Pre-sanded balsa, what a luxury!
Showing posts with label kits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kits. Show all posts
11/18/10
4/29/10
Sunday Indoor Well Attended
At least 20 people came to Marin Aero Club's second meeting of the year on Sunday. About two-thirds of them brought models to fly, the rest came to watch and hang out with friends. It was an interesting session with many new planes, and some old ones that we haven't seen in a while.
Jason McGuire returned to MAC for the first time in about eight years. This is the prototype of his Twerp design.
See the plane? Tom's Flying Fish Bostonian is one of a kind, his own design.
Phobe's 1/2 scale Baxter Pussycat flew OOS (out of sight) indoors, landing inside the top of an I-beam. Jerry tried unsuccessfully to retrieve it with our telescoping pole.
Brian's sheet balsa Ford Fliver
Jason's Fiat G.50
Phobe with Jerry's Cub
Mike's winter project, the Cessna C-34 posted here in February, is almost complete.
Ed's micro RC Diddle Rod. It has an electric motor and faux cylinder.
Need a balsa shim? George has two different kinds.
Tom's Latécoère 26, a French mail carrier
More of Tom's models. If you look closely, you'll notice the wing from the Latécoère, separated from the plane by a hard landing. The damaged pylon can be fixed easily.
Mike's dime scale P-47
These are the Fether Plane (sic) kits Jim bought on eBay, posted here two weeks ago.
I had a little problem with my Little Richard, absentmindedly putting in the wrong (1/8 inch) rubber motor and watching the plane shoot out of my hand like a rocket. What a surprise! In one second it hit an I-beam, ripping the wing off. The fuselage continued to climb until it hit the ceiling and crashed to the floor, while the separated wing spun around its lateral axis making a slow descent. We all had a good laugh, and I only wish there was a video.
Towards the end of our meeting, Gale dropped by with his new rubber-powered free flight P-47 before taking it up to Lakeville for its maiden flight. You have to see this extraordinary model up close to appreciate how beautifully built it is.
A detail for model builders to appreciate: the P-47's hand-carved, carbon-reinforced prop with freewheeling assembly.
Jason McGuire returned to MAC for the first time in about eight years. This is the prototype of his Twerp design.
See the plane? Tom's Flying Fish Bostonian is one of a kind, his own design.
Phobe's 1/2 scale Baxter Pussycat flew OOS (out of sight) indoors, landing inside the top of an I-beam. Jerry tried unsuccessfully to retrieve it with our telescoping pole.
Brian's sheet balsa Ford Fliver
Jason's Fiat G.50
Phobe with Jerry's Cub
Mike's winter project, the Cessna C-34 posted here in February, is almost complete.
Ed's micro RC Diddle Rod. It has an electric motor and faux cylinder.
Need a balsa shim? George has two different kinds.
Tom's Latécoère 26, a French mail carrier
More of Tom's models. If you look closely, you'll notice the wing from the Latécoère, separated from the plane by a hard landing. The damaged pylon can be fixed easily.
Mike's dime scale P-47
These are the Fether Plane (sic) kits Jim bought on eBay, posted here two weeks ago.
I had a little problem with my Little Richard, absentmindedly putting in the wrong (1/8 inch) rubber motor and watching the plane shoot out of my hand like a rocket. What a surprise! In one second it hit an I-beam, ripping the wing off. The fuselage continued to climb until it hit the ceiling and crashed to the floor, while the separated wing spun around its lateral axis making a slow descent. We all had a good laugh, and I only wish there was a video.
Towards the end of our meeting, Gale dropped by with his new rubber-powered free flight P-47 before taking it up to Lakeville for its maiden flight. You have to see this extraordinary model up close to appreciate how beautifully built it is.
A detail for model builders to appreciate: the P-47's hand-carved, carbon-reinforced prop with freewheeling assembly.
2/19/10
What's on your building board?
Mike Leadbetter is building a Scale Flight Model Co. kit of the Comet Cessna C-34 (25 inch span).
Mike says, "After looking at the light structure and large wing, I am in the process of fitting a DT, eternal optimist that I am."
2/11/10
Baby Zephyr Reproduction
Ed Solenberger is working on a project to reproduce a kit of the classic Testors Baby Zephyr with the original K&B .020 Infant Torpedo engine. Ed sold ten kits/engines last year, and he says "They flew out of here like a flock of quail!" More kits will be coming from the laser cutter soon. With over 80 on the waiting list, that's good news!
Baby Zephyr ready to be painted
Ed tells us the original Testors kit came out in about 1949 -- especially for the Infant Torpedo. The little .020 was the very first pure glow plug engine on the market. As you can see in the picture, the kit sold for 98¢. The engines were $7.95. Considering that it had precut, formed parts and a full-size plan with plenty of instructions, that was a one heck of a deal, even in those days.
Ed's reproduction kit was featured in Flying Models magazine last year. It has laser cut parts, with rolled tube fuselage. You would have to make a special mandrel to roll such a taper, as the usual suggestion of a pool cue wouldn't work. Ed can do one per day, or maybe two, as the balsa has to dry well.
This picture shows one of the restorations -- an exact sized fuel tank. Some engines are missing parts such as this.
Ed is selling the laser cut reproduction kit without engine for $39.95 plus shipping. The price for kit with engine is $96.95 plus shipping. Anyone can get a kit without engine fairly soon, but if you aren't already on the waiting list it could take awhile to get an engine. Anyone interested in these kits should email Ed.
Baby Zephyr ready to be painted
Ed tells us the original Testors kit came out in about 1949 -- especially for the Infant Torpedo. The little .020 was the very first pure glow plug engine on the market. As you can see in the picture, the kit sold for 98¢. The engines were $7.95. Considering that it had precut, formed parts and a full-size plan with plenty of instructions, that was a one heck of a deal, even in those days.
Ed's reproduction kit was featured in Flying Models magazine last year. It has laser cut parts, with rolled tube fuselage. You would have to make a special mandrel to roll such a taper, as the usual suggestion of a pool cue wouldn't work. Ed can do one per day, or maybe two, as the balsa has to dry well.
 Ed has been busy building up an inventory of vintage K&B engines. Restoring these little gems is not a problem for Ed, a talented engine builder. But if anyone has spare parts/engines of this type, Ed can probably use them. |
Ed is selling the laser cut reproduction kit without engine for $39.95 plus shipping. The price for kit with engine is $96.95 plus shipping. Anyone can get a kit without engine fairly soon, but if you aren't already on the waiting list it could take awhile to get an engine. Anyone interested in these kits should email Ed.
11/14/09
Worth more dead than alive.
I thought you'd like to see what a $160 collector's kit looks like when you've turned it into a $5 model. I got the kit recently from Brian and I won't mention the price. Brian - let's talk.
And here's one of the last photographs taken of Jerry Long's Heinkel, just before it disappeared into the blauer Himmel northeast of Lakeville.
And here's one of the last photographs taken of Jerry Long's Heinkel, just before it disappeared into the blauer Himmel northeast of Lakeville.
10/5/09
Fleet
My latest project is the Fleet 16B (Finch). Paul gave me this super R/N Models kit (for power RC or rubber.) I cut out some of the wood and it looks like finishing up around 100 grams. It'a simple build but making the radial engine has been time consuming - the model just wouldn't look right without it. I have plenty of time I guess - it will be around 5 months before we get gliding grass.
Tom.
Tom.
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