Author Topic: What is the biggest control line plane? (Read 3753 times)

Cody bishop · « **on:** January 15, 2019, 04:20:53 PM »

I just wanted to know what is the biggest control line airplane that was ever built/flown?

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2019, 06:22:01 PM »

There's still time for someone to go out and buy a nearly clapped-out Beech King Air and 600 feet of Good Strong Cable! Oh, and pour a concrete pier in the middle of an abandoned airfield someplace, and build a swiveling anchor point for an elevator stick...

wwwarbird · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2019, 07:20:01 PM »

I'll bet Keith Trostle knows this one, Keith?

Will Hinton · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2019, 07:42:27 PM »

How big is Danny Banjock's Flite Streak?

wwwarbird · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2019, 07:57:37 PM »

Quote from: Will Hinton on January 15, 2019, 07:42:27 PM

How big is Danny Banjock's Flite Streak?

Perty dang big...

mike londke · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2019, 08:03:17 PM »

Len Bechtold’s Giant Ringmaster.

pat king · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2019, 09:32:51 PM »

The picture is John Stiles with his Ringmaster 2X, 84" wingspan and 1536 square inches.

Pat

Gary Dowler · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2019, 10:32:18 PM »

Quote from: pat king on January 15, 2019, 09:32:51 PM

The picture is John Stiles with his Ringmaster 2X, 84" wingspan and 1536 square inches.

Pat

What's on this for an engine? Anyone have any idea of weight? What lines would be used??

Gary

peabody · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2019, 12:50:37 AM »

Len's Ring is bigger...he added two panels to his Giant.

Dead Frankie or the GSCB regularly flew a 1/4 scale Cub

Robert Zambelli · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2019, 05:54:38 AM »

Here are some shots of the Sweeper after I restored it.
I put in a new engine and got it back to flyable condition.
I don't know if it's the biggest CL plane but definitely one of the biggest competitive stunt planes.
You can see the size comparison with a stock Nobler.
The second photo is the Sweeper with John's late grandson, Alex.
I donated it to the museum but if anyone is seriously interested in flying it, I will make it available.

Bob Z.

Frank Imbriaco · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2019, 06:15:54 AM »

George Rizkalla of the Union (NJ) Model Airplane Club built an absolute monster in the late 60s. I will try to get his son, Paul, to post an ancient snapshot. And it flew. My recollection is that it spanned about 10 feet.

WR Crane aka MrClean · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2019, 06:22:06 AM »

I remember an article of CL pilots sitting outside the circle and operating the controls of their massive planes, they were control line but the size of the planes were un managable by hand, they needed a pylon. Think it was in New York and there were B-17's and such so it was post WWII but I don't know if it was Pre-Vietnam.

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2019, 02:09:16 PM »

I believe the Little Mo was around 1200 square inches, and probably the larges design for stunt at least that I know of. My Brit Taurus is only 68 inch span and 850 square inches.

qaz049 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2019, 06:46:53 PM »

Quote from: Cody bishop on January 15, 2019, 04:20:53 PM

I just wanted to know what is the biggest control line airplane that was ever built/flown?

Well compared to what's been offered up here sofar this one should qualify.

In the early 1990's I was the editor of our local c/l club newsletter. While talking to some old time modeller members, one of them mentioned a c/l model he built in the late forties powered by a single cylinder motor bike engine fitted with an home made propeller. He built it for a demonstration at a local regional agricultural show in front of an audience of thousands. It flew controlled by him at the handle with a full sized trained police dog sitting in the cockpit. He later brought me a picture, of the dog sitting in it. It was a low wing monoplane style. Apparently it flew very slowly and because he'd trimmed it to fly in a circle it had very little line tension. The dog wasn't stressed because he was trained to sit till told. I published the picture in the newsletter but can't find the edition. Pity really.

Fred Cronenwett · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2019, 09:00:02 PM »

I fly a 96" span B-29 (profile scale) that comes in at 14 lbs and my friend flew his 1/3 scale spacewalker (sig kit) that came in at 19 lbs. The Spacewalker had a 106" span.

Then at one point I had the 1/4 scale Morrisey Bravo at 17 lbs (.91 four stroke) with a 97" span. Now these models did not fly a 5 or 6 second lap time, we flew them slower so the line tension was managable.

One of my sport models is a .46 powered Piper Cub with a 80" span and 2.4 Ghz for throttle control. All of the models had 2.4 Ghz for throttle control.

Fred

Paul Rizkalla · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2019, 11:06:25 AM »

hi guys- this is my dad's ukie ship (George Rizkalla-circa 1964) that's him in the red/black shirt and that's me (Paul-about 5 yrs old kneeling). 11' (eleven)wing control-line with a Super Cyclone .60. That's really all they had then. He used to fly with streamers and 2-3 other guys chasing him with their (normal) sized planes in the circle at the same time! You had to be there. Union Model Airplane Club in Union,NJ. Anyone that knows my father knows all his planes are his own design and scratch built.

Frank Imbriaco · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2019, 11:24:37 AM »

Thanks , Paul.
It was amazing to witness this plane in my teens.
Paul's father,George, only knew of one type of covering. SILK ! And he, IMO, was the undisputed master of applying it.This one was just a knock around ship. His other efforts-by the dozens(really) were spectacular.

Up to just a few years ago, he bought clear dope by the 5 gallon container... from a local, small airport.

Jared Hays · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2019, 11:59:12 PM »

Here is the Sweeper 900, unfortunately its history, Wing folded in flight apparently. Ringmaster in background for size comparison.

peabody · « **Reply #18 on:** January 18, 2019, 07:11:00 AM »

Russ Hunsberger had a Sweeper, I believe the little one. It was tough to judge, especially squares. Flew pretty well though...

Trostle · « **Reply #19 on:** January 21, 2019, 12:47:52 AM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on January 15, 2019, 04:32:10 PM

The "Jumbo" with 70 foot lines and an old style McCoy .60 red head, back in the late 50's

The Jumbo is an interesting design. Extremely light. Huge flaps. 64" span with about 1,000 sq in area, including about 250 sq in flaps. 42" long including the spinner. Published in the April 1956 issue of Model Airplane News.

Keith

john e. holliday · « **Reply #20 on:** January 21, 2019, 10:11:10 AM »

I have a Jumbo hanging on the hook. Power is a Fox .50, that first flights were with a 12-5 Top Flite prop. I took off and the plane had good pull and I immediately went into a inside loop. No loss of line tension, so I went inverted and did out side loops. Plane felt great so I leveled off to see if it was flying level. Within a couple of laps the plane almost disappeared from wings flexing. I immediately gave elevator control nd plane quit flexing. As long as he plane was at a slow speed no problems and I could do any maneuver I wanted. This is on 65 X .018 lines. Have found a 12-3 prop I want to try as soon as I can get out again. Need to dust it off. I have received all kinds of suggestions on stopping the flutter. Even putting on carbon fibre top and bottom biased 45 degrees with dope. Any way it was a challenge to build with its size. The blocks I got from Lone Star and it took Dremel tool and chisels to carve and was heavy until I removed every thing not needed. When weather breaks I need to get it out and play some more.

nobler · « **Reply #21 on:** January 23, 2019, 11:01:10 PM »

The 50s era Japanese Eureka B-36 had a 112" wingspan. As far as kitted models are concerned, I believe this to be the largest. I sold one of these on ebay a few years back. Eureka also offered a B-29, B-25, etc. Currell

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #22 on:** January 28, 2019, 08:03:14 AM »

AACK! this thread like waving a red cape in front of me!

Big Art's "Big Wing" from 1949. 78" span, about 1100 squares. Fuselage length about the same as a Barnstormer. Original wing still exists so we were able to duplicate it. Very good OTS flyer, flies like a trainer...

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #23 on:** January 28, 2019, 06:58:36 PM »

Can't tell from the picture but do you remember what engine he used? Just curious.

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #24 on:** January 28, 2019, 09:38:28 PM »

Quote from: Jim Kraft on January 28, 2019, 06:58:36 PM

Can't tell from the picture but do you remember what engine he used? Just curious.

OK 60's, on glow. used both the Super 60 and the Gold Head (gold seal?) model. Engines never stood a chance...

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #25 on:** January 29, 2019, 09:59:41 AM »

Thanks Dennis. It is always interesting, to me any way, what engines guys used back then. Glow had just come out and a lot were still using ignition. Very interesting plane for sure.

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #26 on:** January 30, 2019, 11:12:53 AM »

Quote from: Jim Kraft on January 29, 2019, 09:59:41 AM

Thanks Dennis. It is always interesting, to me any way, what engines guys used back then. Glow had just come out and a lot were still using ignition. Very interesting plane for sure.

Thanks Jim. As I understand it the OK Gold head was only sold as glow, even though the cam for the points nd the mountings were all retaining from the earlier ignition 60.

I think the biggest problem with the OK was poor prop selection. He and his brother Paul (co-builder of the original) used a Drone #2 prop. I believe that was an 11x10 with a really thick blade. The OK used to overheat and on one memorable occasion it actually blew the cylinder off completely, a couple seconds later there was a loud POP as the cylinder crashed through the top outboard wing covering.

Best guess is the reproductions (my brother also built one) are at least 2 POUNDS lighter than the original too - that is a good thing...

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #27 on:** January 30, 2019, 04:50:25 PM »

I have never run one so can not speak from experience, but I know those who have said they actually put out pretty good torque but at low rpm. They do not turn up very fast so need a lot of pitch. I have found my Super Cyclones like 12X8 props for the same reason. The Spitfires and Orwicks are happy with 13X6 props as they will easily run 10,000 rpm.

Those two bolt on cylinders could have used some Locktite. I have seen the same thing with Madewells as the two bolts work lose and off goes the cylinder. Great memories.