Ken, I happen to know many of the details you are looking for! Jim Rice (J H Rice's son) is a very good friend of mine. Jim owned the local hobby shop just outside the front gate of Randolph AFB where I was stationed. Just after Jim's dad died I stopped by the hobby shop and he showed me some of the items he had brought back from his dad's place, one of these items were the original plans for the Little Monster. Jim told me he would supply the wood if I built two of them, one for him and one for me. Of course I said yes!!! I took the wood home that day and by the next day I was asking him what color he wanted his painted! They were both finished in just a few days. I built Jim's exactly like his dad drew it with the bent metal motor mount and wire landing gear. I modified mine a bit by extending the nose and making it a beam mount for a Medallion and did not use any gear at all. They both flew AWESOME!!! For Jim it was a great time reliving the memories of when his dad first designed the plane for him! For me it was an awesome time burning holes in the air at what seemed like 100 mph! I could easily fly the entire tank out without moving my feet at all...it was just like one of my 1/2a combat planes! We were both so happy with the planes that Jim later had a few laser cut kits made. At that time I was stationed at Moody AFB in GA so I don't know the exact number of kits he had made...maybe 10 or 20 if I remember right.
I also enlarged the plans to .35 size. I got most of that one done before I moved to GA and gave it to Jim. He finished it as an RC plane and flew it with one of his dad's four stroke motors. He later gave the plane back to me as a gift when I retired from the AF.
Jim still lives in the San Antonio area.
I will try to post pics of my Little Monster when I get home from helping out the distaster relief effort in Houston.
Glenn