Hothead (oz6833)

About this Plan

Hothead VTO. Free flight power model.

Quote: "I've been trying to convince Carl Goldberg for over twenty years of the superiority of the high thrust line job as against the pylon job, but he's still arguing. Fact is, in 1937, Goldberg and Anderson drove with me to the American Legion 'Nationals' in Indianapolis; a lively discussion took place enroute as to who was going to take 1st and who would hove to be content with 2nd and 3rd, Goldberg and Anderson had some of their original pylon jobs, and I had a hi-thrust line model. Well, I took 1st, and don't think I ever let Carl forget it! So I've been a high thrust line advocate from way back.

In early summer of 1956, I saw Jack Greene of South Bend flying a hi-thrust job that performed quite nicely and had an interesting feature, a sub rudder.

This got me started on gas again. Russ Hansen, one of my flying buddies, land I both built hi-thrust jobs with sub rudders somewhat similar to Greene's. Those models had some bugs, hit still were good enough to win 1st and 2nd place in the first contest entered, the DeKalb Cloud Dusters meet, one of the biggest in the Central States area.

This was all the impetus I needed to go full steam ahead and design a full stable of this type, correcting any faults that had shown up, and working out a coordinated design. I have named this design the 'Hothead' in deference to the way it sticks its nose up at a good angle and keeps it there as steady as a rock while screaming upwards in a slow left spiral, seemingly in a frantic grab for the cool blue above.

The results have been well worthwhile, producing seven firsts so far, including a 1st in the recent FAI elimination with a heavy weight version of the 15 job with four max's and a 2:03. She also won me a place on the 1958 US International Free Flight Team.

I have had many requests for plans, so you should see quite a few of these Hotheads around very shortly. Construction is very simple and straightforward.

Wing ribs are cut and slid onto the spars; position, them approximately. Notch the trailing edge, glue and press the ribs in the notches; glue leading edge in place, hold it tight with pins and rubber bands until dry. Glue ribs on the spars with a small fillet of glue all around the spar slots on both aides of the ribs. This greatly strengthens and stiffens the structure. When thoroughly dry, sand the ends of the panels..."

Here is Gerald Ritz's Hothead from American Modeler magazine issue 01-58. Regards,

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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