Dave Platt's Parakeet

[John Park]

Many years ago, I saw what I believe were the original pencilled drawings of a .35-sized full-fuselage flapped stunter designed by Dave Platt and called "Parakeet".  It had a straight-tapered wing without dihedral, and simple, conventional styling - fuselage-mounted two-wheel U/C, bubble canopy and so on.  It was shown to me by a friend and colleague, the English draughtsman A A P (Pat) Lloyd, who was well known for his superb scale drawings of full-size aircraft, and I always assumed Pat was going to make a tracing of it for publication.  That was the last I ever heard of it.
Does this ring a bell with anybody?  Was the plan ever published, and indeed was the model ever built?  It might have been just a design exercise that never made it to the building-board, but I'd like to see whether it might be worth building while I'm still young enough to fly overhead eights without falling flat on my back.

John 

[builditright]

Many years ago, I saw what I believe were the original pencilled drawings of a .35-sized full-fuselage flapped stunter designed by Dave Platt and called "Parakeet".  It had a straight-tapered wing without dihedral, and simple, conventional styling - fuselage-mounted two-wheel U/C, bubble canopy and so on.  It was shown to me by a friend and colleague, the English draughtsman A A P (Pat) Lloyd, who was well known for his superb scale drawings of full-size aircraft, and I always assumed Pat was going to make a tracing of it for publication.  That was the last I ever heard of it.
Does this ring a bell with anybody?  Was the plan ever published, and indeed was the model ever built?  It might have been just a design exercise that never made it to the building-board, but I'd like to see whether it might be worth building while I'm still young enough to fly overhead eights without falling flat on my back.

John

Hi John,
About 12 years ago right around the time I just finished framing up the La Donna kit prototype my dear friend Roger Vizioli arranged a meeting between Myself, John Miller and Dave Platt.  This meeting was to discuss the possibility of me kitting Dave's Parakeet and to iron out any specific details Dave may want incorporated with/in the hopeful kit. John was supposed to do the drawings for me to make the kit but sadly we had an impass and did not pursue making the kit. I did however get a few photos of the parakeet, so this bud's for you John... 

[builditright]

here's just a few more pics..

You can email me for larger size photos

[Carl Cisneros]

What Ty said.

Very pretty model

[Mark wood]

What Ty said.

Very pretty model

Go three up on that one.

I like it....

[Roger Vizioli]

Wow Walter, you really brought back some great memories.
If you remember, Dick A. did build a Parakeet. He did fly it for awhile but I dont remember any details.
Take care,
Roger 

Hi John,
About 12 years ago right around the time I just finished framing up the La Donna kit prototype my dear friend Roger Vizioli arranged a meeting between Myself, John Miller and Dave Platt.  This meeting was to discuss the possibility of me kitting Dave's Parakeet and to iron out any specific details Dave may want incorporated with/in the hopeful kit. John was supposed to do the drawings for me to make the kit but sadly we had an impass and did not pursue making the kit. I did however get a few photos of the parakeet, so this bud's for you John... 

[John Park]

Dear Folks,

Thanks a million for all the info.and pics.  The model shown is just what I remember from the plan - the very abbreviated D-tube LE was particularly noticeable.
 
Best wishes and a happy Christmas to all,

John

[Dennis Toth]

Was the Parakeet ever published? Anyone have plans or a dimensioned 3 view? Looks like a great little ship for a FP 25 or ABC Fox 35.

Best,    DennisT

[EddyR]

 I remember Dave and this model showing up at the Orlando contest. Dave built his CL models very light like his FF models. That was OK in good flying conditions but not if any wind came up. I flew a few of Dave’s model’s maybe even this one. He came to the Florida vintage series of contest we had in south Florida that lasted 3-4 years .
 That was a long time ago and it drew people from all the east coast.
Ed

[bob whitney]

i will call dave sat and see if he has any plans or 3 views if anyone is intrested

[Mark wood]

i will call dave sat and see if he has any plans or 3 views if anyone is intrested

Yes...

[afml]

YES!

[John Park]

I remember Dave and this model showing up at the Orlando contest. Dave built his CL models very light like his FF models. That was OK in good flying conditions but not if any wind came up. I flew a few of Dave’s model’s maybe even this one. He came to the Florida vintage series of contest we had in south Florida that lasted 3-4 years .
 That was a long time ago and it drew people from all the east coast.
Ed

He'd certainly changed his approach since the mid '50s - remember the Skiffler? https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=1464

[bob whitney]

just talked with dave . he said he cleared out a bunch of his old plans and not sure if he still has the plans for the parakeet but said he would look.said he built the origanal parakeet in about 1964

[Mark wood]

just talked with dave . he said he cleared out a bunch of his old plans and not sure if he still has the plans for the parakeet but said he would look.said he built the origanal parakeet in about 1964

That would make it eligible for classic stunt then. ?

[Brett Buck]

He'd certainly changed his approach since the mid '50s - remember the Skiffler? https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=1464

   Kind of amazing that you would go to a stunt contest carrying an airplane on a bus!

      Brett

[Dan McEntee]

   Kind of amazing that you would go to a stunt contest carrying an airplane on a bus!

      Brett

     Yeah; it's interesting how guys used to get the job done! This is one of the reasons I like to read the old magazines and books and see how they did things back then. Buses, bicycles, bicycles with trailers and baskets, all sorts of concoctions. Busses were the way they git from the hotel to the field at the Plymouth Internats for the most part. If you had a car or Mom and Dad took you to the field or contest site, you could ride the running board to chase your free flite model! Thinks of the looks that your dynajet model got from the other passengers on the buss!! Those were the days!  If I could I could probably sit and listen to Dave Platt rattle off the stories for as long as he had breath to tell them!
    HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
    Dan McEntee

[gene poremba]

 Thats a good looking plane. It would be nice to see plans available....Gene

[Elwyn Aud]

Brodaks 2008 Richard Antoszewski .

[Roger Vizioli]

Brodaks 2008 Richard Antoszewski .

Thanks for posting the pic of Dick,s Parakeet.
Dick has not been feeling well and is not active in modeling at this time.
Roger V.

[John Park]

just talked with dave . he said he cleared out a bunch of his old plans and not sure if he still has the plans for the parakeet but said he would look.said he built the origanal parakeet in about 1964

It must have been 1972 when Pat Lloyd lent me the plan (at that time, we both worked for a firm of Chartered Patent Agents in London).  I think he told me it was several years old.  I kept it for several days before returning it, but sadly didn't get round to tracing my own copy.  (As for taking a big stunter on a bus, that was something I never tried - but it might have been easier than getting a Mercury Crusader into my 1962 Austin Mini!)

[bob whitney]

i have had the privilege of spending many hours chatting with dave about our early days . when he was a teen the only way to get aroung was by bus ,so u loaded up your stuff on a bus to go to a contest .
 anytime u think we have it bad in the US ask him about sitting in a shelter as a young boy and hearing the buzz bombs going over your head