Got some cool goodies at an auction

[YakNine]

I was out with the Mrs. looking for antiques and we went into a consignment shop, one section was set up as a silent bid auction, I found a box of airplane stuff! 3 models with engines and a strange thimble drome plastic plane. #1 was a Testors freshman-9 with a McCoy .098 #2 was a Baby Barnstormer with an OK Cub .074 #3 was a Scientific hollow log with an original model OK Cub .049 with the original cast aluminum fuel tank / Motor mount Plus a neat old thimble drome control handle with a built in line reel. I was stoked and put in a bid of 6 bucks with a max bid of $50.00 someone else had a starting bid of 3 bucks. A week went by and 2 days after the end date I got a call and won it for 6 bucks ! I have wanted a Super Stunt .098 for a while, now I have all four in the series. I don't have an .074 either and the .049 is really cool too. all the planes will fly again with their original engines with some repairs. I am even thinking about trying to piece the Thimble Drome  plane together and see if I can fly it. I am pumped T J

[Steve Helmick]

Pictures of the "strange thimble drome plastic plane", please! I've seen a lot, flown a few, didn't crash any.  Steve

[YakNine]

Pictures of the "strange thimble drome plastic plane", please! I've seen a lot, flown a few, didn't crash any.  Steve

I am trying to upload the pictures but my phone isn't cooperating TJ ps. It Says TD4 on the plane

[Dane Martin]

From your phone, if you text them, it'll automatically resize them. You could text or email them to one of us and we'll post it if you'd like?

[Dan Berry]

I am trying to upload the pictures but my phone isn't cooperating TJ ps. It Says TD4 on the plane

TD4 is maybe the first one COX did.

[Steve Helmick]

I recall the TD-1 and the TD-3 as being relatively high buck full fuselage models. The TD-1 had aluminum skin hollow wings, the TD-3 was similar, but lower A/R and plastic skinned hollow wings. Was the TD-4 the profile trainer that was rubber-banded together, single surface undercambered plastic wing with adjustable thrustline? If that was the TD-4, it actually flew fairly well, as a trainer should. Flew way better than the PT-19, IMO. But I'm not sure that was called the TD-4.    Steve 

[YakNine]

That sure sounds like it Steve , the motor mount pivots, and it rubber bands together. The wing is broken in half but Gorilla Tape might hold it together enough to get a few flights in , just for fun. T J

[john e. holliday]

Some guys are so lucky.

[YakNine]

I really like the Baby Barnstormer it's really neat the wing is pretty thick and the full fuse seems pretty light yet stiff, does anyone kit it anymore . I really look forward to talking a step back in time and firing up the .074 Cub and taking the first flight with the plane in probably 50 years, I hope the guy who built it is happy that its getting loved again, maybe he and my Dad will hang out and look down from beyond and bless the flight with sunshine and no rain

[Larry Renger]

You really did well!

Beware in Flying the TD4 that if you should input sharp down controls, the wingtips flex down and you are guaranteed a crash. I don’t think Cox ever made another plane from Poyethelyne. Polypropylene didn’t work out either. The best mix was high impact poly styrene and 10% Krayton rubber.  Canopy’s were originally crystal styrene, but we found a pretty tough, clear material that was only faintly milky. Sorry, don’t recall the plastic’s name.

Props had to be virgin 6-6 Nylon, no regrind allowed. The gray props added 10% chopped glass fiber. Current props I have seen aren’t as flexible and tough. Sad, the cost isn’t that much more to do it right. I suspect current props are left over from when Barry Tunick of ESTES took over. Simple product engines sold as Killer Bees and other hideous violation of old quality standards.

Gears for the cars were similar material but with Molybdenum Di Sulfide for lubrication. Really a tough material.

We were big enough to blend whatever we wanted to do the job, and the engineers and quality guys were topnotch. Plus, and a really big one, management wanted the BEST possible products. I don’t recall ever hearing that something was too expensive to do.

What a fantastic place to work! Mind you, MATTEL preliminary design was just as good in its own way. I have really had a fantastically satisfying career!  (Once I escaped from the aerospace rat race {don’t ask, I don’t want to remember those wasted years}) 

BTW when I worked at ESTES in the late 60’s it was still a great place to do innovative projects and see them through from concept to production line. Who ever gets to do that anymore? Concept, model, plans, instructions, material sourcing, and production setup, ALL MINE!