Author Topic: New kits? of KYO, Eureka or Aristo-Craft (Read 5287 times)

Steve Hand · « **on:** October 29, 2007, 10:08:22 AM »

I made the following post on Stuka and I would like your opinions also.

Would any of you be interested if I had one or some of these old kits manufactured. There is so much nostalgia here to try and keep. I could do at least one and I promise you this. It would be laser cut and all of the parts would fit. It would also include CAD drawings. There has been so much interest in the original thread, including mine. Kyle would do the work, I would make the investment and you fight over which one you think it ought to be. Cost? Who knows? They would also include spun cowlings. Hash it out and see which one rises to the top. In two weeks I travel to China (I'm teaching not ARFing) and will be gone for two weeks. This will probably be decided upon when I return as to yeas and nays. I do not care about the profit margins. Go to E-Bay for that.

Andrew Borgogna · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2007, 10:37:07 AM »

Steve
For those of us not familiar with these planes could you provide some pictures?
Andy

Steve Hand · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2007, 10:47:17 AM »

Andy,

Sorry, I don't have any. Go to the original thread over there and read about 52 respondant"s discussions concerning these planes. Some on both sites have built some of these original kits, some still have the kits as collectors items and many have the plans. I have the B-36 plans.

Bill Little · « **Reply #3 on:** October 29, 2007, 11:05:51 AM »

Hi Steve,

I replied at SSW, but only as to what I have and had.

Man, the costs of producing those kits now would seem to be almost prohibitive! A LOT of wood, and a ton of parts in each one, as you know. I would LOVE to have one, but I am pretty sure that I probably couldn't afford one.....

I bought a set of six Veco spinners and Tornado pusher props a couple years ago that had been used on a Kyosho B-36! It had used either six 15s or 19s.

My favorite would be hard to pick. The B-29, B-36, Super Connie, there were so many neat subjects. Unfortunately they never kitted my favorite...... the B-17!

Steve Hand · « **Reply #4 on:** October 29, 2007, 11:14:41 AM »

Bill,

The B-17. Wow, my father comes to mind every time I think of it. It is a fairly popular item in RC, especially the Ziroli version.

Louis Rankin · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2007, 11:35:55 AM »

Put me down for the Connie!!!!!!

Michael Boucher · « **Reply #6 on:** October 29, 2007, 11:48:53 AM »

Connie , DC-3 OR DC-7

Ken Deboy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 29, 2007, 02:07:33 PM »

Quote from: Bill Little on October 29, 2007, 11:05:51 AM

Man, the costs of producing those kits now would seem to be almost prohibitive! A LOT of wood, and a ton of parts in each one, as you know.

Even if expensive I would want one. My other hobby is also expensive. A little SP 2-6-0 with factory paint is almost $1000 in HO scale brass. A brass SP 2-8-2 in S Scale is a little over $2000 if you can find one. I think quality is worth it though, so even though it would really be a stretch for me, I'd buy a Connie or (especially) a B-36 if a kit was produced.

cheers,
Ken

john e. holliday · « **Reply #8 on:** October 29, 2007, 04:47:13 PM »

I would opt for the Lockheed Constellation, Haven't heard how there doing on the flying one here in KC, as the last I heard one of the jugs departed on one of the engine. The engines were in need of a complete going over also. DOC Holliday

Marvin Denny · « **Reply #9 on:** October 29, 2007, 04:55:51 PM »

Depending om my monetary being at the time they become available, I would go for the B-36 and/or Connie. Although it would be nice to compare my Eureka B-29 kit to one that has been laser cut.
Wonder how they are going to make the spars?? HMMM

Bigiron

Darrell Mims · « **Reply #10 on:** October 30, 2007, 06:59:21 AM »

Quote from: Michael Boucher on October 29, 2007, 11:48:53 AM

Connie , DC-3 OR DC-7

I have a DC-7 and a C-119 ,B-25 and a DC-3 I know where there is a B-50 and I think this guy still has a Connie ! It would be nice to see these kits back on the market !

Steve Hand · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2007, 09:08:28 AM »

Guys,

I am overwhelmed and humbled by your responses on both boards. Let's try to educate each other at the same time by attempting to list what planes were made by each kit maker. If you have a definitive contribution just type in the maker and list underneath what they produced. Kyle and I spent the better part of an hour last night talking about this project.

Michael Boucher · « **Reply #12 on:** October 30, 2007, 11:03:47 AM »

I have a question.

I know someone of the Japanese companies made a 30 "somewhat" inch Stuka model. Does anyone have any information on this? Polk's in New York might have carried it at one time. It was .09 powered. Thanks for looking.

Steve Hand · « **Reply #13 on:** October 30, 2007, 11:14:32 AM »

One more question. How does "Royal" fit into all of this?

George Waters · « **Reply #14 on:** October 30, 2007, 04:30:59 PM »

I have a few pictures of a b 36 powered by six fox 19's flown off the grass at Kirby park in Wilkes Barre in 1958&59. Also at that meet was a b 29 with k&b engines on it. The B 36 was really neat to watch and hear. I was 10 &11 when I saw these flights. I have one of the B50 kits and aC47 kit to build, soon I hope. While in RVN we flew a c47 with two os 15iii rc engines on it. I wasn't overpowered but flew ok as I recall. I also have aRegal p38 that a local modeler started in the late fifties. It is covered with fiberglas resin,set up for McCoy 35 engines, it weighs 6 or 7 pounds now so it probably won't fly without a majopr weight loss program. George

peabody · « **Reply #15 on:** October 30, 2007, 07:28:49 PM »

These kits combined the worst of two worlds....they were horribly out of scale, and didn't fly well.

Imagine what someone could create today with CAD and the same concept of modern aerodynamics that Paul Walker, Al Rabe or Windy have applied to their semi-scale critters....

A CAD designed, laser cut kit would even fit together.....something those Aristo-Craft, etc kits didn't do so well.

Steve Hand · « **Reply #16 on:** October 31, 2007, 05:23:07 AM »

Take a stroll over to Larry Richard's site at Richard's Kits and check out the "Connie" he built back in 1977. Once you get to the site hit the photos section. There are three superb shots of this beautiful bird. Get in touch with Larry and he can tell you all about his history of the build (fits, time, engines, weight, finish, etc.). Correct me if I'm wrong, Larry, but didn't you say that is still on display somewhere in California? If you are just coming back into CL or need a great profile kit, check his site out anyway. He has a quite an array of selections.

Steve Fitton · « **Reply #17 on:** October 31, 2007, 07:31:20 AM »

A B-50 or B-36 would totally rock! I think today I would engineer something like that with electric power in mind right from the beginning.

Laser cutting and good CAD design work could make assembly straightforward, regardless of the structural complexity. I think the hardest part of creating a kit would not be the structure, but rather figuring out the sequencing for assembly to put in the instructions, so the builder of the kit gets it together in the right order.

Steve

Marvin Denny · « **Reply #18 on:** October 31, 2007, 09:28:22 AM »

Quote from: peabody on October 30, 2007, 07:28:49 PM

These kits combined the worst of two worlds....they were horribly out of scale, and didn't fly well.

I disagree with part of your statement Rich. Both my B-29 AND my AD-4 flew quite well. Out of scale yes, but poor flying --- not so. All of them I have seen,not just mine, flew very well.

Bigiron

PatRobinson · « **Reply #19 on:** October 31, 2007, 10:31:45 AM »

To Steve Hand:
Steve,
I have been following this thread with some interest and it seems to me that the primary appeal of these kit had ,back then, is that they were the only kits available for certain planes people wanted to model. I have read about them not being accurately scale and not fitting very well. I haven't heard comments about wood quality bad or good, but the good news is that Marvin Denny say they actually fly quite nicely.

So Steve, I would think the best course is to use cad design to fix the scale deficencies and bad fits and when you add the accuracy of laser cutting you would end up with a superior product. I am not hearing any fond memories for these brands of kits but I am hearing the same desire for a kit of a "hard to find" modeling subject just like that which existed years ago.

If these designs could be adapted to work as scale RC then your kit market would expand expotentially if that was your desire.

You mentioned spun aluminum cowlings but I wondered if it might be cheaper and lighter to have someone like "Fiberglass Masters Co." to fabricate your cowls or maybe even a whole engine nacelle with the cowl. Just an idea.

You mentioned Royal kits but I can't remember all their plane selections.
Actually , I think a complete master list of the kits that were available from all these manufacturers would help your customers figure out what they want which would help you with your planning. Again , just an idea.

This is very interesting.
Pat Robinson

builditright · « **Reply #20 on:** November 01, 2007, 01:59:27 AM »

posting these pictures for Steve

Steve Hand · « **Reply #21 on:** November 01, 2007, 04:29:39 AM »

OK. It only took about 18 hours to get these on here because I couldn't do it. They came from a gentleman who e-mailed them to me. His name is Ken Wilson. Ken describes himself as "largely a little known aviation historian" who flew C-124's from 1954-59 during his Air Force career. We all owe Ken a "thank you" for his contribution to model aviation history for letting us see these ads.

Thanks goes to Walter Umland for posting these on this web-site. EVERYBODY knows Walter and what his contribution to CL has been over the years. He did this late, late last night as a favor to me, but actually for YOU. Keep Walter in your prayers as his son returns from war. P.S. Check out his kit web at buildrightflyright or just type in his name and it will take you there.

Steve Fitton · « **Reply #22 on:** November 01, 2007, 07:26:40 AM »

Hey!, look! Banjock's MiG is in that add!

Roger Vizioli · « **Reply #23 on:** November 01, 2007, 08:06:58 AM »

re. reply 3 and 4
I believe there was a B-17 model in Walt Umland's past.
Past - as in "many,many years ago!"

roger v.

Bill Little · « **Reply #24 on:** November 01, 2007, 09:04:20 AM »

IIRC, Walter told me his B-17 came from a Royal kit for Stand Off Scale, or whatever that event is called in C/L.