Patrick's Racer

So, got this friend named Patrick, the only other Circle Turner in my immediate area. It's not unusual for me not to hear from him, or have my calls not returned for several months...only to receive an urgent phone call--"Kim!!! We GOT to fly this weekend!"

I'll make some changes to my plans and meet up with him, and his cardboard box full of loose equipment, with his battered Sig Skyray riding proudly on top of the heap. I've known him for a couple of decades now, and have long given up on berating him for not at least separating the junk with dividers, and maybe putting a drop or two of oil in the Black Widow. We do usually get the Sky Ray's B.W. unstuck, and running...very nicely actually...and Patrick gets to put in a few flights.

He's somewhat obsessed with speed, and the idea of flying on incredibly long lines...the latter of which is not a bad idea since he gets dizzy flying out the Sky Ray's fuel on 35' lines.

On our recent run to a St. Louis Swap Meet, he sprung his latest "flash" (he has a lot of them)..."Kim, I want you to help me build the smallest plane we can for a .15, so I can fly it on 70' lines! Can we do that?" As I was pondering the request and forming an answer, he asked me how long I'd owned my car...I think Patrick's got a bit of Attention Deficit Disorder. "STAY ON TOPIC!!!", I yelled loud enough for passing truck drivers to hear through the Miata's fabric roof.

Patrick's disorder responds well to volume and anger, so we were able formulate a plan with only a couple other irritating divergences. I agreed to research my giant stack of moldy magazines for a design that might work, with him accepting my warning that the thing might fall like a rock when the engine quit.

It looks like Patrick and I are gonna attempt to build a couple of Quasi-Rat Racers, reduced enough to accommodate his .15's and quench his latest obsession. If he stays with me on this, I'll have future reports, but if this latest flash collapses like a dying star, this will be another single, odd post from me.

Anyway, this is the design I'm gonna pitch to him...taken from a March 1966 M.A.N. I figure to replace much of the hardwood with balsa, and fly it on Spider Wire.