Rumor has it that Guillow's has gone

[Ty Marcucci]

Out of business. Any one heard the same?  ?

[wwwarbird]

 Wouldn't be a big surprise, nothing new from them in years. Their website seems to be working though...

https://www.guillow.com/

[Dane Martin]

I just received my order, direct from guillows on Saturday. I ordered enough stuff to build two javelins, tissue, rubber and some modeling clay.

[Dan McEntee]

  Many years ago while working at the hobby shop, I was reading an article about Guillow's and what I remember about that article, was that they did their own marketing research, and they related that 85 % of the kits that they sold, (at least at that time) NEVER GET BUILT!!! How would you like to produce a product that has been sold as long as Guillow's kits, and the customer never uses it!!?? I think at that time, there was a resurgence of sorts in stick and tissue models, as lots of former modelers were retiring and wanting to get back to their youth, bought some kits, and were overwhelmed by what they saw. Same for their kids and grandkids, wanting to do what dad or grandpa talked about doing when they were kids, open the box and see the contents, put the lid back on and stuck it high on a shelf. Think how many unbuilt Guiillow's kits there are out there in basements and closets?
   And I don't know about them not coming out with anything new. I bought some small kits that were simple starter kits recently. Profile fuselage with built up wings and sheet tail surfaces. Almost exactly like the kit I first tried to build when I was 5 years old! Not the same airplanes, but similar construction. They also did a DeHavilland Beaver, Turbo Porter and Extra aerobatic airplane. I have many squirreled away, including some genuine antiques!
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[George Albo]

RUMOR!!!!  Just got off the phone with them and they are very much in business. They were surprised that anyone would say such a thing.


Anyways, I wanted to put this to rest.

George

[Andre Ming]

I completely built my first die-crushed Guillow kit (a Spitfire for .69 cents). This would have been when I was in the third grade around 1960. Used to ride my bike several miles to "downtown" Shawnee Mission, KS to the little town square where a small hobby shop was located. I would make my selection, pay for it, and strap it to my bicycle... and back to the house I would peddle! What followed over the next several years were all sorts of Guillow's WW2 warbirds, and eventually a squadron of WW1 airplanes. Built every kit as I recall. However, I DIDN'T finish the "cut your own parts out" Comet kit I purchased early on in my stick n' tissue era.

Fun times.

Andre

[Will Hinton]

As I think back to those days I'm amazed that my parents weren't arrested for letting a grade school kid use double edged razor blades!  Dad finally found out so bought me some single edged instead.  I built every one of my Comet kits and flew them out of the hay mow in the barn.  Never forget the day my Douglas Dauntless hit the outhouse and was destroyed!  Broke my heart

[Dane Martin]

Not that anyone asked, but here's my newest FF plane. A guillows javelin.

[Steve Helmick]

I heard (through the grapevine) that Sterling and Fox were folding up their tents. Imagine that!  Steve

[rich gorrill]

Nice job on the Javelin Dane. I built one 4 years ago on a whim, found it to be a fun little build. I used a lot of toothpicks and tweezers.

Rich

[Dane Martin]

Nice job on the Javelin Dane. I built one 4 years ago on a whim, found it to be a fun little build. I used a lot of toothpicks and tweezers.

Rich

It is extraordinarily fun! Once I get this one trimmed out, see what works and what don't, I'll build a pretty one. And then I'll build one with no landing gear for the grass field here.

[Joe Ed Pederson]

My first Guillow's kit was the 18" Spad VII.  Built it in the 4th grade.  I still have the plans.  I sure wish I had taken a picture of it.

The best thing about the Guillow's kits is the decals.  The worst thing (if you want to fly the model) is the plastic nose that leaves you with little or no way to adjust the thrust, or a major redesign to make a balsa nose so you can readily adjust the thrust. 

A few years ago Guillow's brought back the Comet beginner series models.  I bought the Flyboy, the most advanced in the series.   It should be a good flyer and I modified the fuselage so I could mount the stab on top and add a dethermalizer.    It will need a dethermalizer.   Unlike Guillow's Lancer the nose opening on the Flyboy is big enough to get a heavily knotted up rubber motor into the fuselage.  The Flyboy also has a lot more wing area than the Lancer.    I never could get a Lancer built from the kit to fly much more than 20 seconds.  And that was with only a couple of coats of clear dope. 

Joe Ed Pederson

[proparc]

Not that anyone asked, but here's my newest FF plane. A guillows javelin.

I can't believe it, a Guillows Javalin. I had no idea Guillows was still in business. Their Lancer was one of the first flying kits I ever built. I built two. My dog ate the first one before I completed it. The second one, I finished in red dope and I flew it at a local park. I steadily kept trimming until it flew perfect, at which point it flew out of sight forever on the 6th flight!

[Dan McEntee]

My first Guillow's kit was the 18" Spad VII.  Built it in the 4th grade.  I still have the plans.  I sure wish I had taken a picture of it.

The best thing about the Guillow's kits is the decals.  The worst thing (if you want to fly the model) is the plastic nose that leaves you with little or no way to adjust the thrust, or a major redesign to make a balsa nose so you can readily adjust the thrust. 

A few years ago Guillow's brought back the Comet beginner series models.  I bought the Flyboy, the most advanced in the series.   It should be a good flyer and I modified the fuselage so I could mount the stab on top and add a dethermalizer.    It will need a dethermalizer.   Unlike Guillow's Lancer the nose opening on the Flyboy is big enough to get a heavily knotted up rubber motor into the fuselage.  The Flyboy also has a lot more wing area than the Lancer.    I never could get a Lancer built from the kit to fly much more than 20 seconds.  And that was with only a couple of coats of clear dope. 

Joe Ed Pederson

    I remember when Comet closed down. The owner, (Mr. Bishop???) was not interested in selling the business, just wanted to shut it down. I believe he was in his 90s at the time. At that time, you could find Comet kits at K-Mart! They were everywhere and cheap. Maybe that was how he liquidated the inventory. A considerable time later, Guillows announced the four airplane beginner series, but the scrambled up the names. What was the Cloud Buster became the Fly Boy, and the Cadet swapped names with the glider I think. I was surprised but happy with the move. These are good flying airplanes, and I wish they had done the four plane beginners set in one box like Comet had done. This thread is giving me the itch to get out a Guillow's Arrow kit and look it over. It's pretty cool looking and is also P-30 rubber legal for competition!. Gotta clean up the messy building room first. And we just had our first significant snow for this winter. Went right past fall and had 4 to 7 inches of snow over night! So any test flying, if I get it built, will have to wait a while!
   Another one high on the list is the Fairchild 24 that is part of their Build By Numbers series. That airplane has won F/F Rubber Scale at the NATS more than any other airplane. All of the airplanes are air worthy, some with some careful building more than others. And the larger warbirds can be built up into impressive display models also. They had all the large ones hanging in the gift shop at the Oshkosh Museum, if you are ever there and want to check out how they look.
    Type at you later,
      Dan McEntee

[Bob Heywood]

The Guillow's facebook Group is business as usual...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538675473123901/

[Terrence Durrill]

             Hey, don't forget that Guillows, at one time produced the Trixter A-B and B-C models as well as the Barnstormer stunter.  I think they also produced the Reactor and the Trixy as well.  .............. Loved that Barnstormer !    ......             

[john e. holliday]

Had the Reactor at one time.  Big plane and drew a lot of attention when I had my Fox Rat 40 on it.  I think I tried building and fly every one of the Comet 10 cent kits.   Tried the 25 cent kit, can't remember the name, but the cat got to it before I got it covered.

[Will Hinton]

I'm sitting here  chuckling as I reflect on the "The dog ate my homework" excuse.  Not saying anything to the contrary Doc, but....
Seriously, I built a 54" wingspan Taylorcraft I got fron AHC way back when, early 1950's, and cannot remember the manufacturer.  Anyone remember those?

[Brett Buck]

I'm sitting here  chuckling as I reflect on the "The dog ate my homework" excuse.  Not saying anything to the contrary Doc, but....
Seriously, I built a 54" wingspan Taylorcraft I got fron AHC way back when, early 1950's, and cannot remember the manufacturer.  Anyone remember those?

   Comet.

    Brett

[Dan McEntee]

I'm sitting here  chuckling as I reflect on the "The dog ate my homework" excuse.  Not saying anything to the contrary Doc, but....
Seriously, I built a 54" wingspan Taylorcraft I got fron AHC way back when, early 1950's, and cannot remember the manufacturer.  Anyone remember those?

     Yes, Comet. One of the dollar kit series. There was an Aeronca Chief also in that size. I thought there was a Curtis Robin also But I think I may be mixing that up with something else. I built the T-Craft several years ago with removable wings, and a formed 1/32" ply paddle prop to replace the stock plastic prop that is no where near big enough. I powered it with 4 or 5 loops of SIG 1/4" rubber. Trexler wheels for that authentic balloon tire look rounded it out. It flew quite well on a calm evening. When wound fully, it would take about two minutes for the model to reach peak altitude, about 100 fet or so, and power glide down to a nice landing while in a 50 foot diameter circle or so.  I still have the nose block and prop somewhere I think.  It met an untimely demise, when a certain , un-named UAV operator who was a child at the time, decided to have his way with it! At least it wasn't a cat or a dog!
   Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Sean McEntee]

     Yes, Comet. One of the dollar kit series. There was an Aeronca Chief also in that size. I thought there was a Curtis Robin also But I think I may be mixing that up with something else. I built the T-Craft several years ago with removable wings, and a formed 1/32" ply paddle prop to replace the stock plastic prop that is no where near big enough. I powered it with 4 or 5 loops of SIG 1/4" rubber. Trexler wheels for that authentic balloon tire look rounded it out. It flew quite well on a calm evening. When wound fully, it would take about two minutes for the model to reach peak altitude, about 100 fet or so, and power glide down to a nice landing while in a 50 foot diameter circle or so.  I still have the nose block and prop somewhere I think.  It met an untimely demise, when a certain , un-named UAV operator who was a child at the time, decided to have his way with it! At least it wasn't a cat or a dog!
   Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

And it has come full circle 

[Chris Sarnowski]

My first model airplane was a Guillows Arrow, purchased at Polk’s hobby shop in East Meadow NY.
Many successful flights on the polo field at Bethpage State Park.

-Chris