MODEL PLANES
“TMECO” Tomoser Model Engineering Co.
In the summer of 1946 at age 7 Tom Tomoser flew a control line model airplane solo. From 1951 to 1963 Tom’s father a Radio Control Hall of Famer, Herb Tomoser was the largest producer of servo actuators for radio control models airplanes and boats. Tom continued with flying and building control line models as he worked in the family home-based business. These experiences gave Tom a love of business and production methods, as well as a great love of conceiving and materializing ideas. Tom took to flying like a duck takes to water. Building was slower to come to Tom but it came. Part of the problem was being in the shadow of 2 Geniuses and Hall of Fame Model Airplane pioneers. Harold de Bolt and Herb Tomoser both with IQs in the middle 200s were buddies and built and flew models from some-where around 1926 until the late 70’s and possibly early 80’s. Harold de Bolt of course was the owner of de Bolt Model Engineering DMECO.
Tom flew competition from 10 years old and competed and won at 5 Plymouth Internationals in Speed Events. Tom won frequently in local competition and in the Nationals twice. He developed his versions of “Stunt” and “Combat” models based a lot on the principles of building learned from Herb and Harold.
After a 50-year sabbatical from flying a business acquaintance of Tom’s saw one of Tom’s models stored in the garage. That provided an impetus for Tom began building models, getting ready to fly again, and maybe make a business venture as in the “good old days.” Tom began rebuilding his flying career by re-designing, refurbishing, and restoring models that have been well cared for and preserved for the last 55 years in storage in his Dad’s attic and with the passing of his Dad in 2001, in Tom’s garage. It has been Tom’s pleasure to rework the designs of his 2 genius mentors. Tom has found with his 50 years of widely diversified experience in industry that sometimes geniuses may over look the obvious or the simple.
4th of July 2007 Tom got back into competition flying at the “Tulsa Glue Dobbers” Mirror Meet. After trashing his original “Ringer” in preliminary stunt he changed to the doctored up deBolt Stunt Wagon B now powered with a new Fox 35 and about 2 oz. Of weight built into the nose to give the “Wagon” a better CG and a reasonable amount of stability. It was a crazy two days of flying with the “Wagon” suffering from a low level crash trying to break balloons. It was repaired for Sunday’s advanced Mirror Meet Pattern flying. Tom managed to get through Sunday with out a mishap and brought the Wagon back to Omaha in tact. Not for long however. Tom decided the “Wagon needed a serious make over to be a dependable competition stunt model. Oh but the “Old Wagon” won the “Spirit of The Mirror Meet Award. As the model that most represented the models of the Mirror meet days.
Back in Omaha Tom immediately tore down the “Wagon” removing a small 2.5 oz wing mounted tank and the original motor mounts. He replaced the mounts with longer mounts to facilitate a 5-oz. tank sitting on the mounts in a compartment behind the Fox 35. This increased the length of the engine compartment from 3” to 7.5 inches, warranting the name “Stretch Wagon”. With this configuration a better and stronger aluminum landing gear was mounted to the hardwood mounts instead of a piano wire gear mounted to the last forward bulkhead. The “Stretch Wagon” has been flown for sport flying practice, and does a very nice pattern, with a very high degree of stability.
It is amazing how geniuses think in similar veins. About the time de Bolt came out with the “Stunt Wagon B” he already had a larger version that he simply called the “Stunt Wagon”. In Harold’s original, which Tom saw test flown, it seems Harold had either a Fox 59 long shank or a Mac 60 as power. So 2 Ohlsson 23 side port engines powered Herb wanting to come up with something different came up with his “Twin Stunt Rocket” which. Herb never test flew the “Twin.” He had a line of “Rockets” from Class A to class C.
Tom now very actively building again, or more precisely “Rebuilding.” One of the first “Re-Builds” was to pull the “Twin Rocket” off the shelf and see what it would take to make it airworthy.
Fortunately the mountings for the Ohlsson 23s was the same for Fox 19s. The tanks were wing tanks buried in the wing of the engine pods. Tom filled and measured the tanks to be only 1.5 oz. Estimated flight time would be no more than 3.5 to 3 minutes. But as it was constructed it would be too difficult to remodel. The engines were mounted and it had a CG almost on the center of the bell crank.
The test flight was wild to say the least, as the controls were so sensitive it was hard to maintain level flight. The 2.5-minute flight seemed more like 10 trying to keep the “Twin” from an untimely demise. Alas once down the “Twin” was sent to the rebuild bench. It was not feasible to extend the engine pods but it was feasible to extend the main fuselage and put weight in the nose. The extension was 6.5 inches long with an additional cosmetic inch with the original spinner type front. 2 oz. Of BBs were added for balance and the “Twin” rec’d a cockpit, for dress up, a new coat of paint, and a new name “The Dandy Deuce.” The test flights were better but with the small fuel tanks it would never run long enough to complete a full stunt pattern. So the Fox 19s were pulled and the “Deuce” went back onto the inactive shelf.
Tom then decided to do a 3-engine model by remodeling Herb’s 1950 “Mini Zilch” that Herb had already remodeled from a sidewinder profile to a “Rocket” body with an upright “Circle 30” engine. Tom increased the wing area to around 500s/I, and enlarged the stab assembly in proportion to the new wing. He used part of Herb and Harold’s design for the engine pods mounted on the wing and used wing-mounted tanks. The only difference, Tom learned from the earlier mistakes of the geniuses and mounted the wing engines up right and about ½ inch forward to the leading edge. The main fuselage extends 6.5 inches ahead of the leading edge. With a 5oz. Fuel tank mounted directly behind the Fox 29 power plant. With 2 Fox 19s mounted in the wing pods this makes it possible to get a CG about on the front line. The new model was named “The Mean Machine” and was test flown with just the 29 running and proved to be a very stable aircraft. Plans are to compete in stunt competition this season with the "Machine.”
Speed competition was always Tom’s forte and in addition to several models still airworthy since the 50s Tom has redone some of Herb’s originals. He first fit a Fox 19 and new tank into a Class A speed trainer from 1948 that improved the speed from the 78-80MPH range to the 110-120 range. Things have changed now and this 19 must compete in a new 21 class, as the old A class now only goes to 15. Having more models that 19’s work in Tom then took the A trainer and squeezed in a Brand New Fox 36X. Now were talking 125-135 maybe 140MPH. That’s progress. Redoing 60-year-old models to increase speed by 50 MPH.
Tom recently finished a redo of a Herb creation that was spawned out of a fluke. One of the finest things about the team of Herb and Tom was Herb was probably the best Hand Launcher in model airplanes. Tom was a natural at the controls and in their career of speed flying they had a 100% launch success record. Herb never through a bad launch Tom never failed to get a launch airborne. In 1949 on one of Herb’s launches of a “C” Speed Trainer Herb was steadying the ship by the outboard wing and when he went forward with the launch he snagged the outboard wing tip and the wing broke off all but a 2 inch section closest to the fuselage. Tom got it airborne and turned in a winning time. With a speed about 110 MPH. This got the collective wheels going and Herb and Tom decided to build a one winged airplane. Herb of course designed and built the model. Tom would have to fly it.
When finished Herb determined that he would not be able to hand launch the model because there was almost no place to hold the futuristic looking “Mr. X.” Herb built a dolly to aid in getting the one winged craft airborne. The craft had no stabilizer and no rudder. It had a wing and an elevator on the wing more like an aileron. A Mac 19 powered it. All attempts to get “Mr. X” airborne failed as it ground looped immediately after leaving the dolly. Herb and Tom reluctantly deemed “Mr. X” a failure and he went to the inactive part of the model domain in Herb’s attic.
This year Tom pulled “Mr. X” out of mothballs and did a Tommy redo, which included a stabilizer and an outboard wing. Tom decreased the area of the existing wing by about 30 % and matched the new inboard wing with a one-piece wing hand carved from ½ inch balsa. Herb’s inboard wing is a composite of a hard wood leading edge and a 1/8 plywood bottom side with 4 ribs and a 3/32 top sheet. Like all of Herb’s designs the fuel tank is probably one oz. And hopefully will run 10-15 laps with the Fox 19 power plant. Tom renamed the craft “Mr. X-Y” like a continuation of the series. It of course will use a similar but reworked dolly to take off.
Tom plans to attend several competitions this year and if interest is sufficient in any of the “Re Worked” models TMECO may go into the kit manufacturing business. We shall see what we shall see.
“TMECO” Tomoser Model Engineering Co.
In the summer of 1946 at age 7 Tom Tomoser flew a control line model airplane solo. From 1951 to 1963 Tom’s father a Radio Control Hall of Famer, Herb Tomoser was the largest producer of servo actuators for radio control models airplanes and boats. Tom continued with flying and building control line models as he worked in the family home-based business. These experiences gave Tom a love of business and production methods, as well as a great love of conceiving and materializing ideas. Tom took to flying like a duck takes to water. Building was slower to come to Tom but it came. Part of the problem was being in the shadow of 2 Geniuses and Hall of Fame Model Airplane pioneers. Harold de Bolt and Herb Tomoser both with IQs in the middle 200s were buddies and built and flew models from some-where around 1926 until the late 70’s and possibly early 80’s. Harold de Bolt of course was the owner of de Bolt Model Engineering DMECO.
Tom flew competition from 10 years old and competed and won at 5 Plymouth Internationals in Speed Events. Tom won frequently in local competition and in the Nationals twice. He developed his versions of “Stunt” and “Combat” models based a lot on the principles of building learned from Herb and Harold.
After a 50-year sabbatical from flying a business acquaintance of Tom’s saw one of Tom’s models stored in the garage. That provided an impetus for Tom began building models, getting ready to fly again, and maybe make a business venture as in the “good old days.” Tom began rebuilding his flying career by re-designing, refurbishing, and restoring models that have been well cared for and preserved for the last 55 years in storage in his Dad’s attic and with the passing of his Dad in 2001, in Tom’s garage. It has been Tom’s pleasure to rework the designs of his 2 genius mentors. Tom has found with his 50 years of widely diversified experience in industry that sometimes geniuses may over look the obvious or the simple.
4th of July 2007 Tom got back into competition flying at the “Tulsa Glue Dobbers” Mirror Meet. After trashing his original “Ringer” in preliminary stunt he changed to the doctored up deBolt Stunt Wagon B now powered with a new Fox 35 and about 2 oz. Of weight built into the nose to give the “Wagon” a better CG and a reasonable amount of stability. It was a crazy two days of flying with the “Wagon” suffering from a low level crash trying to break balloons. It was repaired for Sunday’s advanced Mirror Meet Pattern flying. Tom managed to get through Sunday with out a mishap and brought the Wagon back to Omaha in tact. Not for long however. Tom decided the “Wagon needed a serious make over to be a dependable competition stunt model. Oh but the “Old Wagon” won the “Spirit of The Mirror Meet Award. As the model that most represented the models of the Mirror meet days.
Back in Omaha Tom immediately tore down the “Wagon” removing a small 2.5 oz wing mounted tank and the original motor mounts. He replaced the mounts with longer mounts to facilitate a 5-oz. tank sitting on the mounts in a compartment behind the Fox 35. This increased the length of the engine compartment from 3” to 7.5 inches, warranting the name “Stretch Wagon”. With this configuration a better and stronger aluminum landing gear was mounted to the hardwood mounts instead of a piano wire gear mounted to the last forward bulkhead. The “Stretch Wagon” has been flown for sport flying practice, and does a very nice pattern, with a very high degree of stability.
It is amazing how geniuses think in similar veins. About the time de Bolt came out with the “Stunt Wagon B” he already had a larger version that he simply called the “Stunt Wagon”. In Harold’s original, which Tom saw test flown, it seems Harold had either a Fox 59 long shank or a Mac 60 as power. So 2 Ohlsson 23 side port engines powered Herb wanting to come up with something different came up with his “Twin Stunt Rocket” which. Herb never test flew the “Twin.” He had a line of “Rockets” from Class A to class C.
Tom now very actively building again, or more precisely “Rebuilding.” One of the first “Re-Builds” was to pull the “Twin Rocket” off the shelf and see what it would take to make it airworthy.
Fortunately the mountings for the Ohlsson 23s was the same for Fox 19s. The tanks were wing tanks buried in the wing of the engine pods. Tom filled and measured the tanks to be only 1.5 oz. Estimated flight time would be no more than 3.5 to 3 minutes. But as it was constructed it would be too difficult to remodel. The engines were mounted and it had a CG almost on the center of the bell crank.
The test flight was wild to say the least, as the controls were so sensitive it was hard to maintain level flight. The 2.5-minute flight seemed more like 10 trying to keep the “Twin” from an untimely demise. Alas once down the “Twin” was sent to the rebuild bench. It was not feasible to extend the engine pods but it was feasible to extend the main fuselage and put weight in the nose. The extension was 6.5 inches long with an additional cosmetic inch with the original spinner type front. 2 oz. Of BBs were added for balance and the “Twin” rec’d a cockpit, for dress up, a new coat of paint, and a new name “The Dandy Deuce.” The test flights were better but with the small fuel tanks it would never run long enough to complete a full stunt pattern. So the Fox 19s were pulled and the “Deuce” went back onto the inactive shelf.
Tom then decided to do a 3-engine model by remodeling Herb’s 1950 “Mini Zilch” that Herb had already remodeled from a sidewinder profile to a “Rocket” body with an upright “Circle 30” engine. Tom increased the wing area to around 500s/I, and enlarged the stab assembly in proportion to the new wing. He used part of Herb and Harold’s design for the engine pods mounted on the wing and used wing-mounted tanks. The only difference, Tom learned from the earlier mistakes of the geniuses and mounted the wing engines up right and about ½ inch forward to the leading edge. The main fuselage extends 6.5 inches ahead of the leading edge. With a 5oz. Fuel tank mounted directly behind the Fox 29 power plant. With 2 Fox 19s mounted in the wing pods this makes it possible to get a CG about on the front line. The new model was named “The Mean Machine” and was test flown with just the 29 running and proved to be a very stable aircraft. Plans are to compete in stunt competition this season with the "Machine.”
Speed competition was always Tom’s forte and in addition to several models still airworthy since the 50s Tom has redone some of Herb’s originals. He first fit a Fox 19 and new tank into a Class A speed trainer from 1948 that improved the speed from the 78-80MPH range to the 110-120 range. Things have changed now and this 19 must compete in a new 21 class, as the old A class now only goes to 15. Having more models that 19’s work in Tom then took the A trainer and squeezed in a Brand New Fox 36X. Now were talking 125-135 maybe 140MPH. That’s progress. Redoing 60-year-old models to increase speed by 50 MPH.
Tom recently finished a redo of a Herb creation that was spawned out of a fluke. One of the finest things about the team of Herb and Tom was Herb was probably the best Hand Launcher in model airplanes. Tom was a natural at the controls and in their career of speed flying they had a 100% launch success record. Herb never through a bad launch Tom never failed to get a launch airborne. In 1949 on one of Herb’s launches of a “C” Speed Trainer Herb was steadying the ship by the outboard wing and when he went forward with the launch he snagged the outboard wing tip and the wing broke off all but a 2 inch section closest to the fuselage. Tom got it airborne and turned in a winning time. With a speed about 110 MPH. This got the collective wheels going and Herb and Tom decided to build a one winged airplane. Herb of course designed and built the model. Tom would have to fly it.
When finished Herb determined that he would not be able to hand launch the model because there was almost no place to hold the futuristic looking “Mr. X.” Herb built a dolly to aid in getting the one winged craft airborne. The craft had no stabilizer and no rudder. It had a wing and an elevator on the wing more like an aileron. A Mac 19 powered it. All attempts to get “Mr. X” airborne failed as it ground looped immediately after leaving the dolly. Herb and Tom reluctantly deemed “Mr. X” a failure and he went to the inactive part of the model domain in Herb’s attic.
This year Tom pulled “Mr. X” out of mothballs and did a Tommy redo, which included a stabilizer and an outboard wing. Tom decreased the area of the existing wing by about 30 % and matched the new inboard wing with a one-piece wing hand carved from ½ inch balsa. Herb’s inboard wing is a composite of a hard wood leading edge and a 1/8 plywood bottom side with 4 ribs and a 3/32 top sheet. Like all of Herb’s designs the fuel tank is probably one oz. And hopefully will run 10-15 laps with the Fox 19 power plant. Tom renamed the craft “Mr. X-Y” like a continuation of the series. It of course will use a similar but reworked dolly to take off.
Tom plans to attend several competitions this year and if interest is sufficient in any of the “Re Worked” models TMECO may go into the kit manufacturing business. We shall see what we shall see.
TOMOSER MODEL ENGINEERING COMPANY