58 years of designing and building model boats

[David Bryant]

yeah, all of this talk of Aerogloss dope (by Pactra?), Ambroid glue, and Missle Mist fuel (manufactured by Duke Fox I believe?) spawns memories of being a young kid (maybe 9 or 10 years old). Building and flying balsa u-control/control-line models by Carl Goldberg and Midwest products, powered by Fox, Veco/K&B, and Merco front intake engines (Top Flight props). Also received various Cox .049 powered plastic u-control airplanes and tethered car models for Christmas and birthday's (anyone remember the "Baja Bug" with pull-start .049?). But, for some reason, model boats attracted me more than anything. I got a Dumas 'Lil Swamp Buggy (049 powered) for Christmas, which I built and finished using Ambroid glue and Aerogloss paint, and would free-run at a local casting pond. This led to more Dumas kits (Miss Unlimited, SK Daddle .20, etc.,...) and my first 2-channel radio (Kraft 2-channel stick with "brick" receiver/servo unit). And I always remember getting all those magazines featuring Jerry Dunlap articles (wishing I had more money). Just think, we did all this without cell phone's

 

[Blue Print]

Thank you Mr Dunlap, it was through reading an RC plane magazine and in particular your articles about R/C boats that I built my first Hotshot closely followed by the Excalibur outboard tunnel. This was way back in 1973 and as I live in New Zealand the magazine arrived by sea usually about sixth months after publication and the plans would arrive about another 3 months after that. I still have my Excalibur and K&B outboard with a JG E30T Prop.

I am still doing r/c boats all these years later. Again Mr Dunlap, Thank you for introducing me to a great hobby and past time and hope your health serves you well.

 

[Kris Flynn]

Yep Mr JD, you certainly are are very valuable Dinosaur to our tunnel boats

Thanks for all your effort and enthusiasm over the years, the hobby definately would not be the same!

 

[Kerry Norton]

Get's you thinking back, some of the most fun we had was building the Quater Crackerbox (published back in1975) as a club racer. Built a couple of the E-Z vees from '74, everything was CoolClamps, solid drives and no servo reversing.. Great to see the enthusiasm hasn't faded. Kerry

 

[moparbarn]

my first nitro engines were cox & testor's .049's on their ready to fly control line planes.i was maybe 8 or 9, about '60-'61. had a low wing beechcraft (?) & then the chrome P-51. started building next, shoestring stunter was the first, learned a lot with that plane . next was a 'lil satan 1/2a combat wing, i still have that one, but i need longer control lines, too fast/too dizzy for a FROG :lol: :lol: ....

 

[Ray Sametz]

my first nitro engines were cox & testor's .049's on their ready to fly control line planes.i was maybe 8 or 9, about '60-'61. had a low wing beechcraft (?) & then the chrome P-51. started building next, shoestring stunter was the first, learned a lot with that plane . next was a 'lil satan 1/2a combat wing, i still have that one, but i need longer control lines, too fast/too dizzy for a FROG :lol: :lol: ....

LMAO, I too flew a plane with to short control lines, got dizzy and fell down, hit me in the back. Growing up in Manhattan, Maceys had a big hobby section, everything you needed. B) .......==={}

 

[Jim Recker Jr.]

Cool old outboard, what the boat made of, paper mache???

Balsa wood and painted with model airplane dope. I loved the smell of that stuff. I suppose I'm fortunate not have suffered brain damage from inhaling fumes from all the model airplane glue and paint. Or, maybe I did. :huh:

I built one Miss Thriftway kit when I was 13 or 14 and then scratch built other .049 powered hydroplanes from balsa wood using the same construction technique.

JD

Very cool Mr .D you are King! My father and I have read several of you "Flying Models" articles . Deep V's, Tunnel Hulls et all. I believe we met you at the 1981 Internats in Indy. You were a true gentleman.

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

my first nitro engines were cox & testor's .049's on their ready to fly control line planes.i was maybe 8 or 9, about '60-'61. had a low wing beechcraft (?) & then the chrome P-51. started building next, shoestring stunter was the first, learned a lot with that plane . next was a 'lil satan 1/2a combat wing, i still have that one, but i need longer control lines, too fast/too dizzy for a FROG :lol: :lol: ....

Control line model airplanes is probably off the original topic, but since I started the topic and a charter FROG - it's OK. My first C/L was a .049 powered Spad. John at "John's Bikes and Hobbies" explained how you pull back for up elevator to get off the ground. So, with that little .049 screaming I signaled my next door neighbor to "let 'er go" - while I held full up elevator. My first C/L maneuver was a ground loop resulting in ripping off the top wing.

I went back to ask John what I should do now that I had a mono-wing Spad. He said it would fly with just the bottom wing and wait until the plane build up ground speed before giving up elevator. John was right. I built a lot of .049 planes using 1/4" X 3" wide balsa sheeting with a rounded leading edge and some taper at the trailing edge.

JD

 

[Tom Foley]

Old boat ...New in Box Drag N' Fly 60 that I've had since around 87 or so is on the bench with an OPS 67 sitting next to it !! My first boat in 81 was a Drag N ' Fly 40 with a 61 HB side exhaust -OPS pipe . Learned a lot form that one ! Keep up the good work Jerry .

 

[Bill Gibson]

Jerry, i built more than a few of your tunnels, either from plans or Dumas kits.....always enjoyed it! You are good at what you do....why ever stop!!! My beginnings with Butyrate Dope and Ambroid cement were with building of all things....model rockets around 1967!! Then 1/2A CL model airplanes like the Baby Flight Streak, then .35 powered CL planes....i remember building a Dumas U-71 Atlas Van Lines with an .049 Cox engine....i started it with a shoe string around the little flywheel.....needless to say........i was HOOKED! Modeling has given me so many great memories, and for the most part kept my butt out of TROUBLE!!

 

[Michael Caruso]

Jerry, i built more than a few of your tunnels, either from plans or Dumas kits.....always enjoyed it! You are good at what you do....why ever stop!!! My beginnings with Butyrate Dope and Ambroid cement were with building of all things....model rockets around 1967!! Then 1/2A CL model airplanes like the Baby Flight Streak, then .35 powered CL planes....i remember building a Dumas U-71 Atlas Van Lines with an .049 Cox engine....i started it with a shoe string around the little flywheel.....needless to say........i was HOOKED! Modeling has given me so many great memories, and for the most part kept my butt out of TROUBLE!!

Thanks for the trip Jerry and guys back in time. AMT model cars then Cox Piper Cub wing over, Cox LIL' Stinker double winger plastic, then a Cox TD Prop Rod (miss that one) and a Wen-Mac .049 Go-Kart I let them both run loose. Why because I could not hammer the big nail into the asphalt. Older guys did paper air plains with Dope late 50's & 60's. I was at a car show this summer right by my house and a buddy of mine I have not seen in 40 years says Remember the TD-Prop rod? I set it loose he would go get it. Fuel smells pretty color cans best smells ever and the first time I got dizzy from fuel or glue was the last from then on plenty of fresh air.

I have to add two smells #1 Smell of 2-cycle mix used in a real 10 HP Mercury Hurricane outboard clamped on a new 12 ft alum row boat. I weighed a buck-0-5 lol and had to put both feet on the engine case to pull it through remember direct drive. #2 Smell of engine bay on old full size wooden runabouts. Thanks to Ed Hughey and Bill L. for making the .40 Hydro kit that got me started in RC boating / Kraft Brick cool stuff!!!!

Enjoy

 

[DickJones]

Here is a photo of a free run electric outboard runabout I built probably around 1953/54. It was powered by one of those small 9V batteries like the ones in fire alarms. I build similar boats for guys in the neighborhood so I'd have someone to race at the wading pond at a local park. Nearly 60 years later I'm still running model outboard boats.

JD

Oh ya, and I bet you are still driving your Zamboni and play your tramboni!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!dick