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Author Topic: Omega  (Read 3437 times)

Offline Tommy Swonke

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Omega
« on: January 20, 2017, 08:35:44 AM »
 I had one of the Omega's back in the 60's and it was a fast combat model.  Does anyone offer this plane in a kit or plans nowadays ?

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Omega
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2017, 09:01:38 AM »
Barry Baxter's Control line plans .   http://controllineplans.com/frameset2.htm

Omega 1956  33" span    320 sq in.
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline Fredvon4

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Re: Omega
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2017, 09:15:06 AM »
I have not seen a new laser kit for the Omega kit....not to say there is not one (laser or crushed die MidWest original) every now and then on e-bay

Barry Baxter has the plan and it looks like a real easy scratch build from the plan with typical easy to get wood

Tommy if you really want to whet your nostalgia combat plane memories just spend an hour on Barry Baxter's Plans service website and try hard not to put too many in your cart.....grin

I have way more plans from him than I can build in the rest of my life...reverse grin

http://www.controllineplans.com/index.htm
"A good scare teaches more than good advice"

Fred von Gortler IV

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Omega
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2017, 09:26:22 AM »
If you want lazer cut parts, go to the Venders Corner and to Action Hobbies/Lazer Kits.   Under the thread Question for Action Ed, he says he can cut parts if you supply regular pans and not CAD plans.  I have had parts cut by him and he does great work.
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline Dennis Leonhardi

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Re: Omega
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2017, 01:41:14 AM »
I also offer plans for the Omega and more than 20 other combat designs in my eBay store - http://stores.ebay.com/airclassix

The Omega is a really quick, easy build - and pretty rugged!  The horizontal spar gives it considerable strength and warp resistance.  The ribs are all identical - center section is planked, cap strips on the others.  I've built them in an evening and covered them the next day, though I wouldn't particularly recommend it.

One of my craziest memories from the '50s is of sitting in the back seat of a car on the way to a contest, rain pouring down, windows rolled down, and I'm doping the silkspan.  Only to fly in fairly heavy rain and lose in the first round anyway!   :)

The airplane comes out quite light and performs very well for something of that era.  I built several and powered them with a variety of engines, starting with the lowly Fox .35 Stunt.

My other vivid memory of the Omega: For most of the '60s and '70s I flew small, light wings powered by cleaned up Fox 36Xs running 30% nitro fuel.  In 1964 at Iowa City, Iowa in the finals I was matched with a contestant flying an Omega with  an OS Max engine.  To this day, I can only imagine what had been done to his engine - it was one of the very few times in those years that a competitor matched my speed - with an upright engine, no less!

Dennis
Think for yourself !  XXX might win the Nats, be an expert on designing, building, finishing, flying, tuning engines - but you might not wanna take tax advice from him.  Or consider his views on the climate to be fact ...

Offline Tommy Swonke

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Re: Omega
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2017, 06:01:22 AM »
 Hey Dennis, thanks for responding, Back in the 60's I built several Omega's. I was first introduce to them at a big event in Longveiw Tx. The gentleman   I drew first was flying an Omega against me and My Voodoo. I remember he was a much more advanced combater than I,
 but within the first 3 or 4 laps I caught him sleeping and killed him (much to my surprise and delight). But what I really remember most was the covering he used on his Omega. It was a floral designed silk scarf and it was beautiful ! I knew at that moment I had to try this technique. So a short time later I did an Omega build and found a large silk scarf at a 5 & dime store. The scarf was in a colorful paisley design and I covered my wing with it. After several coats of clear dope I had the best lookin' Omega you ever saw ! I intend on using this method on a future build very soon. Have you ever seen this method used before ?

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Omega
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2017, 10:03:12 AM »
I vaguely remember the guys using silk scarves in the day as they were sometimes cheaper than the package of silk sold in the LHS.
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline Dennis Leonhardi

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Re: Omega
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2017, 03:37:16 PM »
Hey Dennis, thanks for responding, Back in the 60's I built several Omega's. I was first introduce to them at a big event in Longveiw Tx. The gentleman   I drew first was flying an Omega against me and My Voodoo. I remember he was a much more advanced combater than I,
 but within the first 3 or 4 laps I caught him sleeping and killed him (much to my surprise and delight). But what I really remember most was the covering he used on his Omega. It was a floral designed silk scarf and it was beautiful ! I knew at that moment I had to try this technique. So a short time later I did an Omega build and found a large silk scarf at a 5 & dime store. The scarf was in a colorful paisley design and I covered my wing with it. After several coats of clear dope I had the best lookin' Omega you ever saw ! I intend on using this method on a future build very soon. Have you ever seen this method used before ?

Sure do, Tommy!  Back in the '50s and into the '60s, the "Dime Store" (was it Woolworth?) and drug stores sold those head scarves ... if I remember correctly, the best were a blend of nylon and rayon, and they often were on sale at 2 for $1.

We used lots of them.  They are much stronger than silk, as well as considerably cheaper.

Many of my old photos were destroyed when a basement flooded back in the '80s, sorry I can't post any here.


Dennis
Think for yourself !  XXX might win the Nats, be an expert on designing, building, finishing, flying, tuning engines - but you might not wanna take tax advice from him.  Or consider his views on the climate to be fact ...

Offline Tommy Swonke

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Re: Omega
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2017, 08:29:16 PM »
 Thanks for your response Dennis,  I remember buying them at the local "Ben Franklin 5 & dime" . They had a huge rack hanging full of those scarves.  But I was under the impression that they were silk. Maybe because they just felt like silk. (remember, I was just a kid then) So you're saying that it doesn't necessarily have to be silk ?  If that's the case it's going to be much simpler finding what I need. Who knows Dennis maybe I'll resurrect
 this old style of covering a wing. It surely produced some interesting looking planes back in the day !!

Offline Dennis Leonhardi

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Re: Omega
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2017, 09:48:36 PM »
I don't remember finding any that were pure silk, Tommy.  I think they would have been more expensive if they were - then again, I have trouble remembering my name some days.   :)

When you cover with one, post photos!  Nothing like a trip down Memory Lane ...


Dennis
Think for yourself !  XXX might win the Nats, be an expert on designing, building, finishing, flying, tuning engines - but you might not wanna take tax advice from him.  Or consider his views on the climate to be fact ...

Offline john e. holliday

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Re: Omega
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2017, 11:07:14 AM »
All I know about them was they were listed as silk and were cheap.
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline EddyR

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Re: Omega
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2017, 08:03:13 AM »
  I built quite a few Omega as they were very easy to build and quite strong. The only stock one was the first one as it was a kit. One huge improvement to it's flying was to add a Quicker style tail on it.
Ed
Locust NC 40 miles from the Huntersville field


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