Fuel supplies

[Al Hobbs]

I bought some Prope years ago to help when a race was held in cold weather. The stuff does scare me because I had to buy it through a laboratory and they spen 30 minutes gtelling me about how dangerous it was.

If you are faced with running in cold weather, Ronson lighter fluid will get the job done for you.

 

[Mark Grannis]

Dad & I ran Propylene Oxide intermittently for 25 years (1975 - 2001) for the most competitive national races. It is a way to gain some extra speed. It was stored in metal container in the garage fridge and taken to the pond in it's own playmate cooler usually in the pint size K&B thinner container. We then mixed in the 1 gal fuel in the am and for each additional gallon at the races. Only used 2.5%-4% depending on air temp and air density.

This stuff evaporates every time you open the fuel jug and even when the plastic jug is sealed...very volatile. Never proven, but Dad had some concern that this is nasty stuff may have caused his fatal brain tumor at 62 years old. He asked me to dispose of it before passing and suggested I find other ways to go faster.

MG

 

[scottnewkirk]

Don is correct with his assessment of Propylene Oxide and what it was used for. Back when I was in high school ( 1960's ) my Dad brought a glass bottle of prope home from work. I assumed he had gotten it from a chemist there. This was during the summer and in a matter of a week or so it exploded sending glass all over the floor. No wet spot left because the prope had quickly evaporated. Prope should always be kept in a metal can! The controline speed guys would mix the proper amount of nitro/prope for the next flight mainly because the prope evaporated quickly. Back in the 1980's I had a metal gallon can that was about 1/3 full of prope that I kept in my work room in a closet in my house ( not a good idea ). I would have to "burp" the can about every few weeks because it would build up pressure. If I didn't do this the can would expand and make a "bang" noise and scare the heck out of the wife and the dogs, especially if it did it at night. Anyway, the prope had to go and I never got to fly my pulse jet, which I still have. It's an early all aluminum "Ironsides " by Jerry Thomas with the upright engine. And if I'm not mistaken Ed Fisher ( NAMBA Hall of Famer ) use to fly the jets for Jerry in the Washington state area.

Dick Tyndall

Yes, Jerry and Ed flew together for many years. I was usually on the starter. We all worked together in the wind tunnel at Boeing.

After Jerry died, I got all of his tooling and parts for the "Ironsides" kits that he had been making. So many fliers died or dropped out of speed flying, I never sold a single one.