Also, with my first A.J. Firebaby, I recieved another Walker product, a Ballon tank. A Latex rubber balloon with a piece of black neoprene tubing. Some years later, I used this tank to get the first (and only) run from a Wen-Mac .049 I'd had for 7 or 8 years. That single run with a 7-4 Power Prop, balloon tank, and Fox Blast (40% nitro?) was wild, noisy, and impressive, but ended with the engine exhibitting 0 compression.

A local hobby shop got in the Walker .065 with pneumatic throttle. Didn't sell for years. When the shop finally closed after about 40 years of operation, the long latex tube running from the pressure bulb to the throttle mechanism was falling apart. I think this was the engine Walker used for flying multiple CL planes. For a while, IIRC, Walker had an ARF (Firecat?) tricycle geared CL plane with the throttled .065, and what looked from pictures like a streamlined teardrop metal or plastic tank.

Speaking of the work involved in flying CL, I find it a rush to actually FEEL what the plane is doing. When I flew it regularly, one thing I had fun with was to put a small wood square a couple feet back from where I'd first pick up the handle after engine start, launch, step on the plate, make sure the circle was clear, then close my eyes and just have fun flying, including loops, inverted, inside and outside loops, horizontal and vertical 8s, and on a couple days, after lots of practice, even did at least a single touch and go-without throttle, yet. Or breaking the plane! Never tried landing with my eyes shut. Used to keep centered by keeping at least one foot on the wood square. If I lost the square, even for a single step, my eyes came open immediately.

CL is great fun. Maybe not better than RC or FF, just like FF may or may not be better than or CL. Just another method of enjoying the Hobby/Sport of Model Aviation.

While taking a little break, I went through a box of old mags that I had been scanning, and while I couldn't find a Walker ad, I did find an AHC listing of the plane I was thinking about. Jan 1959 American Modeler, Page 7. The Walker Firebee is listed as a kit under the Ready to Run category, with engine, for an astonding (for the time) $12.50. The Firecat I mentioned before was a 42" span kit for $4.95. At that time, that was probably 3 or 4 hours pay for a lot of people.

Regarding the work to fly CL, especially multi engine. Last year I flew hand launch and catapault glider at two different local contests. After tossing the 1 3/4 ounce gliders into the air, or launching the<1.5 ounce cat gliders, the cross country walking begins. In each of those two contest, I got in over 30 flights, including trim flights, and in each contest got in over 8 1/4 miles of walking through weeds that reached from knee to waist to retrieve. And I didn't really do that well or get especially long flight in. Makes me wonder how much walking the guys who fly 8 to 10 different events get in.

My doc and the tech wondered last year after my nuclear stress test how I was in such good shape that I barely got to my target heart and BP targets (66 yrs old then), and wasn't breathing hard. Told them what I do for fun. They didn't take me seriously, till I told them how much walking I did while flying. And, since the clinic borders the college field where we have the contests, they suddenly understood why I call this a hobby/sport. More excersize than golf, even if a golfer doesn't use a cart or caddy.

Alright you engine collector gurus.... Which Ross twin is the more desirable from a collector standpoint. Is it this one or this one?
I'll take a guess, it's the older one with the metal carb, right?

I like them both for different reasons. I might have to see if I can get one of them to come to live over at my house for awhile.

If you can tell, I'm still kicking myself in the butt for not just buying that Ben Shereshaw 4 cylinder engine of a couple of days ago so I've been looking for something else to make me feel better about letting that one get away.

Here is a very interesting 4-cycle available on FleaBay. It's too big for me but it's certainly is different and very cool, IMHO.

[QUOTE=Mr. Wiz;18581126]Alright you engine collector gurus.... Which Ross twin is the more desirable from a collector standpoint ?
Mr. Wiz, I will let Danny answer that question, as I'm sure he knows more about the ROSS engines than I do. BOB

Originally Posted by Twin-Stack

Mr. Wiz, I will let Danny answer that question, as I'm sure he knows more about the ROSS engines than I do. BOB

That's kind of what I'm hoping for but Bob, I have a lot of respect for your opinion too.

Originally Posted by Mr. Wiz

Here is a very interesting 4-cycle available on FleaBay. It's too big for me but it's certainly is different and very cool, IMHO.

Spelling mistake there - it's actually an Italian OPS. BOB
http://www.rcmplans.com/issues/reque...061987-1-1.pdf

Originally Posted by Mr. Wiz

That's kind of what I'm hoping for but Bob, I have a lot of respect for your opinion too.

Well, as I said - Danny will know more than me, but if a gun was held at my head, I'd say the all black one was more common as I've not seen another one like the natural metal one. It seems to have a different manufacturer, so maybe its a pre-production model. Danny..............?

Bob,

There is actually a video on Youtube of a guy running a natural metal colored one. It looks like he's got it clamped to the railing of a deck and is agrivating the other trailer park residents with it. It's kind of funny though I'm certain it wasn't intended to be. I actually think the black one is better looking but I think the plastic Perry carb is a little cheap looking in comparison to the rest of it.

Originally Posted by Twin-Stack

Spelling mistake there - it's actually an Italian OPS. BOB
http://www.rcmplans.com/issues/reque...061987-1-1.pdf

I saw that too. OPS was a fairly well known boat motor manufacturer back when I was a kid.

One of the most useful things to have around your workshop is that round bit of aluminum sheet that forms the airtight seal under the lids of coffee tins. It can be easily cut with even a cheap pair of scissors, and is great for making jaw guards for the small vice that I use. Another use is for when I need to flatten a bent bracket, throttle arm or some other flat metal part without marking or damaging it. To demonstrate, I cut a random shape from 0.03 in. steel plate, then twisted & bent the thing up with pliers. Fold your piece of aluminum in the middle as shown, place the bent item in the fold, and squeeze all around it with your fingers. My little vice has a flat bit on one end ideal for tapping the encased item with a small hammer, and the more you tap, the more the part becomes visible. The aluminum sheet prevents hammer marks and squashed edges. Another handy tip is - I spread last week's newspaper on the workbench, then peel the pages off one by one as the top one gets littered with dirt & debris. BOB

You can work on my engines anytime Bob


Bill

And right when you thought you've seen everything.... How about a steam powered hydro plane that really hauls @ss. I think it's headed for the bottom at the very end.

British A/S class tethered hydroplane (1 min 51 sec)

Boy, is that a recent video? I haven't seen anything on tethered hydroplanes in any of the model mags for decads. But then, I rarely get any of the model boat mags.