Jim Kostecky's missing link, 1968 Patriot

[Tom McClain]

2 years ago, I finally took on the task to reverse engineer Jim Kostecky's missing link Patriot stunt ship that he had given in 1968 to Dennis Piwowarski of Arlington, VA.  He graciously gave it to Dennis having flown it and Dennis's Ringmaster that day.  Jim removed the engine, but what Dennis got was original.  In 2004 Dennis approached me about rebuilding the original, it was rather ratty after the years of being in storage, and I took on the challenge and did a survivor restoration with the objective of keeping it as original as possible.  I put an Ebay OS-35 Max S in it that had been worked on Dick Houser of NVCL in Arlington, VA.  I flew it several times and the only problem was the rusted out fuel tank.  I replaced that and than flew it again several times through the entire pattern with no problems and found it to be a superb stunt ship.  It now hangs from my Arizona room ceiling, being too tender to take out and fly.

So I looked at the plans for Jim's Cutlass, Talon, and Formula S and saw the similarity between them and the Patriot.  I made up a rough set of plans and set out to build another Patriot.  As you can see, I got pretty close.  I equipped it with an Ebay OS-40 FP, XOAR composite 2 blade 11x5 propeller and it came in at 52 oz.  I have flown it at the Cholla Choppers, here in Avondale, AZ, and at the  Las Vegas 2019 contest with the 2 Phelps Patriots of Steve McBride and Lou Wolgast in Classic.

It is a great flyer and I am glad I took the extra time and effort to recreate Jim's masterpiece. It does resemble Jim's Miss America that he built and flew at the NATS after the Formula S.

Tom McClain

[Scott Richlen]

Beautiful build Tom!

Kostecky really had the "touch" when it came to designing gorgeous stunt ships.  If I recall correctly, a couple of his designs were in Flying Models, but unfortunately, not all of his designs/plans were published.  Maybe another was in PAMPA plans?

Now that you have built the Patriot, hopefully you'll get the plans published too.  Well done!

[Tom McClain]

The Cutlass was in the late 90s or early 2000s Stunt News.  The Talon and the Formula S I believe were in FM.

[Trostle]

The Cutlass was in the late 90s or early 2000s Stunt News.  The Talon and the Formula S I believe were in FM.

Talon:  Flying Models, Dec 66.

Formula S:  Flying Models, Dec 68.

Haven't found the Cutlass or Patriot.

Keith

[Tom McClain]

Talon:  Flying Models, Dec 66.

Formula S:  Flying Models, Dec 68.

Haven't found the Cutlass or Patriot.

Keith

Pampa Stunt News Mar/Apr 1999 pg 84 for the Cutlass. There are no formal plans for the Patriot. I wonder if there are plans out there for Miss America?

[Tom McClain]

Here a picture of Dennis Piwowarski and the Kostecky Patriot in 2004 at Bull Run State Park in Virginia.  Beautiful day and a great plane.

Tom McClain

[Tom McClain]

Here is Jim Kostecky's Patriot at the 2008 VSC where Greg Zajack flew it.  This was the last flight for it.  It now hangs in my Arizona Room in Sun City, AZ.

Tom McClain

[Scott Richlen]

I notice (in that last picture of the Patriot) that the leadouts are aligned vertically and, I assume, non-adjustable.  Is the bottom one "up" and the top one "down", or vice-versa?

They also look to be far forward compared to the position of fixed leadouts as marked on the plans of commercial kits of that era.  But compared to the adjustable leadouts on my modern stuntships, look about right.

Can anyone say what the location process was for the guys flying back then?  Did they locate them and then cut and move them if they "didn't feel right".  Or did they just glue them in and live with the results?

[Tom McClain]

the leadoffs are fixed and were that way when Dennis brought the Patriot to me in 2004.  I can detect no changes in their positioning.  The top one is up.  And they are of unequal length with the up lead about 1.5 inches longer.

Here are some more pictures of the condition of the Patriot when I received it from Denny.

Tom

[Crist Rigotti]

Thanks for sharing with us Bob.

[Randy Powell]

Dave Gierke told me once that there was a 5th Novi. It was never published. He said it came to a premature end and he decided to move to something else. He told me there were no plans but he did send me a sketch of the plane. Much like the Novi I. It was done between the Novi I and the All American Eagle.

[Tom McClain]

I asked the AMA Museum if they wanted the original Patriot, but they declined.  No stunt history even though it is a definite Kostecky design and build.

Tom McClain

[Scott Richlen]

The Jim Kostecky era is perhaps my favorite time in Stunt

I was just sport-flying back then, so wasn't involved.  Wish I could have been.  But the planes at the time were often unique and very beautiful.  And it is fun to see the pictures and hear the stories.  Thank you Bob and Tom!