aft, the handle spacing too wide, and the elevators are not lined up with each other.  More as it develops, news at 11 (that's sometime 2011).  As they say, you are only finished trimming when the last scrap goes in the trash.

[Serge_Krauss]

Could they be plans you bought at the GMA auction at VSC a few years ago. 'sounds like a letter from TW to GMA.

SK

[john e. holliday]

Could be as I have been to every VSC since 1996.   If I remember right.

[Bill Little]

I'm really looking forward to seeing Aaron's TT in the air.  We used a 1/4" core cut out behind the TE, ribs put in (geodesic) put 1/8" sides on the fuselage and it is very stiff, yet still fairly light.  Gonna use a .46LA w/ reduced size venturi, 12.25 X 3.75 APC prop.  Wing is covered with SLC, gonna scrub it with scotch brite pad, primer and paint like Phil C. suggests.

(I wanted to use a McCoy Red Head .40! LOL!! )

Big Bear

[Brian Massey]

(I wanted to use a McCoy Red Head .40! LOL!! )

Big Bear

My very first TT was powered by a McCoy Red Head 40, and it performed nicely. Current on has an OS LA 46 and performs better than I remember the McCoy version doing.

Brian

[Bill Little]

My very first TT was powered by a McCoy Red Head 40, and it performed nicely. Current on has an OS LA 46 and performs better than I remember the McCoy version doing.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Yeah, the .46LA will have more power which cannot hurt, I just love the old McCoy .40RH! LOL!!

Bill

[Andrew Borgogna]

Here is my two cents Doc.  I bought a set of plans from Tom around the 1969-70 time frame.  I went to his house and got them from Tom, they look just like the one you are showing.  Doc can you open up the plans and measure the rib spaceing.  Just curious, because I rememeber the spacing being wider than the modern one I have now.  I flew that one on a .35 and it flew well I really don't think the one I have now would fly on a .35.  Anyway the plans I got were a kind of blue print type just like the one you show.
Andy Borgogna

[Brian Massey]

Here is my two cents Doc.  I bought a set of plans from Tom around the 1969-70 time frame.  I went to his house and got them from Tom, they look just like the one you are showing.  Doc can you open up the plans and measure the rib spaceing.   Just curious, because I rememeber the spacing being wider than the modern one I have now.  I flew that one on a .35 and it flew well I really don't think the one I have now would fly on a .35.  Anyway the plans I got were a kind of blue print type just like the one you show.
Andy Borgogna

Andy; I've built one of each in the past few years, and the original plans did have much wider rib spacing than the newer version. Also, the nose is now about 2 inches shorter, which is probably needed when you put on a modern powerplant with a muffler.

Brian

[john e. holliday]

Well Andy asked for some details, hope this answers most questions.  Ribs are 1/16 balsa except ribs 1a which are 1/8 and ribs 1b are 1/8 plywood.   The landing gear is mounted on ribs 1b.   The spacing I measured is between the ribs and I don't know if he designed it this way or not.  But here goes starting with the inboard rib to outboard or left to right.   I--4 3/16--I--4 5/16--I--4 3/16--I--4 5/16--I--4 1/8--I--center of wing 5 3/4--I--3 15/16--I--4 1/16--I--4--I--4--I--4 1/16--I.    I = rib.    Is this confusing?   He also show outboard flap is to be 1/8 inch wider at the center of the wing with equal movement of flap and elevator, 45 degrees.   He also shows the balance is 1/4 inch in front of the spar.   He also shows OS 35 for power and claims the plane flies slow.  Timed at 42 MPH. A lot of detail in what few notes are on the plans.  Like canopy can be either 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness.  He does not give wing span or area.   Need my old blue print shop so I can have the plans put on velum.   

I wish he had dated the note, as he said the pic was taken when Al Rabe came out to fly at Thunderbugs contest.jeh

[Avaiojet]

Doc,

Could you take a photo of the plans opened up?

What does the model look like?

CB

[Brian Massey]

Here's a pic of Tom with his TT. For an older design, it flys very well; tracks great and makes very smooth corners. It is still competitive today for us not flying expert.

Brian

[john e. holliday]

Doc,

Could you take a photo of the plans opened up?

What does the model look like?

CB

Well the plan is dark and the print is faint.  Don't think the camera woud pick it up.  But, send me $100.00 and I will have a copy made and sent to lyo.   I am really thinking of making copies made unless someone has the rights to it all ready, like Tom Lay who I think was very close to him.