Author Topic: What's The Shortest Time You Ever Built A Kit? (Read 4130 times)

Dick Pacini · « **on:** May 25, 2011, 07:41:09 AM »

I remember the day when chewing the glue off the fingers was part of the build process. The adhesives available now would likely shorten the build time considerably, if the builder didn't goof off.

So, for a model like a Nobler kit for example, how fast have you assembled one?

john e. holliday · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2011, 08:28:46 AM »

Years ago I built a Sterlng Gaurdian for my first carrier contest in one week. Test flew at the contest. First official I wrapped the lines around the cable going to the super structure of the carrier deck. Was wondering where everyone disappeared.

builditright · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2011, 10:20:29 AM »

I built the Ringmaster Imperial Prototype from start ready to fly in 21 days.

This included making templates, silkspan and dope finish, taking building photos and writing building notes.

There are several others but I did the Spacewalker Prototype in three days (up to doping stage), Dennis did the finish on it.

Bob Whitely · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2011, 11:37:29 AM »

Built a Sig Chipmunk in three days back in 1973. I had three days off from work,
started on a Tuesday morning and flew it on Thursday afternoon. Of course my wife
worked and the kids were in school so no distractions. The thing that took the
longest was for the paint to dry. Used an OS35S and was a pretty good flying
plane. RJ

FLOYD CARTER · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2011, 02:21:23 PM »

A few days before the 1962 Nats, I decided to enter combat. Got a Double Voodoo kit. Built both in one long afternoon. Covering took part of next day because I used paper and dope, but you can do 2 coats in a couple hours.

p.s. Got clobbered by the Mexican Team in combat.

Floyd (no longer a combateer)

rustler · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2011, 03:53:46 PM »

1959 - So old fashioned materials - Top Flite "FliteStreak" - 6 hours. In Henri Stouffs' model shop in Brussells. But I had some help.

Randy Ryan · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2011, 04:06:39 PM »

I built a CG Profile P-40 in about 12 hours (I did use some 5 minute epoxy)

Dennis Moritz · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:18:17 PM »

4 months plus

proparc · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:29:53 PM »

11 years old-built a Magician in 3 days. First 48 hours straight through until my parents busted me in the basement. My father convinced my mother to let me finish.

Alan Resinger · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:38:43 PM »

I did this 2 times in my younger days. Bought a Green Box Nobler on Thursday afternoon and flew it on Sunday afternoon. They weren't 20 pointers but didn't look too bad. Real simple paint jobs. One was black and silver and the other was red and black.
Alan Resinger

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:41:51 PM »

When I was in Jr. High, I put together a Jr. Flite Streak in about 9 hours (started when Dad left for work, and had one coat of clear on it when he came home), including a wider elevator and 2 wheel wire gear. It flew well, too, and lasted awhile, tho it soon was painted black. I'd guess that it was Testor's glue. Soon after found Ambroid. The Jr. FS and Fox .15 were just out, and I got them for Christmas that year. Kewl!

Steve

Edit: In '82, I built 3 identical F1A's, from blank paper to test flights, in 45 days. I designed the model, drew the plans, designed and made the circle tow towhooks with a rather neat new timer start, covered them with tissue & dope, etc. Was employed, too, and even worked one Saturday. I worked on the planes about 8 hours a day, and spent a few minutes at work planning the sequences that I would do when I got home. Cheated and used CA and epoxy. Actually took some pictures and kept pretty good track of weights, too. They came out pretty well, tho one was broken during trim flights. It was quite an ordeal, and I vowed never to do that again. If it's ready, I go, otherwise, I don't.

Mike Keville · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:52:36 PM »

1962.....Veco Smoothie.....Pactra C-77 cement, silkspan, Aero Gloss dope.....clear on the wing & stab/elev; metallic maroon on the fuselage and fin.....McCoy .35.....four days (and nights). Flew great, but was definitely no Concours contender.

Hoss Cain · « **Reply #12 on:** May 25, 2011, 10:14:57 PM »

Some good stuff above. This is not intended to be one up on anyone just a fact way back before dirt.
Between my Jr. and Senior years in high school, 1953, I worked in British Columbia for the summer. I got home an I had 9 days before school started. There were 4 kits waiting. Berkely (Sp?) P40 Stunt, Berkely P47 (60 size), Sterling Waco Bipe, and a 1/2 A Piper Cub. After the 1st day of school was done, all four machines flew. Two had new engines, the Waco with Forester .31 and the P47 witha an O&R 60. Fox .29 in the P40 and a OK .074 in the Cub were old engines. That was the beginning of the end of my high school romance as after 3 months she wanted more attention.

Many years later, I crashed my RC Sport Pylon Racer. On a Monday I picked up a Kaos .40. Tuesday and Wednesday I was on a trip. Tested the machine late Fri. P.M. and won a S.P. contest on Saturday. That machine went through 20 competition heats and was 1st in every one. 5 straight wins. It can be done but not now!

Clint Ormosen · « **Reply #13 on:** May 25, 2011, 11:18:47 PM »

Quote from: Steve Helmick on May 25, 2011, 05:41:51 PM

When I was in Jr. High, I put together a Jr. Flite Streak in about 9 hours (started when Dad left for work, and had one coat of clear on it when he came home), including a wider elevator and 2 wheel wire gear. It flew well, too, and lasted awhile, tho it soon was painted black. I'd guess that it was Testor's glue. Soon after found Ambroid. The Jr. FS and Fox .15 were just out, and I got them for Christmas that year. Kewl! Steve

Steve, I built my first Jr Flite Streak on a Saturday morning to evening. When my dad got home from work he was PISSED because I didn't "take my time and do a nice job". Heck, all I cared about was that it flew! Looks was a way way way distant second.

afml · « **Reply #14 on:** May 26, 2011, 05:18:36 AM »

Was at a "Mall Show" in Lexington, KY, and the built one of Lew McFarland's "Sharkbats" while at the mall and flew it during the LMAC Open House at Kerney Field the next day. Still have the Sharkbat!
Yea...you're not gonna find that one in your stack of plans!

It was a profile, slow combat design, that flew very well.

"Tight Lines!"

Wes

bill bischoff · « **Reply #15 on:** May 27, 2011, 10:29:52 AM »

In 1992 I built a Skyray 35 to race at the upcoming Sig contest. I bought the kit Sunday, spent 8 hours building and sanding it on Monday (seemed like more than half the time was sanding!) Had to go to work on Tuesday, On Wednesday I Monokoted all the parts and assembled it, a buddy came over and we test flew it a few times. This took about 10 more hours. On Thursday night after work we loaded up the truck in Dallas and headed for Iowa.
On Saturday, I won Skyray race and my buddy won the novice Skyray race!

I still have it and it's ready to fly, although it may need a bath first.

Rick Henry · « **Reply #16 on:** May 27, 2011, 05:45:37 PM »

When I was a teenager over a spring break from school I started building a Magician on a Sunday evening and finished it by Tuesday. It was covered with Monokote and flown several times in my parents side yard before I had to go back to school the next Monday. Then last summer my 10 year old son was learning to fly and crashed his Flite Streak. We built a Skyray 35 in three evenings start to first flight. It is Monokote finished also.

Rick Henry

John Stiles · « **Reply #17 on:** May 28, 2011, 02:55:02 AM »

Built a Ringmaster S1 in less than 24 hours, started abut 10AM and worked through the night....flew it the following morning at 8:30 AM. I was a lot younger back then, cant go without a few hours sleep now. Plus I was since banned form building on the kitchen table!

EddyR · « **Reply #18 on:** May 28, 2011, 08:58:40 PM »

This is not super fast but it typically took me a week to go from a box full of parts to a finished Smoothie. I built three one summer in 1956. These were not junkers but well finished planes. I remember driving to many contest with guys still doping there planes. I remember Jerry Hicky crashing his AAsr on Saturday and building a body that evening and winning with the plane on Sunday. It was a 6hr drive most of the night from Binghamton NY to get to the contest in the NY city area. Good old US17.
Ed

Bill Heher · « **Reply #19 on:** May 28, 2011, 10:00:43 PM »

Doesn't really count, but I'm sure I'm not alone - As kids we flew a lot of the Sterling 1/2A Beginners Series profiles. As soon as I had $2.95 in my Ambroid / AeroGloss stained fingers I started begging for a ride to the Hobby Shop, we lived in the sub-division outside Wilmington NC.

If lucky my Dad would have to go get something for the weekend, and would stop at the store and let us run in and pick out a new project.

We learned to sand and hinge the stab/elevator 1st. Then move on to sanding the wing and fuse. Several times I got a kit on Fri evening, and the 2nd coat of Aerogloss was drying during Sat morning cartoons. Then it was decals, bellcrank and linkage, mount the engine and go fly once cartoons were over and Golf came on.

I guess the average was 24 hrs, but did several in less than 12. The finish was usually trashed after 1 - 2 days, but who cared, the planes usually had short lives.

I did build a S1 Ringmaster in 2 days one frozen winter in Theif River Falls MN. The dope dried on that one befor spring, so the finish lasted longer than the plane.