Author Topic: What model did you learn to fly on? (Read 13166 times)

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #50 on:** May 11, 2012, 07:58:05 PM »

I can't remember back that far. A Sig Deweybird, I think. That or a 1/2-A Skyray.

Don Hutchinson AMA5402 · « **Reply #51 on:** May 11, 2012, 08:03:46 PM »

Ohlsson 23 Baby Shark and Baby Miss Behave, 1945, St Paul, Minnesota.

EddyR · « **Reply #52 on:** May 12, 2012, 07:03:26 AM »

Late 1940's home brew 1/2A,Cub .o49. Grandparents got me the motor and a 6 volt battery. I tried to start that motor with the burned out glow plug for three weeks. They took me to Kirns Hobby in Binghamton NY. He changed the plug and started the motor holding it in his hand.

Years later I did the same thing at the same hobby store for customers. Leo Kirn was a great old guy. Funny he was a lot younger then than I am now.

EddyR

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #53 on:** May 12, 2012, 08:09:49 AM »

First airplane was a plastic Beech Bonanza with a WenMac 049. Then some Scientifics with Baby Bees. My first actual flying airplane that would do loops and inverted was a T-Square with a McCoy redhead 35. I made a wire landing gear so I could launch from the dirt. I broke the bolt on motor mounts so many times that I sawed some out of aluminum and then I could take them off and pound them straight again. I don't remember what happened to that plane.

jim gilmore · « **Reply #54 on:** May 12, 2012, 08:34:44 AM »

The first model I flew was a I think Sterling Mustang. I know it was a mustang. That I put a cox .049 I think it was a golden bee but not 100 % sure which model cox...
I had my Dads help which never worked . He would push the plane trying to make it fly whick would cause it to bounce and fly across the circle. That's when I met Dick Kurt. Whom came over and gave the model a hand launch. From there I started flying a Shoestring stunter.

Robert Zambelli · « **Reply #55 on:** May 12, 2012, 08:56:57 AM »

Wee Duper Zilch with a McCoy 098.
Bridgeton, NJ, 1953.
From a hand launch, I flew the entire flight, the first successful ever.

The first plane I ever got was an Aeromite with a Wasp 049. It was made of high-impact Styrene. High impact - lots of little pieces!

Bob Z.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #56 on:** May 12, 2012, 09:39:02 AM »

Another Scientific hollow log pilot here - the Stinson Voyager with a Cox Thimbledrome Space Bug Jr. 049 on it. The engine name was bigger than the plane!! I have one of those screwed to my balsa cabinet - the engine, not the plane.

Bill Adair · « **Reply #57 on:** May 12, 2012, 02:48:36 PM »

Jim Walker original Firebaby, with a McCoy .049 diesel.

Taught myself to mix diesel fuel, tune a diesel engine, and fly control line. Then taught my two best friends to fly control line. We wore that airplane out, but not that great little engine. Went through several replacement wings, and many rubber O-rings for the McCoy contra piston. Not to mention more than a few 6X4 wood props.

Bill

Marvin Denny · « **Reply #58 on:** May 12, 2012, 03:43:07 PM »

Those Kaysuns were the best props for the Atwood wasps and like engines. I used their 5.5 X 4 but now think that the actual pitch was more than likely a 3". I wish that I still had some.

Bigiron

Mike Keville · « **Reply #59 on:** May 12, 2012, 04:12:14 PM »

I used red Kaysun 5.5 x 4 props on OK Cubs and Wasps, early '50s. Nice props!

Vince Mankowski · « **Reply #60 on:** May 12, 2012, 05:48:29 PM »

Musta been in '52 0r '53. Cox TD-1 that my father bought for me (us). A red one with the aluminum wings, it was fabulous! Flew it to death!! Then used the motor in later balsa models, but it seemed like none of them flew like the TD-1 untill I was a little more sophisticated in my building!

De Hill · « **Reply #61 on:** May 12, 2012, 07:24:02 PM »

Quote from: Randy Cuberly on May 10, 2012, 10:17:05 PM

Hey De...
That's amazing...I learned to fly the same year with precisely the same equipment, in KC MO. Didn't have a cut down elevator though.
Small World!
I still have the Forster .29.

Randy Cuberly

Hi Randy,

There was a guy named Bud Shepherd who taught all us neighborhood kids to fly. When I heard from him many years ago, He lived in California and flew r/c. I don't think any of the kids from the old neighbohood fly anything.

What's the saying? "Many are called, but few are chosen."

Elwyn Aud · « **Reply #62 on:** May 12, 2012, 07:28:38 PM »

Cox PT-19. Probably 1971 or 72.

John Rist · « **Reply #63 on:** May 12, 2012, 09:26:57 PM »

!954 Ringmaster with a K&B 19. Ed Stone of decator Alabama taught me how to fly.

riley wooten · « **Reply #64 on:** May 13, 2012, 08:31:20 AM »

Comet trainer with Merlin 23 sideport, ignition - about 1947 or 48....

John Eyer · « **Reply #65 on:** May 13, 2012, 05:41:16 PM »

Serge_Krauss · « **Reply #66 on:** May 14, 2012, 10:17:46 AM »

My friend John B.'s Scientific "Stuntmaster" with a Babe Bee .049. Then my Sterling Yak-9.

RC Storick · « **Reply #67 on:** May 16, 2012, 07:38:30 AM »

My first flight was on a WenMac .049 T6 Army trainer of some type. Been so long ago I can not remember the exact name. That was around 1964

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #68 on:** May 16, 2012, 11:35:19 AM »

Mine was a Chrome painted plastic P-51 Testor or Cox I think. By the time I got done with it, the fuel had removed a lot of the paint and the plastic was red. Too many one point landings cracked the internal built in tank. Early 70's.

$:-\$ If you can say those things flew.

Herb Calvin · « **Reply #69 on:** May 16, 2012, 06:36:38 PM »

All balsa Testors 29 with a O&R 29 69 yrs. ago.

John Fitzgerald · « **Reply #70 on:** May 19, 2012, 07:38:39 PM »

Carl Goldberg Lil Wizard with Cox Babe Bee .049 in 1965 at the age 0f 12.

Clancy Arnold · « **Reply #71 on:** May 19, 2012, 08:53:09 PM »

For me it was a Veco Warrier powered by a McCoy 29 Sportsman. That was 63 years ago!
Clancy

jim ivey · « **Reply #72 on:** May 20, 2012, 04:47:48 PM »

Tried an aero-mite I got for my 10th birthday. Anderson "spitfire .045 1951. actually learned to fly(self taught) with a Bill Warner Strato-cat, O and R "bluehead" 29. Learned to inside loop it, killed it trying to do outside loops. I got an o n r 29 off eBay almost got a Strat too. It got to expensive I think it went for 367.00 didn't want it that bad. That little 29 is like new. the Strat will show up again someday,before I'm dead I hope. Jim

Robert Redmon · « **Reply #73 on:** May 20, 2012, 05:14:59 PM »

It was summer of 1958. The plane was a Scientific "American Boy" with a WenMac .049 (spring starter) engine out of a plastic RTF my grandfather gave me for Christmas 1957 (made 1/2 lap on Christmas day before I almost did my first wingover). The American Boy was an immediate success . I managed to fly out the (1/2 oz) tank on the first flight with that one, but then quickly learned to make repairs. After the American Boy was fuel soaked (painted with 10 cent bottles of Testor's dope), the same engine was put in a Baby Ringmaster later that summer. My next plane (1959) was a "Whiplash" with an infamous Fox .09 (the one with the integral tank...which I cut off with a hacksaw).....and the saga continues.

Bob

Jim Rhoades · « **Reply #74 on:** May 21, 2012, 04:37:37 PM »

I learned to fly control line at 14 years old in 1953 with a Firebaby with a Wasp .049 engine in Burbank CA. I did a couple climbs, dives, wingovers, and a couple single loops on the first flight. On the second flight I did 3 consecutive loops and flew it inverted about 1 1/2 laps. I remember going to the LHS to get new spare wings as there were many crashes to come later. I won my first stunt contest, Jr Stunt, the next year with the same Wasp in a Mini Zilch in Salt Lake City. I got farther through the pattern before crashing than the others.
My first big model was a Sterling Mustang profile with a Fox .35. I learned the full pattern on this ship. The nose was glued back on many times during it's year long life's life.

Jim Rhoades

Chuck Ford · « **Reply #75 on:** May 28, 2012, 11:57:29 PM »

A Buster with a Fox Stunt 35. The wings were covered with red silk. Very heavy but taught me to fly and took a beating. Great trainer!!!!!

50+AirYears · « **Reply #76 on:** May 29, 2012, 12:16:04 AM »

I don't remember the FF models I started flying somewhere around 1948, except maybe for some Walker Gliders, Hornets, and Ceiling Hoppers, and I do recall the frustrations of trying to start a Wen-Mac on a plastic ARF I got for Christmas 1949 or 50, but my first CL flying really started around 1956 with an Enterprise profile P-51 and the O. K. Cub .099 I bought myself around 1949. Shortly after I got to where I could get several flightw without needing the tube of Ambroid, I chucked that old Wen Mac in a vise, connected a Walker Ballon tank, filled it with Fox Blast or High Nitro (not sure which name they used the), top Flite 7-3 wood prop, and with a lot of flipping and playing with the needle valve, got one run. The prop actually freewheeled to a stop when the fuel ran out. I actually burned up my first engine. But not the last!
I still have the Cubb. It still runs. Almost as much power as some of my Black Widows.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #77 on:** May 29, 2012, 06:59:30 AM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on May 12, 2012, 03:37:09 PM

In all this 1/2A flying, how many remember or used "Kaysun" plastic props. These were the only ones our 5 & 10 carried.

The Kaysuns were all that Welborn Hardware had as well as Charley's Hobby Shop. I used the 6-3 and 6-4 on my OK Cub .049A. Then when the Cox engines started appearing the Kaysuns were no longer stocked. Had to start using the Grish and Top Flite.

Dave_Trible · « **Reply #78 on:** May 29, 2012, 07:04:03 AM »

For me it was a Scientific Stuka with an Atwood/Wen Mac .049 on the nose. Don't remember flying it much past a few days. I started flying my Goldberg Stuntman 23 w/Golden Bee right away. On that I learned loops, eights and inverted flying between fruit trees in the back yard. That was 1964. Just recently got a remake kit of the stuntman and put a Killer Bee on it. I get a kick out of flying my nostalgic piece once in a while-have told my grandson (who just flew his first contest) to keep his hands off! It's grandpa's toy!

john e. holliday · « **Reply #79 on:** May 29, 2012, 07:26:52 AM »

You forgot to brag a little. Dave's grandson made an attempt in wind that some guys left their plane on the ground. If he doesn't get disgusted, he will be flying better than grandpa in a couple of years. Did I mention the young lad got a first in basic flying.

50+AirYears · « **Reply #80 on:** May 29, 2012, 10:20:50 PM »

I think I had a couple Kaysun props in 6-3. For some reason, I visualize them as being a clear plastic? Or am I confusing them with another clear plastic prop that I tried once. I was maybe 13 or 14, running a Cub .049 on Blast in my back yard. The prop shed a blade that flew about 15 feet and stuck in the wood siding of the nieghbor's house. Taught me some respect for one of those rotating meat slicers. 55 years later, props still kind of worry me.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #81 on:** May 30, 2012, 09:51:29 AM »

I emember a clear platic prop that Charley had a box of in the shop. Don't think it was Kaysun as they were always red. The clear ones were taken off the shelf for some reason.

50+AirYears · « **Reply #82 on:** May 30, 2012, 11:19:03 PM »

Sounds like the one I'm thinking of. I still seem to remember being fascinated by rays streaming out from the hub into the blades. Tody, over 50 years later, I'd probably recognize them as stress risers.

Michael Graves · « **Reply #83 on:** June 02, 2012, 04:59:59 PM »

Back in the early 70's with my dad. He tought me with a Cox PT19 trainer Ahhh the good old days........

Mike Keville · « **Reply #84 on:** June 02, 2012, 05:42:41 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on May 30, 2012, 09:51:29 AM

I emember a clear platic prop that Charley had a box of in the shop. Don't think it was Kaysun as they were always red. The clear ones were taken off the shelf for some reason.

"Scamper" props? Those were clear plastic -- and dangerous!

DanielGelinas · « **Reply #85 on:** June 02, 2012, 07:58:44 PM »

COX PT19 in 1972. Firat real plane was the ringmaster jr. with fox .19 or .20 (can't remember)

-Dan

Chris McMillin · « **Reply #86 on:** June 03, 2012, 12:05:15 PM »

Ringmaster Jr, Hope .19, U-Reely, Chicago, Ill, 1964.