Tether car

A while ago I asked if someone could recommend a water jet cutting company who would cut a couple of chassis’s.

I got them cut and have started building a 2.5cc class car, two pictures to show progress.

The chassis is cut from 12mm mild steel plate .

Here is the car so far more work yet to do, the engine needs the needle valve assembly making a support for the tuned pipe which was machined from the the solid and has a wall thickness of 0.3mm and a fuel tank there is just a wooden block at the moment.

When it gets warmer I will make the fibreglass top and bottom.

Forgive my ignorance, is this some form of remote control car drag racing? Or top speed for a standard size engine or something?

It’s a tether car it runs in a circle tethered by a steel cable on a purpose built track. No radio control it’s all about speed, timed over a flying 500 metres distance. I expect it to run in excess of 150mph.

I had to go watch a video on YouTube, I couldn't picture that in my head at all, can't believe I've never seen or heard of this before, pretty impressive when they get going!

Similar to the model planes that we used to fly that were attached to wires (and made us dizzy going around in circles). Still have my old Enya glow plug engine.

Do many people still make them or has everyone gone to RC ? I dreamt of one when I was a kid but could not afford one.

Paul.

You would not believe the stretch on the tether when they get up to speed. Lovely work Old School. Love the Ohlins copy front shock.

Steve.

Yes indeed they do Paul, currently grounded due to Covid I've been an avid control line flier since I was thirteen. Had the odd lay off here and there, the last being the longest but it's always been a passion when it takes hold. Actually believed it had run it's course but circumstances lead to 'having a go' in mid 2019 - hooked again within a few laps. It looks like it will be a long time before we get to go again though as our flying field is on school grounds.

Regards - Tug

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 24/01/2021 23:17:08

Looks good Oliver but what have you made those rear wheels from?

Tug

Very impressive work Old School, did I imagine it or was there a tether car track in Maidstone, Kent? I remember seeing one when I was quite small in the early sixties and being impressed and quite scared, the speed attained seemed amazing. In one sunday afternoon walk while visiting an aunt I was introduced to noisy model cars and live steam locomotives, funny how things seen as a very young child influence us for the rest of our lives.

Tony, very versatile- live steam, boats and aircraft, keep up the good work.

Dave

Nice collection you have there Tony - takes me straight back to my youth too. I note the KK Ranger on the wall - that was my first control line model - 13th Xmas pressy with an AM10. Recognise the Joker, Firefly, Viper and Phantom Mite but what's that nice little twin you have there.

Like you have built varying types early on but concentrated more on aerobatic models from around 1980. There's still one or two I'd like to build as I've always liked the building too but unfortunately have become very intolerant to the balsa dust despite wearing a mask and constantly hoovering. I've built three from plans since returning however, a built up Peacemaker, Mercury Monarch and a Frog Talisman - all as yet uncovered - no point until we can fly again.

Love it all

Tug

Ramon the wheels are aluminium but anodised black it was the fashion a few years ago they came out of my box of spare parts.

Tony yes I race the cars and have been going to Europe for the last 15 years to compete.

Last year we completed a tether car track in this country at BMFA national visitor centre at Buckminster.

These are my modern tether cars some built by me and others bought and sorted out to perform. They range in engine sizes from 1.5cc orange car to 10cc the black one. All hold British records except the orange one.

Last year was the first year I have not raced for a long time, but we ran cars at Buckminster.

These are some of my old timer cars all built by me engine sizes 2.5cc to 10cc. These sort of car were raced in this country between the 1950s to the end of 1960s when the last track closed in this country.

Tether car racing continued in Europe both east and west, Russia the USA Australia and New Zealand.

Hi Old School. Is the arm that pokes out the top a fuel cutoff? I have never seen tether cars “live”, only on YouTube, but they are most impressive.

I used to fly control line speed. I keep getting the draw to go around in circles again, but I have managed to beat it off so far!

Dontcha just love the smell of burning Castor and the three day soft smelly hands?

Regards Ian.

Yes they are the shut off, the rules require the engine to be shut down by 8 laps after the timed run so at best you have about 10 seconds to do it.

That's a surprise Oliver - I assume you run with these too? I was wondering - when I was a work we used to have this really hard urethane rubber thick wall tube - it was used as buffers in press tools. I made some wheels for a team racer out of it with alloy centres similar to your front wheel. It was very durable if not exactly flexible. I have a small piece but at around 60mm diameter don't think that would be big enough. It can be turned but it's tough old stuff. It was red unfortunately but I wonder if any of you car guys have used similar?

Dr Dave - C/L has always been my 'achilles heel' - when it strikes all else goes by the by. Though I built a couple of speed models I never did actually fly them. The first was in the army powered by a Yulon 49! not exactly a speed motor but needs must at the time. The second was much later with a gorgeous Super Tigre X29 in a ST ali pan. Trouble was, having visited the nationals with my wife who also flew control line she forbade me to fly it on a normal flying day at home. Quite by chance I sold the engine on much later and still unflown to a 'Johhny Hall' who had been one of my teenage Aeromodeller 'heroes'.

Happy days indeed

Tug

I always fancied electric RTP (round the pole) aircraft flying but couldn’t find a local club at the time.

Thanks for doing that Tony, that does look very nice indeed. Are those brushless motors?

There are two smaller models I never built but always had a liking for - one was an ME109 for an Elfin 1.5 and featured in my first Aeromodeller (August '58) and the other for some reason was the Lockheed Sirius Floatplane in the APS plans handbook. Have no idea why but they always did appeal.

Thinking that I would be unlikely to ever be interested again I sold all my flyable models on about three years or so ago. Two of them have come back thanks to an act of incredible generosity but I have been unable to fly them yet which has been disappointing. Also a good friend passed away and I have inherited several of his models including a very nicely made Veron Sea Fury with a Comp Special in and a Veron Spitfire with an AM 25. Again not been able to fly those either.

Sorry for going OT Oliver - perhaps we should start a new thread - 'General Aeromodelling Discussion' to go with the aircraft one Any takers?

Tug

A couple of months ago I wrote a short report about my visit at the Swiss F2G Championships (Electro Speed),
where a world record of 302 km/h was attained. To my surprise this report found no interest - or at least no one commented.

Here it is (hope that works as intended - I miss a preview!)

Regards,
Hans

I not complaining here’s some pictures of my last controline model, their is a picture of me with it in the latest version of Aeromodeller.

You will probably notice a theme running through my models, going fast on wires I have also run tethered hydroplanes both IC and flash steam currently hold the 8lb class British record but that’s a longtime ago since I ran those.

It has only had a few flights last year was a right off for flying. From memory the few flights that it has done were around the 140s mph