Hot Ships of 1954?

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

I was looking at that article about Bob Palmer in 1954 and got to thinking......what were the hot shot planes for that year?  Thats the year I was born and started thinking that it would be cool to build a ship that was the hot ticket the year I was born!  So how about it folks....what was coool when I was born....and not just me either!

[Shultzie]

Gotta include all the Kenhi kits...I started building these waaaaaay back in 54
Starting with the Bob Cat and then this Wildcat.
I built all three over a 20 year period....Kenhi was alway on my mind after my first WILDCAT AND THEN THE COUGAR.
THE PANTHER was my last Kenhi. Loved that wing..but I changed the kinda weird rudder?

[Dennis Adamisin]

Hey Glenn!

...and here I thought I was the only thing to happen in 1954!  Pretty exclusive club we belong to!   

looks like Shultzie was already a "seasoned" model builder by then...!

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

Hi Dennis....I think Shultzie is even more "seasoned" now! LOL

[Jim Kraft]

I was still building Scientific hollow logs back then. I did build a profile thing with an upright OK cub 19, but never got around to flying it. I used to druel over those Kenhi adds and always liked the Bob Cat and the Wild Cat the best. They just looked so cool. Never did build one, so maybe I should do that one of these days.

[Leo Mehl]

Ha, I was 14 then, knew it all, and was a terror on the ball diamond with my Barnstormer, which I promptly wing overe'd into second base.  Not so hot after that. The Smoothie, Nobler, Cougar, etc were the ticket then, but not all were yet kits, but plans from MAN, AT, FM were avil for most.

I built the Kenhi Mustang and the Wildcat in those day and considering that in 1954 i was already out of school 4 years you guys are still babies. I have plans for the kenhi Mustang and if interested I can copy them for you.

[James C. Johnson]

I was born that year too....

The only plane that really came to mind was the PDQ Circus King 1954...

This year was kind of a transition year... All the big contests except the NATS came to an end... no more Plymouth or Mirror Meet, The Kiwanis and Lion's all were gone.... the only surviving legacy of those contests was Payload.. speed was in decline... stunt continued to thrive... the Nobler became the most copied stunter of all time..

I was able to snag a Circus King a few years back.. it was awful.. the builder put the controls on top of the wing.. It is still all original and with a little (A LOT) of elbow grease will fly again..

Jim

[john e. holliday]

1954 I used to sit and make lists of all the control line kits in the Air Trails magazine.  Was building Scientific kits.  DOC Holliday

[Serge_Krauss]

Wow, you guys. I hadn't discovered control line yet. It might have been that year that I discovered a Top Flite "Jig Time" or "Cleveland Quickie" rubber powered sheet balsa model on the shelf in our front closet. Dad may have meant it as a present or instructional experience - said something about using the wood to build a twin pusher. Anyway, we built it as my first model. I didn't build a controlliner until maybe 3-4 years later. However, it was probably available then, since I believe it was the Dil-Bod. If not it was the Scientific "Atomic" below. This is my demo model for how butyrate dope shrinks. Over the last half century, it has pulled the balsa right off the wing root. Sorry I cannot date this one to 1954, but it didn't appear much later.

Well, 'didn't mean to misdirect the thread, since the planes mentioned were pretty much the top line planes - except weren't the Veco "Chief" and other Palmer Native-American series planes available then too? The "Chief", was heavily advertised and built by several guys in my home town. It flies well, from what I've seen. Randy Ryan has a really nice one, and the "Pied Piper" of Joyce Court in Elkhart, Bill lee, also had a beauty back in about 1960.

Well, I couldn't resist. So now I'm looking through the September, 1954 issue of Air Trails Hobbies for Young Men (went from A.T. to AT H for YM to Young Men to AM to AAM??)., and that first plane was the "Rascal 18". OK, what's advertised here? There's my Wen Mac plastic racer (Thorne=Sparks Indianapolis Car). AHC lists close to 180 U/C planes, including DeBolt's All American stunters, Stuntwagon, Infant Wagon, Sportwing, and Speedster;, Lew Andrewa' Barnstormers; the Palmer (Veco) Chief ($6.95), Papoose, Squaw, and Smoothie; PDQ's Baby and Flying Clowns, Circus King, Super Clown, American Jr. (Jim Walker) Firebabies (monoplans and bipe), Flip-Flop, the four Hell Razors, the four Kenhi 'cats, Vampire, and Mustang; Saftig's Zilch, Super Duper Zilch, Mini-Zilch, Lil' Duper Zilch, and Zilch X-Pendable; Sterling's Mustang and Yak (also the PDQ Yak), Ringmaster , RM, jr., and Spacemaster (I had one of those - still do!); the Testors Senior 29, Stinger (Kirn?), Viking (Andrews?), and the Cox TD-1 and TD-3 RTF's. There are many others listed. What a place that must have been. Veco advertised its Warrior with engine elsewhere. And yes, Sig's ad was there too.

Ads included two-pagers for Testor's cement, Scientific Models (neither my 'Atomic' nor the 'Stuntmaster' were there yet), full page ads for Top Flite, O&R, Guillow's, Albon Diesels, Monogram, and the "new" "Air Progress" magazine. Fox ('Quality has no competitor') led off early. There were also the new magnesium fuselaged Consolidated "MPC-7" profile and "Jumpin' Jack" stunters, Kenhi kits, the hot Holland "Wasp" .049 (no Hornet yet), and yes, my Dil-Bod team racer ($2.50). PDQ finally made an appearance with the Circus King ($2,95) and Circus Prince ($1.95) on p. 93 as did Jim Walker. 85-cent E-Z-Just handles made it on p.95. I'm missing a bout 8 pages, but Comet had their plastic RTF "Saber-44" near the back too.

Articles  included Roy Clough's swept wing ducted fan "Jaunty Alouette" clockwise controlliner - loved his stuff,  Walt Musciano's Macchi "Saetta" fighter controlliner w/plans, the Top-Kicker and "Bottom-Rocker" Hydroplanes, the winning Bobby Benson B-Bar-B Ranch house model, a neat Dooling .61 proto race car with a "Franny" chromed liner - always wanted one!

Well, that's a lot of nostalgia, but I doubt that there was any time later when so many CL kits were available, in addition to everything published in AT and MAN. I think my vote would go to the Chief, but there were some other great and even iconic models prominently active that year. 'hope you'll excuse the length and lack of editing - time to turn in here 54 1/2 years later.

Edit - The paint job came after seeing Bob Palmer's T-Bird ads, which probably dates this as around 1959; so the Dil-Bod was probably first.

SK

[Shultzie]

Serge'
Beautifully written post and speaking of HOT SHIPS...that beautiful little model in your photo is truly a piece of art. Talk about your short nose moment armski's
(bye the way)
how did you get such a great scan from that magazine and still keep the frame size about right for Stunthangers limited resolution size?
Thanks Serge
(not to capture this post....but here in the NW this morn. we lost my beloved PI newspaper which I have read since  moving here to the http://www.seattlepi.com/ area...waaaay back in 1961.) This morn. was their last paper issue and so many of their talented staff of writers and illustrators have lost their "dayjobs" but hopefully with so much talent they may still find free lance work etc. It breaks my britches to see them cast off into cyberspace?

but most of all...I will miss cutting out and pastin' my long time friend's  Horseyman's beautiful loonietoonee's.

[Serge_Krauss]

(bye the way)
how did you get such a great scan from that magazine and still keep the frame size about right for Stunthangers limited resolution size?
(

Don-

The reason it came out so well is - probably - that it was their typically tiny advertisement. So I scanned it at high resolution and still came out with a reasonable image. Usually, with my antiquated "Picture Publisher" program, I lose a LOT of resolution, when I reduce sizes. I also have problems with the dots, usually getting some kind of interference pattern from magazine and newspaper scans. This one lucked out at about the right increase in size. It was done for the club newsletter. Note that the reduced image for the Dil-Bod plans is not good, even when you click on the "+" curser. That's unfortunately too typical. 'wish I had a good recipe to follow, but I'm actually one of the least successful at reducing large files.

I think the "Atomic" was  my second, because I seem to have registered the idea of sanding by then. I still have four other originals from those days: Royal Rodent (Dooling .29!), Space Master, Whipsaw, and my last, an unfinished mouse racer with TD .049. Only the Space master flew, which is why they all survived, with the Space Master in the worst shape. Ha! I needed to learn that vertical eights were not lazy-8 style, below 65 degrees, and  with the outsides at the bottom. That destroyed my favorite and first "big" plane - my Yak-9 - and I wasn't "enlightened for another 40 years. Below is Randy's "Chief", my vote for the most popular full-bodied contest design offered as a kit in 1954. Naturally the Ringmaster, Mustang, Yak-9, and other profiles from Consolidated, PDQ, etc. sold better. FWIW - also, my last controlliner before finishing my second the Yak-9 40 years after I had started it. The mouse racer was inspired by seeing some Purdue aeromodelers flying tethered half-A speedsters in  the armory, when I returned for a visit around 1967-8.

Edit: From the Chief pictures, you can see what I mean about how mine usually come out when reduced to about 50 Kb. I could search these out and reduce less for this forum, but I don't know where to look right now. The mouse racer is a large file and looks much cleaner.

SK

[Serge_Krauss]

Those photos don't do Randy Ryan's "Chief" justice. Here's a digital by Dave Evar at the 2007 Cleveland Area Stunt Championships. This flapped classic was often seen in these colors in the 1950's, but I doubt that many were built this well.

SK

[Phil Hawkins]

I was born that year too....

The only plane that really came to mind was the PDQ Circus King 1954...

This year was kind of a transition year... All the big contests except the NATS came to an end... no more Plymouth or Mirror Meet, The Kiwanis and Lion's all were gone.... the only surviving legacy of those contests was Payload.. speed was in decline... stunt continued to thrive... the Nobler became the most copied stunter of all time..

I was able to snag a Circus King a few years back.. it was awful.. the builder put the controls on top of the wing.. It is still all original and with a little (A LOT) of elbow grease will fly again..

Jim

My Dad was in the Air Force in '54 my sister was born in '56 and was not to be until '62... But The PDQ Circus King is a favorite and I have one on the building board for two+ years now... The stab/elevator warped and I just got it out of the closet this week to redo it.

Jim if you are wanting to build a real nice one, order a laser cut Ringmaster wing kit from RSM and the plans from Barry Baxter. I have checked Bare's plans to an original kit (at his request) and it is dead-on acurate. Matt Kania designed both planes and the only difference is the Circus King is 38" and the RM 42" (well the tips are quite different but the ribs are exactly the same) I hope to finish my King by this time next year... maybe sooner.  Phil

[Jim Kraft]

Wow Randy; That is one georgous Chief. But what we would expect from you. Your planes are just as cool as the engines you build.

[Serge_Krauss]

The only plane that really came to mind was the PDQ Circus King 1954...I was able to snag a Circus King a few years back.. it was awful.. the builder put the controls on top of the wing.. It is still all original and with a little (A LOT) of elbow grease will fly again. Jim

I may build one some time. It always fascinated me - probably because of this picture, which for me makes it probably larger than life.

SK

[nobler]

Hi Serge: Nice looking Atomic. Always a favorite in Musciano Team Race. It fllies well, and looks nice. Earlier, Scientific had a .29 powered Team Racer of the same name, and similar in styling.

Currell

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

So it looks like there are more than one really good ship for consideration:

1.  Kenhi Panther.
2.  Kenhi Mustang...and yes Leo, I would love to see the plans if possible.
3.  PDQ Circus King....I have heard of this one many times.  It seems to have a real following.
4.  Veco Chief.  My very first scratch built plane was a Veco Squaw.  Lovely little plane that ended too soon!
5.  Serge's Scientific Atomic is just too cute to pass up!  I mean really...its darned cute!

Were any of these ships actually designed in 1954, or were they simply "available" in '54?  If I do this I would prefer something that was actually designed and flown in that year, or designed in '53 and flown in '54.  Sort of like me! 

Thanks for all the great responces....its sooooo darned fun!

[Serge_Krauss]

Were any of these ships actually designed in 1954, or were they simply "available" in '54?  If I do this I would prefer something that was actually designed and flown in that year, or designed in '53 and flown in '54.  Sort of like me! 

I don't know about the others, but the "Circus King" advertisement saying "New...New!" appeared in the September 1954 magazine. So it does seem to be a 1954 plane.

SK

[James C. Johnson]

Having done a little research into time lines in the quest for obscure or unknown designs for OT.. it is hard to nail down exact dates on published designs..

Berkeley.. was commanding attention from modelers.. speed was King.. the Super Whirlaway "A-B" and Mini Whirlaway for 1/2 A, designed by Bob Elliot were "launched" in 1954... Bob also designed the P-40 Warhawk kitted around 1950.. this Model Design won the Open and Junior Stunt Event at the 1953 Nats... still an excellent performer today.. The Veco Mustang is a rare kit and it came out in 1955.. you have to get some of the old MANs, and Air Trails and read them cover to cover for Industry News.. there was also a Model Industry Magazine in the late 1940s to the early 1950s for those selling whole sale and retail, keeping everyone abreast of what the trends were or might be..

Here is Jack Rittner with my "12".. published Nov 1954 MAN. This design and his "13" were designed and flown before the Dec 31 1951 cut off date that was originally thought of by the GSCB Club when the OT Event was organized. Magazines were swamped with articles and there was always a bunch to "draw" on when the next issue came to press.. Jack told me he submitted the design and article over two years earlier before it was published. "13" was published in Dec 1957... and in the text, it was reveled that the airplane had been flying a lot earlier than 1952.. thus "12" was an even earlier design. The rest is history. I located Jack and we talked for quite a while.. in March of 2001, I stopped into visit .. and another modeling memory was made.. I was able to talk and visit with a man who loved airplanes, who was flying before I was even born... he still flies today.. Loves RC Gliders..

Jim
 

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

OK....how bout this?  What stunt models were featured in the variouse model mags in May of 1954?  Thats the month I was born....I will be very interested.  This is so much fun!

[Serge_Krauss]

I just looked in Tom Morris' Classic Era Construction Drawings. There is not even one stunter listed as "5405" - that is, published in May of 1954. I think he went through all the usual magazine sources, but there might still be something out there that he missed. Here are the planes he lists as having been published in 1954:

"Dingbat" by J.R. Pickford, MAC 2/54
"Stuntster" by J. Richards, FM 2/54
"Nancy", by Rodolfo Carlstein, AT, 2/54
Mitsubishi "Zero", Walt Musciano, AT, 2/54 (not really a stunter)
Curtiss Hawk P-6E by Don Deely, Aero, 2/54
"Skipper" by B. Murray, MAC, 3/54
"Pow Wow" by Bob Palmer, MAN, 4/54
Hawker "Typhoon" by Walt Musciano, AT 4/54 (not a stunter)
"Agressor by Earl Witt, AT, 4/54
"Smartie" by Bill Winter, MAN 6/54 (bipe)
"Snipe" by Harold Nesbitt, MAN, 7/54
Wedell Williams Racer by Walt Musciano, MAN,7/54 (not a stunter)
"Troyka" by Vladimir Novta, Aero, 7/54
"Hi Boy" by Bob Palmer and Ted Goyet, MAN, 8/54
"Stunt Goat", Roy Clough, FM, 8/54
"Harlequin" by Pete Smith, Aero, 8/54
Macchi "Saetta" by Walt Musciano, AT, 9/54 (Not a stunter)
"Twelve" by Jack Rittner, MAN, 11/53
"T-Tray" by James Snook, Aero, 11/54
"Aquatic Hydro" by Earl Clayton, FM, 12/54 (might stunt...?)
Republic P-47 by Walt Musciano, AT 1954 Annual (not a stunter)
"Crazy Crate" by Ted Grzeszczak, AT 1954 Annual (1/4-A bipe with sheet wings)

"Aero" is Aeromodeller, and "MAC" is Model Aircraft, both familiar UK publications. MAN, AT, and FM are the familiar US big three.

SK

[Trostle]

For the record, at least two of the airplanes in Serge's list above have been documented to be Old Time Stunt legal (PAMPA rules). 

These are:

Bob Palmer's "Hi Boy" and Rittner's "12".  (The Rittner "13" is also OTS legal and Doc Holliday flew one at the just completed VSC 21.)

Keith

[Mike Keville]

As I recall, the most popular designs in 1954 (at least at the Hi-Way Glo Bugs field in Haddonfield, NJ) were:
Berkeley P-40 ("Black Tiger")
Veco Warrior, Squaw and Chief (1951 versions; not the later "squared off" designs)
deBolt All American Sr.
Veco Smoothie
Sterling Ringmaster/Mustang/Yak-9
Guillow Barnstormer
George Moir's "Rambler IV" Team Racer
PDQ Super Clown and Circus King
Berkeley's newly-released Bob Elliott Guardian stunter (53" span)
(Believe it or not) = Consolidated Jubilee
and...
we even had some Berkeley Lil' Duper & Super Duper Zilches still going strong.
Them Wuz The Days!!!

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

I can't believe that out of all the model mags available back then, that not one of them had a stunt ship article for May of 1954!  Thats just weird and obviousely a conspiracy, nowing that I would be looking at doing this.  The dirty blighters!

[Mike Keville]

Bobby Jones' little "A-Bomb" was in a '54 MAN.....possibly May?  Don't know for sure.  Cute little thing, for a Torp. 19.

[Serge_Krauss]

Mike-

I have a plan scan and probably the original. It looks like 6/55 MAN on my scan, as Tom lists it in the PAMPA compilation. I use a scan from one of the article's photos each month in our newsletter, as posted soaring above the Cleveland circles on another thread; so I must have the original article upstairs. I'll check, but I'm betting on the 6/55 date.

Edit: You can make out the date, June 1955, on the enhanced image below (click on the "+" cursor).

SK

[charlie]

This is my version of Henri Stouffs 1954 World Champs winning `Blue Pants'.  It wasn't published in Aeromodeller until 1955, but the win should place it firmly in 1954.  This one is powered by my homebuilt 2 cc Diesel (A `Mate' designed by David Owen)
Charlie

[Serge_Krauss]

Charlie-

What is the Blue Pants' span or area, and how long are your lines for it? 'looks like a really nice rendition!

SK

[charlie]

The span is about 37 inches and I have been flying it on 48 foot lines.  It goes well but could use a more powerful engine.  The original had an ED 2.46cc Racer for power.
Charlie

[Jim Thomerson]

Was not the Nobler the Cat's Pajamas in 1954?

[Steve Helmick]

Glenn...the Pow Wow or Smoothie would be really cool with that B.40... Steve

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

I love both the Pow Wow (and the Squaw, it was my first plans built plane and full stunt capable) and the Smoothie.  Were both of them designed in 1954?  Or were they designed in '53 and published in '54....like me?

[Serge_Krauss]

Smoothie was published in Air Trails, 8/52.

SK

[George]

...(Believe it or not) = Consolidated Jubilee...

I think I built one of those. Wasn't that the one with bolt-on wings and had some heat proof covering (thick aluminum foil?) called "esmetal" or something like that.

Never got to fly it. A friend borrowed it and lost it in a combat match. 

George

[elizio]

But in 1957...
elizio - Brazil

[John Stiles]

This is my version of Henri Stouffs 1954 World Champs winning `Blue Pants'.  It wasn't published in Aeromodeller until 1955, but the win should place it firmly in 1954.  This one is powered by my homebuilt 2 cc Diesel (A `Mate' designed by David Owen)
Charlie

And a very nice rendering ........where oh where to get a plan...........

[charlie]

Peter White (Located in Western Australia) has the Bue Pants listed in his extensive collection of plans.  The full list is available on the Vicstunt website as is access to his email address.  Peter does mail order.    http://www.vicstunt.com/      Another option is to find someone with a copy of Aeromodeller for January of 1955 and get the plan in that blown up.   

Charlie

[Neville Legg]

You can also get a copy of "Blue Pants" from www.MODEL-PLANS.co.uk 

Cheers    Neville

[James C. Johnson]

I found a couple more..

the first one is the Tipsy .. I suspect this was designed before 1954 but was kitted by Master Modelcraft in 1954. It is a .19 sized Scale Stunter with a 30" ws.. designed by the great Aubrey Kochman. It appears in an add in AT April 1954. You'll recognize the design , it has OO-ULA on the side of the model.

And then... Rod Phairs' Jupiter who one the 1954 NATS Just Behind Don Still's 349 points, Rod scored 346.. a classic I Beam Stunter which is quite elegant..



from the SSForum .. May-11-07

Hi precision aerobatics fans from Rod Pharis,

Don Boka put me on to this forum to answer recent questions
expressed about my Jupiter stunter design in general, and the
stabilator and I-Beam construction in particular.

For the record, my mentors were Art Van Laken, Jim Ebejer and
others in the Strathmoor Model Club in Detroit. Art Palwoski,
Tom Ebejer and myself were peers and competitors during our
Junior class years, and remain very close friends. Art and
Tom live close together in Southern California. I live in
Gilroy which is in Northern California, just south of San
Jose. We occasionally have a "Gathering of Eagles "
get together in Southern California, usually when Jim and his
wife Lilly vacation at Tom and Carlita's home.

To my knowledge, Strathmoor and Detroit was the epicenter of
control line stunt throughout the fifties, and our club
President for many years was Warren Bartlett, who directed the
Plymouth Aero League program (PAL Clubs hosted by Plymouth
dealerships all over the country) and was Contest Director for
the International Model Airplane Championships in Detroit as
well as regional contests and various local events. The PAL
program was as big or even bigger than the Chevrolet sponsored
Soapbox Derby, also held in Detroit near my house. Bob Dailey
originated the I-Beam concept, and it was further evolved and
promoted successfully by several very competitive guys in the
Strathmoor Club during that period, including Jim and Tom
Ebejer, Sam Dehelian, Roland McDonald, Art Pawloski and
myself and a few others.

Wow ... my wireless keyboard died just as I finished the above paragraph, and refused to continued until I replaced the batteries. First time for that. I thought at first that I had exceeded my allowed character limit. Let's see, where was I?

There were four Jupiter iterations, I won first place in Precision Aerobatics at the 1954 Nationals in the Junior class with Jupiter I. A photo of that airplane held by a young Rod taken at that event is in this series of threads. It had a conventional horizontal stabilizer/elevator configuration, and landing gear mounted in the fuselage a la Jim Ebejer. Jupiter II was similar, but had a shorter nose and slightly longer wingspan. I crashed that one when the paint was barely dry while practicing the day before flying from Detroit to LA for the 1955 Nationals. It was built in a 24/7 hurry and apparently I didn't solder the elevator pushrod washer on properly, because the pushrod fell-off after the first corner of the wingover manuever, and it went over the top and straight into the ground on the opposite side after not responding to my inverted pullout command. Ouch!! I went to LA (Los Alamitos NAS) anyway, and won third in Junior Combat.

I designed and built my Excalibur, a profile I-Beam combat airplane (no flaps)with a conventional stab/elevator and with a stabilator, the latter with the intent of performing very violent maneuvers. The pivot point was at about 35 or 40% of the average chord back from the leading edge. It worked well until I turned a sharp 90-degree corner, at which time the stabilator locked at full up travel. I was able to restore control only by yanking hard on the control handle full-down direction. I repeated this scary spectical several times in both the up and down directions before the fuel was exhausted. It had a solid stab, so I carved away the leading edge a little before each successive flight, until it worked quite well.

Then I built J-III with a stabilator and landing gear in the wings. I was too conservative and restricted the stabilator travel too much, and the pivot point was too far forward. I made some improvements, before it too met an untimely death. J-IV was similar and after some refinement capable of extremely sharp corners, but was accidently crushed by a moving company some years later. Over the last several years, I have made complete detailed AutoCAD plans (over 18-feet long) of J-2 and J-4 iterations which are almost complete. Don Boca has made a J-IV and has flown it unpainted a few times, but is still working out some bugs, He plans to fly it some more this year, after which I hope to finish and release the plans.

I am a Principal Engineer for Northrop Grumman. I am currently very busy building a customized full-scale carbon-fiber composite Lancair Legacy with a Continental IO-550 engine and three-blade Hartzell constant-speed scimitar prop. Much like building a model, except waaaaay bigger! That epic project takes most of my spare time and money. I am a commercial, multi-engine, instrument rated pilot and am anxious to wring out my Legacy when finished. My wife Teri has dinner ready, so I must stop for now.

Fair skies and tailwinds,

Rod

[Chuck Feldman]

Nobler was unknown to me in 1954 through 1961.  Granted I was not a big time flier and am not even today but the Nobler just was not that well known. See Mikes report about the Hi-Way glow bugs posted earlier. I am from that same area and the glo-bugs where a top club and had all the latest ships so far as I know. I did not meet Mikey until 2007 when I met him in Tucson at the VSC. Only later did I learn he was part of the Hi-way globugs. 

Chuck

[Robert McHam]

Hi Serge: Nice looking Atomic. Always a favorite in Musciano Team Race. It fllies well, and looks nice. Earlier, Scientific had a .29 powered Team Racer of the same name, and similar in styling.

Currell

Indeed! That is such a nice ship! I am really excited to hear about the youthful experiences when all you could afford was a tiny Berkeley, Scientific or a model "by Enterprise" Remember that? All of the Enterprise models had "by Enterprise on the front. Even the all plastic models like this one.

I wish more of you would relate those early day to inspire us and raise the small model excitement!

I for one would like to know more about the "Crazy Crate" in that list of planes above. I have started building one and have started a thread in the half A forum here. Take a look!

Robert

[john e. holliday]

Was not the Nobler the Cat's Pajamas in 1954?

Hi Jim,  not to dispute you, but, had a note on the Christmas tree in 58 that my "Nobler" hadn't arrived because Top Flite told them the kits were still in production.  May Have been the second batch kits tho.  Was powered with the McCoy that every one says didn't exist at that time.  That was my Junior year of high school.  Have fun, DOC Holliday