This is my first memory of a pylon plane that my Dad Jim Stegall raced before Formula 1 / Goodyear was a thing.
I posted it on https://www.facebook.com/rcpylonmemories/ and it was identified as a "Phil Kraft Go Go Fli".
See https://www.modelaircraft.org/sites/def ... ipPhil.pdf ... This dates the plane to 1966.
I have this photo on the wall of my stairs up to my shop opposite of the "Valley of Guitars" wall.
Notice the wing tips. People were trying to find speed increasing methods way back when.
Some of my Dad's first pylon racers
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DonStegall
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Some of my Dad's first pylon racers
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DonStegall
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Re: Some of my Dad's first pylon racers
This was Jim Stegall's first fiberglass Formula 1 plane.
It had a K&B Torpedo engine in it. I have some in boxes, but those boxes are on the bottom of my stacks of boxes. When I dig down there again, I will post a photo of one.
This was a fiberglass fuselage foam core kit that was based on Joe Foster's Rivets published in with Model Airplane News or RCM. I think it was MAN. Jim Katz gave the issue to me a while back. As I finish cleaning up my office, I should find it.
This was an inspiring plane for me. I built a glider first, then in 5th grade I built a full bodied Control Line version with a Golden Bee engine on it. Reached over the prop and it got my right hand between my thumb and wrist. Still have those scars as it took minor surgery to fix it up.
Dad used a smaller than scale pilot which is easily seen in the photo. His future planes had more scale pilots in them. I believe at that time F1 planes were required to have pilots in them. Or at the minimum, if you didn't have a pilot, you got bumped down in scale judging and took off behind the higher judged planes.
It had a K&B Torpedo engine in it. I have some in boxes, but those boxes are on the bottom of my stacks of boxes. When I dig down there again, I will post a photo of one.
This was a fiberglass fuselage foam core kit that was based on Joe Foster's Rivets published in with Model Airplane News or RCM. I think it was MAN. Jim Katz gave the issue to me a while back. As I finish cleaning up my office, I should find it.
This was an inspiring plane for me. I built a glider first, then in 5th grade I built a full bodied Control Line version with a Golden Bee engine on it. Reached over the prop and it got my right hand between my thumb and wrist. Still have those scars as it took minor surgery to fix it up.
Dad used a smaller than scale pilot which is easily seen in the photo. His future planes had more scale pilots in them. I believe at that time F1 planes were required to have pilots in them. Or at the minimum, if you didn't have a pilot, you got bumped down in scale judging and took off behind the higher judged planes.
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Last edited by DonStegall on Wed Mar 27, 2019 5:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DonStegall
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Re: Some of my Dad's first pylon racers
This is believed to be the first Stegall Minnow.
It was a clone of the Stafford Minnow basically. Dad is not sure if he used the original airfoil or not. It had a wire landing gear.
Dad carved the plug out of white pine. It was in halves. Not a single piece of wood. It was essentially cut to the side shape and then hand carved using planes, chisels, smaller planes, a lot of 80 grit sandpaper, then finished. It had 1/4" dowels holding the halves together. I remember us going to the flying field and the plug going with us for much of the summer of 1969 or 1970. He would fly and then carve some. Just as I learned to do, he worked on something most of the time. With 3 kids, he had to be efficient.
He did not make the first molds. He had a guy that did boat building make the molds. And that guy made many of the first fuselages. Unfortunately he got shot trying to break into his own house in I believe an inebriated state. Either Dad already had the molds or was able to get them. I do not have that set of molds. They were stored in a barn at Dad's parents house and the barn has collapsed. I'm sure my cousins would let me try to retrieve them, but I can only imagine what kind of snakes and other wildlife may be where I would need to get. And the molds could be broken or unusable.
The guy that did the layups did a special one with gold glitter in it with a blue gelcoat layer. It was a display piece, but I think it got used as a flyable plane anyway. Probably one of the first "painted in the molds" planes.
All of the Stegall Minnows were laid up and let cure in the mold halves. Then removed, taped together, and joined using 1" wide fiberglass tape.
It was a clone of the Stafford Minnow basically. Dad is not sure if he used the original airfoil or not. It had a wire landing gear.
Dad carved the plug out of white pine. It was in halves. Not a single piece of wood. It was essentially cut to the side shape and then hand carved using planes, chisels, smaller planes, a lot of 80 grit sandpaper, then finished. It had 1/4" dowels holding the halves together. I remember us going to the flying field and the plug going with us for much of the summer of 1969 or 1970. He would fly and then carve some. Just as I learned to do, he worked on something most of the time. With 3 kids, he had to be efficient.
He did not make the first molds. He had a guy that did boat building make the molds. And that guy made many of the first fuselages. Unfortunately he got shot trying to break into his own house in I believe an inebriated state. Either Dad already had the molds or was able to get them. I do not have that set of molds. They were stored in a barn at Dad's parents house and the barn has collapsed. I'm sure my cousins would let me try to retrieve them, but I can only imagine what kind of snakes and other wildlife may be where I would need to get. And the molds could be broken or unusable.
The guy that did the layups did a special one with gold glitter in it with a blue gelcoat layer. It was a display piece, but I think it got used as a flyable plane anyway. Probably one of the first "painted in the molds" planes.
All of the Stegall Minnows were laid up and let cure in the mold halves. Then removed, taped together, and joined using 1" wide fiberglass tape.
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Re: Some of my Dad's first pylon racers
Don, The first three pictures with the Rivets appear to be at the old Asheville/Hendersonville Airport. You can see Tommy Baker calling for your dad. The bronze Toni is probably Jim Katz's?
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DonStegall
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Re: Some of my Dad's first pylon racers
Greg,
You are correct that it was Asheville/Hendersonville Airport. The first Formula 1 race ever in North Carolina.
I talked to Dad this morning. He can't remember exactly who was in that heat.
Harold Haigler is launching the Rivets. You are right that Tommy Baker was calling for Dad. Apparently they did not limit you to one caller/helper originally.
I don't know the correct spelling, but Cliff Werrick was there and probably flying the plane that took off first and is out of the picture.
Dad thinks Jim Katz was too young to be in this race. I'm trying to remember who had the bronze and cream Cosmic Wind.
Harold Coleson and D.C. May from Georgia were there.
Did you race in this event?
You are correct that it was Asheville/Hendersonville Airport. The first Formula 1 race ever in North Carolina.
I talked to Dad this morning. He can't remember exactly who was in that heat.
Harold Haigler is launching the Rivets. You are right that Tommy Baker was calling for Dad. Apparently they did not limit you to one caller/helper originally.
I don't know the correct spelling, but Cliff Werrick was there and probably flying the plane that took off first and is out of the picture.
Dad thinks Jim Katz was too young to be in this race. I'm trying to remember who had the bronze and cream Cosmic Wind.
Harold Coleson and D.C. May from Georgia were there.
Did you race in this event?