handles for inverted flying

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 9 of 9 known posts recovered

phantomflier · Aug 12, 2006 04:41 PM

Does any one remember a handle that would flip top and bottom lines by pressing a release button on the handle. Was used back when inverted flight was a big deal to help people learn inverted flight. I saw one about 20 years ago, but don't remember the name or anything else about it.

Does this sound familar to anyone?

F4FGuy · Aug 12, 2006 07:37 PM

#1 source

>Does any one remember a handle that would flip top and
>bottom lines by pressing a release button on the handle.
>Was used back when inverted flight was a big deal to help
>people learn inverted flight. I saw one about 20 years ago,
>but don't remember the name or anything else about it.
>
>Does this sound familar to anyone?
>
>

Ron B.
F4Fguy

I remember seeing one waaaaaaayyyyy back. The person who had it tried it and got really confused. One flight as I recall, then it stayed permanantly locked. Doug Dahlke Mentioned it and showed an ad some time back in "Stunt News".

Ron B.

catdaddy · Aug 12, 2006 09:51 PM

#2 source

LAST EDITED ON Aug-12-06 AT 10:27 PM (CST)

>Does any one remember a handle that would flip top and
>bottom lines by pressing a release button on the handle.
>Was used back when inverted flight was a big deal to help
>people learn inverted flight. I saw one about 20 years ago,
>but don't remember the name or anything else about it.
>
>Does this sound familar to anyone?
>
>

De Hill has one. He's in Wichita this weekend judging their contest.
He has one of the largest handle collections in the country. I'd email him with your questions. I don't think there is a CL handle that De doesn't know about.

regards,
Rick "catdaddy" Blankenship

dhutch · Aug 12, 2006 10:22 PM

#3 source

Back in the early 90's when I was developing the Moitle for OTS, I had the flip over handle that Francis Reynolds built in about 1945. He was one of the first to fly inverted and thought this would be a necessary tool. Jim Walker also had a similar handle. It didn't take them long to figure out what we do today is better! I don't recall if the handle went to the AMA museum with the Moitle or not. I only know I don't have it anymore.

Don

dennis · Aug 13, 2006 05:54 AM

#4 source

I bought one of those handles in Frankies Smoke Shop and Hobby Shop in Pottsville Pa in 1969. One of those old side street shops that have long since been torn down in the name of urban renewal. Al Chevron,63 nats combat winner, was with me and he got it as a present.
It was all metal, had a spring wound front part of the handle that was retained by a lever on the top of the handle. Working the lever rotated the front part with the lines. We both had a laugh at it and wondered if anyone ever used it. I believe that it was under $2.00 for the item.
Dennis

L3 · Aug 13, 2006 08:11 AM

#5 source

John Grigg, ex-AMA Prez had one of those handles when we were both young and innocent. Recall him flying at a contest with it in, I think, North Tonawanda, New York in the late '40s. Results were spectacular flying a Stuntwagon with an Atwood Champion. I think he decided it was too much of a pain in the posterior to fool with.
Larry Lundy

Davc2 · Aug 13, 2006 12:37 PM

#6 source

I had two of them they were made by OverEasy who also put out a profile Bipe with symetrical airfoils. The handles were spring wound and flipped over when you pushed the button. This was ok until the spring wound down and the handle stoped horizontal in the middle of a flight.

I think I gave one to the AMA Musium.

Regards,
Dave Cook

ferocious · Aug 13, 2006 02:12 PM

#7 source

LAST EDITED ON Aug-13-06 AT 02:13 PM (CST)

The Stuart brothers fly combat with an unusual handle. I also remember Bob Baldus using it years ago, although he uses a conventional handle now for stunt. The hand grip is held horizontally, with the palm down in level flight. The up line connects to the handle up above the back of your hand, and the down line down below the palm. Flapping your wrist gives up and down. Go inverted and you turn your hand over. Up is still bending your hand away from the ground. Seems to work as well as anything once you learn. Some folks still give up by twisting their hand down, exactly opposite of what almost everybody else does. Your mind can learn to fly almost any way, with practice.

Phil C

Lou_Crane · Aug 14, 2006 10:45 AM

#8 source

Phil,

That was the RingKing. It had a length of dowel with loops like granny glasses coming out between the index and middle fingers to attach lines to. Depending on the flier, palm down for inverted and up for upright... or vice versa. Wrist motion, not hand. Curl up for up, down for down. Flip hand over for the other way and curl up is still up.

\BEST\LOU