Keith-Rider R1 (oz3703)

About this Plan

Keith-Rider R1 (Suzy). Rubber scale racer.

Quote: "A special and unique event had its first Nationals showing in Dayton, Ohio. This was the winner of what we hope will become a classic, the Thompson Trophy Race for rubber scale. Keith-Rider R1 'Suzy', by Tom Nallen.

Do you ever get the feeling that in rubber powered flying scale we've painted ourselves into a corner? A corner where the high wing is king - and the monarchy perpetuates itself. Variety, they say, is the spice of life. But where have all the low-wings gone, the mid- and shoulder-wings? Sadly, as far as competition is concerned, we find many of our most popular and attractive designs on the endangered species list. What a shame that the classic Hurricane or the graceful Travel Air Mystery Ship usually fly in lonely skies with the beauty of the flight often witnessed by only the builder and perhaps a few of his friends. We've short-changed ourselves with our own rules.

However, in the past few seasons, a new battle arena for the offbeat types has opened up in several scale hotbeds around the country. In the spotlight are models of the memorable National Air Racers of 1930-1939, regarded by many as the Nobles of aviation's Golden Age. The improvement of the breed has been dramatic over only a couple of years, and the performance of some of these pylon polisher models is nothing short of sensational. For example, Ralph Kuenz's Folkerts SK-2 (oz11184) has flown OOS, and Royall Moore, known in some circles as the sixth Granville brother, has a Gee Bee Z which has flown over 70 seconds at a contest.

In these raceplane events, the simultaneously mass launched models fly, not against the stopwatch, but are pitted against each other in head-to-head, sudden-death confrontation. Flyers dwindle steadily, as the first plane down in each flight or lap is erased from further competition, until finally a winner (or survivor) stands alone.

An equalizer is provided by the requirement that rubber motors cannot be changed once the event has begun. The suspense of this round-type, lap-by-lap flying is heightened by the prospect of suddenly finding one's self among the spectators via the blown motor route. The psyche jobs and gamesmanship rampant along the starting line have brought about some of the most remarkably wretched launches ever witnessed anywhere - like straight down. But watching those colorful racers zoom away at the starter's signal and fight it out, rounding those imaginary pylons, is a scale buff's delight.

Raceplane competition has become a regular feature whenever those intrepid wingsters of the Flying Aces Club gather. Most of my racing experience has been at the FAC 'drome in Durham, Connecticut, where the rules evolved by CD's Dave Stott and Bob Thompson are used. These rules, as related by Stott, follow this article. If your group would like to try a little throttle bending, urge your consideration of them, because these rules have proven eminently workable..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Quote "Here is Tom Nallen's Keith-Rider R1 Suzy from Model Builder magazine issue 03-77."

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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