New Control Line Record

I got the chance to make an attempt with my serious control line endurance plane. These attempts don't come easy as they have to be done at a sanctioned contest usually after everything is over for the day. I would like to thank the Middlesex modelers for their patients and cooperation as they have allowed me time for my long flights on many occasions at their racing contests.

The flight was done mid contest when it started to rain. After the flight started, very dark clouds rolled over and it began to pour. A thunderstorm rolled up with turbulent storm front winds. I had a couple moments but, was able to stay within the pilots circle and keep the lines tight. It was a little depressing and, I was afraid of a lightening strike the whole flight but, the storm moved off to the north. Just after the flight the sun came out, the field dried up and the racing contest continued.

A big thanks to the Middlesex modelers for staying with me through the rain and, another big thanks to Richard Perry who reviewed the facts and paperwork in cooperation with the AMA.

The new record is 21 minutes 34.84 seconds.

MM

>I got the chance to make an attempt with my serious control
>line endurance plane.
>
>The flight was done mid contest when it started to rain. After
>the flight started, very dark clouds rolled over and it began
>to pour. A thunderstorm rolled up with turbulent storm front
>winds. I had a couple moments but, was able to stay within the
>pilots circle and keep the lines tight. It was a little
>depressing and, I was afraid of a lightening strike the whole
>flight but, the storm moved off to the north. Just after the
>flight the sun came out.
>
>
>
>
>The new record is 21 minutes 34.84 seconds.
>
>MM

Congratulations!

Funny weather here lately, for sure. AMA might predict extra points for imminent storm flying?

Seriously, what class Endurance do you fly? A rundown on the plane, please!

Joe Pierson, former president of our WAM club flew 2 classes of Endurance, A and B. This was in 1981, Mountain View, CA.

I didn't even know there was such a thing as C/L endurance!!

Check your AMA rule book it's event #332.


MM

Congratulations!!!!!

I was a timer for the old Junior record and CD for the old Senior record both set by the same individual so can easily relate to the difficulty involved.

Both of these using a 4 ounce tank were longer than your new record, of course the open record was over 3 hours. Wonder how long the record will eventually be?

Carl [photo not recovered: sipcof.gif]

Just my .02 cents worth

Congrats! That's something I thought for years would be fun to take a shot at, but you followed the "Just do it!" path.

How about some specs - airplane (including weight), engine, lines, fuel, prop?


Dennis

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy

> of course the open record was over 3 hours.
>Wonder how long the record will eventually be?
Over 3 hours being the USA record?

I think I know who holds the World record.....
I proudly can declare I saw Rob Metkemeijer fly an old ST G21/46 aerobatics model of Erik Janssen, this time with a .15 Oliver Tiger and a 1.5 liter tank up front.
The flight started in the afternoon and went on until after sunset.
Every hour was celebrated by performing one loop. Can't remember the total but it must have been way past 5 hours.
I still remember Erik doing the lighting with a flashlight.
Location was the Genk, Belgium CL complex, the year was 1988, at the 25 year anniversary contest/meeting of our club Daedalus Amsterdam.

Good show Walt.

Only quibble: Endurance records can be set at a record trial in addition to other sanctioned contest types. So if you (or anyone else) wanted to apply for the sanction, you would not have to be associated with a contest flying other events.

Bill

I'd also like to know how it is being done. Some years back I tried to get a copy of the then current control line endurance record application, which, I think, lists a lot of detail. After a letter and two phone calls to AMA, I received a blank record application form.

The old 4 ounce tank record was just over 2 hours until my dad broke it with a flight of 2 hrs 25 minutes. The only flight of 3 hrs on a 4 ounce tank that I know of was me in practice but I didn't want to make an official attempt while dad was still alive.

I anticipated the windy weather and had the engine set to make allot more power than usual. I was also using John Deere ether so , with ideal conditions and better fuel I believe the record could be extended to nearly double the time.

Before dad passed on we got the rule changed to a one ounce tank, again with the help of Richard Perry. For me it's more about the efficiency of the plane than it is about being able to stand up and hold a handle for hours and flights of 20-30 minutes are much more manageable at contests.

If anyone knows the history of how this event got started, I like to hear more about it.

Thanks,
Motorman

Maybe there are different classes for C/L endurance. The as yet unbroken endurance record was set many years ago in Eugene, OR. But that was set using in-flight re-fueling

Floyd
AMA 796
SAM 188
LSF 020

If they had in flight refueling then that's not any AMA event I'm aware of. It's probably an international event with completely different rules.


MM

Congrats on the new record. There is another record and to my best recolection is about 64 hours and some minutes set in Oregon -- years ago. I was part of a new attempt in Southern California and we made it to around 27 hours. We were flying a Don Hutchinson built Spirit of St.Louis (quite scale) and of course we could re-fuel while the model was in the air.It was to also be a Guiness world record. We lost the glo plugs and the attemped failed. Our fuel sponsor was very generous but, I feel the wrong fuel was used. Maybe some day---------

Cheers,
Bart

The plane that set the endurance record years ago in Eugene is hanging in the local hobby shop. Looks like a Palmer GO DEVIL with a green head K&B. Tubing was taped to the control lines and fuel was squirted up to the plane from time to time. That process in itself is quite a challenge.
I believe that an endurance record is now possible using electric. The lines could be S.S. cable but with copper or silver plating for conductivity. Electric power could be transmitted through the lines FOREVER

Floyd
AMA 796
SAM 188
LSF 020

Anybody can do anything they want, but to call it a "record" you must conform to some set of rules.

In our case, that's the AMA rules for CL Endurance, and taping fuel line to the control lines and squirting some fuel out there once in a while isn't in the rules.

Nothing taken away from the efforts folks have expended in previous years, but the RECORD is now held by Walt as he described.

Bill

>In our case, that's the AMA rules for CL Endurance, and taping
>fuel line to the control lines and squirting some fuel out
>there once in a while isn't in the rules.
>
>Bill

But at the time of the aforementioned refueling record it was within the AMA rules as was the record for the 4 Oz fuel load which did away with all former records as the current rules have also done.

Question: Are line groupers which reduce line drag allowed? Their outlaw from FAI speed is one of the reasons the speed ships have such elongated wings.

Just my .02 cents worth.

Carl

Actually at the speed I fly, line weight is more an issue than drag. The airplane has to lift those lines.

If you want to have some fun, get an old airplane and see how slow you can get it to fly. That's how I got started. Then get an engine and see how slow you can get the prop to turn and still hold a steady setting. The smallest engine you can use is an .09 and I used a diesel.

When you start getting closer to record performance level you will not be able to take off from grass.


MM

Back in the mid to late 50's I was part of a team that pumped (with one of those old fuel pumps in the can) fuel to an endurance trial model airplane. If my feeble memory serves me the attempt was made in the field behind the old Elastic Stop Nut Company in Union, NJ. The project was run by many of The Union Model Airplane Club (UMAC) members. I have NO recollection as to the outcome of that event....Perhaps Larry Scarinzi, or Bob Hunt (just a babe at that time, but he carries many of the old stories) can fill in the details.

Ward-O