Tempo (oz4307)

About this Plan

Tempo. Control line model. FAI team racer.

Quote: "FAI Team Racing has been one of the most popular European control line events for many years. It was held for the first time at the 1961 USA Nationals. Rules and specifications for FAI (A) and AMA (B) class team racing appear in the current AMA rule book. Basic differences are engine and tank size, and flying line length. ABA (B) class allows .29 engines, one ounce tanks and 60 ft lines. FAI calls for .15 engines, 1/3 ounce (10cc) tanks, and 52 ft 2 in lines.

In our opinion FAI class team racing has several advantages over B class team racing. They are:

(1) Shut offs are not required or needed.
(2) Piesel engines provide better fuel economy and con-sistently easier hot starts.
(3) Diesels eliminates glow plugs and battery, two possible sources of trouble.
(4) The segmented circle layout, and other excellent rules make the event safer for all and easier for the officials to administer.

Becoming interested in the event we bought plans for every available Euro-pean FAI team racer. We found most of them to be intricate designs with many odd size parts. So we decided to design our own. Some successful features were taken from our Pittsburgh Rat Racer. To this was added ideas from the English designs, Jim Johnson's AMA class team racers, a few more of our own - thus came Tempo. The first ship finished was used at the 1961 Nationals.

Here are some FAI team race tips - refer to the diagram. Ideal Pit Stop Technique:

1. Touch-down around here.
2. Mechanic stops model here (one foot must remain outside the main circle at all times).
3. Restart and launch here.

Building the model. PAN: First choose the engine. We selected the Oliver because it had an unequalled European reputation for power and economy. The long search for an Oliver was justified by the performance. It was all they said it was and it proved to be reliable and forgiving. However, I have seen some very impressive per-formances turned in by the ETA 15D so that engine would probably do equally well.

Choose a mounting pan that provides a solid truly flat engine mounting sur-face and permits maximum cooling. These are probably the most important factors in obtaining maximum power and smooth consistent runs. Our Nat's winner used a cut-down Harters Proto pan. Subsequent copies used the Vigo pan which is designed specifically for .15 diesels and tapers nicely to a trim fit around the drive washer.

Mount the engine onto the pan spaced evenly side to side with no in-thrust or out-thrust. Mark the holes, drill, and tap. Grind a recess on each side..."

Quote: "Hi Steve - Here is Bill Ayers' Tempo from American Modeler magazine issue 09-62."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 22/05/2018: added article, thanks to theshadow.

Supplementary file notes

Article.

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