I have flown many of the Cox planes. If they had one major flaw, it's the under cambered wing, but that was necessary for production. The bad reputation for them largely comes from that fact that not everyone can fly a control line model, and most people started out with the wrong airplane and never read instructions. I suffered from that when my Mom finally succumbed to my plea and got me a Cox Stuka for Christmas as a kid. I had been building free flight models and such but had not built a c/l trainer. I tried the Stuka with no help, and got the typical results. The whole story is up in the "How I Got My Start" section of the forum. I managed to put together the funds for a Sterling Beginner Mustang, mounted the Cox baby Bee that came of a Curtis Pusher that was my Dad's, and with no money left for Dope but the left over fuel from the Cox starter kit that came with the Stuka, I got my first flights with that model. The Cox models do fly, but the scale models needs some one at the handle with some experience. The PT-19 would let you build up that experience if you had the patience to stick with it and learn. Once I had some time under my belt, I had no problem flying the plastic ready to fly scale models because I figured out that you have to fly them ALL THE TIME! here are some videos from recent history to prove the point. These are stock, Cox plastic RTFs, on regular Cox 15% fuel. Neither model is underpowered at all, if anything, maybe too much power for a small child.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
Hello Dan,
Thanks for stopping by and share your story.
I saw your video before and loved it!; as much as I do now watching it again. As a manner of fact, I have the video saved as one of my Cox reference ones.
I also had a Stuka when I was a kid. I only could enjoy starting it and never got to fly it. Well, now that got one recently, it’s on the “waiting list” and will be flown with a lot of enthusiasm.
What I’m missing is a starting kit from that time as later Cox stating kits didn’t smell like the one I bought at that time (e.g. kit 330 vs 400), as I was able to get a NOS sealed 400 kit from 1985. I have that peculiar smell in my mind and want to smell it again. As soon as I can find one 330 kit sealed, I’ll fly the Stuka. In case the fuel isn’t good anymore, at least I can smell and feel the Cox fuel of such time again. And I might try reviving it by mixing it with some of the fresh I’m using presently which is from Brodak, 25% 1/2A blend.
Attached are pictures of my Cox collection and the starting kit I’m looking for.