Plumbrook Flying Field - Lawn Tractors - Mole Traps - Sonic Cruiser

Hi Guys,

Thought you would like to see some photos taken at the flying field.

General photos of the field as of Sunday morning July 18.

Photos of Bucky's mole traps. Trap set - Trap Sprung - Dead Mole

Tractor ( the one with the hood ) donated By the Willard R/C Club. Grover Ritter brought it from Willard and reworked it to run. Needed a belt, bearing and pulley.
Bob Simon did some work on it also.

The club tractor ( no hood on it ) was resurrected from HELL by Grover and Don Perdue. It sat at the field for two and half to three years. You could not see the fins on the twin cylinder engine due crap put there by field mice. The starter was not recognized due to mice crap. Don finally cleaned enough crap off to find the mounting bolts so it could be removed. Grover told Don that the shaft would be corroded and would not turn. Don cleaned the starter and told Grover it turns.
Well the next step would be to try to start the engine. My contribution to this epic rework was the jumper cables.

Grover put the gas, which sat in the storage container for three years, in the gas tank and dump some in the air intake. I hooked up the jumper cables to my car and the old battery on the club mower. Grover said "it will not run". Don said "I think it will run". Me (Bucky) sat on the picnic table and prayed it would run.
Don Perdue was given the honor of trying to start the engine. The engine turned over with a few chugs and then spit some gas out the air intake just as Grover started to get a closer look at the engine. You ought to see Grover jump back and the engine roared back to life. Grover tuned up the carb and said the engine has been reworked so many times we better use 50 weight oil. Don said "great". I got some at home.

New blades and a mower belt have been installed on the club tractor. The startup on the tractor has not required a jump. It starts ever time. I started it this morning.
That battery has to be going to the Hall Of Fame For Batteries.

Ray Ozmun brought his Brush Hog out to the field twice to knock down the two to three feet high grass so the lawn tractors could be used.

Don, Grover, and me have mowed very rough field. Don and myself have mowed the cut down field two times and you can see the results in the photos.
It takes about one and a half hours using both lawns tractors.

Threw in some photos of my Sonic scruiser which I haze been flying just about ever day this last week and this morning.

It is time to start flying.

Bucky

Back at Plum Brook Today

Hi Guys,

We are back flying R/C at Plum Brook after two and a half years since we were removed from flying there by a young, dumb

NASA caretaker. He was so dumb he was replaced. His replacement reinstated our club to again fly at Plum Brook.

I was making touch and goes with my Sonic Cruiser designed by Hal DeBolt in 1961. Stu Warner took the photos with my cheap Nikon digital camera.

Also flew my 1/2A Airfoiler which Hal DeBolt designed. Hal used seven degrees incidence in the wing and five degrees of positive incidence in the stab. He thought this would eliminate down-thrust for the engine. Hal designed the model for a glow 35 engine. The set up did not work for the 1/2A Texaco version. I installed two washers behind the engine and today the model under power indicated it will require some more down thrust. The model also stalled in the glide. Stu told be to remove some of the incidence in the wing.

I am thinking of adding nose weight; it is easier to add weight. The color scheme is hard to see in a blue sky.

The model has a single, retracting landing gear actuated by a rubber band just like the original.

That Is It For Now.

Bucky

Sonic Cruiser completed!

Hi Guys,

I finally finished the deBolt Sonic Cruiser.

DeBolt had a novel way to turn the tail wheel less than the rudder. Back in 1961 the control system used reeds or escapements to move things. The photos show debolts system for the tail wheel and the rudder. pretty neat.

The model weighed in on the scale my mother used to weigh me over three quarter of a century ago; the model weighs five pounds three ounces. I worked for NACA and NASA for over one quarter of a century and I can vouch for the accuracy of the scale and it is close enough for Space Craft.

The fancy S or Z was taken off the plans of the Sonic Cruiser.

That's It!

Bucky

1961 DeBolt Sonic Cruiser

Hi Guys,

I built a Sonic Cruiser from a DeBolt Kit back in the early sixties. I flew the Sonic Cruiser with two escapements, one for rudder and a quick blip for motor control. It was powered with a Veco 35 with a flapper plate on the exhaust stack for motor control. I became pretty good at flying. I was able to make touch and goes. Most guys flew a model this size with reeds; two channels per reed servo. Flyers would ask me if I was flying with six channels and I would respond with "only one". By the way the escapements were powered with twisted rubber bands.

I found the plans and the original aluminum landing gear so I decided to build the Sonic Cruiser with full house controls using a Spektrum Radio and a Tower ABC 46 glow engine.

Things to do included fixing the dings from building, a complete sanding, and the biggy; how should I cover and decorated the Cruiser?

Never a dull moment in my workshop.

Enjoy The Photos,

Bucky