Tach Race 2015 Final Wrap-Up

Thanks Guys,

The last three engines headed out today: Doug's, Matthew's, and Bill's are on their way.

My babys made good time back home along with a couple of stowaways, one Black Widow and two Gilbert heads Kim organized for me from an ebay seller that didn't like selling to Aussies. Thanks so much Kim for ensuring everything ran smoothly and for going the extra mile for this foreign misfit. Extra thanks to Matt from Ex Model Engines for a pristine (although well revved) original Black Widow. (3rd place Mouce). The winning engine came home also with the winning prop. Man that thing is tiny. It's no wonder that those things took off like they did. It looks barely big enough to fit my Pee Wee.
Cheers.
Rod.

Did I write Mouce? I did didn't I? I could say that's the Aussie spelling, but I'd be wrong. I need to pay attention.

Hey guys,

I'm now showing the last engines out there are:

Paul's
Matthew's
Doug's
Augustin's
and Bill's
Please let me know as soon as yours get home.

Tach Race 2015

"Tach Race" is a competition held each winter, and is just about as 'grass-roots' as they come.  Originally conceived by Mark Boesen and Chris McMillin as a way to give "Engine Guys" a break from the winter doldrums, Tach Race pits Cox-based engines against each other in several designated classes, with them running a common propeller and using a previously designated fuel, and the singular location insures that all engines have the same atmospheric conditions during their runs.

Members mail in their engines, indicating the category:  Unlimited, Mouse, and Stock Bebe Bee in .049 size and Unlimited or Pee Wee in the .020 size.  This year, an Unlimited 'Tee Dee .049/.051' Class was also included.  The modifications allowed are outlined in the rules well before the event, with the race's grass-roots nature strongly depending on an honor system, though the Contest Director DOES have the right to inspect engines that might push the limits of the rules.

This year's Race encountered a slight delay as we waited for one member's engines that were temporarily lost in the mail...a hazard we've faced before, but as before, all the engines made it in AND back home safely.

A change to this year's race was the use of APC 4.5x4 propellers, replacing the 5x3 props used previously.  

Another big change to Tach Race was the use of 'Cox Super Power Fuel', generously supplied by Hobbico.  In a fantastic example of "listening to the consumer" the formula for this fuel was revised, with test quarts being sent to volunteers who were members of the Cox Engine Forum.  The members extensively tested the new fuel that included a 50/50 blend of castor and synthetic oil, and found that their engines thrived on the new blend.  
The changes also include a label, listing the fuel's specific nitro content and ingredients.  

For Tach Race, I received fuel with 35% & 25% Nitro blends...35% used in everything except the Stocker Babe Bees, which got the 25%.

In the past four years that I've hosted Tach Race, it has been generously supported by two of our main sources of Cox Engine and their parts.  That support continued this year in the donation of 6 Gift Certificates (one for each class of engine) from Bernie at Cox International, and two prize racing engines from Matt at EX MODELENGINES.

From the Home Turf, my Local Hobby Shop, Tailwinds R/C Hobby Center LLC here in Cape Girardeau, Missouri donated a Proto-X Quad Copter, which I assigned as 1st Place in the Tee Dee Class.  Thanks Mitch and Patty!

http://coxengines.ca/

http://www.exmodelengines.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tailwindsrc

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15 competitors entered 31 engines across the 6 classes.

The Unlimited Class had 11 entries, with all starting up except for Wayne's entry.   They were run on the day after the Mouse Class, and averaged lower, but that's happened in previous races.
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Mark's Unlimited Entry took First Place, winning him the Unlimited Prize Engine, donated by Matt at EX MODEL ENGINES.
Bill's Unlimited came in 2nd, and won him a $25 Gift Certificate from Cox International.

Unlimited Class
Mark Boesen............................23,970
Bill Mohrbacher........................23,340
Doug Veasey............................23,100
Paul Gibeault............................22,700
Eric Greeson............................22,600
David Fountain.........................22,350
Bernie w/Cox International.........21,270
Daryll White.............................21,120
Matt w/ Ex Model Engines..........20,160
Agustin Matutino....................15,800
Wayne Sievers..........................DNS

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Because of the delay in waiting for a lost entry, the Mouse Class was run first, since all 8 engines had arrived.  

While I'd expected an overall increase in numbers due to the smaller props we were using, the wild readings I got early-on set me to testing the health of my GloBee Tach, changing it's battery and testing it against a shop light.  When it checked OK, and the readings across several engines more or less grouped, it seemed that the readings were legitimate.

All the engines in the Mouse class started easily and went to a dependable peak as they warmed up.  Rod Boreham's Mouse Engine traveled all the way from Australia, to take First Place, winning him EX MODELENGINES Prize Mouse Engine.

Paul and Dianne Gibeault's Canadian Mouse Engine continued to make it an international affair by taking 2nd, and received a $25 Gift Certificate from Bernie and Cox International.

Mouse Class
Rod Boreham.................................24,100
Paul Gibeault.................................23,500
Matt @ EXMODEL ENIGINES............23,350
Doug Veasy...................................22,350
Darryll White..................................21,700
Rusty Knowlton..............................21,170
Wayne Sievers...............................20,400
Agustin Matutino..........................19,500
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Mark's Stock Babe Bee took 1st Place, winning a $25 Gift Certificate from Cox International.

Babe Bee Stock Class
Mark Boesen.....................................16,230
Eric Greeson.....................................15,810
Rod Boreham....................................15,650
Daryll White.....................................15,450
Bob Dickerson...................................15,420
Doug Veasy......................................15,030
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Only two entries competed in the Tee Dee Class, both running on pressure bladders, and both running some impressive numbers.

Matthew's Tee Dee took 1st Place, in spite of eating it's starter spring on it's first attempt.  With the spring removed, his engine started and blew up to it's top placing.  He received a "Proto X" Quadcopter, provided by Tailwinds R/C Hobby in Cape Girardeau Missouri.

Eric's Tee Dee took 2nd, with a $25 Gift Certificate from Cox International.

Tee Dee Class
Matthew Mullaney..............................25,590
Eric Greeson......................................24,420
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All the way from Hawaii, Augustin Matutino's .020 was the only one entered in the .020 Class, netting him a $25 Gift Certificate from Cox International.

.020 Unlimited
Agustin Matutino.....................18,100
____________________________________________________
Matthew's Pee Wee .020 won him 1st Place in it's class, netting him a $25 gift Certificate from Cox International.

Pee Wee .020
Mathew Mullaney....................18,360
Daryll White...........................15,100
Eric Greeson...........................12,800
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Hey Guys,
Thank you for your participation in this year's Tach Race. I have just been informed of a mistake that slipped by me in the beginning, and was perpetuated through the race.
The APC Prop used was a 4.5 x 4 prop, NOT a 4.75 diameter prop.
This would explain the super-high numbers. I apologize for this a mistake that would probably be obvious to anyone else.
The prop Was used across the Unlimited, Mouse, and Tee Dee engines.

Thank you guys, it's REALLY appreciated! I ordered the APC props, almost too late, and so wasn't able to take advantage of having Rusty balance them.

Bernie donated (Thank You!) several 5x3 props that I tucked into some of the return boxes.

We'll have to look at what happens next year, got a few months to think about it.

Once again, thanks to everyone for their participation, encouragement, and support.

crankbndr wrote:Nice recap Kim, if this race happens next year should slow em down a bit. I'm amazed the reed would even go that fast, cycling over 300 times per second.
The cases wear out very quickly at that speed not to mention safety. I'm surprised none flew apart.

Yeah, we'll see about next year. Getting to where I have trouble keeping adequate track of things.

Thank You Agustin, and sorry I misspelled your name. I went back and removed the 'u' I'd absentmindedly added.

Thank you again for send your entries from so far away.

Kim