THE HISTORY OF THE BIG D HANDLE "D" HANDLE

I felt, after the past thread on handles, that I needed to set the record straight on when , where , and why the BIG "D" handle was born.

In 1972 (photo 1) I needed to make a small light handle for my 1/2a stunt ships. Here is the first one. I still use it today. It has a 2.5" line spacing and is obviously a HARD POINT handle. Look under 1/2a stunt thread for 1/2a pics.

In 1975 when I moved to OMAHA I was able to enjoy the hobby with Frank McMillan who was stationed at Offut air base. He had a Baron handle that I loved but he told me they were not available any more, so I made my own to use. (photo 2) At first I used cables but after two failures I switched to a HARD POINT mount as shown. I used it for 15 years.

In 1990 I moved to Arlington Texas and enjoyed much more activity in flying. I started to make a BIG "D" (photo 3) and Bill Hopkins started to sell them thru his Custom Models company. At the 1991 Nats he sold all 40 handles I gave him and neede more when he got home. He sold 5 or 6 hundred of them before we went to the Tucson VSC in 1992. By then I had started to make them out of walnut and did some fancy inlay just to be cool. (photos 6,7 ) At the VSC contest I found out that he was selling them as his design and manufacture and I stoped selling them to him. I sold them as my own design (they are my design)and continued to sell hundreds. All of the handles sold were HARD POINT handles until 1994.

In the winter of 1993 I had so many requests for the Baron type of slider handle I asked Rolly McDonald to make some sliders for me. He did 60 and I made 60 slider type handles. At VSC in 1994 they were a big hit.(photo 4 and 5) (at no time did any one not understand that the design was Bob Barons design, his patent had expired in 1986 or 7 and I was free to make them.) Bob and I had lunch at VSC and he had no problem as he did not want to make them any more. After I ran out of the sliders I could not make any more as Rollie did not want to make any more.
It must be noted here that in 1994 I decided to contribute 6 of my slider handles to the US STUNT TEAM that went to China. On the team were Paul Walker, David Fitsgerald, and Ted Fancher. The handles were sent to Bob Hunt for him to distribute to the team members. Upon contacting Bob he does recall getting the handles but does not remember who got what. The handles were given for the team members to use if they wanted or trade. All I requested in return was some posters from Chian. here they are (photos 8 and 9)

I started selling hard point handles in 1990 and only after may requests for the slider type handle did I make any. I stope making handles until 1999 when I was luck enough to find a mill in Harbor Freight that I could afford. I was able now to make my own slider bar and the new slider was born. (photo 7)

Now that there is a renewed need for HARD POINT handles I have started to make them again (photo 11) They come with a safty thong and are ready to use. I have instaled a longer stand off screw so the overhang can be adjusted to your liking. Once you have the overhang to your liking you just cut off the bold to reduce the weight. These hard point handles do require you to have you leadouts and lines cut to the same length so that you only need a small amount of adjustment to set you neutral point. Once neutral is set thats it.
The large has a 4.5" max spacing the small 3.75" The new hard point handles sell for $20.00 plus postage. ($2.00) I will have a quanitity available by Jan 1st.

In addition to the new handles I have been making a C/L Caddy. Last year at VSC I sold kits, now I have 3 assembled boxes ready to go. As you can see they hold 5 sets of lines with handles, large or small, and has a cover to keep dirt and stuff off the lines. This C/L caddy will prolong the life of your lines not to mention just keeping them in a place you can find. The Caddy sells for $40.00 plus freight(usualy $8.00) They are covered with melamine plastic, very strong.

Well now you know the rest of the story.

SUPER.....
Now that's a post

The title seemed incomplete, somehow. So, I fixed that. Not sure if my addition will be appreciated or not. No offense intended, anyway.

One thing that I would point out, is that bar in front of the handle should/must be vertical at neutral. PW busted my chops for this last July...what I thought was vertical was vertical, but what was neutral was NOT. It matters. Do not think this is to be used as a way to adjust for unequal line lengths. I have become convinced that the method used locally by Keith Varley and Dan E. Dirt is the only one that is truly correct for a fixed point handle...that being custom line connectors in measured increments of about .010". Apparently that is based on a PW method, but I never see Paul fiddling with stuff like this...he's already dialed-in.

If a person is willing to use a cable handle, that does make this a non-issue, but at considerable cost, especially for low-pull models. I would add that this is not meant as a criticism of anybody's handle design, but to point out a fact. A lot of the handles that made eyes light up were flawed in concept, and their "line adjustment" method actually "tilts the bar", EVEN if there is no bar present.

Here's a pic of one that looks great, but is a flawed concept, IMO. At this point, I don't have info on who made it, and I don't mean to pick on him, at all. I think one needs to think of line adjustments as being seperate from handle adjustments. How about turnbuckles that pivot on the hard points at the handle? (for Dan) Steve

Actualy I did not realize the title did not completly print. It was supose to say 'THE HISTORY OF THE BIG "D" HANDLE".
Your observations on neutral and the bar being vertical are good but I know Richard Oliver uses my handle and has a pronounced down attitude when he is flying neutral. One of the reasons I made both the cable type and fixet point type is that everyone likes something different. It is whatever works for you. I now realise there is no one handle that works for every body. Ted does make a very good handle and I am sure many will and do like it. You should try every different type you desire to see what works for you.
The reason you need to be carefull with leadout and line length is just that, you need top try to be vertical with the bar when at neutral. If that suits you. Cutting the lines in such a way that you do not have much neutral adjusting to do will greatly help in achieving what you want.
The razzberry is cute. No offence taken.

P.S. if you think this was good go to the 1/2 a thread and look at my 1/2a stuff.

warmest regards;

Y'know, it's kinda weird, how you can type in a long thread title and it doesn't work, and later fix it, and it does. And then it changes all the other titles, and it makes the whole thread seem strange. Well, I was originally going to put "Apple", not "Razzberry". Considered "Raspberry", even.

I did go and find the 1/2a thread with the pics of your 1/2a stunters. That Fiat is really pretty, and I bet it would fly great with one of the newer 1/2a engines, if it still exists. Would you consider a 600 or 670 sq. inch version? :/ Steve

Actually I did not know I had left "D" handle out until I read your post. The Fiat is long gone but it would make a good subject. I still have the rib templates however, for the Fiat and the F-5. Remember that was 1972. Half a was and is still a lot of fun. I have a 1/2a barstormer kit I am starting soon. I hope to have it in Tucson.

Snipped until it made sense, Keith and I were the focus of the discussion...

>>>I have become convinced that the method used locally by Keith Varley and Dan E. Dirt is the only one that is truly correct for a fixed point handle...that being custom line connectors in measured increments of about .010". Apparently that is based on a PW method, but I never see Paul fiddling with stuff like this...he's already dialed-in.

I think one needs to think of line adjustments as being seperate from handle adjustments. How about turnbuckles that pivot on the hard points at the handle?

Steve<<

Steve and All,

I copied Paul, having (evidently) caught him not dialed years ago. Pile of home-made line clips and a dial caliper. And then Keith--he being Canadian, eh?--copied my stuff.

Going one step forward, two back, at one time Keith actually was flying with something like you describe, although the little adjusters were--Get this!--Kwik-link type things in 4-40 size. (He's Canadian, as mentioned mere moments ago.)

The handle was cool, adjustability was basically infinite. And it was totally scary. I shamed him into a much more substantial design.

And he responded magnificently, a whole set of "clips" which are actually a short bar with attachment holes in each end. Each is stamped with the exact dimension of one hole from its counterpart in the other end, meaning Keith need not have ready access to measuring devices.

The sad part of the story is that Keith's use of the 4-40 links worked and worked quite well. If not for the sudden jerk one gets when a model free-flights across the circle it may never have failed.