Cleveland Fleetster

While a few pillars of the SAM movement look down upon this new-fangled electric flim-flammery with disdain and abhorrence, the rest of us are enjoying the heck out flying SAM-legal electric planes! In particular, the smaller 1/2A Texaco and Class A ships are well-suited for electric power without landing you in the poorhouse. Gone are the days of calling upon the dark gods of the underworld to aid you in the start-up and running of Cox 049 engines. Now you just plug the battery into the plane and give it a toss! No slimy cleanup chores either. Here are a couple pictures of the 1939 Cleveland Fleetster designed by none other than Joe Elgin of Playboy fame. This plane is powered by an E-Flite Park 400 and 3-cell, 600 mah li-po battery pack. The Fleetster weighs in at 16 oz full up and was built just for fun-flying. Mike Fields, Editor at Large SAM 1 Model Museum Flying Club

The Joe Elgin designed Cleveland Fleetster as built by Eut Tileston.

This electric Freeflight version of the Baby Fleetster 32 was built by Bucky Walter.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1557302-Cleveland-Fleetster

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Old Timer Flying in Australia

1/2 A Texaco

Ubiquitous Bomber
They're Everywhere!

Lanzo Airborn

The Tomboy (Vic Smeed)

Cutting Silk

Key Tip

This invaluable tip that Gene Wallock told me about a long time ago can be seen on the work table as shown below. Always put the silk down on top of multiple layers of newspaper to cut on. The razor blade slides along smoothly cutting the silk along with several layers of the newspaper underneath. The silk never tries to pull or bunch up like it does if you try to cut the silk directly on the wooden work table.

Tandy Walker

Bucky and the Antic Bipe

I flew the Antic Bipe at the 1976 AMA NAtS in Novice Pattern. The AMA Nats followed the SAM Champs. It was quite a time to attend both NATS.

I don't know where I placed, but I did have a lot of fun. After I flew, Carl Goldberg came over to talk with me and look over the Antic Bipe.

I also met Sal Taibi for the very first time. We sure had a great time.

It was my first SAM Champs & AMA NATS.

1976 SAM Champs

Hi Guys,

A few photos taken at the 1976 SAM Champs at : Dayton ,Ohio

Bucky

Chester Lanzo at the 1976 SAM Champs at Dayton, Ohio with his 1937 Radio Controlled Championship Model

Chester Lanzo at the 1976 SAM Champs at Dayton, Ohio with his 1937 Radio Controlled Championship Model. Chester flew it in Free Flight. The Free Flight Director, Bill Hale, accused Chester of holding the wing tip on take off. I am not sure of the outcome. But years later at the Central Ohio Free Flight Dinner, Bill had a eight millimeter movie of Chester holding the wing tip and guiding the mode on takeoff.

Oh What Fun Model Airplane Can Be!

Bucky

PS I saw Chester holding the wing tip on take off, but no one asked me for my opinion.

PSS The model was red slik with black trim.

Foxacoy Powerhouse part 3

More photos. The wing has three coats of nitrate and is waiting for the 50/50 mixture of Duco cement and nitrate dope on the undercambered ribs. I am going to silk the model, white on the wing and stab and black on the fuselage and rudder. I ran out of my favorite covering material - Polyspan. Gene Wallock told me (ordered me) to use acetone to attach the silk to the framework.

Some sanding required on the stab and rudder before covering.

Gene told me to split the hard 1/4 inch square balsa for the longerons with a band saw to make the bending a whole lot easier. Also insert 1/32 balsa to take up the space made by the band saw blade. Insert the 1/32 balsa perpendicular to the workbench and then make the required bends. After making the bends glue with thin CA. Cut and sand the excess 1/32 balsa. This was a really good suggestion by Gene. It was slick as snot on a door knob.

Notice the Tee Dee 020 on the plans. Tom had the plans blown up from Gene Wallock's 020 plan of the Powerhouse published in Model Builder Magazine back in 1974.

Next big job is finishing off the fuselage.

Bucky

Angry Air Show Spectator

Foxacoy Powerhouse part 2

Hi Guys,

The wing took a little longer than I planned on. Covered the center section with 1/64 ply.

The wing as is weighs 12 ounces

The first photo shows the dihedral jig I made.

The wing is hanging up waiting to be covered.

I ran the Fox 35 with the APC 10.5 dia by 4.5 pitch prop. It tacked out about 11,500 rpm. Installed the Tongue muffler and the prop tacked out at 12,000 rpm.

But the engine was running a little hot. I backed off the needle valve and it ran cooler at 11,500 rpm.

The stab is the next thing to build.

Bucky

Flying at Shelby 7/7/2009

Photos by Bob Erpelding

Foxacoy Powerhouse part 1

Building the Powerhouse

Hi Guys,

The Tongue muffler arrived this morning from Virginia HobbySport. Sure is a neat muffler. It is supposed to run cooler than the Fox 35 Muffler.

Started to build the wing on the Sal Taibi Powerhouse. The tip is next on the list of things to do. Nothing is glued as of now.

Will send a report on running the Fox 35 with the Tongue muffler and the APC 10 1/2 dia. by 4 1/2 pitch prop.

Joan and I are going to Clarence, NY for the week end. Building and running engines will wait till next week.

Bucky