Mouse Racer 1 kit

Anybody got a kit for Mouse 1 Racer cheap? Get a little practice in just to get feet wet. I have a nice COX dual port product engine that appears new unrun for possible trade. Cheers,Dan <><

Dan: I have a solid balsa, profile 1/2A Shoestring kit by the late Kenn Smith. Interested?

>Anybody got a kit for Mouse 1 Racer cheap? Get a little
>practice in just to get feet wet. I have a nice COX dual
>port product engine that appears new unrun for possible
>trade. Cheers,Dan <><

Back in the '80s, Mouse I was kinda popular and I collected plans for about a dozen. Happy to send you a list when I'm more rested.

Also have a BabyBee with backplate modified to accept an ST NVA which gives finer adjustment and a much steadier engine run. Let me know if you're interested.

Mike,
Please tell us more about the Shoestring, i.e. $$price$$, wingspan, etc.? Thanks. I think I have a Dumas Kit stashed away somewhere, it is the "Lil Tiger" 1/2A Racer type, shows a Cox Tee Dee .049 for power as I recall? ---Donald Garry---
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Dan: I have a solid balsa, profile 1/2A Shoestring kit by the late Kenn Smith. Interested?
Mike Keville

Melvin and Brenda Shuette Model Supply should have a kit of
the 'Streaker' for Mouse. This is the best choice for Mouse!
Designed by Rick Turenne in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was
published in the 'MAAC' magazine in the late 70's. A slightly
modified version is what Paul Gibeault uses, and just about
everyone else. It's a hard to improve on design. I should
know, having been heavily involved in Mouse at the time in
Winnipeg, when we tried all kinds of designs and engine mods.,
lots of carnage, blown engines and lots of development.
The design is an outcome of extremely fierce mouse race
competion and weekly battles!!
It's fast, flies great and is strong. A thoroughbred.
Try http://members.cox.net/mbschuette/ Tell 'em Stan says
hello from Winnipeg, and I still don't know why Jerry didn't
order an ice cream at SIG, even though it was calling his name!
Stan Bidowski

Donald (and others) --

That 1/2A Kenn Smith kit (Shoestring) has all parts cut to shape from quality balsa. Span is 19". Kit includes formed L.G. blanks, nylon bellcrank, hardware package. No plans, but then none are necessary.

These are quite rare --- perhaps more of a collector's item than something to beat-up on the asphalt. That said, it would make an attractive little flyer.

Dan has first rights to this one if he wants it.

Thanks Mikey,
email me what you want for it. Cheers,Dan

Ralph, did you get my email? Interested in the
backplate. Any others out there?
Stan

Dan: Sent you an e-mail reply.

Mike

>Ralph, did you get my email? Interested in the
>backplate. Any others out there?
>Stan

Hi Stan,
Got your email. Still looking for Mouse I plans so I can do it all at once.

Stan,
Just recieved Streaker kit from Melvin and looking good. Tough little ship that will do well. Even found three brass botton bellcranks. Dan

LAST EDITED ON May-12-06 AT 08:12 PM (CST)
 
Hi Dan,
Glad you're happy with the Streaker kit. Melvin wanted
to kit this design for awhile and asked me to contact
Rick Turenne here in Winnipeg, for permission. However,
Rick has 'dissapeared', although a fellow club member
had seen him recently but just briefly. Apparently a
member of his family may have been involved in a
murder case! -and he is impossible? to contact
now. I used to see and phone him several times a week.

Anyway, Paul Gibeault,( a friend since meeting
him at the '78 Canadian Nationals ), has been
using the design and made minor changes ( he has
enlarged the stab slightly for more aggressive
control ). Saw the 1st kit Melvin made, shown at the
2004 C/L Worlds, both Paul and Melvin being present.
The basic design took a while to arrive at the model
you now have. - Alot of people in the past used all
balsa models, with twin leg 1/16 gear, and flat stabs ( not
a 'V' tail), etc., etc. . Longer wings break more easily,
shorter wings have more drag and are harder to catch
for a good pitstop, etc. etc. Easy to see, if you can
find pics of past Mouse Racing kits. - I do love the looks
of those cute Mouse Race Goodyears tho! - and variety
is good to see.

* I'm curious as to where you found some button
bellcranks? I might need a few myself.. Are they
the 'T' shaped style, or are they triangular, - like the
nylon 1/2A 'Sig' bellcranks' shape is?

Stan Bidowski

HI Stan,

I had lunch with Rick a few years ago when I was working in Winnipeg on temporary assignment. He's re-married & doing well & has taken up star gazing with telescopes & financial planning. I found his phone number in the telephone book....I can't find it now offhand, but if you're interested I may be able to help.

Cheers,
Paul

Hi Paul,
This is good to hear, as I've had no luck.
I'll drop you an email.
Stan

Having raced Mouse Class I extensively in the late 70's, 80's and 90's and won a bunch of firsts along with pilot John McCollum, I found that most of the Mouse I kits were okay, but just that, okay. Most successful racers were original designs. I have a plan somewhere that can be used to build up a mouse racer if I can find it. It's the bare minimum of lines on paper. Just enough so I could understand them and build a few. Basically, a 1/4" plywood fuse just wide enough to fit the engine and 13" long. Firewall 1/4 birch ply with 1/8 aluminum on front to avoid denting and burning the ply. Balsa fill in behind firewall. A balsa or .009 aluminum 19" wing. 3" at root, 2" at tip. Straight LE. 1/4" thick at root, 1/8" thick at tip. Symmetrical airfoil. As an alternative, two sheets of hard balsa with a 1/32 ply center for the wing. 1" x 1" hardwood bell crank mount. Tip guide of 1/16" ply. Line exit forward of CG and very close together. Button bell cranks may still be available. No rudder (don't need it) Stab 1 1/2 x 8" at root, 1" at tip with a straight trailing edge. Control surface 1/4" wide outside only. Thread hinges. Also can be a 1/32 ply and 2 hard 1/32" balsa sandwich. The bellcrank is attached in the center of the wing under the fuse. Wing is mounted midwing and fuse cut just enough to accommodate the crank. Single wire 3/32 or 1/16" landing gear plugged in and epoxied at LE of wing. 1" racing wheel. Landing gear just long enough to avoid prop hitting plus 1/2". Adhesive epoxy throughout but sparingly. Target all up weight 7-8 ounces. There are a lot of other things we did to cut down drag, but that comes later.
[email protected]

Again thanks all. Uncle Mikey's kit has new owner and ordered a Streaker kit. Cheers,Dan

LAST EDITED ON May-12-06 AT 08:19 PM (CST)
 
We just sort of free-hand them with 3" glider wing stock. 18" x 3" in the Scientific tradition.

So what is the exact reason for securing the engine with rubber bands? I've never seen this method. Very interesting.

it looks like it is to hold the firewall on?

What size tank is used for mouse 2? The Kenn Smith Shoestring has beam mounts and a TeeDee.049 would look nicer than an big ole ugly BlackWidow in the nose. Kit has no plans and fuse is not cut out for wing. Anybody build one of these? Cheers,Dan

Probably as a shock absorber to help prevent engine damage if it noses in.

cheers,
Ken