Palmer's Thunderbird, there's more than one?

[Avaiojet]

I'm not one for collecting model airplane kits. Hardly, I'm a scratch builder, but I do have a profile P-40 kit and I just started building my Vintage flite Streak.

So that's it for my kits.

However, I built the Palmer Thunderbird as a teen and I'm thinking of purchasing another.

There are offerings from a few Vendors. With that said, from what Vendor/Company do I purchase the

Thunderbird kit?

Thanks in advance.

Charles

[Mike Keville]

RSM

[Marvin Denny]

   There are three  "thunderbird" versions out there.
  The original T Bird kitted originally by Veco  was 595 sq in wing area, p 40 style canopy and an upright mounted engine.  I think now kitted by Brodaks,  The New Thunderbird kitted by Veco and later Dumas.  605 sq in wing area, p-51 style canopy, inverted engine, differential flaps, and over/under leadouts--  I don't know if it is currently being kitted by anyone.  Then the Thunderbird II which was not kitted back when it was designed, but is now kitted by RSM  and possibly others that I am unaware of.
  If you built yours from a Veco or Dumas kit, it had to have been one of the first two I listed.

  Good luck.

  Bigiron

[Wynn Robins]

There is also the tbird 60. MkII  with the radial cowl. looks better than the others in my opinion

[De Hill]

Who designed the T Bird .60?

[RandySmith]

lil T Bird 19 sized 

R

[Bill Little]

lil T Bird 19 sized 

R

I have seen Lil T-Birds (46" WS) powered by plain bearing Veco .19, Veco .19BB, and Fox .35.

Nice little model to throw in the trunk and carry around!

The only presently kitted T-Birds I know of today are the Brodak T-Bird I and the RSM T-Bord II.

Bill

P.S. there was also a non published/kitted tricycle gear as well as the radial cowl which has been mentioned.  The 1960 World Championships model was also slightly different.

[Wynn Robins]

Who designed the T Bird .60?

Tom Dixon .....my bad.

[Balsa Butcher]

Tom did quite a few Palmer syle stunters. Published in Model Aviation were the T-Bird 60 and a round nosed version of same. Also the Phoenix which was a modernized T-Bird and the Smoother, a modernized Smoothie. Not published (but plans are available) is a 46 sized T-Bird. I built a Phoenix and found it to be an excellent flier.      

[phil c]

Tom did quite a few Palmer syle stunters. Published in Model Aviation were the T-Bird 60 and a round nosed version of same. Also the Phoenix which was a modernized T-Bird and the Smoother, a modernized Smoothie. Not published (but plans are available) is a 46 sized T-Bird. I built a Phoenix and found it to be an excellent flier.      

I could swear I saw a picutre of an Aeromodeler cover showing Bob Palmer in England with a T-Bird with a radial cowl.

[Balsa Butcher]

That was another version, it had the turtle deck canopy of the T-Bird 1 and a radial cowl. I think the story was that Bob left it in England. It was restored by an English modeler a few years ago. Maybe a Brit flier will chime in here with the rest of the story. Tom's 60 size radial cowled version was an upscale of that one, turtle deck and all.

[Dallas Hanna]

That was another version, it had the turtle deck canopy of the T-Bird 1 and a radial cowl. I think the story was that Bob left it in England. It was restored by an English modeler a few years ago. Maybe a Brit flier will chime in here with the rest of the story. Tom's 60 size radial cowled version was an upscale of that one, turtle deck and all.

Plan of radial cowl model drawn from actual model left in the UK after Bob's visit.  Dave Day restored the model and subsequently crashed it.  As far as I know Ian Russell has the model now.

Read here: http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/memoirs/tbird.htm

HH

[pipemakermike]

here is a fullsize PDF of the plan done from the model used for the 1957 South Africa and England tour
http://www.outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=312

[FLOYD CARTER]

And don't forget the one Palmer built with tricycle landing gear!

This T-Bird is a modified RSM kit.  Upright motor and P-40-style canopy.  OS35S.

Floyd

[Mike Scholtes]

Here is a picture of Ian Russell with Palmer's actual 1957 Woburn Thunderbird. August 2007 50th anniversary of Palmer's exhibition, Woburn Abbey, England. Ian was at both!