2024 Editorial tethered cars and hydroplanes

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September 24

This month we delve into the ever more important subjects of advice, help and mentoring. There is not a single aspect of model competition now that does not need a massive influx of new blood, and although we would definitely not be classified as 'new blood' now, we were once. As we have mentioned in the past, we have been very lucky in having people that were prepared to introduce and guide us through our exceedingly amateurish beginnings in four quite different activities. It is a truism that without them, our involvement would probably have been very short lived. In each case there was an introduction, in the early days by diffusion from parents, then a casual 'why don't you come along' from a friend or colleague, to an input from TV or magazines, where 'that looks interesting'. At this stage, nothing more than interested bystanders, and here it can, and on a couple of occasions did, stall. Being at a location is one thing, but without someone willing to take time to get us on to that first step, even just to the extent of being sociable and explaining what is going on, there is a massive mountain to climb and the opportunity to make catastrophic errors. We have heard too many tales of late where this lack of communication between those already established and potential newcomers has led to people walking away, and a subsequent decline in the sport involved.

We were exceedingly lucky in our experiences with both tethered hydroplanes and cars that there was someone who was prepared to do their best to ensure that we had a way in, encouraging us to 'have a go', helping source equipment, even to the extent of being loaned enough to get us underway. Without this initial input, it is unlikely that we would have ever made much progress. However a little diversion to show how it can go. We turned up at a local club, proudly bearing the equipment that we had bought, only to be told by the Secretary, 'that's no ******* good, you wont get anywhere with it', at which point he walked away. Compare this with our first foray into tethered car racing, initiated, encouraged and assisted entirely by Oliver Monk, where we turned up at the European championship having never run a car before and with a fifth hand car of dubious vintage and performance. Far from being uncomplimentary, people went out of their way to help, even to the extent where Philipp Meier spent several hours explaining and showing how to clean and prepare a car and engine. It is this unstinting willingness to give time and advise that is so refreshing with the tethered car community, and the great advantage over some other disciplines we have observed.

We have never been parochial in any of our pursuits as we always wanted to broaden our horizons and involvement as far as possible, as long as it does not involve 'big silver bird' that is. What we and others before us soon discovered is that there is absolutely no limit to the advice on offer, and here is where it becomes a bit difficult as it is only experience that enables one to decide if the advice is sound or not? Even more difficult when there are several conflicting ideas about the same issue. There is an old saying that if you ask four people how to do something then you will get six different answers. To put this to the test we asked a simple question earlier this year to which there were only two possible answers but we wanted to know which was correct. Do you put a gudgeon pin into a piston with the open end facing the exhaust or the intake? Each person asked could justify their answer on a technical basis, yet in the end, it was something of an even split, so is there a right answer?

There is a large gulf between doing something because you are told to and knowing or understanding why you are doing it and then making decisions? One thing we have learned is that the more options there are, the more chance there is of making wrong decisions, and that is where experience (and occasionally a bit of science and a spread sheet) counts.

Having had a somewhat disastrous European Championship, the usually highly successful driver gave me a comprehensive list of the variables for his two cars and four motors that he had to make choices over. Unfortunately he could offer no idea which or how many of these he had got wrong over his six attempts in the week, and as it transpired, another six attempts twelve months later?

A new Album this month celebrating the collecting success of one of our long time contributors, now sadly no longer with us. We have long come to the conclusion that it helps to have sufficient liquidity when operating in the open market, but it is more important to have the contacts, a bit of knowledge, and most importantly, a lot of luck.

The opening paragraphs have gathered even more pertinence since they were first written as recent national and international meetings have clearly illustrated how some model disciplines in the UK are suffering badly from lack of support. Difficult to believe that the UK could not muster a single competitor in F2A or team in F2C at the recent World Championships, both classes in which this country has a rich history. Entries were also thin all round at the Hydroplane World Championships in Bulgaria, with 7 the maximum entries in the water screw classes and the lowest 1, which begs the question as to whether some of these modelling activities can survive or be revived?

Other and better news from Bulgaria was Pete Dirs breaking the longest standing of the British International records. After many seasons of endeavour Pete broke Jim Free's B1 record set back in 2000 with a run at 155.25mph. Even more remarkable was that this was achieved with a British engine from F2A guru Pete Halman. Roger James' A2 record set in 2003 still stands however and that was set with a 6.5cc motor. Quite bizarre results in the blue riband A3 class where virtually the entire entry list was made up of ex European Champions, except, the runs were just not coming. A podium that is unlikely to ever be repeated saw the Gold Medal won at a meagre 105mph, Silver at 77mph and Bronze at 75mph. Just six runs from thirty attempts?

The results from Bulgaria contained another bombshell as Illia Norkin set a new world record for an airscrew hydro at 291.2kph. This was 13kph faster than the previous record and now means that electric powered models are now the fastest in every speed model discipline, water screw hydros, airscrew hydros, tethered cars and speed flying. There is now no parity or comparison at all between an IC powered model and an electric one. As someone pointed out earlier in the season, IC engine development was a pyramid with us all now perching on a very small summit. Electric power is a parallel sided tower with no visible top at present, just keep putting more and more technology and money in to the lift and you will keep going up? Unfortunately, these performances, spectacular as they are, introduce complications in terms of cables, track and lake safety and the ability of flyers to keep up with the planes. IC classes are determined by engine capacity that puts a natural limit on performance, but how to control the electric classes, where as yet, there is no upper limit to performance?

Whilst on the subject of records, congratulation are due to Manu Fin. Having narrowly beaten the long standing national record a couple of weeks previously he obliterated it at Basel by more than 6kmh to come within a whisker of Torbjorn Johannessen's world record. Breaking a record by such a margin in the world of IC is now very rare, and all done with a home built motor. It was also wonderful to see Paul Otto Stroebel on the top step of the Class 5 podium after he announced his retirement a couple of years ago, apart from 'one last race' that is, although there have been about a dozen of these in different countries?

Thanks to the very generous donation of a (very) large box of photographs we are in the process of adding more images to many of the articles we have published in the past. The first of these to feature the new photos and information is the life and engines of Gerald Smith

This has also enabled us to feature a bulk offering for the Pitbox with numerous examples of the only motor built specifically for tethered cars by Gerald Smith and the only one not bearing the name of a bird.

The Photo is by way a bit of a light hearted look at what has been responsible for restrictions placed on several tethered hydroplane venues, ducks.

Commercial News: We are delighted to be finally able to announce that the full range of Oliver castings is now available again. Ian Harper has bought all the original masters and patterns and has had them refurbished and can now supply all eight versions at very realistic prices. Importantly these are mostly the MKII masters for pan handles rather than wire bridles so will produce full sized castings rather than 2nd or even 3rd generation that have been around. The surface finish even matches the originals from Oliver/Howlett. See Market Place for Details.

Department of wishful thinking, courtesy of ebay a GRP pan and body with a TEMP engine and little else for over £2,000? One of the little Cooper's built by Mike Crisp is still lurking at a very speculative price.

A very mixed weekend of weather for the August BTCG meeting that put the mockers on the competition day with just a few practice runs before the rain set in, not before some sparkling performances on the previous day though. We were witness to huge numbers of engines from four vendors being passed over for the next BMFA engine auction. Should be some gems and rarities, but whether they will be affordable depends on how realistic estimates and reserves are. As they say at Vectis, 'Estimate high see it die, estimate low see it go'.

Always mixed emotions when photos of a track or lake that used to host events turns up. This time, courtesy of speedmodelcar, we have Eger in Hungary that was still in use until twenty years ago and has hosted European Championships in the past. Not so much lost as sadly neglected.

Returning to a topic that keeps appearing in our inbox and that is the disposal of collections (or hoards) of model related items. Bearing in mind that these can vary between the exceedingly modest to the almost unbelievable number of items and the varied situations that can arise, we have put together a summary of options that are available. The only thing we are sure of is that every situation is different, the options limited and the number of items continues to rise. Tight Lines has a distillation of current options, but unfortunately, no answers.

August 24

Last month's pylon regarding collections was quite illuminating as while there are many sizeable, large and even ginormous collections of engines, there are also numerous examples of life time's assemblages of 'stuff'. In just a short space of time we have been peripherally involved in four of these where what had to be disposed of covered almost every imaginable facet of modelling, engineering, vintage, bygone and more, literally house, workshops and in one case, two barns, full of stuff.

The one thing these do not have is any focus in what is gathered or collected, just anything and everything that was even remotely of interest is gathered, which inevitably gets out of hand. This was primarily because 'stuff' was cheap or even free and being rescued from the scrap heap. We visited a four story maltings in the mid 60s that was stacked full of British motor cycles from the 1930s onwards. Nothing valued at more than a few quid then, but now, a single example of what was there in multiples sells for just on £100,000, wealth beyond compare. There may well be those whose sole intention was speculating, but who would have anticipated the £8.00 engines selling at the height for £300+, and even now £200 being asked for at a swapmeet. There have always been those who have had the resources to indulge themselves, but for most, as asking prices have escalated, what is being bought must be more carefully considered, and this has even affected those at the very top.

Given that most of us have collections, from minimal to significant up to 'how many', the question we always ponder on is why? For some it will be harking back to past involvement re acquainting themselves with what they once had, others now being able to afford what they coveted at the time but never had the wherewithal. There are marque specific or even model specific collectors or those that crave the rare and obscure. After all, if there were only sixteen ever made, finding one would be difficult enough, and if there was just one or two then you will have been exceedingly lucky. To some, including us, it is that search for a specific item that provides the impetus and excitement if one is ever gets on the trail. Being able to afford anything that comes along tends to blunt this focus, but even so, rich, or of more moderate means, first you must find it. Remarkably though, some of the most amazing finds have been through coincidences and chances that could never ever have been anticipated.

We do like focussed collections as they tend to be small, highly valued, and often a tale to be told. Having something on a wish list is all well and good, be it very specific or more general, and the satisfaction of putting a tick on the list can make it all worthwhile. It is the more obscure items that are of particular interest to us, they did exist, but are any still around and if so where? Just knowing is often enough. For example, we do know that Stan Drayson's 1954 Championship winning cars are still in existence, but no idea where. We do however know the whereabouts of the only two Pioneer 10s that have ever appeared, as well as a couple of Jim Dean's 2.5cc cars and one 5cc.

Quite by chance, the whereabouts of one of Arthur Weaver's more famous cars was discovered in June, and by his granddaughter Erica, an even more remarkable coincidence. Many people knew of this car up until around 30 years ago, but it had effectively vanished, the story of its rediscovery is related in an update to the article on Arthur Weaver.

The second of our Pitbox offerings with engines that share a name, but nothing else. Buckminster swapmeet produced five engines where the origins could well be confused in the future as they shared a 'family name' and a basic design. However, two were genuine 1940s from the same manufacturer and two were very modern 'takes' on the the design. So a quick test for the enthusiasts amongst you. Which are the odd ones out? Panther, Lynx, Jaguar, Cheetah, Jaguar? The Lynx and Cheetah were modern shaft and rear rotary induction variations on the basic Jaguar theme by Rustler, who also produced the Jaguar as a Rustler replica. The original Jaguar was an Oliver engine of course as was the Panther but marketed by Raylite.

It never ceases to amaze, just where a single piece of information can lead? In 2023 Dave Smith sent us a scan of an advert from 2002 for Alberto Dall'Oglio's AD09 tethered car motor, along with the news that Alberto had recently died. We knew the AD name from the very successful speed and TR engines he built and later the superb range of replicas of vintage engines. The 1.5cc tethered car motor was something of a mystery to us, although we had probably been at an event where one was being tried out? What followed has already been related and published, but an update this month reveals a remarkable development that could never ever have been anticipated and neatly brings to a conclusion our involvement with the story of the AD09.

Remarkably, given the currently most unseasonable weather, the tether Car group enjoyed an almost rain free three days for their July meeting. A short shower delayed a cable testing session early on Saturday, but three days of activities unaffected by weather was something of a novelty, both for us and SAM. New personal bests and some very rapid motoring recorded and a welcome return of Charlie Murphy from the the US. Charlie had brought some interesting cars and bought a whole lot more. Never ceases to amaze us, the value of the planes and helicopters we share the meeting with, anything between 10 and 100 times the cost of our cars. Sad to see the huge skip being filled with items from the swapmeets that remain unsold after several events. It is unfortunate, that museums, clubs and societies can no longer deal with much of the material and items that are generously donated.

immediate success for those with adverts on Market Place last month. Of the eleven items advertised, eight were sold in less than a week and two more the following week. If there is 'stuff' in your workshops that you have no further use for, then try an ad and create a bit of space (for more stuff no doubt)? This month a selection of vintage plugs and two superbly engineered vee twins from the workshop of Dean Clarke

The European Championships in Pecs are now over with a very long list of competitors and some remarkable performances. Of particular note was the success of Manu Finn. He has been creeping up on the very long standing German Class two record set by Wilfrid Sott way back in 1998, missing out by 0.03kph earlier this year. At Pecs, he finally beat the record, becoming European Champion into the bargain, and with a home built engine, a superb achievement on three fronts. It is also great to see that Manu is like many tethered car competitors, being the second generation from a family, following on from Father Thomas. There are also instances of third generations becoming involved, a vital contribution to the continuation of the sport. Full results now available on speedmodelcar.org

Quite by coincidence, there have been a number of posts on the Barton Forum concerning how to dispose of large collections of engines, something that we often muse about in these jottings or when discussing it with people in that position. There were some posts describing how they had done it, others asking advice as to how to best go about it, and others outlining the pitfalls along the way. The common theme is the size of these collections, none of them small, and an interesting comment that 90% of the value of the collection will lie with just 10% of the engines and it is these that it is worth making an effort over? We will give it some thought before next month and come up with some possibilities.

July 2024

Far too regularly the national press publishes articles that have unfortunate parallels with what we experience. Apart from the British Museum losing untold numbers of exhibits, many of which have subsequently been sold, similar to the Weaver cars stolen from the Stratford Upon Avon museum, this report was about hundreds of items that had been on loan to a museum being discovered in a skip. Often we see loaned items that have appeared for sale but the experience of one of our correspondents takes some beating. He had a number of models on loan to a visitor attraction in Berkshire that was forced to close. On visiting to retrieve the models he was told that he could have them, but he would have to buy them back. You can imagine what his reply was?

When the Pitsea Museum closed there were items missing, boats and engines where ownership was unclear and some where the owners were no longer contactable. This places the museum staff in an invidious position as they have to dispose of the exhibits but with no proven ownership, and then, who actually owns them down the line? This is the case with Arthur Weaver's Cooper Bristol, subsequently bought quite legally by two people we know, but still technically belonging to the family?

More worrying was a very large, life time's collection that vanished without trace following the demise of the person in question. He was an exceedingly well known name in the world of tethered cars, engine building and speed flying, having amassed an amazing variety of models, engines and memorabilia over sixty or so years of involvement. A couple of members of the Retro Club were privy to exactly what he had and had been tasked with safeguarding certain items, passing on much of the rest and disposing of what remained as he had no immediate family. He had even taken the trouble to describe where certain items were to be found and who they were to be passed to. Having hired a van, for such was the extent of what had to be transported, the Club members drove a considerable distance only to find on their arrival, nothing. Well, a few raw castings, some drawings, one tethered car project and another in bits, a few odd tyres and that was it. Of all the other items that were known to have been there, not a trace. Nothing further has ever been seen of any of them, not even the instantly recognisable ones, leading to one sad and unfortunate conclusion. Whoever was the executor probably cleared the house of effects, but took one look at all the model related material and decided that a skip was the answer?

In the current financial climate with houses being so valuable, the relative value of models and model related items, along with the difficulty in disposing of them, might well persuade a relative or non family executor that it's not worth the effort. When a lifetime's collection of tethered cars and engines from another member was valued at a paltry £3,500 for probate, it might well appear not to be even worth bothering with, compared with the house at £300,000+? Mind you, we don't envy those that are faced with similar situations, especially if they are not relations or have no financial interest in the disposal. We've done it once, it took an incredibly long while and a lot of effort, but for the partner left behind, the amount we did raise, although modest, was of vital importance as the collection was the only tangible asset from the estate. This pales into total insignificance to a case we have recently been alerted to. Shipping containers and a storage unit in one location, another large building on an airfield 100+ miles distant, a barn north of the capital plus another unit, all rented and stacked full. Add to that an executor who lived a further 200 miles to the west and there is a serious problem to contend with.

First of two related Pitbox items over the next two months, engines that share a name, but little else.

Busy month at Buckminster with six days of activity on the track, the second of the BTCG events and the popular SAM Retrofest that includes tethered cars amongst its many other disciplines. The weather gods smiled on the BTCG, most of the time, unlike much of the rest of the country. They did get partial revenge during the SAM Retrofest with two mornings wiped out completely. Being England though, the afternoons were positively sunny and hot. Excellent turnout on the track, not so sure about activities on the field though as grumbles were emanating from several flyers.

End of an ERA:- Rumoured for a while, but confirmed at Buckminster that Alex Phin is emigrating, bringing to an end the Redfin tethered car and engine project. The tethered car community is grateful to Alex for commissioning the superb twinshaft motors that have formed the basis of so many cars currently running. An awful lot more of his motors have been consigned to cabinets though, probably a vain hope that some of these might yet see action in a car? In a most magnanimous and generous gesture, Alex donated all the remaining stock of Redfin car parts to Buckminster to be sold on to raise funds for the track. Thank you Alex and we send our very best wishes to you for your adventure 'down under'. The future of Redfin as a brand is somewhat less clear at present.

We thrive on coincidences and connections over which we usually have absolutely no control, and the latest addition to our Long Lost Tracks involved both. Christian Schmutz sent a comprehensive set of photos of a tethered car event from the 1950s, but apart from the location, nothing else was known. Back in 2004, a quantity of archive material from the collection of the late Miquel de Rancougne that was considered to be unsaleable was thrown out, but caught before it landed in the skip. Several years later it was all discovered in a garage and passed on to us by a thoughtful and helpful reader. Amongst this was a report and results from the very meeting that the photos related to, although in French. Thanks to Google translate and Christian a unique series of photos from another 'Long Lost Track'.

Beware the pitfalls of technology and what nonsense autofill, autocorrect and predictive text can make of of what appears on the screen or paper. We have been alerted to a couple of instances, one we should have picked up on that could have been very costly and one that occurred at the publishers, altering the whole meaning of the text, which we relate below.

In the Aeromodeller article on tethered cars, their programme changed 'horsing' to 'hosting', indicating that the person in the centre of the circle was playing host to the American competitor? Of course, most know that the horser is the most important person on the track. Once the car has been pushed off, they can make or break the run.

The term comes from the days when horses were used to provide the power to agricultural and industrial equipment, plodding interminably round and round in a circle. If reluctant, tired or fed up, then a youth was tasked with leading the horse round, hence 'horsing and horser'.

Times have changed so that now the horser has to be fit and athletic, and there are not too many around, which is why we place so much reliance upon Michael Schmutz, and now Janis Meier. Before exhaust timing got too radical it was a relatively easy job, delegated to other competitors, wives, girlfriends, children, in fact anyone that was willing. Very different now of course, but a photo from the 50s shows Marta Mondani waiting to horse husband Gildo's car, but look at the height of the platform she had to climb on to? A quick straw poll did not reveal any enthusiasm for returning to the arrangement shown here?

Ebay excitement:- A recent listing for a tethered car on ebay caused a flurry of excitement amongst a number of watchers, who immediately recognised what it was on offer and raised several questions after it vanished without any explanation. Underneath the grime was an original ERE tethered car and twinshaft motor. These have been seen before, but usually the more basic model as sold by Walshaw's and others. What made this one so different was that it was an absolutely genuine Henri Baigent version. The ERE was manufactured by Baigent for sale by retailers, but he completed around 100 models with super scale detailing including wire wheels instead of discs, exhausts, mirrors, fillers etc. Several of our contacts were prepared to make substantial bids, but a very, very hefty bid, way beyond what most had considered decided the vendor to sell immediately. When it came to light that the last one of these sold cost the buyer the thick end of £9,000 it puts it all into perspective. Probably took the seller by surprise as well? Another piece of tethered car history leaving these shores.

Thanks to all those who answered our plea for ads to post on the Market Place, a remarkable variety of items and very quick responses from buyers as well, just a couple of items left. Hopefully, more to follow, and as the page is updated whenever we receive items, then it is worth keeping a check, as you never know what might appear? (see above)