Ringmaster Colour scheme

[Warren Leadbeatter]

What is the colour scheme of the original Ringmaster S1?  Most of the pics I have seen as in on the box cover, appear to be in black and white.  Was there an original colour scheme?

[john e. holliday]

I myself don't remember seeing a Ringmaster in color on the box.  But, one my favorite schemes was red fuselage with cream wings and tail surfaces.  DOC Holliday

[Bill Little]

The instructions for the first Sterling kits called out a red fuselage, black doublers/nose, Diana Cream wing and tail.  The red came out onto the wing and tail a little bit.  The checkerboards were black and red, with the black the outside rows.  I do not recall a color for the canopy.

[Bob Disharoon]

The last Ring I box built was around 1977 and the box was in color showing the color scheme mentioned above.


H.D.

[Richard Grogan]

Hi Warren,
Here's mine, and I think its very close to the original. There's a very fine black pinstripe separating the red from the white on the wing and stab. Theres some documentation for this on the Brotherhood of the Ring website.
Cheers,
Richard

[Warren Leadbeatter]

Thanks Richard... That looks very nice by the way.
Cheers

[Warren Leadbeatter]

Ok here we have it.  The Ringmaster S1 hybrid.   44" wingspan, laminated leading edge, Ringmaster-lite ribs, ball link controls, Saito 30 4-stroke RC engine, Hayes 3oz clunk tank. (and home made decals)

Why 44" wingspan? The plan I have is drawn differently and actually has 1 extra rib in each side.  I didn't notice this until I had already notched the leading edge so I decided to continue construction.

The blue is a bit darker than I had planned. Weight as pictured is 26.1 oz.

Does this mean I am now a member of "The Brotherhood"? 

[Bill Gruby]

Warren;

   Just Gorgeous as usual. Your handi-work is impecable. That would have been a good home for the "Sandcast .35" I can't wait to see what you have planned for one of my "Babies"? As for the "Brotherhood" well you always have been there.

            "Billy G"   

[Warren Leadbeatter]

Hi Bill

Originally, as you know, I had planned this model for the 1951 sandcast 35 but as you have seen, due to the lack of authenticity, this plane is not worthy of it.  I need to build a kit version of the Ringmaster, it's the only way to get the real deal. Or otherwise build something else for Vintage Stunt.

Cheers

[Onelife]

The instructions for the first Sterling kits called out a red fuselage, black doublers/nose, Diana Cream wing and tail.  The red came out onto the wing and tail a little bit.  The checkerboards were black and red, with the black the outside rows.  I do not recall a color for the canopy.

The canopy on the original, was a Clear plastic.  One came with kit anyway

[Mark Gerber]

Here’s a very nice repro by John Penney shown at the Arvada (CO) Associated Modelers Ringmaster Flyathon in 2020.  Great model as authentic as John could get it.  Period hardware too.

Mark Gerber

[Trostle]

Here’s a very nice repro by John Penney shown at the Arvada (CO) Associated Modelers Ringmaster Flyathon in 2020.  Great model as authentic as John could get it.  Period hardware too.

Mark Gerber

Mark's picture shows John Penney's Ringmaster.  John painted the model as closely as he could based on the color photo on the original Sterling kit box.  John copied even to the number of squares on the checkerboard band on the wing.

Keith

[Steve Helmick]

The canopy on the original, was a Clear plastic.  One came with kit anyway

Having only built one Ringmaster (S-1) when I was a HS Junior, my recollection is that the earlier kits didn't have a clear plastic canopy, but solid balsa. Could be wrong, but I'm 98.12% sure it wasn't clear plastic in 1961.  Steve

[Terrence Durrill]

I built my  first S-1 Sterling Ringmaster from a kit in 1956.  And yes, the canopy was solid balsa.  They changed the canopy to a plastic version sometime in the 1970's or so.      

[Steve Dwyer]

I'm planning to build the PDK Ringmaster Bipe 45 for next year's Ring Event and have already ordered the Ultracote White for both wings. Brodak sells the checkerboard graphics, can it be easily applied directly onto the heat on Ultracote? This will be my first time using it after leaving Monokote.

Steve

[Dave Hull]

Hmmm. My first control line plane (I was 5 years old) was a Sterling S-1. Grampa thought that's what I should have for Christmas. The engine had to wait for a birthday. I believe that kit was purchased in 1964 and had a clear plastic canopy. I repaired the plane after my Dad crashed it on its first flight. It is still hanging on my wall.

The box art is in color, but looks airbrushed. White wings and horizontal. Red panels in the center of both. Red checkerboard on the inboard wing comprised of 18 rows and 7 columns. The entire fuselage was blue. They fiddled with the color of the blue where it was "hidden" behind the spinning prop, trying to give the image some action. Mine was painted in a more simple scheme. Red fuse and white wing and horizontal. Good enough for a little kid....


The Divot McSlow

PS--Looking inside the old S1 box was another trip down memory lane. An unpainted cowling from a Dumas Smoothie I built in Jr. High school but never painted or flew. Couldn't afford the paint. A sample replacement rudder for a Junior Nobler that became a slope soarer. The weight box cover for a Jetco Thermic C. The fuselage wing cutout for a 1/2A control line plane I designed and built in a week during college that I called the "Spring Break Special." Two DuBro 2.5" balloon tire wheels that were intended for a "Robot" radio plane that my Dad never finished...and probably were on the Smoothie until it had to go. Two tip plates from a flying wing slope soarer that pre-dated the Zagi by about 40 years. One symmetrical rib labeled N6 SHT 6 2 REQ. FUSE SIDE. This might have been an offset rib from the Junior Nobler? A broken rudder from an Ace Whizard 1/2A R/C model. A plastic cowling from an AstroFlight Sport Trainer electric plane back when ceramic magnets and NiCad batteries were the best you could do--and the plane despite being constructed in a very light fashion--never got much out of ground effect. It was a dog and it couldn't even woof. A hank of rubber that must have been for a Guillow's Javelin? Some leftover dowels and 1/4" Tygon joiners that were part of a homemade boxkite....

[Gerald Arana]

Having only built one Ringmaster (S-1) when I was a HS Junior, my recollection is that the earlier kits didn't have a clear plastic canopy, but solid balsa. Could be wrong, but I'm 98.12% sure it wasn't clear plastic in 1961.  Steve

Let's make that 100% positive. All the ones Roy D. and I built had "balsa" canopies.

Cheers, Jerry A.