Model Airplane News - May 1956

rsv1cox Thu Jan 02, 2025 1:25 pm

May 1956, I was just finishing Navy Boot Camp in Bainbridge Maryland, a month away from leave and marrying my high school classmate of 12 years.

Something for everyone. Scans, large files. I will post a few pages at a time. Mark bought this issue for me because of the "Dizzy Boy" connection. Vintage ads, vintage R/C, planes, trains and automobiles.

rdw777 Thu Jan 02, 2025 4:59 pm

Nice old magazine to thumb thru….. I always enjoyed reading the construction articles for all types even if I didn’t intend to build them …. A lot can be learned, Especially from notable designers…. Hand drawn plans and art work always a treat too…. I used to have a large collection of magazines but got rid of all but about a dozen that might have a some day project…. Fortunately many of the old magazines are online now but it’s still fun to pick one up a real one now and then to look thru….

Ken Cook Thu Jan 02, 2025 5:24 pm

I had mentioned that your plane could've been a Dizzy Boy. I don't recall how I came to that similarity. Especially seeing this article with the Dizzy Boy being a C speed ship. That would be a significant difference in width as the Mccoy .60 is a HUGE engine.If your looking for a loud engine to convert glow fuel back into castor oil, the Mccoy .60 will perform that job for you. The rate it uses fuel is amazing. Your speed plane being .15-.19 size plane would indicate a A speed.

rsv1cox Thu Jan 02, 2025 6:21 pm

According to the plan it could be built in either class A, B, or C. The pan in the text was a Champion Pan made by Tri-Modeling of Mesquite Texas. Others could be made from hard wood. Mine is metal.

Mine measures a 14 3/8" wing. Same as in the class A chart above. DeBolt Speedwagon is crossed out and "Dizzy Boy" Sharpie in.

A masking tape tag is on the fuselage that says "Torpedo .19.

Inside back cover of the MAN magazine. I have that Torpedo ,19 that fits, only I would have to shave the head.

The article was written by the designer and I haven't read it all the way through. He did mention that at the Nats the .60 version pulled him out of the circle so that speed did not count.

I got it as shown minus engine. A gift to my son by a known local antique collector. It would not surprise me if it was actually flown at the NATS.

Ken Cook Fri Jan 03, 2025 3:13 am

If this plane was flown at the NATS, it would've had the AMA number on the wing, no exceptions. Your pan looks to me with 100% certainty being a Tatone pan. It could be a B speed pan that's been cut down which is what it looks like. Tatone did offer some half pans but these are usually shorter just stopping past the back of the engine.

rsv1cox Fri Jan 03, 2025 8:02 am

Ken Cook wrote: If this plane was flown at the NATS, it would've had the AMA number on the wing, no exceptions. Your pan looks to me with 100% certainty being a Tatone pan. It could be a B speed pan that's been cut down which is what it looks like. Tatone did offer some half pans but these are usually shorter just stopping past the back of the engine.

If this plane was flown at the NATS, it would've had the AMA number on the wing,

Good point Ken and one I hadn't thought of.

Here is the complete article if anyone wants to read it. Some good points on cleaning up the Torpedo .60.

rdw777 Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:13 pm

Great old article, I enjoyed the engine rework part…. I used to do similar on K&B 3.5 marine engines for boat racing…. They had brass sleeves and one could file in grooves opposite the channels in the case to get an overall smoother shape leading to the ports….Then polish……Relieving bearing pressed in stresses in the lower end was another….. All about gas flow and friction reduction….

Ken Cook Sat Jan 04, 2025 7:51 am

The fuel mentioned "This is it" was made by a machinist and engine specialist Franny Wolf. Fran was from Reading, PA. I met him prior to his passing and I wish I would've been able to reap the benefits of his knowledge. It's been said that Fran made the most winning engines to be had for tether car racers. He also did rework for the speed guys. I have a sticker which is probably quite rare which is of a wolf head and Fran's logo.

rsv1cox Sat Jan 04, 2025 8:46 am

More pages. Files to large to scan so I took pictures. No ads for Leisure Industries (COX) but Jim Walker owned the outside back cover.

Ken Cook Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:33 am

Seeing the OK ad really makes me wonder. I have a few of the .29's and .35's. I have two that were new but no box. I ran these on New Years day. Loud as can be and gutless, pretty much is what I expected. They also shake like one can't imagine. I have the older Mohawk .29's which are actually very smooth runners.

The gold one is the .35 and the .29 is the red one. The .29 even being new was feeling light on compression. This is typical of OK quality. That being said, $12.95 would be over $130 today. I rarely come across these engines and I would venture to say, the cost of them made it very limited to the basic hobbyist.

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Model Airplane News - May 1956

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