Big news in RC boating

[Grimracer]

This just in!

 

[MarkScott]

Always thought USPS was slow, but why can't they upgrade from horses yet?

 

[Terry Keeley]

This just in!

lol!

Is that Gary's name at the top of the second page?

 

[Bill Gibson]

That is SO COOL!!!! I remember reading that Mr Kalfus Made everything for his boats.....including the ENGINES!!!!

 

[barry petrowski]

I love the "restrooms in casino" sign behind them. Haven't seen that at a race.

 

[Tom Kelly]

Looks like that was at Belle Isle in Detroit. Model boat racing goes back a long way there.

There was a casino on the island.

 

[Jerry T]

Hey Mike, haven't heard from you in a while, but I didn't think it was this long.

:lol:

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

I saw that boat run at the 1967 IMPBA Internats in San Francisco. Ed also made his own props. The boat was making passes through the 1/16 mile at 51/52 mph and doing so with a very minimal run to the timing equipment - scanning equipment at that time. It was the first time I'd ever seen a model boat run in the 50 mph range.

Gary and Marianne Preusse were also at that event. I had begun purchasing model boating supplies from Gray in 1966.

Great stuff, Grim.

JD

 

[Grimracer]

I have SO MUCH of this stuff you have no idea.. then again.. you have been to Dons.. you have an idea.....lol

Grim

 

[NOVALTD]

Anybody know who ended up with Ed Kalfus engines and boats. He was one talanted model boater. I read an article on him and it said he started building and running tether boats in the 1930's and rc boats in 1960. He was a machinist for IBM . He had the equipment and skills to make the engines,but were did he get the science for metallurgy and engine design.? Also boat design ,building and supplies.? Did he live in New York.? Did he develop his engines from engines made in England and Germany? Last, there was no aircraft plywood , epoxy or fuelproof paint in those days,yet he was doing 60 mph on a ignition engine and everything was from scratch. If you want to see a amazing talented modeler in the early days google ed kalfus on a search engine and will see pictures of the engines he made UNBELIEVABLE !!!. We model boaters sure got it easy today compared to what Ed had to go through to get a model boat to even run. I thought you modelers would enjoy seeing his engines. ----Dan McCormick NAMBA 221

 

[mercguy]

Anybody know who ended up with Ed Kalfus engines and boats. He was one talanted model boater. I read an article on him and it said he started building and running tether boats in the 1930's and rc boats in 1960. He was a machinist for IBM . He had the equipment and skills to make the engines,but were did he get the science for metallurgy and engine design.? Also boat design ,building and supplies.? Did he live in New York.? Did he develop his engines from engines made in England and Germany? Last, there was no aircraft plywood , epoxy or fuelproof paint in those days,yet he was doing 60 mph on a ignition engine and everything was from scratch. If you want to see a amazing talented modeler in the early days google ed kalfus on a search engine and will see pictures of the engines he made UNBELIEVABLE !!!. We model boaters sure got it easy today compared to what Ed had to go through to get a model boat to even run. I thought you modelers would enjoy seeing his engines. ----Dan McCormick NAMBA 221

Ed and Jim Allen were good friends and ran together. I also ran in district three with those gentlemen. I still have a couple of Ed's props in my box. My first radio was one that Ed built. Servos were linear in movement and used a linear wirewound pot. I wonder if Jim has any of Ed's boats and equipment?

Bill Hoch

 

[rctinman]

Here's a link to a prop pitch gauge that Ed developed and sold. Someone got a piece of R/C boating history for very little! LOL Scroll down the page a little

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MODEL-BOAT-PROPELLER-PITCH-GAGE-/111800154093?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=v2PRGaK5Rx%252B%252BnvhNkRMGcp1M6Wc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Steve Ball

 

[Tom Foley]

I met him once at the Freeport pond , he had his twin . Inspiring workmanship to say the least !

 

[timothy johnson]

Just a little more about Ed. Ed lived and worked for IBM in Poughkeepsi. New York. He had his own plane and used to fly down to Long Island NY in the early 60s and run his RC boats. The boat in the picture is a White Heat 4-60 that ED built with some improvements, it was about 16 pounds. Ed also built his own radios which were proportional when we were still running reed radios. I first meet ED at a place named Richies hobby town in NJ where he and others ran their tether boats, EDs boat was named Blitz and ran well 100mph. One of Eds good tether boat friends was a man named Henry Parohl who also built engines like ED, he was a tool and die maker for the Boliva watch company. These men were well ahead of their time.

 

[Grimracer]

Now.. so good... I was hoping good memories would come from this post.

Grim

 

[NOVALTD]

J

I saw that boat run at the 1967 IMPBA Internats in San Francisco. Ed also made his own props. The boat was making passes through the 1/16 mile at 51/52 mph and doing so with a very minimal run to the timing equipment - scanning equipment at that time. It was the first time I'd ever seen a model boat run in the 50 mph range.

Gary and Marianne Preusse were also at that event. I had begun purchasing model boating supplies from Gray in 1966.

Great stuff, Grim.

JD

Jerry Dunlap: Do you mind telling us who Gray model boat supplies were? Were they a outfit out of London England that sold IC engine castings.? Thanks --DAN--

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

J

I saw that boat run at the 1967 IMPBA Internats in San Francisco. Ed also made his own props. The boat was making passes through the 1/16 mile at 51/52 mph and doing so with a very minimal run to the timing equipment - scanning equipment at that time. It was the first time I'd ever seen a model boat run in the 50 mph range.

Gary and Marianne Preusse were also at that event. I had begun purchasing model boating supplies from Gray in 1966.

Great stuff, Grim.

JD

Jerry Dunlap: Do you mind telling us who Gray model boat supplies were? Were they a outfit out of London England that sold IC engine castings.? Thanks --DAN--

The "Gary" reference in my post was in regards to Gary Preusse. Gary lives in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, and owns G&M Models. Gary has been a distributor for model boating supplies for over 50 years and works out of his basement.

JD

 

[Grimracer]

More good news from 68!

LOL..

Jerry Dunlap offers up his newest design "The Green Horn"

We have a nice add for the Thunderbolt from GEM models (Before it was G+M)

1968 IMPBA records

and the Minuet Breakers Turkey Shoot winners!

Brought to you by Don's Hobby shop and new newest issue of Model Boating World News!

Grim

 

[Terry Keeley]

Now.. so good... I was hoping good memories would come from this post.

Grim

Gary hasn't changed his phone number in 50 years!

The area code changed around him!

 

[Jim Recker Jr.]

I have an old super 8 movie of my dad's that shows the 1978 Can-Am held that year at Belle Isle in Detroit. Ed Kalfus entered in F Hydro. It was a round nose boat with 2 different sized rear sponsons on it. The engine was incredible. A large single (looked like a 90 or bigger) 2 exhaust port engine. That's right it had exhaust ports on left and right both connecting to their own tuned pipe. Ed was not only reliable that weekend but fast too. He held his own vs the likes of Bridge, Ries & Walker. Pretty sure Ed trophy'd that weekend.