Veco Freeflight Kits (UPDATE - Looking for Joe Wagner's COMANCHE

[Mike Griffin]

Years ago Veco produced a line of free flight models that were named after Indian tribes, i.e. Navajo, Apache, etc.  Does anyone have a list of the kits they produced or have plans to any of these models.  If not do you know where I could find a list of them and possibly find plans?

Thanks for any input

Mike

[pipemakermike]

Hi Mike

I found Sioux - 1949 half-A gas sport free flight by Joe Wagner, kitted by Veco.

Link to Sioux on outerzone




Also

Link to Dakota on outerzone


and
Comanche


Also Joe did this one :-

[Randy Ryan]

I have a Navajo kit, beside those already listed there was a very pretty Cub which was a companion tho the Sioux. My father has the remains of a Sioux he built for my older brother in 48 or 49, I remember my brother flying it using about 12" of fuel line as a timer tank. Over and over and over, beautiful circling climb and glide, identical one to the next if it was calm.

[Norm Furutani]

Here's a Veco Apache plan from a Google search.

Norm

[Dan McEntee]

  Joe Wagner was selling the plans himself for any of his VECO designs. I remember hearing his health was declining, but don't know his current status, but hope he's doing well. He used to write an engine column in Model Aviation and his contact info could be found there. I talked to him on the phone once and found him to be a very nice gentleman.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Balsa Butcher]

BMJR models currently kits the Dakota and Sioux. "bmjrmodels(dot)com".

[Mike Keville]

And here is a built-up 'Apache' - 52 inch span - TD .051 power.  Built & flown at Ft. Benning, GA, 1964-65.  Holding it is Sandy, wife of my then flying buddy.

[Dave_Trible]

  Joe Wagner was selling the plans himself for any of his VECO designs. I remember hearing his health was declining, but don't know his current status, but hope he's doing well. He used to write an engine column in Model Aviation and his contact info could be found there. I talked to him on the phone once and found him to be a very nice gentleman.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

I got a set of Squaw plans from him recently, he's still selling plans.

[George]

I got a set of Squaw plans from him recently, he's still selling plans.

 

Joe Wagner's plans are excellent! He includes extra information and insights on them.

George

[Dan McEntee]

I got a set of Squaw plans from him recently, he's still selling plans.

   Hi Dave;
    That's good to hear. I don't know if I ever bought all the plans I wanted to from him, but will check my collection this weekend. I have him autograph each plan also. Was his contact infor still the same? Can you send me an email address if you have one?
   Thanks a lot,
   Dan McEntee

[Dave_Trible]

Dan I can't help much.  He was selling plans on eBay.   That's where I got them.  I have the plans but threw away the envelope with his address.   I just quickly looked on the bay but didn't find it again but could have overlooked it.   You might scan 'model airplane plans' there.

Dave

[Dan McEntee]

Dan I can't help much.  He was selling plans on eBay.   That's where I got them.  I have the plans but threw away the envelope with his address.   I just quickly looked on the bay but didn't find it again but could have overlooked it.   You might scan 'model airplane plans' there.

Dave

  Hi Dave;
    I get plans updates by email daily, but don't recall anything that may have been by him. Will do a specific search. WDo you remember if his eBay name was vecojoe or something similar?
  Thanks again,
  Dan McEntee

[Dave_Trible]

No Dan I'm sorry.  I really didn't realize it was Joe himself sending the plans until long after I tossed the package.  At that time I was getting 3-5 packages from eBay a day and didn't really look them over right away.  I'll see if I might still show it in my list there but think its been erased.  This was maybe 6 weeks ago. 

Dave

[Dan McEntee]

  Thanks for the efforts Dave. I sent off a test email to him at the last email address I have for him, and we'll see if he replies. I bought from him direct, and don't think I ever mentioned eBay selling. He's one of the greats of model aviation and for sure a big part of it's history.
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Dave_Trible]

Let me know- good luck.

Dave

[john e. holliday]

Over on SSW they show his E-Mail as   vecojoe at juno dot com    .  Has that been tried?

[Jim Fruit]

Hi Mike

I found Sioux - 1949 half-A gas sport free flight by Joe Wagner, kitted by Veco.

Link to Sioux on outerzone




Also

Link to Dakota on outerzone


and
Comanche


Also Joe did this one :-

One of my fondesy memories of the Dakota was in the early 60's. My freind had built one with a baby bee for power. At a nearby school yard, he started the engine and tried an ROG. It did nothing but continual ground loops. He caught it several times, each time tweaking the rudder in the opposite direction of the ground loops (we did not know a lot about free flight). Finally, the Dakota started to ground loop again when it jumped off of the ground, circling in the opposite direction. Never saw it again.

Jim Fruit

[George Hostler]

Joe Wagner back in the early 2000's used to have a Smallnet newsletter blog, that discussed just about anything related to small R/C flight and sometimes F/F, including the Veco kits. The site no longer exists. There were many good discussions with his contributions as a moderator and poster. His wife passed away sometime around then, IIRC.

I enjoyed his engine column in AMA's Model Aviation magazine.

When he and Walt Musciano go, we will have lost two of the greats in model airplane history.

[frank williams]

Mike, Jim
BMJR currently has a kit of the Dakota.  I too have great memories of a schoolyard Dakota.  I built one of the BMJR kits a few months back.

[Mike Griffin]

I appreciate everyones input into this.  When I was 14 I built , I think, a Navajo.  I think that was the name of it.  It was my first free flight.  One day it just caught a thermal and flew away.  Never did find it.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

The plan I am looking for is the COMANCHE, designed my Joe Wagner in 1951 I believe.  If anyone has a copy of this or can tell me where to order it, I would certainly appreciate it.  I had to go back and look at some very old film to figure out which design it was.  The COMANCHE was my very first model plane when I was 14 and I would like to build it again 52 years later.

Thanks for any help with this.

Mike

[Dan McEntee]

  Scroll up a reply or two Mike and there is the Comanche. Looks like it's available from outerzone. Clink on the link in the reply and there you go!
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Mike Griffin]

Got it Dan.  That was me not paying attention.  Thank you

Mike

[Bill Mohrbacher]

Built my first one in 1957, next one in 2007

[Mike Griffin]

Bil did you convert the new one to RC?  That is what I want to do with just elevator and rudder and that is what it looked like you did too?

Thanks

Mike

[Bill Mohrbacher]

Yes I did.  I built it per plans, but made the sides from 1/32" plywood, enlarged the fin and rudder, and added an elevator.  I'm using little Bluebird micro servos, Berg postage stamp rvc, 500 mA 7.4V Lipo, Hextronic Blue motor.  Best flight is 40+ minutes using about 1/3 of battery capacity.  My tired old eyes were giving up so I forced it down.  Great flier.

[Mike Griffin]

Thank you and I replied to your private message....much obliged...

Mike

[Mike Lauerman]

My first free flight was a Veco Sioux. Impressed by a friend's free flight (Brigadeer?) in 1956, I built a Veco Sioux...couldn't believe it could just circle and circle until it went out of sight!
I waited for what seemed like hours, never saw it again.

My brother-in-law and nephew built a Sioux from an old kit in 1974, flew it at Campbell High school. It began its clockwise descent, but changed course...flew west, toward the Perc ponds adjacent to Highway 17...they chased it, but it seemed to go down somewhere west of Campbell township.

Brother in law drove around for days, finally drove down an obscure commercial alley and found it inside a construction yard! Just sitting there... no damage! 

[Mike Griffin]

My first free flight was a Veco Sioux. Impressed by a friend's free flight (Brigadeer?) in 1956, I built a Veco Sioux...couldn't believe it could just circle and circle until it went out of sight!
I waited for what seemed like hours, never saw it again.

My brother-in-law and nephew built a Sioux from an old kit in 1974, flew it at Campbell High school. It began its clockwise descent, but changed course...flew west, toward the Perc ponds adjacent to Highway 17...they chased it, but it seemed to go down somewhere west of Campbell township.

Brother in law drove around for days, finally drove down an obscure commercial alley and found it inside a construction yard! Just sitting there... no damage! 

Mike that is what happened to my Comanche when I was a kid.  I guess it caught a thermal and just flew away.  My dad and i drove for miles but never did find it.  It never occured to me to put my name and phone number in it back then.  That is why I am going to convert this one with a rudder and elevator and maybe I will get it back.