Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Kim Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:36 am

"What Price Speed?"
.................or...................
"When Father Time Comes Knocking at Your Door"

Back in 2012 or so, I decided that my Scientific "Big Otto" needed a little more "stuffing" in the ole engine department. It had been dragged around by several engines since I built it back in 2001, but none had "felt right".

I'd just gotten a customized engine from Cox International, requesting and getting serial number "13", and thought it's red anodized finish would look good against Big Otto's black and white scheme. It did, although I thought it might be a bit fast in my frontyard circle that's limited to 35 foot lines.

It Was.

Burning through it's Sig 25% Champion fuel like Chuck Yeager's X-1, the little flying wing became the first control liner (in a long time at least) to simply outrun me and my aging reflexes. It should have been leaving a vapor trail, it was moving so fast, and I was getting truly dizzy waiting for it to finish it's fuel.

Most model builders know that the ONE time you can count on an engine to run at peak performance, with excellent fuel endurance, is when you've got problems and want it to hurry up and quit.

"Lucky 13" had no throttle, I just had to ride out the storm, with my only option...besides yard-darting Big Otto...to cut some horizontal 8's, allowing me to stop turning for a moment.

Another thing control line modelers know is that the WORST dizziness happens when you STOP turning...which I did when I cranked the combat wing into it's first horizontal 8.

I staggered just slightly, but enough, giving the suicidal control liner all the opportunity it needed, and Big Otto planted itself in the turf behind me.

It didn't look too bad, though I discovered some internal "shock damage" deep in the wing. Still, repairs and building a new snout happened fairly quickly, and this new nose was painted white to balance against it's white trailing edge and elevator.

The insane "Lucky 13" was put aside to wait for a larger plane, flying on longer lines, and Big Otto got it's current "Black Widow" installed. The Widow ain't no slouch either, but allows my vintage flying wing a top end speed below Mach 1.

"Lucky 13" gets some break-in time on the stand.

All rebuilt and happy again.

"Big Otto" made it's debut in the early 1960's, I built my first one in 1969.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmkQsHjOck8&t=69s

Ken Cook Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:03 pm

Funny you posted this. I just had my Big Otto out. I should say my son had it out. Anymore, I just seem to watch. I'm the pitman and he's the pilot. I may have to change that as he seems to be having all the fun. However, I built a .60 size Flite Streak that I only fly and I love it. The Big Otto I have is using a Silver Bee which does pretty darn well on my 25% nitro. I just wish the flight time was longer. I may tear off the nose and do some mods to get a product engine and tank in there. I noticed my Otto was nose heavy, I rebuilt the elevator from bass which helped but I should've made the booms from ply. I believe Scientific slated this for OK engines which would've been lighter than the integral Bees. I recall the plans offering a half a dozen engines actually. If I had of put my interest into really making this a high performance flyer, several things could be done to lighten this plane up but as it stands it has a wonderful design of a wing. At this point it just needs the power to drive it through the maneuvers.

Kim Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:29 pm

Yeah, this particular Black Widow is a really nice match, but like you, I do wish the flight times ere a bit longer. At some point, I may build another with a wedge tank, but want to keep this one as is for the nostalgia quotient.

I also built a +10% Big Otto with Tee Dee and wedge tank...which needs some resto work to get flying.

Good Times.

Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13" Img_3510

Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13" Scient20

getback Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:25 am

Damn the Golden Halke was hauling the mail , that would have put me on the deck . lol good to see the Big Otto was not hurt too bad , the BW seems to bee a good fit for it ! Do you fly with that cap on the fuel fill nipple ?

rsv1cox Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:35 am

Wow, a buck 98 for all those airplanes. No wonder I bought so many of them.

Big Otto $1.98, Zipper $1.98, the plans alone now cost $9.99 if you go outside outerzone. Wish I could buy back all my Walt Musciano's. Sent me to ebay looking. Found one of my favorites the Little Bipe but would have to buy two others. $169 a bit much for nostalgia and I know I would have to build it.

Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13" Little12

The original is sitting somewhere in the woods of New Hampshire, a fly-away some 60+years ago.

I saved the plans though.

Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13" P1010942

Dizzy Kim? Proves your human after all.

Kim Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:57 am

getback wrote:Do you fly with that cap on the fuel fill nipple ?

I was experimenting a bit a the time with closing off the filler tube and having the engine pull air from one tube. Turned out not to matter.

getback Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:48 am

So your telling me the plane will fly inverted with just one open tube? If so that don't make alot of since how it can get air to vent . Huh...

Kim Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:45 am

getback wrote:So your telling me the plane will fly inverted with just one open tube? If so that don't make alot of since how it can get air to vent .

Well, as long as the tank can receive air in as it's fuel is drawn out, it will run. It turned out to not be worth the trouble. The biggest thing (for me) is remembering to move the pick-up tube to the outside of the tank.

**Cribbs74** Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:00 pm

A medallion would probably be perfect for that plane.

706jim Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:36 pm

"Limited to 35' lines". We used to fly in a front yard with 8' lines!

Kim Fri Apr 16, 2021 6:13 am

706jim wrote:"Limited to 35' lines". We used to fly in a front yard with 8' lines!

OKAY.................

rsv1cox Fri Apr 16, 2021 6:26 am

706jim wrote:"Limited to 35' lines". We used to fly in a front yard with 8' lines!

Jim, you gotta explain that one. Eight foot lines with any .049 would have turned me into a milk shake on my best days.

706jim Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:34 am

Yes 8' lines with 0.049's and sometimes 0.020's. We flew in the tiny front yard of my best friend's home. On those short lines, a loop was pretty much an inclined circle but we flew there quite a lot. And there was a fence and a mailbox to avoid as well. In fact, that's the locale where I wore out my Cub 0.049A in one afternoon flying with an improvised stooge for taking off. There was still some snow on the ground. Strangely, dizzy wasn't a problem for us.

rsv1cox Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:08 am

706jim wrote:Yes 8' lines with 0.049's and sometimes 0.020's. We flew in the tiny front yard of my best friend's home. On those short lines, a loop was pretty much an inclined circle but we flew there quite a lot. And there was a fence and a mailbox to avoid as well. In fact, that's the locale where I wore out my Cub 0.049A in one afternoon flying with an improvised stooge for taking off. There was still some snow on the ground. Strangely, dizzy wasn't a problem for us.

Thanks Jim, never doubted that it couldn't be done, but wow, things must have been happening awfully fast. As a child I flew with whatever dacron lines were at the time. Guessing around 30' +/-

Sponsored content

Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

8' lines

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"

Re: Sunday Morning Memories: Big Otto and "Lucky 13"