DeBolt Special (oz2534)

About this Plan

DeBolt Special. Pylon racer for multi RC with K&B .40 power.

Quote: "This K&B .40 powered Goodyear is the one that impressed the experts. Fast as greased lightning - for Prototype class. DeBolt Special, by Hal deBolt.

In the fall of 1965 I made up my mind that I was going to have a Goodyear racer no matter what. On studying the rules I noted that if you have a scale version, you wind up at a race with some handy handicap points. However, in observing several races, it was soon noted that the true scale racers were not the fast ones - in fact, most of them did not seem to fly well. Sure, it was true that most of the winners were of the semi-scale variety and did have excellent performances. However, who can say where non-scale ends and true scale begins? According to the rules, only the true scale variety were eligible for maximum handicap points, hence the best you could do with semi-scale was to get a small portion of these points.

My search quickly narrowed to three aircraft, Shoestring, Midget Mustang, and Stardust. Shoestring is a good basic design, but has been worked over so many times you tend to leave it as a last resort. Stardust looks very good also, but it is so obscure in racing circles that you would have difficulty proving it ever existed. Another problem arises. If yours is to be a scale model, you must have authentic drawings of the original airplane. Many magazine three-views were available but none of these, except the Midget Mustang, had been authenticated. How can you build a scale model without plans for the original?

The Midget Mustang looked as good as any in three-views found and, with authentic plans available it seemed a good choice. Lines soon appeared on paper outlining a Midget to the minimum allowed by the rules. Once the outline is there you start analyzing. You begin to understand the reason for all of the semi-scale types; it is obvious that, if you held true scale, you would not have a good looking version in model form. Also, when the size fitted the rules wing-wise the fuselage bulk was far above minimum, and much more than needed for model use. The choice is whether to build a scale en-trant or a racer and, obviously, if you held true scale, you would never have a contender! Judicious doodling would provide a good racer and still be original. I got to thinking, what are we trying to prove? Either it is scale, or it is not. Why try to call a modified design a scale version of the original. It doesn't make much sense!

I decided to go all out with a really fast Goodyear.

When I thought about the event and watched some of the races, my impression of the causes of its lack of popularity, the country over, was simply that the models were just too 'hot' for the average flyer and grass flying fields. It appears to me that if we want to see this event grow we must have models which are suitable to the average flyer and grass flying fields. Greater wing area will not slow the top speed down greatly, but it will allow the model to be slowed down to the point where a decent landing can be made on any type of surface. If the power is held in line through the use of stock engines and fuels, the speed should not get above the average flyer's ability..."

Quote: "Note this Special is basically a scale Long Midget Mustang with the fuselage turtle deck altered to a canopy type. The outline of the scale turtle deck is shown along with all necessary bulkheads in case a scale version is desired".

Quote: "Debolt always had great looking models with fantastic finishes. I later learned that many of his models built in the late 60's and 70's were built and finished by Dave Geirke designer of the Novi C/L stunter series. A wonderful model designer in his own right."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 04/03/2019: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

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