Col. Peck's Barracuda

[Dennis Saydak]

Here's a picture of my Barracuda model as far as I got with it. Unfortunately because of long term mobility problems I recently decided to hang up my C/L handle for good. I donated the Cuda to a good friend last week who is a master painter. He intends to paint it; and if all the stars align it may even be at the US Nationals this year. It's a very unusual design and as far as I know only a couple of Cudas were built.

[Sina Goudarzi]

This might help.
sina

[Dennis Saydak]

Yes, thanks for that Sina. I do have a color picture of the original Barracuda, which had an attractive paint scheme.

[Ken Culbertson]

Here's a picture of my Barracuda model as far as I got with it. Unfortunately because of long term mobility problems I recently decided to hang up my C/L handle for good. I donated the Cuda to a good friend last week who is a master painter. He intends to paint it; and if all the stars align it may even be at the US Nationals this year. It's a very unusual design and as far as I know only a couple of Cudas were built.

Thought that picture looked familiar. I built one in 1967.  Slightly larger stab mounted in line.  Johnson 35s (I was just a kid and didn't know I was supposed to be using a Fox 35). Flew extremely well but had a short life when a clevis broke on the elevator flap connection.  I-Beams realy *spalt* better than D-Tubes.  Nothing left to rebuild.

Ken

[Les McDonald]

I remember seeing John Pecks original Barracuda at Wynn Pauls house around 1972. Pearly white with some bright orange trim if I recall correctly.

[Dennis Saydak]

I remember seeing John Pecks original Barracuda at Wynn Pauls house around 1972. Pearly white with some bright orange trim if I recall correctly.

Yes, that's the information and picture I received from Wynn.

[Les McDonald]

This morning Wes Eakin pointed out to me that the canopy on Wynn's Miss Lexington was very similar to the Barracuda.
Thanks for the picture Dennis because that's pretty much what I recall and I feel good about that!
I was also unaware that Mr Peck was a military guy or was that a nickname?

[Dennis Saydak]

Thought that picture looked familiar. I built one in 1967.  Slightly larger stab mounted in line.  Johnson 35s (I was just a kid and didn't know I was supposed to be using a Fox 35). Flew extremely well but had a short life when a clevis broke on the elevator flap connection.  I-Beams realy *spalt* better than D-Tubes.  Nothing left to rebuild.

Ken

Ken, I recall  seeing only one other picture of a Cuda B&W in a magazine. IIRC, it was all black (or perhaps navy blue). Was that your?

[Dennis Saydak]

This morning Wes Eakin pointed out to me that the canopy on Wynn's Miss Lexington was very similar to the Barracuda.
Thanks for the picture Dennis because that's pretty much what I recall and I feel good about that!
I was also unaware that Mr Peck was a military guy or was that a nickname?

The article introduces him as Kentucky Colonel Peck, so I'm assuming air force?

 

[Ken Culbertson]

Ken, I recall  seeing only one other picture of a Cuda B&W in a magazine. IIRC, it was all black (or perhaps navy blue). Was that your?

It was Navy blue and silver IIRC but I don't think I ever competed with it.  I was flying out of central Ohio back then.

Ken

[kevin king]

Here's more pics of of Dennis' Barracuda

[kevin king]

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[kevin king]

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[Sina Goudarzi]

Miss Lexington

[Les McDonald]

During some emailing last night with Wynn I mentioned this thread and this was his reply about John.

"John Peck was an engineer at IBM as far as I can remember.  I never heard he or Lew McF talk
about him being in the military.  I visited him a couple of times at his home after I really got into the
hobby (probably sometime '64-'67 maybe) and watched him do some work on a plane - very meticulous as you might expect looking at the Barracuda and some others.
        He talked me through my first full stunt pattern at the back of Bluegrass Field Airport in Lex.
when we had two circles there.  I was flying a Magician with an upright Fox 35 (he recommended
that I covert to that for ease in starting, etc.).  Later, he gave me the Barracuda so I would have something good to fly, as at that time I was conducting two swim practices a day in the summer and
going to meets often.
          I think he got into RC toward the end of the '60s.  I always got the feeling that while he was a
better builder than Lew, he could not out fly him and this bugged him."

[Dennis Saydak]

This may shed some light on  the definition of "Kentucky Col". John Peck must have earned that title in some way. It would be nice to know more. https://www.kycolonelcy.us/faq