This week I uncorked the 46-year old bottle of fine wine that purchased from another member of this forum.  The product was bottled by:

The C.A. Zaic Co, Inc, Brooklyn, 21, New York, commonly called "Jetco Models".  If you're having trouble finding Jetco on a search, try Zaic.  The list of Lew McFarland's victories spans 1958 through 1962 solidly nailing the classic nature of the design.  Lew's magazine article mentions dabbling with the 60-size, but concluding that a 45 was a big as a stunter needs to be.

In the Detroit area, the Shark 45 was the upgrade from the Top Flite Nobler, which overwhelmingly dominated the stunt world.  The major users of the Jetco Shark were Leroy Gunther and Mark Ramsey, both of whom built several.  Leroy always went after all 40 of the apperance points.  In a newsletter article that he authored, he stated that his first Shark (which looked GREAT) weighed in at 67 ounces.  Mark had at least four Sharks and he heeded Leroy's advice and played cool on the paint job, settling for 23 points at the 70 Nats, but doing better on the flying end of the deal.

Other contributors here have warned me about the weight of the kit wood, so I'm entering this venture with mass management as the prime directive.

I began by cutting/punching out the parts and sorting them into Ziplock bags by part number.  I sub-assembled some of the laminated parts.  Quite a few parts which could have been sawed from 1/2" balsa are laminated from numerous odds and ends of die cut 1/16" and 1/8" wood.

For example, the center of the tailplane weighed 0.5 ounces when done the "kit way", but a little under 0.4 when cut from a single piece of 1/2".

The bulk 1/16" balsa included in the kit weighs 8.4 ounces for a computed density of 10 pounds to the foot. This wood will be replaced and saved for ribs on racers, etc.

When I met Lew in Ohio at a contest at Lumkin Field, I asked him about the Shark kit.  He immediatly replied use the kit as a pattern and use good wood.  I sold the kit years later as I thought I would never fly anything in that size range.  Keep us posted.  MERRY CHRISTMAS

Somewhat in the same vein as Doc's comment, you'll get a better plane if you sell the JetCo Shark on eBAY and get the RSM kit. The latter has been blessed by Lew as authentic, and you won't need to replace any wood.

Hi Paul.  I am really enjoying your build project.  I like the looks of the Shark and have thought of building one myself some day.  I like the fact that you are useing an old kit to build yours.  Interesting exercise.

Paul, it is looking good and I like your comparisons.  You mentioned something about di-cutting.  Remember that was the greatest thing in that period of time.  You are gutsy in doing this Shark project.  Have you talked to Dan McEntee about it.  He makes it look easy to fly as well as Lames Mills.  Keep us posted. 

I'm thinking of all the stunt kits I've assembled, which is not very many.

1960's, Midwest Magician, Jetco Sabre, Midwest PT-19, and Ambroid Stuka.
1970's Top Flite Nobler and Sig Banshee.
1990's Sig Twister.
2009-2010, Jetco  Sabre.

This is the first time I've assembled a kit with 0.1 ounce postal scale as a primary tool.  In the past I (and everybody else I knew), just tried to get the thing assembled so it wouldn't fall apart too soon, and maybe weighed the final product.

The rudder-fin was a success story.  I discarded several kit parts weighing 0.7 ounces and replaced the heavy 1/16" sheeting with lighter 1/20" sheet.  The whole finished assembly is only 0.7 ounces (the original mass of about half of it).

The body sides weren't that successful.  The original weight was 3.4 ounces, but the big holes only got them down to 2.9.  They might get bigger after final assembly.

The plans show all the splices at the center.  I used 48" balsa and made the splices near the outboard tip, thereby strengthening the center and using the splices as a contribution toward tip weight.

The engine has been a sticking point.  I couldn't proceed much farther with commiting to an engine.

After some thought, I've ordered an ST G51.  When I get the feel of the engine, I have a better idea of how much I dare lighten the plane.

In the meantime, I've brought out a Magnum-wing original that I put on the back burner a few years ago.  Both the Shark and the Magnum will fit my van, but only at an angle.  Therefore, I've using the Magnum to experiment with TAKE-APART construction.  If it pays off, I may do the same with the Shark 45.

My new engine, the SuperTigre G51 arrived, so I was able to put this job back on the front burner.

The kit engines mounts, two 3/8" x 1/2" hardwoods weighed in at 1.2 ounces.  In the style of the day, there was no crutch, no tank floor, just two unconnected hardwoods.

I relieved some weight by tapering the back end of the hardwoods, and sawing out some weight in front of the engine.  I was able to make these into an crutch with a tank floor, and also add some plywood backup under the engine. The would assembly still weighs 1.2 ounces.  

I added a Number One Bar made of plywood to join the left & right ski bars.  In the "kit build", the fuselage formers align the engine mounts and boidy sides.  In my build, the engine crutch already aligned and it aligns the body sides.  Furthermore, this plywood is bored out to receive the blind nuts, avoiding the need to sacrifice any material from the hardwoods.

I use M3 bolts and blind nuts. The blind nuts are much bigger than 4/40's and don't have the bad habit of coming loose from the wood when I tighten them up enough to do the job. They're a good compromise between 4/40 and 6/32.

Yeah, I used to fly with Mark, he had four Sharks, one for each Avanti.  I flew with Mark at the 1970 Nats, my one-and-only attempt at Open Stunt at The Nats.  We had a private one-on-one competition.  I beat him on appearance points, using my PT-19.  I got him on originally, cause mine was modified a lot and his was like the Jetco kit box.  But he pulled ahead on the flying.

One stunter or 10 planes isn't the issue.  I need to pack in 18 for the T&D or the Brodak.

The third seat in my Astro never made it home. I have no intention of going into the skoo bus bidness.  It resides in my storage unit 'til  the van is sold, which won't be soon.  Armed with my 18mm deep socket and a rachet wrench, I can dispose of the middle row in my Astro or Bravada in NASCAR time.

At this point the Shark 45 still doesn't occupy much room.  Build the boat today, get it of the basement when it's done.

My latest little bit of progress is the nose gear.

The kit setup won't work because the engine is bigger.  Furthermore, based on the religion instilled into me at my previous employer, it is a serious offence to use threaded fasteners in an application where you never intend to take the thing apart.  So the challenge was to design out a whole slew of trapped J-bolts.

This was achieved by sandwiching the kit nose gear wire between two pieces of 1/32' plywood with 1/8" spruce spacers.

This whole module will remain as a slip fit until the last possible step of assembly at which point it will be firmly glued in place.

The dark plywood pieces in the clamp are kit wood going into the growing reject bag.

My latest little bit of progress is the nose gear...

The dark plywood pieces in the clamp are kit wood going into the growing reject bag.

I have a GS Prod./ J Roberts model that had the same dark ply in the kit. I think it is mahogany?? Whatever, it was poor quality. Looked like the drawer bottoms from a cheap pc. of furniture.

I have a GS Prod./ J Roberts model that had the same dark ply in the kit. I think it is mahogany?? Whatever, it was poor quality. Looked like the drawer bottoms from a cheap pc. of furniture.

It looks kinda like redwood to me. 
Heavy, no strength to speak of, warped, and split along the grain.

In addition to that, the structural architecture of having the two engine mounts connected only by two plywood formers is not my style, even with the best wood.