[mickey t]

Hi guys,
I know it's not electric but, here it is anyway.

I'm off to Cowra this weekend for the Oily Hand Weekend, where you can fly anything from FF, CL and RC but, it MUST be powered by diesel or small unmuffled glow engines. More of a social weekend with a few low key events thrown in to bring back some nostalgia, and an excuse to build something that you normally wouldn't.

Being shamed by a couple of mates for the last couple of years for not going to Cowra, I decided it was time to go.

Each year they have a model of the meet, this years is the Hearns Hobbies Sportster. I only decided about 4 weeks ago that I would build it as it is simple enough. Although the plan states 2-2.5cc sized engine, I have a Mills 1.3 and built lite enough will provide ample power.

A bit of history, Hearns Hobbies was established in Melbourne in 1947, the Sportster was designed and kitted by them I think in the early to mid 1950's as Free Flight, or rudder only RC. The Mills 1.3 was built between 1946-1964. My model and others I've seen so far will be rudder/elevator control to make it more flyable.

Model specs, wingspan is 50", chord is 10". The size of a basic 40 sized trainer. My model balanced and ready to fly is 20 ounces, or 575 grams. Not that much considering the size of it.

I will post some pics of the weekend if people are interested.

MT

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[smuzz]

Nice work mate - I'm impressed! You certainly set yourself a challenge with a 1.3cc diesel for a model that size. Is it a genuine Mills?

Hope the weekend goes well, Mickey - I'll come along to the next one!

[mickey t]

Hi Steve,
It is a genuine Mills that I picked up in the 90's at a nationals somewhere. Not that much of a challenge seeing that the Mills will fly a sport/scale model between 18-26 ounces. I've had it running in the model and it feels good.

Might bring it down to McCoy Park one morning soon if the powers that be will allow it, although some electrics are noisier!!

MT

[smuzz]

No worries Champ - we've got a dB meter there, but you're right anyway - there are MANY high KV electrics which are louder!
Looking forward to it

[secant0give]

Super nice Job There Towelly and the Herns Hobbies embalem on the Verticle fin is a great touch !!

I really like the Pull pull system for the controll surfaces. I'll bet Herns Hobbies never stocked that Kevlar thread tho' !!

Just under 600g is absolutly brilliant for 500 square inches!!

Interestingy enough my Viper which has the same wing area, it about three times the weight !! And I think of it as reasonably light !!

You are more than welcome to take it for a few laps of McCoy field, I'm certain it'll come in under the noise limit with the engine being so small and diesels make a fair bit less noise than glow engines too as they usually don't rev anywhere near as hard.

They even smell a bit like burnt electric motor

[mickey t]

Thanks Jason,
The emblem I found after doing a search on the interwebs, resized in Photoshop and is a water slide decal.

Sorry to disappoint on the pull pull system but, it's not Kevlar thread. It's fly fishing Dacron.

Comparison to the Viper, if I do put a 46 in it, it will qualify for Q500, just don't think it would hold together though!!

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks when the weather fines up a bit I wouldn't mind a visit to McCoy field.

MT

[secant0give]

Excellent it will be great to see it fly make sure you let me know when your coming down and have a great time at Cowra !!

Dacron, (Trade name for polyester) probably is the fibre of choice for that machine, would be right vintage and all!! It looked like Kevlar being that golden yellow colour.

[mickey t]

Arrived in Cowra at about 9ish this morning with a field packed with modellers and even more aircraft!! The noise, the smell, the atmosphere was just great. A few pics from today, should've got more but, that will be tomorrow.

One problem with smallish low powered diesels is that you can sometimes be a little careless. They can still bite hard when they want to!! Was fixed up with the help of Doctor Jag (Nurse Jag?), now with some throbbing it will be fine in a couple of days or so.

A group shot of the sportsters in attendance, 14 in total, with at least 5 others not quite finished for the weekend.

Also a shot from the pits with some control line action on the main strip, canola crop in the background to add some colour to the area.

More tomorrow.

MT

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[mickey t]

News just in:
The phantom toilet paper fairy has been out and about about, not sure who he/she may be but, investigation will insure that the offender will be apprehended as soon as possible!!

MT

[mickey t]

After the shenanigans from Saturday night, Sunday morning came round (well, for some, not sure what time Ian surfaced). I got down to the field just before 9, and what a wonderful sight it was. Couldn't have asked for better weather, people everywhere, models everywhere, the noise, the smell, why would you want to be anywhere else!!

MT

[secant0give]

It's a great field there at Cowra

...................but you cant just gaze up at the power lines like you can at McCoy

[Flying fisho]

Yeah, where else than McCoy can you become adrenalin junkies with a trainer plane

[mickey t]

Ahhh the serenity!!

Also forgot to add, my sportster flew fantastic, as did they all. A lot were rudder only, the rest were rudder and elevator.

The little Sportster did me proud the weekend by getting runner up in concourse, and equal runner up in the flight task. The flight task was to take off, an inward figure 8, an outward figure 8, glide for at least 100 seconds and a spot landing, bonus points out to 15 meters, all on 10cc of fuel and using rudder only.

Only 12 months and counting till the next one!

MT