Your First 50 mph/or Faster Patch

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Jerry Dunlap

Well-Known Member
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Apr 1, 2002
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4,068
Well, since racing our model boats has been temporarily put on hold for many of us, I thought some reminiscing about a past model boating accomplishment might be appropriate. One of the things I still remember fondly was getting my 50 mph patch back in around 1974/75. The boat was a Dumas DragN' Fli 40 that I pickle forked slightly and made a cabover cowling from balsa wood. Maybe it was a "premi-Sport 40." The engine was a K&B 40 side exhaust, open exhaust stack. Jeez, those open exhaust stack engines were noisy. The radio was a Kraft 3-channel. I was running an Octura prop, but don't remember which one and probably 50% fuel mixed by one of the local model boaters. The location was at Green Lake in Seattle and the timing equipment was scanners.

I would imagine many IW members got their first speed patch at speeds greater than 50 mph. Hopefully, others will share their speed patch experiences.

JD
 

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Thank You Jerry for starting this
My 50 MPH patch was in southern Texas I believe the club who put on the trials was from Conroe
I ran a Crapshooter with OPS 40 and a 1462 propeller and 25% nitro.
Try as I might I just couldnt get it to 60 and as I recall my best time was 59.36MPH
Charlie Chauvin helped me try to tweek that last little bit out of it but alas it just wasnt to be
BTW the boat im holding in the cover post is that boat that was about 1979
Richard
 
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Thank You Jerry for starting this
My 50 MPH patch was in southern Texas I believe the club who put on the trials was from Conroe
I ran a Crapshooter with OPS 40 and a 1462 propeller and 25% nitro.
Try as I might I just couldnt get it to 60 and as I recall my best time was 59.36MPH
Charlie Chauvin helped me try to tweek that last little bit out of it but alas it just wasnt to be
BTW the boat im holding in the cover post is that boat
Richard
Thanks for Sharing Richard. I forgot to mention that my speed was 52 mph.

JD
 
Found this newsprint, almost falling apart, at Bob Schleimer's estate. I'll post more pics later. Enjoy.
 

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My first record trial was when IMPBA changed from bomb sites to electric eye timing equipment. The first record trial was at Huntsville with the new equipment

Gene Taylor made the first passes and thus had the RECORD F hydro

Folks at the event thought my boat was faster and I should try, SO I DID

I was running a Rossi 80 I think in a scratch built boat.

First pass was Left to Right down the back stretch and I had beat Gene’s time.

I came for the Right to Left down the front stretch. The boat sagged and had crossed the first set of eyes but immediately hit on the pipe and blew off the water just just as it crossed the eyes.

It got my time and the times held up that day. I think I ran 78-79 mph

Had the record for a shot period F hydro
 
My first run at a time trial was around 1977. Ran a Hughey round nose with a K&B 40. Got 37 1/2 MPH!
First SAW record I got was at Huntsville Internats. Forgot the year but it was the first year using laser sights. All the previous records were "archived". Ran 79 and some change. Before the year was up, Joe Ingrao took the record.
Stu
 
I don't go quite as far back in boating as most old guys and certainly don't have as many accomplishments. However, I actually got a SAW record early in my career. However, my most treasured model building awards were for the 10 cc engine I built in high school. I actually planned (and started to build) a model hydro for it.

Lohring MillerP1010506.JPGP1010508.JPG
 
While my first patch or plaque was memorable they all were eclipsed when I broke Joerg's 10 year old world record. I had been chasing that record for 3 or 4 years and just hit a wall at 136mph. It was Sunday of a 4-day event and witching hour was approaching. No matter what prop I threw on the back, I was not going any faster. We decided the controller and batteries were the choking point. Brian Neal loaned me a controller, Ralf Moser from Germany loaned me some batteries and we set the boat in the water after the sun had set. Made a right to left pass nice and straight and Mark Grim calls out 142mph over the PA. 3 mph over the record! We let the ripples die down on the far end and just about as I was ready to start the back-up pass a herd of Mud hens starts to head right into the first timing light. You can hear Mark call out "that stupid duck right there". I turn the boat around and start the left to right pass. The line looks horrible as the boat is pointed directly at the island, but you have to plan for the prop walk bringing the ass end around. You can hear everyone yelling "No, No, NO".
At some point you have to just pull the trigger and pray. Fortunately the tail end came around, missed the island and Mark calls out "143".

It still makes me smile watching that video. Definitely my proudest model boating moment and I got to share it with all the people that got me back in the hobby. Joerg also sent over a bottle of Scotch for the first person to break his record.



Tyler and Scotch.jpg
 
While my first patch or plaque was memorable they all were eclipsed when I broke Joerg's 10 year old world record. I had been chasing that record for 3 or 4 years and just hit a wall at 136mph. It was Sunday of a 4-day event and witching hour was approaching. No matter what prop I threw on the back, I was not going any faster. We decided the controller and batteries were the choking point. Brian Neal loaned me a controller, Ralf Moser from Germany loaned me some batteries and we set the boat in the water after the sun had set. Made a right to left pass nice and straight and Mark Grim calls out 142mph over the PA. 3 mph over the record! We let the ripples die down on the far end and just about as I was ready to start the back-up pass a herd of Mud hens starts to head right into the first timing light. You can hear Mark call out "that stupid duck right there". I turn the boat around and start the left to right pass. The line looks horrible as the boat is pointed directly at the island, but you have to plan for the prop walk bringing the ass end around. You can hear everyone yelling "No, No, NO".
At some point you have to just pull the trigger and pray. Fortunately the tail end came around, missed the island and Mark calls out "143".

It still makes me smile watching that video. Definitely my proudest model boating moment and I got to share it with all the people that got me back in the hobby. Joerg also sent over a bottle of Scotch for the first person to break his record.



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Thanks for sharing what is a great model boating achievement.

JD
 
Lets go back in the Way Back Machine. Back Back BACK to the year 1961. Dad set the record in 1961. Take a look at the TIME 1 Min. 18 Seconds for a D HYDRO!!!. on the 1/4 Mile course. That day dad had the fastest D hydro on the plant. (I miss you Pop)
 

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Technology sure has come a long way. These records were set using a heat racing Crapshooter PC71 when Greg Hughey owned the company. It had a straight shaft and pulled 1667's of various pitches and diameters. The only other thing that was changed was a shorter/thinner turn fin and maybe cut off some of the rudder. I will never forget the first record at the Memphis pond. It was so cold that we had to squirt propylene oxide into the carbs to get them to fire. And if anyone remembers, you had to avoid the big drain tile at the far right of the pond. The other two records were the learning curve on how to run faster and faster and fun to break your own records. With the new building materials, engines, and support equipment we have today, it makes this part of boating a lot more exciting. I congratulate all the individuals that have achieved the latest times. It is a lot of work.
 

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Lets go back in the Way Back Machine. Back Back BACK to the year 1961. Dad set the record in 1961. Take a look at the TIME 1 Min. 18 Seconds for a D HYDRO!!!. on the 1/4 Mile course. That day dad had the fastest D hydro on the plant. (I miss you Pop)
Thanks for sharing that certificate, Mike. Even I was young in 1961.
JD
 
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