Control-line planes

[UpStandingMember]

Does anybody fly control-line planes anymore?

I had a blast when I was a teen flying those. We'd get two and sometimes three guys in the same circle dogfighting. I just don't hear about that anymore.

 

[martin]

I often wonder the same thing. It was a real blast, no radio, no batteries (other than for the glow plug) and no driving into the middle of nowhere to find a place to fly. Not to mention the fact that it didn't cost a fortune to have a good time. Ah! the good old days.

 

[UpStandingMember]

I loved doing the stunts too. I could do just about anything except the triangles, didn't have the courage to try that one.

The whole neighborhood of kids would be over and we'd all fly. Almost every evening too. Must have been a dozen of us kids flying then.

I forget what year it was, but we went to Rutland for the Vermont State championships and I took first place with my F-4U Corsair, and second with my P-51 Mustang. I was supposed to fly my Acromaster (?) with a .15 in it for stunts, but I saw all these guys with Noblers that had .35's in them and I chickened out. I should have flown though, I think I could have beat them after I saw them fly. But it was too late by then.

Did you practice getting dizzy too? My Dad taught me that. He flew back in the 40's and 50's.

 

[martin]

We didn't practice much of anything, we just went out and had a good time. I used to like flying the small flying wings, they were cheap and quick to build and could be flown almost anywhere.

 

[UpStandingMember]

I had a flying wing with a .35 on it. Great stunt plane! All of us in the neighborhood started out with the .049's and went up from there. We're going to have to find a place to fly again. My Dad built an F-80 with a Tigerjet engine in it. It's about half the size of a Dynajet. Flames shoot out the back about three feet, very cool. And it sounds like a shotgun going off continuously. I'm going to have to practice flying again so I don't crash that plane. lol

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I did a little bit, I never really got the hang of it.

Had a .049 in a Piper 140.

 

[UpStandingMember]

I did a little bit, I never really got the hang of it.

Had a .049 in a Piper 140.

You didn't like it? Or you got dizzy when you flew?

I was taught to practice getting dizzy. You hold your arm out full length and stick your thumb up. Stare at your thumbnail, and spin in a circle about the same speed and direction as you would flying a plane. Once you START to get dizzy, sit down. After you feel fine, do it again, over and over. After you can do that for about five minutes, you should be ready to fly.

I just flew around in flat circles when I first started, which was pretty boring. Then I did some wing overs, then loops, then I tried flying inverted. Pretty soon I was flying figure eights and square loops, outside loops, all kinds of stuff. And those .049's can do all that, even fly inverted all day long.

After a couple of us guys got real good at flying, we got in the circle together. We have to be careful about getting your lines too tangled up. One of you has to do a couple of loops to straighten the lines out. We flew those solid balsa wood planes and went after each others planes dogfighting. 15 minute epoxy works wonders fixing those planes.

We always had a blast flying those summers. Brings back some good memories.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I tried it once, I couldn't get past the reaction to pull the strings tight when dad threw the plane.

That and it absolutly drove our horse nuts.

 

[UpStandingMember]

I tried it once, I couldn't get past the reaction to pull the strings tight when dad threw the plane.

That and it absolutly drove our horse nuts.

LOL I don't think a horse would like those planes very much.

We used a couple four by eight sheets of plywood to take the planes off.

I also forgot, when you build the plane, you have the rudder set so the airplane is always pulling away from you (the center of the circle). That way the strings are always tight so you'll have control over the plane. It should be in the plans when you build the plane.

 

[Carlos Murphy]

U-control

The last time I flew U-control was 1975 in Palm Springs, that's the same year I switched to R/C.

I flew U-control at the Supulvada Basin near LA and from a plateau in Topanga Canyon where I lived from 1971 through 1974, driving my 1956 Porsche to those two places with wings sticking out of the windows.

My best plane was a profile Midwest ME-109 on 70' lines with a Super Tiger 45 R/C with the carb wired open, it pulled so hard I thought it was going to tear out the bell crank. Covered it with red Monokote, it just came on the market in 71.

My most fun planes were my Ring Master's with blue head McCoy 35's running on pressure.

The good ol days...

 

[RatDog8o8]

If anyone is still into this, I have an old "Thimble-Drome" engine I'd donate to the cause. I think it's an .049. Has a "Top-Flite" prop on it, and the starter spring. PM me if anyone needs/wants it for whatever reason.