Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 25 of 25 known posts recovered
I suggest caution. When you hear many of us referring to use of a B-Y&O 10-6 prop, for example on a Fox 35, we are actually referring to props produced by Clarence Bull. I will sometimes refer to these as Real Deal B-Y&O props.
When Brodak bought Clarence's tooling and they had all up and running, I bought 6 each of 10-5s and 10-6s. A rejection rate of 100%.
Word came in that the tooling had been spiffed up throughly. Waited a suitable amount of time in hopes of supply line being purged of substandard props, specifically asked for new-production pieces, was assured that I was getting good 'uns and new-release 'uns.
Again, all the props were very nearly useless *for my particular application,* that being decently healthy Fox 35 on a nice Oriental.
They may be the coolest thing yet on something like a Thunder Tiger 25 or a Combat Wombat, I would not know.
All that said, I am hoping they figure out how to make the props correctly, although even Clarence hardly had a perfect record in this regard, plus base material is not dimensionally stable.
But I am down to only a few known-to-be-good B-Y&O 10-6s, currently fly from a grass field and with the constant fear of nosing over, snapping a blade I am using APC 10-6s, this made possible by release of Randy's High Zoot crankshaft, fitting of same to my motor courtesy Larry Foster.
Dan
P.S. Big, wet kiss for the first to cite what "Combat Wombat" reference is all about. Dan
He is retooling to CNC equipment (as Clarence, himself, considered doing at one time) and this will result in much quicker production with each prop being as identical as wood props can be.
You have been quite lucky. In addition to the props I purchased I have looked at a great many Brodak-produced 10-6s. Not a good one in the house.
>There is a
>lot of hand work on these props with the old tooling, and
>that was the biggest downfall when John had a girl doing the
>work who probably didn't even know what a prop was. She
>made a run of them with the Philips "entry" in the trailing
>edge. John did make good on these.
Of course there was a lot of hand work. Just as there was when this old tooling was brand-new. The Phillips-entry was never carved in with machinery. What is a girl who might not even know a prop from a glow plug doing applying the final touches? Now I'm even more filled with angst over my depleting supply of 10-6s.
But I happen to have an
>original Clarance Bull copy of the 10-5 and 10-6 here and
>compared these to the last batch I got from John, and, if
>the wrapping were taken off and one didn't look at the
>emblem you would have a hard time telling me which was
>which.
>
I will buy some more to see if this is the case. However, Reagan's admonition to "Trust but verify," will be in full force. At this point in time I simply do not believe it. In any case, I have found that actually flying the props is the only way to tell if Brodak, or my good friend Clarence back then, had gotten it right with any individual prop.
>He is retooling to CNC equipment (as Clarence, himself,
>considered doing at one time) and this will result in much
>quicker production with each prop being as identical as wood
>props can be.
Again, I hope so. I need a bunch of real good Y&O 10-6s. I **do not** need any more $5.00 prop kits, already have plenty of those.
Dan
I know, but I'm not going to say, for reasons that are all too obvious.
Brett
Brett,
You were disqualified from the beginning, having been placed on super-secret double probation. And I believe that you do know, although I myself hadn't thought of it for many years, have no idea what caused the words to jump from mind to finger tips.
Dan
Clarence had a shed in back of his garage that had hundreds of board feet of interesting wood waiting to me made into props. There was birch, ash, maple and other stuff I couldn't identify. I wonder what ever happened to his pile of wood.
Floyd
PaulAfter using the APC 10-5's on a good Fox and suitable airplane there is a good chance you will get over your nostalgia.
They are usually pretty close to being in balance but balance anyway. Sand just a little of the sharpest part of the blades with 220 grit to avoid almost impossible to avoid finger slashes. The less you sand here the better. Complete the balance by lightly sanding the outer portion of the blade flat with 220.
10-6 on a Hodaka? They were rubber powered, weren't they?
>>10-6 on a Hodaka? They were rubber powered, weren't they?
And we have a winner! Steve Baker is hereby issued a coupon, redeemable at any NW Stunt contest, and good for a big, wet kiss from Da Dirt.
Entire Hodaka line of motorcycles were powered by rice, not rubber. I am surprised this need be pointed out to you, but my offer remains valid despite this horribly inacurrate statement, albeit one put forth in the form of a question.
Dan
By the time I got around to using Clarence's props he was making them in tulip wood, a material I found lacking. We could sometimes hear prop blades flopping around, at least I think that's where the noise was coming from.
Still, even in a more flexible wood than maple, a high percentage of the props worked to "okay" standards. The ash props from Clarence were a big improvement while still being hardly my favorite material when compared to maple.
I wonder, with new Chinese connections, if thought has been given to the B-Y&Os being made in China? Sounds like the obvious thing to do, especially with all the hand work required.
Plus we know the Chinese will have actually trained their workers as to what the end product must look like. And can be counted upon to have actual quality-control stations spread along the line, will most certainly have one in operation immediately before the shipping department.
Dan
Arright! I have a couple of brothers living in Edmonds, I'll
time my visit to coincide with a contest.... I get to pick the
spot where that kiss will land, right??
BTW My brother had a Cotton, only saw a couple of those and only
in the NW. Think those were gin powered. Me, I was a little kid,
had a Super Rat..
Believe it or don't, the Master Airscrewed WOOD props are not all that bad. I bought a 10-5 and checked pitch, and it was very close to constant from root to tip...and as advertised, 5". They are available in 10-5, 10-6, 11-6, 12-6 and maybe a few other useful sizes for 4-2-4 engines. While they may benefit from some handwork, they are not as much of a project as many Zingers. On the other hand, some sizes of Zingers are quite nicely done, such as the 11-6XW. 
Steve
Nightflight, You left out the beautiful green Road Toad. I liked Hodak's. Lapped 'em left and right with my RM 100B back in '79-'80. Had to get past 'em quick or permanent hearing damage would set in.
Steve Hulse
Steve,
Looking forward to seeing you during a visit to my area. And *no* you may not "pick the spot."
Pabatco was located in Athena, Oregon. While I never actually visited, a couple of people whom were to become heavy hitters in that company--Marvin Foster and Harry Taylor--were friends of mine when still living in Yakima, Washington. Marv did a lot of free-lance photography for Pabatco, whose ad agency was located in Yakima. Thus I would get roped into riding a demo Hodaka Marv had around for the purpose, plus my 250cc Cotton, for advertising pictures, calendars, etc.
Marv was quite the eccentric, owning and letting me ride frequently, a pukka Trials bike, a DKW. This when few of us had even read of Trials competition. It was a very goofy motorcycle, even then. But it would go real slow and had lock-to-lock steering which had to be experienced to be believed. Unfortunately, it also had a serious case of head-shake, something Marv was unaware of until I just pinned it and kept shifting. I did not get spit off, the Cotton would do the same thing under precisely the right conditions, although at a much higher rate of speed.
Harry Taylor was quite the man of legend in that small town, starting out as a motorcycle mechanic. At one time he had the most bizarre trail bike, a fully tricked-out Yamaguchi 50cc piece. Most definitely *not* a mere backyard special. Harry was also a small, compact man with the strength and physic of a body builder. So where the gooch wouldn't go he would just carry it. Literally.
At that particular time I was riding a "real" trail bike, a Triumph 200cc Cub, one of the later models with bigger forks, high pipe to which Dad and I had fitted a really nice chrome reverse-cone megaphone. Anyway, all in my group had pretty decent equipment for the time, and Harry would just humiliate us in the mountains, especially when the going got really tough. We finally learned to head a different direction every time Harry would say, "Follow me, there's this great trail right over here!"
For all of you who enjoyed the various models of Hodakas over the years, Harry Taylor was the prime mover and shaker behind all of them. Even the bike they once took to Daytona. Harry even rode the thing.
As for myself, I never actually owned a Hodaka, strange as that might seem. Several years into our marriage, my wife bought a 90cc 4-speed model that was being closed out, but it was her bike and so I did not ride it much. And she didn't but rarely ride my Greeves.
Dan
Floyd