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Author Topic: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark  (Read 1516 times)

Offline Jim Carter

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Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« on: January 28, 2022, 02:57:41 PM »
Greetings!  I recently acquired this kit that was designed, circa 1960.  The original was built and flown by a fellow named Alfred Gonzales.  Now I know I may be searching for the proverbial needle ... but I was wondering if any of y'all may know this gentleman or if he can be contacted.  I think it would be awesome to communicate with him or even some of his relatives concerning his thoughts and history.

Second, the kit calls for an item that I'm hoping someone may still have in their storage, a Veco 110, Engine Extension unit.  I've attached a photo for reference.  Thanks in advance.

Jim Carter
Titusville, FL.

Online chuck snyder

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2022, 04:10:54 PM »
Jim,
I built this kit when I was in the 11th grade (1963) with a McCoy .60. I have one of the kits in my nostalgia stash, and I still have the engine. I can recall flying it after I moved to Cincinnati in 1968.
I have one of the shaft extensions you can have. Let me know your mailing address.
Chuck

Offline Trostle

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2022, 04:52:52 PM »
I have one of those kits, complete with the carved fuselage blocks.

That Veco extension will need the extended prop adapter nut.  If Chuck Snyder does not have that to send to you, let me know.

This airplane really needs that shaft extension because of that nose configuration.  I stopped using them years ago.  They just magnify any engine vibration or unbalanced prop problems.

Keith

Offline Jim Carter

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2022, 10:35:58 AM »
Jim,
I built this kit when I was in the 11th grade (1963) with a McCoy .60. I have one of the kits in my nostalgia stash, and I still have the engine. I can recall flying it after I moved to Cincinnati in 1968.
I have one of the shaft extensions you can have. Let me know your mailing address.
Chuck
This is great to hear!  I sent a pm with my address.  However for the sake of the thread, what were your thoughts and experience with the building and flying of the model?  Were there any significant pitfalls and or recommendations that you would avoid or changes you would incorporate going forward?  I look forward to your thoughts.  Again, thank you.

Jim

Offline Jim Carter

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2022, 10:40:22 AM »
I have one of those kits, complete with the carved fuselage blocks.

That Veco extension will need the extended prop adapter nut.  If Chuck Snyder does not have that to send to you, let me know.

This airplane really needs that shaft extension because of that nose configuration.  I stopped using them years ago.  They just magnify any engine vibration or unbalanced prop problems.

Keith
Howdy, I want to thank you for your offer and have responded to Chuck and accepted his offer.  I will certainly contact you if I run into any problems.  Just curious, did you ever build or fly one of these planes?  If so, what were your thoughts about the kit and the flight / handling?

Jim

Online chuck snyder

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2022, 11:02:32 AM »
"This is great to hear!  I sent a pm with my address.  However for the sake of the thread, what were your thoughts and experience with the building and flying of the model?  Were there any significant pitfalls and or recommendations that you would avoid or changes you would incorporate going forward?  I look forward to your thoughts.  Again, thank you."

Jim,
Give me a break man!!!! That was 59 years ago that I built the Dark Shark. I happy nowadays if I remember last week!

I don't know what your goals are for the model, but surely you'll want a throttle. Back then mine was three-line, but a 2.4 gHz radio works better now. If you go with the radio you might as well
add flaps. This is likely to be a heavy model and it does not have much wing area. Try to add some "lightness." If you intend to enter Sport Scale competition keep in mind you will be penalized unless you modify the kit to add retracts.
Chuck

Offline Bob Heywood

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2022, 06:00:57 PM »
Alfred Gonzales placed 2nd in Senior Navy Carrier at the 1961 NATS. The NATS that year were held in Willow Grove, PA. The NATS results list Alfred's home as Woodside, N.Y. Here it gets tricky. Woodside is a neighborhood in Queens and also the name of a small town in western New York state. I would guess the Queens location to be connected with Consolidated, but who knows. He would have been between 16 & 18 years old to be a Senior. His name did not appear in the results that I have for later NATS in the 60's. In the usual rotation of Navy NATS Willow Grove would run again in 1965 and 1969. I don't have those results, although by then the Sterling Grumman Guardian figured heavily in the placings.

This isn't much to go on but it's something.
"Clockwise Forever..."

Offline Trostle

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2022, 07:12:09 PM »

  Just curious, did you ever build or fly one of these planes?  If so, what were your thoughts about the kit and the flight / handling?

Jim

I never flew one of these.  I picked up that kit years ago at a swap meet.  Thought I might build it someday.  However, I think there are carrier airplanes that are more suited to the carrier event.  I do not think the tricycle gear is practical for our carrier "landings".  Also I think the kit wing area and its weight is another drawback for serious carrier work unless there is a significant weight reduction program like removing as much balsa as possible from those fuse blocks.  However, it would still be fun to try this for carrier.  I had a lot of fun and success at local meets with a Bearcat (a bit bigger than the Berkeley/Sig version with a mild manner ST 40 G21.

Keith

Offline wwwarbird

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2022, 09:37:31 PM »

 This would be a great build to watch, please keep us posted.  y1
Narrowly averting disaster since 1964! 

Wayne Willey
Albert Lea, MN U.S.A. IC C/L Aircraft Modeler, Ex AMA member

Offline Bob Heywood

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2022, 11:58:03 AM »
A scratch built Dark Shark competed in the 1962 Glenview NATS. Didn't place in the top three. Impressive pic.

As a side note, 1st in Open Navy Carrier was won by a Consolidated Avenger kit design scratch built using SIG contest balsa. McCoy 60 power. 483 points.
"Clockwise Forever..."

Offline Jim Carter

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2022, 10:15:23 AM »
Hello everyone!  Guys, I know it's been a few days since I last posted ... I'm not all that much for writing /responding everyday.  But be assured, I want to thank you all for the great information and support.

First, to Chuck:  Man, I am in your debt ;D!  That extension arrived yesterday and fit perfectly on my OS 46 and I have no doubt that it will fit on my OS 61 if things begin to look like "nasty power" becomes the order of the day.  I see from Bob's post that the plane in the photo may well have had a .60 for its powerplant.  Chuck, although I do my best to keep a dedicated "build log" for anything and everything I build since about 2013, I haven't shared the logs and my notes with very many folks unless it was one that I specifically built for a customer or one that I subsequently sold and the buyer wanted to see my notes and build photos :-\.  Guess what I'm saying is, I can't promise I will or won't, but I will, most probably, post some pictures of the final outcome ;)

Next, to Bob: I really do appreciate your research into Mr. Gonzales :).  Regrettably, Ms. Angie at the AMA Membership Division, didn't turn up any information for him either and given the way NY has grown since that period and assuming he never relocated, I fear finding him may well be searching for the proverbial "needle".   Given your information, I suppose he would be somewhere around 76 to 78 years of age but it sure would have been a real treat to find him still building and doing well :).

Now to Trostle:  As noted above, I received the extension from Chuck and it's a nice fit for my available engine selections :).  I can certainly appreciate yours and Chucks thoughts toward lightening the balsa blocks.  That was one of my first considerations and I can see the benefit of Chucks suggestion to add flaps.  No doubt they would be a nice addition.  As for the retracts, man, both you and Chuck must live close by or feed off each others brain waves,  LL~.!!  I'll see what can be done based upon the units available (at reasonable prices).  I did make this modification to my Brodak Bearcat, kit CLB-30, using some E-Flite 15-25 sized electric retracts.  Both the engine and retracts are 2.4GHZ controlled.  It was a bit simpler, I believe, because the Bearcat seems to be a slight bit larger, allowing a bit more room to work. But believe me, I will give serious consideration to y'alls recommendations ;).

Guys, I thank you all ;D ;D!!

Offline Ron Duly

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Re: Consolidated Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2022, 09:35:44 PM »
A local built one back in the day with a Super Tigre G60 R/C for power.  He started it up, ran to the center, signaled for launch and watched as it ran off the front of the deck, taxied at high speed around the circle, ran back up the ramp, caught an arresting line and stopped.  Never did get off the ground.  Seems that it was just a bit nose heavy.......


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