Question about Rubber Power Free Flight

[Mike Griffin]

I have a project I am working on for some Civil Air Patrol Cadets and have some Mountain Lion Kits coming from Laser Cut Kits.  Who else produces good rubber power kits that I could order from?

Thanks for the help

Mike

[Mark wood]

I have a project I am working on for some Civil Air Patrol Cadets and have some Mountain Lion Kits coming from Laser Cut Kits.  Who else produces good rubber power kits that I could order from?

Thanks for the help

Mike

How many do you need and what kind?  FAI Model Supplies would be my first stop

[Paul Wescott]

Here are a few.  Hard to keep track of the cottage industry sites as they come and go relatively quickly.

Watch out for Short Kit vs. Full Kit…

Paul W.


Brodak
https://brodak.com/rubber-power-free-flight-kits-accessories-1/rubber-power-kits.html

Sig
https://sigmfg.com/collections/free-flight-kits

JHA
https://jhaerospace.com/product-category/outdoor-rubber-power/?orderby=price

Bob Holman
http://bhplans.com/RMPg1.html

Easy Built
https://easybuiltmodels.com/ff.htm#gsc.tab=0

George Bredehoft
https://volareproducts.com/blog/?product_cat=vps-sport-models

Hummingbird
https://hummingbirdmodelproducts.com/

Retro
http://retrorc.us.com/FFRubberPowerKits.aspx

FAI
https://www.faimodelsupply.com/product-category/kits/?orderby=price

.

[Mike Griffin]

How many do you need and what kind?  FAI Model Supplies would be my first stop

Not sure yet how many ... thank you for the help Mark.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

Here are a few.  Hard to keep track of the cottage industry sites as they come and go relatively quickly.

Watch out for Short Kit vs. Full Kit…

Paul W.


Brodak
https://brodak.com/rubber-power-free-flight-kits-accessories-1/rubber-power-kits.html

Thank you Paul.. I appreciate the help.

Mike

Sig
https://sigmfg.com/collections/free-flight-kits

JHA
https://jhaerospace.com/product-category/outdoor-rubber-power/?orderby=price

Bob Holman
http://bhplans.com/RMPg1.html

Easy Built
https://easybuiltmodels.com/ff.htm#gsc.tab=0

George Bredehoft
https://volareproducts.com/blog/?product_cat=vps-sport-models

Hummingbird
https://hummingbirdmodelproducts.com/

Retro
http://retrorc.us.com/FFRubberPowerKits.aspx

FAI
https://www.faimodelsupply.com/product-category/kits/?orderby=price

.

[Tom McClain]

AMA has educational STEM packages like what you are looking for. Give them a call. I remember the Delta DArt.

[Dan Berry]

From Paul's list
Volare, Hummingbird and RetroRC will have the best selection for your needs.

What are your needs? Dead simple. Somewhat advanced.  Scale. Guaranteed to fly well.

[Walter Hicks]

Mike the Laser Cut Planes are well engineered and simple to build and fly very well. Check out the Split Decision. Builds very ,very quickly I have flown over two minutes inside a gym in indoor competition. Simple construction , light and well designed. Great to teach kids how to build .
The Others Mentioned are probably way more difficult to build but do fly well. Volare, and Try Joshua Finn J&H Aersopace, he works with kids a lot and has
lots of good kits and accessories as well as numerous building and trimming U tube videos for kits he sells.

[John Lindberg]

BMJR has some nice kits, they are laser cut.

[Dane Martin]

I just did a write up and submitted it to NFFS. We did AMA Cubs (delta dart)  for a boy scout building extravaganza. We had 30 scouts, all did well and finished.
After the event, I ordered a few mountain lion kits from laser cut planes, and I gotta say... that's the way to go for younger kids. My wife even suggested for the really small kids, perhaps build a few as an ARF and let the big kids (8 and up) do the full build. Everyone should be able to build and be flying in an hour.

[Dane Martin]

And to add to the list of stuff above, everyone loves Peck Polymers props and parts! You can order all the fiddly bits and supplies from here if you or the kids decide to design and build or simply scratch build from plans

https://www.wind-it-up.com/pages/parts

[Dan McEntee]

   I have done a lot of scout event with the Delta Dart, but I prefer the the AMA Racer that is the original Delta Dart by Frank Ehling as presented in American Aircraft Modeler in 1967. They have a bit more adjustment to them for and aft with the wing for trim and they just fly better. I tell people that before construction, make some master paper copies of the plan, and you can build infinite number of airplanes after that. All you need are sticks for construction and sticks are cheaper than sheet balsa. The Mountain Lion looks like a nice model and flies well and I can see how they can go together quickly, but you have to  buy them, and once it's together, you need more sheet wood it you want to build more. With the AMA Racer, more models can be built in the same fashion by just laying shoe box tissue paper over the plan copy which is covered in wax paper. I like the "glue the stick to the plan" feature of the AMA Racer/Delta Dart kits and that can be done wit a glue stick and a touch of glue at the wood joints. As skill is attained, you can build with lighter sticks and tissue and experiment with different motor sticks all using the prop assembly you got with the original kit. Prop assemblies can be purchased separately from SIG as rubber an be also. If cost and penny pinching are a critical factor, I think this is the way to go. I guess I have a soft spot for the original Ehling design as what I described is exactly what I used to do as a kid. Sleek Streek prop assemblies were the same as delta Dart props assemblies, and after building a Guilows or any other kit there was always a lot of scrap balsa left over. I would then check out the issue of AAM from the library and trace the plans on typing paper. Kinkos had not yet been invented! Here is an updated plan from Outerzone:

     https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=7931

    Type at you later,
   HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
    Dan McEntee

[Scott Richlen]

Our Junior High club starts with the Mountain Lion, after that they learn to build from scratch.  Kits are usually too expensive and/or too complicated for a second build.  If you are interested I can post the plans for our second build which was designed by John Murphy.  After that we build ever slightly more challenging airplanes, even a No-Cal or two.

[Mike Griffin]

Our Junior High club starts with the Mountain Lion, after that they learn to build from scratch.  Kits are usually too expensive and/or too complicated for a second build.  If you are interested I can post the plans for our second build which was designed by John Murphy.  After that we build ever slightly more challenging airplanes, even a No-Cal or two.

Thank you Scott.  If you can post them that would be great.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

   I have done a lot of scout event with the Delta Dart, but I prefer the the AMA Racer that is the original Delta Dart by Frank Ehling as presented in American Aircraft Modeler in 1967. They have a bit more adjustment to them for and aft with the wing for trim and they just fly better. I tell people that before construction, make some master paper copies of the plan, and you can build infinite number of airplanes after that. All you need are sticks for construction and sticks are cheaper than sheet balsa. The Mountain Lion looks like a nice model and flies well and I can see how they can go together quickly, but you have to  buy them, and once it's together, you need more sheet wood it you want to build more. With the AMA Racer, more models can be built in the same fashion by just laying shoe box tissue paper over the plan copy which is covered in wax paper. I like the "glue the stick to the plan" feature of the AMA Racer/Delta Dart kits and that can be done wit a glue stick and a touch of glue at the wood joints. As skill is attained, you can build with lighter sticks and tissue and experiment with different motor sticks all using the prop assembly you got with the original kit. Prop assemblies can be purchased separately from SIG as rubber an be also. If cost and penny pinching are a critical factor, I think this is the way to go. I guess I have a soft spot for the original Ehling design as what I described is exactly what I used to do as a kid. Sleek Streek prop assemblies were the same as delta Dart props assemblies, and after building a Guilows or any other kit there was always a lot of scrap balsa left over. I would then check out the issue of AAM from the library and trace the plans on typing paper. Kinkos had not yet been invented! Here is an updated plan from Outerzone:

     https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=7931

    Type at you later,
   HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
    Dan McEntee

Thank you Dan.
Mike

[Scott Richlen]

Mike:

Until shut down by Covid we ran for 7 years.  Each new year we would tweak things based on our past experiences.

Foo-Fighters Flying Aces Club
Here is our building line-up for the 2019-2020 School Year:

First Year Class
1.      Mountain Lion
2.      Foo-Flyer
3.      85% Yard Ranger
4.      Z-15
5.      F-4 Phantom Jet
6.      1st Home Build – The Minnow
7.      Phantom Flash
8.      Cessna Centurion No-Cal
9.      2nd Home Build – Falcon Junior
10.    WWII No-Cal
11.    Unicopter

Second Year Class
1.      Mountain Lion
2.      New York Minute
3.      1st Home Build – F-4 Phantom Jet
4.      Pussycat
5.      2nd Home Build – TBD No-Cal
6.      Tutor Embryo
7.      Dime Scale/Simplified Scale

A couple of comments:
One of the most important things that a child learned in this class was how to read a plan.  This skill is important, actually vital, if you are an engineer, an architest, a manufacturer, etc., etc.  The ability to project in your mind a three-dimensional object from viewing a two-dimension plan is something taught and practiced in model airplane building that needs to be recognized as a huge educational benefit from participating in our hobby.  For this reason I will always be an adamant proponent of BOM.  Take a look at the Foo-Flyer plans - most kids try to build the wing dihedral shown in the side view as some kind of mid-fuselage rudder!  Plan reading is important!
     
The 85% Yard Ranger is a great flyer!  We originally built it full size but the kids had a big problem constructing the nose piece of tubing and music wire and would get side-tracked.  Get the plans from Flying Models, shoot it down 85% and then you can use a standard nylon nose piece and prop to power it.

[Dan McEntee]

Mike:

Until shut down by Covid we ran for 7 years.  Each new year we would tweak things based on our past experiences.

Foo-Fighters Flying Aces Club
Here is our building line-up for the 2019-2020 School Year:

First Year Class
1.      Mountain Lion
2.      Foo-Flyer
3.      85% Yard Ranger
4.      Z-15
5.      F-4 Phantom Jet
6.      1st Home Build – The Minnow
7.      Phantom Flash
8.      Cessna Centurion No-Cal
9.      2nd Home Build – Falcon Junior
10.    WWII No-Cal
11.    Unicopter

Second Year Class
1.      Mountain Lion
2.      New York Minute
3.      1st Home Build – F-4 Phantom Jet
4.      Pussycat
5.      2nd Home Build – TBD No-Cal
6.      Tutor Embryo
7.      Dime Scale/Simplified Scale

A couple of comments:
One of the most important things that a child learned in this class was how to read a plan.  This skill is important, actually vital, if you are an engineer, an architest, a manufacturer, etc., etc.  The ability to project in your mind a three-dimensional object from viewing a two-dimension plan is something taught and practiced in model airplane building that needs to be recognized as a huge educational benefit from participating on our hobby.  For this reason I will always be an adamant proponent of BOM.  Take a look at the Foo-Flyer plans - most kids try to build the wing dihedral shown in the side view as some kind of mid-fuselage rudder!  Plan reading is important!
     
The 85% Yard Ranger is a great flyer!  We originally built it full size but the kids had a big problem constructing the nose piece of tubing and music wire and would get side-tracked.  Get the plans from Flying Models, shoot it down 85% and then you can use a standard nylon nose piece and prop to power it.

     Yeah, the Foo Flyer definitely leaves out a few details! I would think that the side view shows a wing pylon as pictured. Lots of beginner types airplanes with pylon mounted wings. If it isn't, then the wing could be glued to a stick, and the stick help to the fuselage by a couple of small rubber bands so the wing could be moved back and forth for balance and trimming purposes. But you are correct, interpreting drawings and instructions is an important skill that goes beyond model airplanes and anyone would benefit from some practical experience and training with them.
    Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Mike Griffin]

     Yeah, the Foo Flyer definitely leaves out a few details! I would think that the side view shows a wing pylon as pictured. Lots of beginner types airplanes with pylon mounted wings. If it isn't, then the wing could be glued to a stick, and the stick help to the fuselage by a couple of small rubber bands so the wing could be moved back and forth for balance and trimming purposes. But you are correct, interpreting drawings and instructions is an important skill that goes beyond model airplanes and anyone would benefit from some practical experience and training with them.
    Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

I hate to admit it but in trying to interest my teenaged grandson, I bought a very simple control line kit for him a few years ago and offered to help him.  Months went by and I called and asked how he was progressing.  He told me he did not understand the plan.  So I went over to his house, laid the plan out on the table and started explaining how you built from the plan.  He never could grasp the concept of seeing a 3D image emerge from that plan.  Several years have gone by now and the kit still remains in the box.   

Mike

[Scott Richlen]

  Yeah, the Foo Flyer definitely leaves out a few details!   

Yep!  Our activity is basically an educational activity.  We want them to be challenged by the plan.  Key are the dimensions in the title box.  When they look at something on this plan and don't understand it, that creates a "learning moment".  What they learn at that point will stay with them.  It is much more effective than lecturing.

[Mike Griffin]

I want to thank everyone who has given me information regarding this topic.  It is greatly appreciated.

Mike

[Archie Adamisin]

I have a project I am working on for some Civil Air Patrol Cadets and have some Mountain Lion Kits coming from Laser Cut Kits.  Who else produces good rubber power kits that I could order from?

Thanks for the help

Mike

Mike I have been flying rubber free flight for the last few years again.  Volare, Sig, and Hummingbird products are where i buy my stuff.  They have a good selection of quality laser cut kits and all the accessories you would need.  Look forward to hearing how your building project goes with the youngsters.

Archie Adamisin
Burlington, KY