Latest Free Flight glider built by Cliff Riedel

1/2A Texaco Tatone Atomizer II

Hi Tom,

The color scheme is wild. Should be able to see it at great heights. Also very easy to spot in a corn field, bean field, or a very tall tree.
The model weighed in at 13.5 ounces. Should weigh 15.4 ounces.
My digital scale weighed the model at 13.5 ounces. The scale my mother weighed me when I was a baby some 78 plus years ago weighed the model at 14 ounces.
The C/G is at 62.5 %. The plan C/G called for 33%
I test glided the Atomizer and it had a very steep glide. If I set the C/G as called for on the plans of 33% the Atomizer would have dove straight into the ground. Might have even hit my big toe.
On to adding weight and more test gliding before the maiden flight.

~Bucky Walter

Lanzo Swayback part 2

From Spirit of Yesteryear models....

First flights of the Lanzo Swayback,

a Chet Lanzo design, built by Bucky Walter. Power is an

original HP VT.21 4-stroke.

1/2A Texaco Tatone Atomizer I

Hi Tom,

Construction photos of the Atomizer as you requested. It's built from a Spirit of Yesteryear kit. Included is a photo of the rudder with it's 2-56 screw tiller. The rudder will be glued to the stab and the 2- 56 screw can be installed after the removable stab is screw to the fuselage with 4-40 nylon screws. To allow the the stab to be removed, unscrew the 2-56 screw tiller.

Construction weight with battery, radio, servos, and engine with an APC 8x6E prop is 12 ounces.

The wing area is 278 square inches. Do your math and you will come up with a flying weight for 1/2 A Texaco is 15.4 ounces.

After covering I hope it will weigh 16 ounces.

Last Flight of the Cleveland Cloudster?

2010 Flight Test Program

(2nd flight)

Sue and I went to Veteran's Park again this morning to test the 30% reduction in elevator control and get some in-flight pictures. We arrived around 7:30 a.m., clear, calm, and about 59 degrees. I assembled the Cloudster and took it to the edge of the park on the concrete walk way to check the RPM out in the open as shown below. At full throttle it tached 12,800 RPM. Yesterday I tried to check the RPM in model room and only got 6,500 RPM so it must have been the lights in the model room interfering with the tach.

We walked out to the center of the park's field to launch. I made one last check of the controls before I launched as shown below.

Sue caught the Cloudster a moment or so after launch as shown below.

For some reason I was having problems trimming the model as it was climbing out, but it did get quite high at the end of one minute. However, after I cut the motor I still couldn't seem to get it under control and it was getting higher and further away. I sensed that I was beginning to loose the Cloudster as its image had grown very small now due to range. So I added throttle to try to start coming back to the field. However, the power only aggravated the model's gyrations. Finally it just disappeared out of sight in the morning's clear blue sky somewhere over Arlington.

I have no explanation for went wrong this morning. I only know that the Cloudster is gone, unless someone happens to find it and calls me. Otherwise, this is last picture we will ever see of the Cloudster on its way up........................Tandy Walker



N.B.: This has happened to the best R/C Assist flyers. But, it can be prevented with some on board insurance.

Canard videos from Canard Addict of R/C Groups

Videos of canards built by Canard Addict.

Wedgy part II

Hi Tom,

The Wedgy is very hard to hand glide and grab the transmitter to control the glide.

With the CG at 40 percent it drove straight into the ground, like I just held it by the tail and dropped it. With full up trim it did not make a difference.

Moved the battery back under the wing where it had a CG of 67 percent. With full up trim I was able to make a steep control glide to the ground.

I am going to make a battery box holder at the rear of the wing. Right now I am pretty beat from going up and down to the basement to make changes in the battery location.

I built the rear of the fuselage to match the plans twice so the stab location is as the plans show it. If it still wants to dive with the rearward location of the battery I will start raising the trailing edge of the stab.

The nose wheel sure takes a beating. It saved the model from some serious damage.

I also have to make a needle valve extension.


Hope to get the Wedgy to glide correctly by the time you are able to pick it up. I will also try to run the engine.

Bucky