Blast tube recommendations?

[tpwpny]

...Here's where the wire with a hook at one end and a handle at the other comes in. You transfer the wound motor from the winder to the hook on the wire and drop your winder gently. Holding the handle, you slide the winding tube outside the model. Taking the prop you have been holding in your mouth, you transfer it to the rubber motor and gently drop the winding tube and wire. ...

I'm having trouble understanding this part of the sequence. After you drop the winder and are holding the wire attached to the rubber, it seems to me you'd have to drop the winding tube first before attaching the prop - the tube can't slide over the prop to get it off. Am I right? Unless the winding tube has an open seam that lets you take it off from around the rubber without having to slide it off lengthwise.

Also, which part of the equation gets the "crocket hook?" The end of the motor that attaches to the wire?

Lastly, any recos on type of wire? Does a straightened hanger wire work?

[tom arnold]

The motor needs to be wound with the prop OFF the motor and the prop end of the motor attached to your winder. The prop and nose block always seems to be held between your lips.

The infamous Crockett Hook is not necessary to fly rubber. It is a cute little gizmo invented by the competition free flight guys to easily transfer and an incredibly hard-wound and thick motor to a prop. For the size of models of Guillow's, it is overkill. But it goes on the prop end of the motor but to bother with it is meaningless unless you know how to use it.

The size of the wire depends on the size of the blast tube. You have to bend a small open loop at one end of the wire and that has to clear the inside of the tube as you slide it out. A coat hangar may work but most guys bend it from an .047 or .055 piece of music wire. The .055 is tough to bend.

The attached picture shows the whole process if you can look closely. There is a clear plastic blast tube sticking out the nose of the plane. The flyer has just about wound in the motor and it looks like he has another 6" to go. In his left hand he is holding the wire, but in this case it is a dowel attached to a wire with an open loop at the end. He is evidently tired of losing his wire in the grass so he has made it out of a day-glow dowel----good idea. When his winding ends at the nose, he will grab the end of the motor, slip it off the winder, and slip it on the end of the day-glow wire. He then will slide the blast tube out over the day-glow wire affair, grab the motor once again, remove it from the wire and slip it on the prop which is usually held in your mouth. He will seat the prop in place, check everything carefully, turn around and, as noted previously, step firmly on that very nice winder. (just kidding, just kidding!!!)

[Mitch]

Hi Guys,

In a different but related story... Be respectful of the power of your motors.

I was at WEST FAC 5, winding my FW 190. At this time she was without the spinner. I was winding the model on a stooge by myself. With the motor fully wound to the torque I wanted I removed the winder and placed the prop on. While holding the prop at the center I placed it into the cowl. I suddenly heard the violent action of the motor releasing its energy. I thought I blew the motor. Looking at the model it looked fine, but I was feeling pain in my fingers. I finally had to let go. THE PROP SLIPPED OVER THE SHAFT! The result was cuts to my thumb and first two fingers. I received first aide and went back to the plane.

A friend remarked "You had a rubber powered Dremel tool in your hands"

I made adjustment to the prop, cut the ramp a bit deeper so the wire shaft could not slip over that spot, and make sure the wire is bent far enough over to fit up against that ramp, and not be able to slip over it. I continued to fly the FW, and later blew a motor in the model (No blast tube). I was trying to get the most out of the FW, but decided that is the best she could do.

So be careful and respect the power of that fully wound rubber motor!

The model recorded 3 flights and is now retired, hanging in a Local Hobby Shop. Never broke the 30 second mark, but she looked nice flying over the fields of alfalfa. She looked like a hawk on the hunt with those long cannons and mg's.


You can see the damage to the model just behind the '13'. The power of the exploding motor also cracked the canopy, but the model is still flight worthy. The crack to the canopy is on the right side just behind where the pilot would be. This model is 100% Guillow's wood and paper. Doped and painted with rattle cans. Model of Heinz Bar's plane.

Mitch