Tether car article

It was interesting to see an article on tether car history in the latest issue of the magazine.

I hold the current British record for a Class 5 10cc tether car at over 200mph and I would like assure the readers that we do not run our 200+ mph cars on string. They are tethered on 2.1mm diameter piano/ music wire.

Tether car racing is going through a bit of a resurgence at the moment a track has been built at British Model Flying Association’s National Centre at Buckminster funded by voluntary contributions.

The Buckminster Tether Car Group and SAM 35 run a series of events through the racing season. Next events are

September 24th and 25th BTCG

October 15th and SAM 35

No charge for spectators, we have an open pits area you can see the cars and talk to the racers.

200MPH! That;s going that is. I have an old McCoy Redhead 10cc glowplug engine that was popular in tether cars and control line plane racers in the US years ago and it is a beast! Can't imagine what a 200mph engine would be like today.

The modern tether car engines bear no resemblance to the McCoy and Dooling 60s. Now days the fuel is supplied at the race meeting 80% methanol and 20% castor oil no nitromethane. The engines have a full tuned pipes and the rpm is around 35 to 37,000 with around 7 to 8 bhp. No ringed piston these are high silicon content aluminium running in a chrome plated brass liner. Engine life is short 3 to 4 fast runs and the liner piston is past its best.

The 10cc (60) cars are the F1 cars of the tether car world. Loud and fast.