Yes, how long have we been at this racing thing with models.   My first Rat Racer was the Guillows Rat Racer with new McCoy Redhead .35.   Only flew in one contest back then at Stanley Air Park west of Stanley KS.   Later I tried designing my own rat which was a big failure.  Then Midwest came out with their Rat Racer.   That with a Fox Golden .40 was my combination.   Then in 70 my brother Bob and I tried to compete in Scale Racing with what later proved to be an illegal plane for scale racing.  But, it was a kit and what did I know.  They let us fly anyway.   I did have some success in rat locally with the Skat Rat and Super Tigre .40.  No shut offs back then either.   Finally Wright and Dunkin got me into F2C racing while it was still fun.  Went through a lot of pilots.   Then my son and I finally got into Mouse Racing.   He loves racing and will still do it if it wasn't for having his own  family and a rock group that performs around the local area.  Melvin Schuette is my pilot when I enter contests now.   Now I see someone has made a change in the Big Goodyear rules so I may dust off a plane again.   The knees are getting where I am able to do pit stops when the plane gets to me.   Just need to get out and practice. 

Now what started this tirade is the post about Bill's new Goodyear racer and Bob wanting to know if he knew him.   I know for a fact both have competed against each other in past NATS.  I can't remember when I met either one of them,  but I do remember the year I first met John Ballard and John Kilsdonk.   It was the 1970 NATS which was the first and only NATS for my brother.   I think he flew every other race during the qualifying races.   Then the shouting going on when he found out that he got beat in one of the races.   There are so many I have watched racing through the years and wish I could remember each and every one.  So many times I have wished I had kept a log book of all the places I have been and the people I have met.  So many are no longer with us now.   Rusty Brown is the one I remember most as I knew him from the early days at City Park Contests in Kansas City Kansas.  Back then it was Rat Racing, Combat, Stunt and Navy Carrier. 

Still waiting on a couple of people to finish their books on Model Aviation, like Bobby Hunt and there is one other one doing a stunt history.   Brains cells not working at this moment.  Probably come to me when I post this.  By the way Melvin and I got a second place in F2C behind Mike Greb when Bob's pilot walked out before the final race was done.   I think Bob had first place sewed up at that point.  Even yelling didn't stop the pilot soon enough.   So many stories are coming to mind, like when I caught Melvin's mouse and was holding the out board wing in my hand.  We finished the race and got second place if I remember right.  He has the trophy.  Time to go get daughter down at Grain Valley MO for dinner.

That was not my trophy to give, it was Mike's. It was our first, and so far our only F2C victory. Ironically, I think it was the first year of NATS racing records, so our 10 minute plus time was a record, at least until the following year.

BB

Rat started up in Detroit in either 1962 or 63.  There were 24 teams entered in the first race.  A number that I don't think was ever equaled or topped.

Prior to Rat there was the event now called "B Team Race".  I saw a couple of the local hot shots trying to get one to work - with poor results.  B Team Race just had too many rules to comply with.  The old "40 Rat" was a lot more popular.  Plenty of guys were able to get their head around ".40 cubic inches and 60' lines."

I built my first RAT, an SEV rat from MAN, 1960-61.  I used the full size fuselage plans in a centerfold along with dimensions for the square wing and stab.  Put a green head K&B 35 in it, had a ball.

Guillow's released their Rat Racer in 1957 for the new AMA Rat Racing event. I joined the Dayton Buzzin' Buzzards in 1960 and remember Royal Rodents being raced then. I built one with an 8-Bolt Fox in 1961 or so.

John Barr & Dick Norsikian won the last AMA Team Race event at the 1964 NATS with their Orange Krate. Grassroots Rat was far more popular by that time. AMA Team Race had evolved into a cross between FAI Team Race and B Proto.

 South Florida was at the front of Rat Racing in the late 50's we could fly Rat and combat almost every weekend and not drive more than 50 miles  half fasts and Quickers ruled combat.  once leaving the ringmasters and flying clowns ,most rats started out as Guillow's trainers # 2  and modified from there, usually with aluminum gear and a solid maple or ash motor mount carved out ti fit the engine mostly K&B 35's  than the Fox 35 combat if u could start it.  the Guillows Rat had a terrable 1.2 in thick wing that never cought on here when the midwest full body Rat came out it was the beginning of the end of the profile Rat then the royal rodent came out and the rest is history  ,dont ever remember seeing 40 entrys in any Rar racing event

John, do not apologize too much as i could be off a bit on the actual dates but are close