Detroit RAT

Note:
This article by John Kilsodonk appeared in Model airplane News, May 1967. Although a perfect compliment to Boris Grundge's article, this is not a retrospective. It is contemporaneous with the time period of Grundge's history. Viewed from Kisldonk's perspective, he was in the midwest. Someone from California would think the west extended not much further than Denver or Alburquerque. After that, all else was 'East'

John Kilsdonk's conversation about models was peppered with terms like 'bullet proof' and 'elephant engine'. With his astounding 22 contest schedule in 1966 his emphasis was on reliability.

This schedule makes one recall the exciting pace of development and test which no longer exists in control line racing in the US today.

During a break in activities at the 1966 Nationals, I was talking with Dick Norsikian (of BNST) from Los Angeles. He said that he could tell where a person lived just by looking at his rat racer. How true this is-is probably one of the most peculiar things of rat racing, completely different airplanes and systems depending on the locale. In general, whether it be the light wing-loaded inverted engine jobs of the West, the sidewinder profile jobs a Southwest, the FAI Team Race style of the East, twin boom sidewinders of the Northeast and Canada, or the higher wing-loaded upright engine full length pan of the Midwest, or the many variation, in between - all seem to work with equal success towards the same common goal.

Hooptee is typically Midwestern and has had above average success both in Midwestern meets, King Orange and at the two Net, that have held at races. It should be made clear that Hooptee is not claimed to be the ultimate in designs, however, through many, many contests (22 in 1966) It has proven a very consistent performer.

It doesn't win every time, because there's a lot more to rat racing than having a good airplane --a dependable and rugged performer is a must for the long contest grind each year.

Hooptee will fill this requisite without a doubt. Rat races are won on dependability and lots of hard work at the practice circle. A note here: nothing should be done at the sacrifice of reliability. Remember over 50% of the race in won on pit stops. Air speed is only a slight factor in determining the winner. Hooptee's clean simple lines will let your engine do its stuff , the rest is up to those in the pit.

Just a few notes on construction, as the plans are pretty self-explanatory:

After Hooptee is finished, take her out to the practice field and get completely familiar with it, then take her to the races and turn her loose. You do your part and Hooptee will take care of the rest. May your pit stops always be fast....

Design and Constuction Notes

1. The flat bottom lifting stabilizer is one, of Hooptee's latest refinements. It is a trick I picked up from the local speed boys. It makes flying in the wind much easier, since minimum of corrective elevator. trim is necessary from one side of the circle to the other. This tends to increase average speed and also make it easier on the pilot. The simple theoretical explanation is that the faster the air rushes over the stab (when heading into the wind). the more lift is generated by the stab. This lifting force on the tail tends to pitch the nose down and keep the model from climbing of its own accord. The opposite situation occurs on the downwind side
2. The cowl shown is optional. I thought I'd experiment a bit with a cowling to see if a noticeable difference could be realized. A .very definite increase in speed was noted. Approximately 0.5 sec/7 laps (4-5 mph) could be seen after repeated test, with and without the cowl on the same airplane-fuel-engine set up. Part of the increased speed may be attributed to the additional cooling effect that was noted with the cowl in place. However, I felt that the cowl hindered the overall reliability of the system and therefore it has been removed-for good. You'll note that this seemingly high 5 mph increase in speed will only give you at best a 10 second advantage in 140 Laps.
3. The single wheel gear shown is simple, strong, and dependable. It will not give out even in a high speed "pancake" landing. Make sure you use the wing tip skid (on outboard wing ONLY) to prevent unnecessary skidding on the tips and stab.
4. Finish the model with a good durable epoxy or polyester (fiberglass) resin.
5. Don't worry too much about weight, concentrate on a strong, dependable model, but be careful of C.G. location, as tail heavy rats are certain trouble. If you follow the construction methods on plans and use reasonable wood, your Hooptee will weigh in at 24-26 ounces at the first race -- possibly gaining a little weight due to a year's contest and test flying.
6. John Barrs's articles on rat racing in the June and July 1962 issues of M.A.N. were very excellent and in general, most of his data is still valid and very useful. I would suggest that anyone interested in getting started in rat racing read these articles.
7. Try and get a regular pilot for your model, unless you fly your own (then you should get a regular pit crew). I am not fortunate enough to have "a" regular pilot, rather I have several pilots, anyone of whom flies for me depending on his availability. They all perform with equal excellence, as I have never lost a race because of my pilot. This is a compliment to the skill of Archie and Dave Adamisin, Howard Weaver, Jeff Bird, and Jerry Martin. This also says something for the ease with which Hooptee flies, as anyone of them can pick up the handle and hit the pits perfectly on the first try.
8. There are several excellent engines available. KB, Super Tigre, and OS are among the leaders and are about equal in output. It's just a matter of your perfecting the use of the powerplant of your choice.
9. The magnesium pan used on Hooptee is a Midwest (formerly Harters) Proto speed pan. They are available at most hobby shops. Other good pans are also available from Tatone products and Bill's Miniature Engines.