Carstens Flying PLans #277

[Bill Little]

Hi All,

I just received a set of plans (thanks, Dalton!) that have only the Carstens #277 on them.  They are of a P-26 stunter, but it is not the "big" one from Jack Sheeks that I am already familiar with.

This one is an I-Beam and more for a .35 size.  (it DOES look like one of Jack's planes!)

Anyone able to give a published date and the designer?

Thanks!
Bill

[Chris Edinger]

Bill

According to my lists.. Carstens #277 is a ... Fly Baby by Jack Sheeks....Semi Scale Stunt...57" Span... for .40 McCoy....
Published 10 of 1972....

does this help??

Chris

[Bill Little]

Bill

According to my lists.. Carstens #277 is a ... Fly Baby by Jack Sheeks....Semi Scale Stunt...57" Span... for .40 McCoy....
Published 10 of 1972....

does this help??

Chris

Thanks, Chris!  That answers it completely.  The plans call out a McCoy .40 and like I said, it looks like one of Jack's models!  I was thinking more along the lines of a P-26, but the different "details" make sense now. 

I tried the Carstens site, but I can't find much of anything relating to C/L, at least nothing near what they have available, and the "categories" are incorrect in a lot of cases.

Thanks, again,
Bill

[Charlie Pate]

Bill I remember the plane and the article.
 He replaced a horrible engine, with a new Mc Coy (series 21) and was thrilled about the performance
of it. He thought enough of the plane to take it to the nats; were he had ,guess what ?( I was told engine failure).
He claimed to have built it with as he said "whatever was laying around" balsa.
 If i were to build any vintage plane , this would be it!
 I saw a picture of it from the Nats and the plane really looked nice!
 

[Bill Little]

Bill I remember the plane and the article.
 He replaced a horrible engine, with a new Mc Coy (series 21) and was thrilled about the performance
of it. He thought enough of the plane to take it to the nats; were he had ,guess what ?( I was told engine failure).
He claimed to have built it with as he said "whatever was laying around" balsa.
 If i were to build any vintage plane , this would be it!
 I saw a picture of it from the Nats and the plane really looked nice!
 

Hi Charlie,

It does have a nice look to it from the plans.  I will try and get a copy of the article (or better yet, whole magazine) that was published.  Now that I have thought about it, I have heard of Jack's "Fly Baby", just the plans is the first I had "seen".

(oh yeah, watch out for that mule cart............)
Bill

[Tom Niebuhr]

I just did a forum search. Shultzie has shown pictures of Jack's "Fly Baby".  Here are the pictures.

[Chris Edinger]

I just ordered the Hawker hurricane, the Ryan SC, the ME109 of Jacks .. and the Macchi 202 plans of Dennis Duvall.. I also have Jacks Corsair Stunt plans and the Sea Vixon........ carstens just recently improved thier plans site... and have quite a few listed now.. much more than a few months ago.. I had to get out my list of Jacks plans to know what to order... although Lynn Good at Carstens is very good at finding what ever you want... best to just call her..

[Chris Edinger]

also.. forgot to mention... the Hawker shown next to my name is.. the original Jack Sheeks Hawker published in 8 of 73... I used to live in Indy. and bought it from Jack for... like $50.00 If I remember correctly... I dont fly it much anymore cause its around 35 years old.. but does fly beautifuly...

[Bill Little]

Hi Chris,

I'm glad that FM is getting better!  Lynn is a great person to deal with, too.  I called her every M,W,F for two weeks, after it had been over a month and I had not heard from FM from an order, and she finally got it out to me.  Not her fault.  I have been told that it is best to call "Maureen" if you have a problem.  I haven't ordered from them since that last problem, but I will again.

Jack was the most prolific publisher ever of CLPA planes.  He had a lot of nice subjects!  And, he's a great guy to boot.

Big Bear

[Bill Little]

I just did a forum search. Shultzie has shown pictures of Jack's "Fly Baby".  Here are the pictures.

Thanks, Tom!

If I get a chance to build one (and I hope I do!), I will probably do it as a P-26 knock off paint scheme.  They had some pretty ones!  Even the olive drab ones were "dressed up".

Bill

[Chris Edinger]

Bill..

Well.. dont be to hard on carstens... the printer.. old blue line job.... died in late Dec... they didnt get the new one until late Jan and got it up and running... I had been waiting on plans since before Christmas... but Lynn got it handled.. think it will all be better now that the new printer is online...  and yes.. Maureen is great tooo..

[Bill Little]

Hi Chris,

Well, I am trying not to be too hard on FM! LOL!!  My "problem" was about a year ago when it "started".  The whole process from the order to receiving the plans took about 3 months.  The good thing is, when I started to call Lynn (every other day for two weeks, literally) the order did go out.  She sent them Priority when she got things straightened out, which was nice.  The problem seemed to be that I ordered online, and something got messed up in their computer "system".  But Lynn did find the order with my correct card number and address.  Three sets of plans, two of which were correct when they arrived! LOL!! The other WAS a stunt plane, though (just a different one).   Like I said, I will order again, have been doing so for about 40 years, I will just call the order in now.  And, as I said before, Lynn DID help me out.  I still need plans for the Big Job.

Bill

[Dennis Holler]

I too plan to order some more plans shortly.  My last order in about 2007 was just fine, four sets, all correct, but a little slow and I did order on line at that time.

I gather that even though their on line list of plans is not up to date, if I call in I can get the older plans, like Jim Vornholt's ME 262 etc? Luckily I have enough old FM's to know most of the older plan numbers etc.

[PerttiMe]

They do say "If you're looking for a plan and can't find it, please contact us."

[Chris Edinger]

Bill

Ya know.. i kinda get the impression that Carstens isnt as big a publisher as we might think... kinda like a hometown operation... while they have computers.... etc... it more like Lynn hand writes the orders and then cant find them.. LOL... and as  you noted... she also sent me the wrong plans.. which is ok... but while I was talking to her about it... she was sayin.... hmmmm... why did I do that.. this is in my handwriting... LOL>.. so.. I re-ordered the ones I wanted and we will see if they get here in a timely manner...   That was on Thursday... so  I am hopeing for maybe sometime next week..  but we will see...   and yes.. as I was sayin... they have computers.. but I think with them .. personal contact is the best way... as I sent one email to Lynn which she says she never recieved... so... pick up the phone.. "reach out and touch someone"...

[Chris Edinger]

Wow..... I no more than closed Stunthanger and the mailman drove up.... got my plans today...

Just a little FYI.... carstens can also make you copies of the original article for most any plans you want... I think Lynn said they would cost $3.00.... and it always nice to have the article.. I have several of the magizines with the articles.. a lot of info there that is not on the plans....

Good Building... LOL>

Chris

[Bill Little]

Hi Chris,

I order the article if I don't already have the magazine.  It does help many times. (especially with Jack's models! LOL!!)  PAMPA Products also has "almost" all the articles of stint models published in the US.  That's a good source of articles for Model Aviation (and its prior "titles") plus MAN.  Even some of the older FM articles that Carstens sometimes cannot supply.  Last time I did business with PAMPA Products, it was .25 a page for the articles.

Bill

[Dennis Holler]

Jack's article's are hilarious  stuff like "next swipe the blade from your wife's leg razor. Don't use your own, it will dull it."   and "Turn the body over on a large flat surface-and we don't mean your wife's cedar chest either" and "I always fly a ship in clear dope. (I test fly mine in the air, Jack--Ed.)