Kookaburra plans

[Neville Legg]

Do any of our Antipodean (or POM'S!  ) modellers have any knowledge of the 58" kookaburra Chipmunk and 52" Tempest, designed by Geoff Pentland? I have just received a set of plans for both. The plans are a bit crude and rough but perfectly workable. A date for both of them would be handy!

Cheers     Neville

[Air Ministry .]

The boke in the hoby store at Orange (Toy Store ! ) has a Tempest, IF its flat winged and about four foot span,
The Pentland Spitfire dates right back , (50's ? )

Was published in aeromodler as a Mk 7 ? ( pointed tips = H.F. )
Kokaburra plan is Mk 8 .

He ran an outfit called Kokaburra publications , and is apparently still vertical and still moving .

[Neville Legg]

Hello Matthew,

I knew about Geoff's Spitfire, I have the Aeromodeller somewhere! The plan I have is a Tempest V, 52" span, the Chipmunk is huge at 58", and doesn't have the designers name on the plan. Are these anything to do with the Kookaburra kits of the early '60's?

Cheers       Neville

[Dallas Hanna]

Hello Matthew,

I knew about Geoff's Spitfire, I have the Aeromodeller somewhere! The plan I have is a Tempest V, 52" span, the Chipmunk is huge at 58", and doesn't have the designers name on the plan. Are these anything to do with the Kookaburra kits of the early '60's?

Cheers       Neville

Hi Neville.  These are all from the stable of Geoff Pentland from Melbourne, Australia and yes, the same person from Kookaburra kits.  The Chipmonk was from memory around 1958.  The only one I saw built was in a photograph in (I think) an Aeromodeller about 1960.  It was built by the late Derry Brown from Melbourne and from reports, didn't last long!   Maybe underpowered with a Glochief 35 back then.  A 46 may do it justice!  Peter White now has a plan (www.vicstunt.com) but not listed on his plan section yet.   I did send a plan to someone in the US a couple of weeks back for Peter but not on the right pooter to check who it was!!

Geoff Pentland passed away at the beginning of 2009.

This was posted by Ken Dowell on Barton Forum on 6th March 2009

"Thanks Howard. I'm very sorry, but not surprised to hear of Geoff's passing. I was on the phone with him just before Christmas, and he wasn't well then, to the point of (my reading between the lines) seriously ill. I tried phoning 3 times about a month ago, with no answer. Something was telling me not to continue. Perhaps I've gained a little psychic ability with the stunt gut I've developed lately.

His Kookaburra name began with Designs and Plans, then ventured to Kits under the Kooka' name but actually manufactured jointly by Artmil and Pizzeys.   I was the bunny who did all the printing and die-cutting at Pizzeys. The Publishing of authoritative books and other memorabilia came in later years.

When the Aeroflyte Spitfire was first chosen for the Vets Day, I tried to have the Kooka' version substituted as it's a far better-flying model. However, Geoff was adamant about freely-copied plans being an infringement of his intellectual copyright. He still had many himself, but wasn't interested in mail-order or such, so instead offered me a bulk purchase scheme whereby I could on-sell them any way I wished. Needless to say, I didn't follow that up."


Hope that helps.  Will try and find that old Aeromodeller for the pic.

HH

[Neville Legg]

Thanks for the info. I think I've seen that Chipmunk picture in a 50's Aeromodeller too! Did it fly well, to your knowledge?

Cheers          Neville

[Dallas Hanna]

Thanks for the info. I think I've seen that Chipmunk picture in a 50's Aeromodeller too! Did it fly well, to your knowledge?

Cheers          Neville

Found it!!  It was in the British Mag, Model Aircraft, April 1961.  OS Max 35 powered, not Glochief 35.  Caption says designed by Derry Brown as well.    It was entered at the 59/60 Australian Nats held at Gawler, South Australia.

This is the note on www.vicstunt.com :

"Special mention must go to the magnificent "Chipmunk" (pictured) flown by former champion Derry Brown, who is making a welcome comeback. This stunter was quite close to exact scale, and featured a wingspan of 62½ inches with an all up weight of 4½ pounds. On it's second official flight, in slightly windier conditions, this beautiful model was completely wrecked when it "fell in" whilst completing an overhead eight. At a New Year's Eve party later, the boys had two minutes silence, in respect for the "Fallen Chipmunk".


HH

[Neville Legg]

Dallas,

I have seen that picture, I too have that magazine somewhere! I think it was shown in the Aeromodeller as well? It does look a nice model, at that size I think a 60 size 4/stroke would be a good power plant? I think I'll build the Pentland Tempest looks like it should be a good flyer?
Sorry to hear about Geoff Pentland, when you only see pictures of people as young men in the 50's and 60's it sort of comes as shock to realize that 50 years have passed and they are a lot older! I, of course, haven't changed a bit in 50 years? LOL   

Cheers      Neville