Vintage Outrigger's

[Charles Perdue]

Marty, When you saw Jack and Steve run the Boss, believe it or not, it was three weeks old.

I do not have any new boats under construction at this time. I have been busy starting another business beside my repair shop.

I still catch myself thinking about the boats from time to time and I have some new ideas that I would like to try....maybe someday when I have time.

One thing that I will bet that you did not know. The first time that the angled turn fin was ran in competition was on a Crapshooter. This was at the NAMBA nationals in Monterey in 1979. You and some of your friend from Indy were there.

The Crapshooter, with what was to be the Boss setup, won the 40 hydro class with 4 first places and fast time. More of the Boss design was conjured up, on the trip from Monterey back to LA.

Maybe we can get together sometime and swap some stories.

Charles

 

[Keith Halverson]

Picked up the red and white 67/80 modified Crapshooter that Leroy Peterson was selling on ebay just the other day. In transit. Will get fresh paint and gear this winter I hope.

 

[Steve White]

Here's a "hot" magazine cover going back to the 1980's- courtesy of RCModeler Magazine.

This July 1983 cover features a "state-of-the-art" Octura Wing Ding 60 outrigger powered by a Rossi R90 Marine, pushing an Octura 1967 prop.

Boat was built by Gary DeLara. Hardware custom fabricated by Art Hammond.

Image was taken at Woodward Park, California.

View attachment 56144

My goodness gracious. I have wondered about this boat. Gary assembled it, I actually built the hull and Gary talked me into selling it to him and I went on and built a Thundergator twin. Gary and I were both members of the Fresno Model Boat Club back then. Kinda hazy about the magazine cover, I do know that's Gary's loverly daughter pictured with the boat. Ya done it well Gary. Art Hammond lived up in the bay area and was a machinist at a factory that manufactured tin cans. Art did all the machine work for Jim Whitlatch and ran in the sport 40 class himself. A great guy, gave me a good education on how to build engines.

Back then we all ran OPS 40s' & 60's. Art built an OPS 60 with a ST 65 or 71 stroker crank in it so Whitlatch could capture the X class hydro record with his 60 Wind Ding. Seems like they set it up with a geared overdrive if I remember correctly. Per Art's recommendation, we drilled out all the fastener holes on the OPS blocks, and installed 5-40 heli-coils and then would Loctite them together. It worked very well. Art Hammond shared that one day when I asked him how he kept his and Whitlatch's engines together.

Yeah yeah yeah, before anyone get panties wadded - it's a 7 year old zombie thread. Showed up on a link while searching for "Wing Ding Turn Fin Location" and well, I did build that boat - better have gotten some credit in the mag article...

I think Gary's last name was spelled DeLeara.

 

[David Bryant]

My goodness gracious. I have wondered about this boat. Gary assembled it, I actually built the hull and Gary talked me into selling it to him and I went on and built a Thundergator twin. Gary and I were both members of the Fresno Model Boat Club back then. Kinda hazy about the magazine cover, I do know that's Gary's loverly daughter pictured with the boat. Ya done it well Gary. Art Hammond lived up in the bay area and was a machinist at a factory that manufactured tin cans. Art did all the machine work for Jim Whitlatch and ran in the sport 40 class himself. A great guy, gave me a good education on how to build engines.

Back then we all ran OPS 40s' & 60's. Art built an OPS 60 with a ST 65 or 71 stroker crank in it so Whitlatch could capture the X class hydro record with his 60 Wind Ding. Seems like they set it up with a geared overdrive if I remember correctly. Per Art's recommendation, we drilled out all the fastener holes on the OPS blocks, and installed 5-40 heli-coils and then would Loctite them together. It worked very well. Art Hammond shared that one day when I asked him how he kept his and Whitlatch's engines together.

Yeah yeah yeah, before anyone get panties wadded - it's a 7 year old zombie thread. Showed up on a link while searching for "Wing Ding Turn Fin Location" and well, I did build that boat - better have gotten some credit in the mag article...

I think Gary's last name was spelled DeLeara.

thanks for your [valuable] input there, I appreciate knowing more about this boat's history. I remember Jim Whitlatch and Art Hammond, I was a teenager at the time (mid-1970's)

The usage of heli-coil's is very interesting. I've just used split lockwashers on the front and rear housing bolts

 

[Steve White]

^^^ You are most welcome sir. Yeah, I really enjoy the history of this hobby. Love the old Ed Kalfus stories and all the rest.

The heli-coils allowed for more torque without stripping. Heat em up with a torch if they needed disassembly. Pretty much the only way to keep an exhaust throttle mounted on them. Some of the guys used safety wire, I liked the heli-coil method.

Jim Whitlatch and Art Hammond are/were great guys and helped everyone out. I lived in Fresno and raced quite a bit 75-78 in California NAMBA.

I had to post on it, I built the boat. Should have kept it and ran it, but wanted a twin real bad. Gary owned DeLeara (DeLara sp) Trucking in those days. I knew him from the boat club and also did some electrical work for him at his house. Pool and back yard lighting. I have an uncle that drove truck for him as well.

Whitlatch was a very technical racer. He only went fast enough to win. I noticed that at a race where a guy was pushing him hard - his 60 Wing Ding would fly wide open and he could thread a needle driving it - always in lane 1.

Did you know Gary? I am going to look through the thread for more information on the boat. Art Hammond was meticulous and built some beautiful hardware. His exhaust throttles were the best ones around. High temp O ring seals on them - seems like the body may have been titanium. That was a while ago. Art also built the adjustable needle valves he and Whitlatch used.

 

[Steve White]

David,

Thank you for sharing the picture. Gary Delara always had the coolest looking boats.

Now, holding his custom WingDing is his daughter, Gina Delara. At 16 she was my very first crush!! Oh man, I can still remember her walking around the pit area in her Jordache jeans!!!!

Sadly, I was too shy as a kid to say much more then Hi to her........

Thanks again Cheers,

Will

I won't tell you if her and mom came out for a swim while I was playing electrician installing back yard lighting for Gary. Gina looks just like mom.

Gary if you're out there, send me a PM.

 

[David Bryant]

Did you know Gary? I am going to look through the thread for more information on the boat. Art Hammond was meticulous and built some beautiful hardware. His exhaust throttles were the best ones around. High temp O ring seals on them - seems like the body may have been titanium. That was a while ago. Art also built the adjustable needle valves he and Whitlatch used.

I did'nt know them. I'm District 19. But I remember seeing them run at NAMBA Nationals back-in-the-day (Legg Lake & San Diego Model Yatch Pond). Also in magazine articles documenting heat racing results

 

[Marty Davis]

Marty, When you saw Jack and Steve run the Boss, believe it or not, it was three weeks old.

I do not have any new boats under construction at this time. I have been busy starting another business beside my repair shop.

I still catch myself thinking about the boats from time to time and I have some new ideas that I would like to try....maybe someday when I have time.

One thing that I will bet that you did not know. The first time that the angled turn fin was ran in competition was on a Crapshooter. This was at the NAMBA nationals in Monterey in 1979. You and some of your friend from Indy were there.

The Crapshooter, with what was to be the Boss setup, won the 40 hydro class with 4 first places and fast time. More of the Boss design was conjured up, on the trip from Monterey back to LA.

Maybe we can get together sometime and swap some stories.

Charles

I would love that. Just not a lot of times that the West Coast guys and the Midwest guys ever got together. The boat that Jack and Steve ran in Indy was one of the 2 or 3 best boats I ever saw. It triggered a lot of work by Ed Lackey and I working on turn fins. Probably over 500 tests of new ideas.

 

[Marty Davis]

Hi Marty, Do you remember this Boat?View attachment 58854View attachment 58855View attachment 58856

Yes, I sure do. That guy sure looked young, you should see me now....

 

[Charles Perdue]

I would love that. Just not a lot of times that the West Coast guys and the Midwest guys ever got together. The boat that Jack and Steve ran in Indy was one of the 2 or 3 best boats I ever saw. It triggered a lot of work by Ed Lackey and I working on turn fins. Probably over 500 tests of new ideas.

Marty, coming from you and the large number of boats that you must have seen run, that puts the BOSS boat in a very elite group.
I heard Steve O'Donnell say more than several times that comparing the driving of the BOSS boats compared to regular riggers were like comparing driving a Model "T" to a sports car.
Speaking of Steve, I have been trying to talk him in to coming east and visiting with us. He has not said a definite "NO".
If he does maybe a group of us "Old Timers" could get together.

Thank you for the compliment,
Charles

 

[Steve White]

I didn't know them. I'm District 19. But I remember seeing them run at NAMBA Nationals back-in-the-day (Legg Lake & San Diego Model Yatch Pond). Also in magazine articles documenting heat racing results

Thinking back, I built the Thundergator twin in 1988 after seeing one in a magazine article which was named "The Predator". The twin in 1978/79 when I sold Gary the Wing Ding was something else - trying to remember the model of that boat. Need to put that down before somebody screams in here with "Thundergators didn't exist until 1986" and throws the BS penalty flag on the playing field. Simple brain fade, but I'm close.

 

[Steve White]

I would love that. Just not a lot of times that the West Coast guys and the Midwest guys ever got together. The boat that Jack and Steve ran in Indy was one of the 2 or 3 best boats I ever saw. It triggered a lot of work by Ed Lackey and I working on turn fins. Probably over 500 tests of new ideas.

That's how ya get good. It takes hours & hours at the pond testing. Your level of dedication is admirable.

 

[Marty Davis]

Marty, coming from you and the large number of boats that you must have seen run, that puts the BOSS boat in a very elite group.
I heard Steve O'Donnell say more than several times that comparing the driving of the BOSS boats compared to regular riggers were like comparing driving a Model "T" to a sports car.
Speaking of Steve, I have been trying to talk him in to coming east and visiting with us. He has not said a definite "NO".
If he does maybe a group of us "Old Timers" could get together.

Thank you for the compliment,
Charles

Sounds good. I saw Steve a few years ago at the RC Car Nationals here in Florida. We spend some time telling stories for sure....

 

[Joseph Durnya]

wondering how the girl has held up .. 40 years later.....

 

[dr gary turner]

The first angled turn fin I saw was Ben and Bud Beard at our race in Birmingham

It was after that time that Ed Lackey started some major testing

I was at the pond and he had every conceivable bend on many different turn fins

When I first saw the Beard’s bent angled turn, I told Bud he needed to check his fin it looked like he had hit something in the water

 

[Charles Perdue]

wondering how the girl has held up .. 40 years later.....

If you are asking about the BOSS 60......it is hanging on the wall in Steve O'Donnells shop along side of the BOSS 40. I have the BOSS 20 collecting dust in my shop......

The BOSS 20 was first, it won the district 19 championship in 1981. The BOSS 40 was next. It was actually the best handling one of the three but it was seriously wrecked (deep into the mud bank) at the Amarillo nationals because of a faulty rudder servo and the BOSS 60 along with Steve O'Donnell driving and Jack O'Donnells engine wizardry got the most attention by breaking the two lap record at Indy by almost six seconds.

Charles